Business growth and revenue generation can depend a lot on marketing. However, many small businesses don’t have the budget to increase their marketing efforts. It can be a hurdle to overcome, but there are many inexpensive options. And if budget constraints are the only reasons why your business isn’t scaling, you have come to the right place.
Marketing is a lot more than just throwing money at the problem. You can practically incorporate free-of-cost strategies to improve customer engagement by a fair margin. If you think that the only successful marketing campaigns are the expensive ones, you have got it all wrong. This doesn’t mean that you will never need money for marketing. However, this article will help you realize that the first few steps for growing your brand’s reach don’t necessarily cost you a lot of money.
Low-Cost Ways for Marketing Your Brand
Marketing is more than posting images on social media or running ads. It is an effective tool to achieve success for your business. Here are some ways to market your brand without spending too much money.
Focus on Service Standards
It all starts with improving the service standards that your business brings to the clients. Because even if marketing brings in the clients, they will only stay for the quality of your service. For instance, you call the Cox customer service number after seeing an ad for a new bundle deal. If the support agent talks to you in a polite manner, you will get a great first impression. On the contrary, you are likely to hang up and the business will have a lost lead.
Start a Website
Most people think that you have to hire professional web developers to launch a company. However, that isn’t always true. You don’t have to spend a lot of money for making a website or blog for your company. Platforms like WordPress and Wix are fairly easy to navigate even for beginners. You can choose a free template and customize it according to your brand identity. The website can be a great tool to post important information for your clients. And it increases customer trust in your brand by making it look more effective.
Build a Social Media Presence
Social media is an important tool for marketing no matter what your budget is. You don’t have to spend a lot of money on ad spend. But you do need to post on social media actively. Most people tend to ignore the organic reach that platforms like Facebook and Instagram can bring your way. Moreover, you don’t have to hire a professional community or social media manager either. Platforms like Canva are free and can help you design social posts yourself. Explore all your options before you decide to keep a marketing agency on retainer because you don’t always need them.
Ask for Customer Feedback
The more authentic your testimonials page looks, the better it can be for your brand. So, you should make conscious efforts to encourage your loyal customers to leave feedback. Suggest multiple mediums for them such as your website, third-party websites like Yelp, or social media handles. Even if you get a bad review, you can show other potential customers how you respond to customer complaints and bad experiences. You can give incentives such as goodie bags or special discounts for customers who post a review for you online.
Become a Part of Internet Directories
You should make sure that your business is enlisted in relevant business directories. For instance, if you own a restaurant or hotel, your listing should be on TripAdvisor, Foursquare, Bookings.com, etc. These platforms offer more visibility to your business and you can attract more customers your way. Moreover, they don’t cost a dime and you can reach out to potential leads that visit these websites as well. However, it is important to make sure that the listing websites are reputable and that people trust them. For example, look into business listings from Google, Yelp, etc., that occupy top internet search engine rankings.
Use Email Marketing
Email lists are free of cost and can be highly effective. They can be a great way to announce new deals, discounts, or launch a new product/service. You can create an email list of your own by using data from your current customers. It can be a great idea to get your customers to perform an action such as buying an item or clicking on a link. Moreover, many e-commerce businesses use email lists to get customers back to their abandoned carts. So, they can be a great way to connect to your existing clientele and touch base with them.
Conclusion
The list of free or inexpensive marketing tools mentioned above barely scratches the surface of what you can do. Marketing can be as creative as you can make it. So, focus on your strengths without worrying about budget and ad spending.