Small businesses regularly run short of cash and financial resources.
That’s the reason many small-level startups and small businesses fail to grow after a certain level.
Many of them are not able to properly marketing their business, as well. Thus, it’s important to understand how to market your brand without breaking the bank. This way, you can get a nice amount of exposure without putting your business in a bad financial position.
If you’re unsure about how to market your brand at low or no cost, read on for some excellent tips to help you do just that.
Here, you will find lots of free and inexpensive marketing strategies that gives you a fighting chance to stay afloat and even thrive as a small business.
Let’s dive into the details of these marketing strategies that won’t put a dent in your wallet.
Inexpensive and free marketing ideas
Let’s start with the options that will have the most limited hit on your budget. These marketing strategies are 100% free and don’t require tons of financial resources or time.
Google My Business
For small businesses, creating a Google My Business profile is the most effective marketing strategy. Creating a profile for your business is free, and your listing allows your entity to show up on Google Maps, Google search, and other branded searches.
However, if you are looking to attain a higher position in Google searches, you need to optimize your Business profile, for which you need to have verified ownership. This can be done through your Google My Business Account quickly via email. Here is more info about the verification process.
Social Media
Businesses need to carve out a presence on social media. As opposed to spending tons of money on advertising on channels like Google Ads, social media ads are inexpensive and can be done at a low cost.
Social media is also a platform where you can do low-cost marketing by posting regularly and growing a following by offering quality, useful content and engaging users on various channels.
You should actively promote blog posts, services and other content on your social media channels, which drives traffic to your website.
Use Hashtags!
Whether you’re focused on Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn or other channels, hashtags are a critical part of your social media success. They are free of cost and using them in your posts can widen the reach of your content. Here’s a great guide to help you use hashtags effectively.
Broad hashtags reinforce your brand identity, but specific hashtags are right when providing resources or advice. Location-based hashtags are a must if you are a local business. Use a blend of hashtag types in your posts, and don’t forget custom hashtags, so they can reach the people for whom they are meant.
Website
Whether you’re a huge corporation or small business, people are searching via search engines for what you have to offer. If consumers are looking for products or services in your locality, and you top the table, then there’s a huge chance you will get more consumers.
By optimizing your website for search, you can improve your search engine rankings and drive traffic from prospective customers to your website. The key is, once those visitors arrive, make sure your website is set up with a solid user experience complete with tons of useful and engaging content.
To make your website useful, fill it with vital and precise information. Users must be able to find you and other information like advice and tips to help them with their problems, insights about the value of our products and services, contact info readily available so people can reach you, and the list goes on.
Develop an email marketing plan
One more useful tactic is email marketing.
It is a great way to get new visitors engaged with your business. Email can help you build quality, lasting relationships with existing consumers, and forge new ones with prospective customers to help grow your business.
For effective e-mail marketing, you can:
- Write powerful subject lines that grab attention
- Create an offer to encourage your readers to take the next step
- Add links to relevant content
- Segment your lists so you can target the right people with the right message
- Be short and sweet to get the point across and get the desired action
Email is a power tool you should 100% be utilizing to boost your business.
Vehicle branding
If your business requires vehicles in some way, make sure you brand your fleet with logos, contact info, your slogan. As these vehicles drive around to help make your business run, you are consistently boosting your brand recognition.
You can also pay regular people to place things like magnets or stickers on their automobiles. As they drive arrive running day to day errands, your brand is also being driven around and exposed to local consumers.
Turn employees into brand ambassadors
Word of mouth is essential for any small business, and even more so if you lack financial resources.
Research shows that 60% of consumers purchase a product or utilize services when they hear about it from others.
Family, friends, and colleagues act as your free brand ambassadors. So why exclude your employees from this list?
You can tap into the potential of their networks, and they can promote your brand on an individual level within those networks Instead of paying a hefty amount to advertising agencies, you can ask your loyal team members to promote your brand to their network, both in person and online.
Attend industry or networking events
Small businesses can build their social network and market their product by engaging in events. You can attend trade shows and conferences to showcase your business. If you don’t have the money to exhibit, you can send represents to canvas the floor and network without a booth
These events bring together business minds open up new marketing opportunities to expose your brand and help it grow. Whether online or in person, events are hugely valuable.
Conclusion
The above mentioned tactics are inexpensive and low-cost promotional measures for small businesses.
Practices like hashtags will cost you zero dollars versus the often high price tag of advertising.
If you are a small business owner and facing a financial crunch, these tactics can be a boon for you. So kick start your marketing strategy with these reasonable measures and make your brand stand out.
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Related posts:
- Free and Low-Budget Marketing Ideas for Any Small Business - February 23, 2021
In the modern era of the business world, you need to grab the attention of consumers. Turning out an employee as a brand ambassador is the most effective tactic for marketing I prefer. With the help of mouth publicity, businesses can expand their consumer base. These low-cost marketing tips will help businesses reaching targeting consumers and drive sales.
You’re so right, Anna. Word of mouth from
both employees and customers is so important.
The two that jump out to me Anna are owning a website-blog and email marketing. Both are low-cost and incredibly powerful if you use each to serve, solve problems of your customers-clients and remain persistent in so doing. No one needs a big budget to succeed but everyone needs to be generous, patient and persistent using low cost marketing methods to experience success online and offline.
Ryan
I agree, Ryan. Anna offers some excellent solutions here. Owning a blog is certainly the most important! You get your owned space, whereas with social media and some other channels, you’re essentially renting. Email is great as well. As you build that list, you have a targeted, interested audience, and you can touch base with them consistently, knowing that you have a pretty solid chance of connecting through their inboxes.