7 Ways You Can Promote Your Business Without Breaking the Bank
Local marketing for a small business isn’t easy. You’re ready to meet your customers’ needs and surpass their expectations. You want them to know what sets you apart as the best option available for your product or service. In order to do that, you need to reach those customers in the first place.
When you’re building and growing a small business, reaching customers can be a challenge. The smaller the business, the more limited the marketing budget tends to be. But not to worry! Here are seven low-cost marketing ideas for small businesses to spread the word about what you have to offer!
Create a Blog
One of the most useful marketing tools available to small businesses is an engaging, well-maintained blog. According to Hubspot, 55% of marketers list the creation of blog content as their number one inbound marketing priority. Blogs attract and nurture leads, boost your search engine optimization, and show customers the value of your expertise.
If you don’t already have a blog on your site, it’s time to change that! Enlist the strongest writer on your team to start putting some time into creating blog content. Creating and promoting your own content comes down to the time you’re willing to invest in it. When it comes to low-cost marketing ideas, your time is a small price to pay.
Your blog is an excellent way of showing your customers what you have to offer. You want potential customers to find their way to your blog posts and leave with a lasting impression. These blog posts should answer questions, offer valuable, relevant insights, and represent who you are as a small business.
But the true value of a blog goes beyond what’s on the surface. It’s a piece of a larger puzzle: your marketing strategy. A marketing company can help you get the most out of your blog in the grand scheme of things. Publishing it on your own is a great place to start, though.
Get the Most Out of Social Media
These days, the importance of social media can’t be understated. No matter what product or service your business deals in, there’s one place where customers are guaranteed to be spending their time: social media platforms.
Your social media accounts are an incredibly effective marketing resource that only costs you your time. Put some thought and creativity into your content marketing. Take the time to get the most out of what each platform has to offer.
But social media isn’t just about the strength of your own content. It’s a network, an opportunity to engage and build relationships with followers and other relevant accounts. Seek out those accounts and make your presence known in comment sections. Always be ready to reply to others and move the conversation further.
Create Video Content
Social media is a major part of the modern marketing landscape. So what does the future of that landscape have in store? In many ways, the future of content marketing has to do with the video. Video is a highly effective way to supplement and complement your written content.
Customers interact with more screens than ever. That interaction includes watching videos on practically every digital marketing platform out there. Another factor that’s driving marketing in this direction is that it’s cheaper than ever to create video content.
You don’t need high production value to get your message across. You can use a smartphone or laptop, and there’s plenty of affordable video editing software available.
Condense the information in your blogs into short, digestible videos. Explain exciting promotions, industry news, or any information about your product or service that you want people to know. You can even create your own Youtube channel.
For more information on video marketing, check out this video!
Recycle Content
So, you’ve been publishing thoughtfully written blogs and staying on top of your social media accounts. Your content marketing tactics have been on point. But now you’re looking to get a higher return on the time you’ve invested so far. There’s a way you can do this without stretching your budget any further: recycling content you’ve already created.
This doesn’t mean to simply repost old content without making any changes. A big part of content marketing is publishing fresh content on a consistent basis. The most recent post a customer sees should never be stale or outdated.
However, that reservoir of content you’ve created thus far can be repackaged and repurposed. You can and should do this in a way that doesn’t undermine your brand. In fact, this practice can make your brand stronger.
The information in your blogs should always hold up upon revisiting. Therefore, a blog from a few months ago can still provide the substance for a solid video, infographic, or social post. Any statistics, data, or relevant industry news can be updated and reinterpreted.
Use your various marketing tools to get the most out of older material. Different platforms offer different strengths in how content is structured and presented. Recycling content is about revitalizing the way you presented some information in the past. This allows you to recirculate that valuable information and reach beyond its original post.
Email Marketing Campaigns
Email marketing is an undervalued resource. A properly executed email marketing campaign is a cost-effective means of turning leads into customers. Whether you’re collecting email addresses or sending out an email newsletter to existing customers, your email lists are always a priority.
Email marketing allows you to connect with customers at every stage of your professional relationship. You can tailor your campaign to your recipients, letting your subscribers gradually get to know your business. This allows you to lay the groundwork before pursuing the sales opportunities you’ve narrowed down.
It also provides an opportunity for social media cross-promotion. Include links to your social media channels, allowing your recipient to see a broader picture of your business. This is one of the best low-cost marketing ideas for small businesses.
An effective email campaign needs to be executed with careful precision. This is something a marketing agency can help you with in order to maximize the return on your investment. However, something as simple as sending out a regular email newsletter to your subscribers can make a world of difference.
Apply for Business Awards
It is highly likely that there’s an award out there that your business is eligible for. Some will be specific to your community, and some to your industry as a whole. In any case, filling out an application is simple, quick, and cheap (or, in many cases, free!).
This can raise your local visibility, regardless of whether you win. And if you do, it makes for some exciting news to share with your customers! Not to mention, winning an award is a powerful endorsement for your business. It’s one more reason why a potential customer will want to learn more.
Community Involvement
Another great way you can promote your business at little cost to you is to get involved in your community. Get to know other small business owners around your location. Make sure they end up with your business card in their wallets. Participate in local events, as a sponsor, donor, host, or volunteer.
Donate free products or services as a prize in a charity auction. Sponsor a local sports team. Enter into partnerships with other complementary local businesses. Attend networking events where you can build those relationships.
This is another tactic that can often cost as little as however much time you’re willing to invest. Your community involvement doesn’t just benefit you – it benefits everyone. Raise your local profile and let word of mouth marketing work its magic.
Make your Mark with these Low-Cost Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses!
These methods shouldn’t be underestimated. Each of these approaches can produce serious results. It’s all a matter of the time, care, and thought put into implementing these low-cost marketing ideas for small businesses.
If you don’t have the time it takes, and want the best possible results you can get, we can help! Reach out to HeartBrain Marketing for a free consultation to find out if we’re the right fit. We’d love to hear from you!
Mac Holmes
Content Writer and Editor
Mac at heartbrain dot marketing
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