We have covered some of the ways to market a business on a small budget. This article will detail the rest of the many methods of marketing a business, regardless of budget size.
Maximise Your Customer Base
If you are fortunate enough to have at least a handful of loyal customers, that’s all you need to help you get the word out. Sending them an email with a request for their testimonial or use of their story as a case study can be a great way to show customers just how much of a positive impact you are having. There’s no better way to keep customers loyal than with incentives.
And existing customers are much easier to market to than new customers. So why not invite them to join a special club where they can get and test new products before anyone else, and for free? They get to try your new products, while you get valuable feedback to help you in developing future products.
Engage Online in other Ways
Aside from social media, message boards and forums are still incredibly popular ways to get the word out about you. However, there are several regulations in place these days that expressly forbid advertising. Even the most cleverly-disguised advertisement has resulted in the banning of forum members. So what can you do?
Basically, in order to market effectively on this type of medium, you will need to genuinely communicate. This begins with introducing yourself, and then creating and nurturing relationships with community members. Because this takes time, this tactic is best employed as early on as possible in the marketing process.
Rank Well
Those with business websites know that ranking well on the search engines is crucial to get their products or services noticed by potential customers. But hiring a professional search engine optimisation expert can be costly. The good news is that you don’t have to; there are plenty of guides on the internet which detail how to rank well. And you may find that you already have some of these tactics in place, which can mean less work for you.
Get Competitive
Running a competition of some sort with your products or services as the prize can be a cost-effective and easy way to get all sorts of attention for your business. Whether offered from social media or from your web site, your competition could get you the all-important traffic you need. And the best part is, even if you are giving away an item as a gift instead of your product or service, it doesn’t need to cost much, if at all.
Create a Press Release
Press releases are an easy way to get the word out about your business. Their formula has not changed in several years, and guidelines for crafting them can be found virtually everywhere. A press release can be issued any time that your business launches a new product or service, donates to a charity, hosts a local event or anything similar. A press kit is one way to take this further; keep a few kits handy for anyone who may want to publish your story.
Points and Discounts
What’s better than purchasing from a company you love? Purchasing from a company you love and getting a bonus every time. Offering customers the choice to have a loyalty card is yet another cost-effective way to keep customers raving about you. You can offer points on every purchase, or periodic discounts on certain items.
Whichever you choose, you will certainly keep your customers happy. With a little time and imagination, your marketing strategy can look and function as well as any professional undertaking.