Small Business Marketing Tips that Won’t Break the Bank
As you know, marketing is quite expensive, and there is no way of getting around that fact. Another fact: marketing is necessary. If you want your small business to grow, then you need to invest in marketing. Although word of mouth is great, it is not enough in most cases. Even if it would, you will need a lot of customers and momentum. That poses a challenge for small businesses that are on a tight budget. Fortunately, these are some tips to help you carry out marketing without draining your bank account.
Carry Business Cards
Business cards offer you an excellent way of exchanging information. Moreover, they lend some professionalism and credibility. You can meet potential vendors, clients, and employees anywhere. Therefore, you need to be prepared. Other than business cards being cost-effective, they are also a great way to get leads. You can easily afford business cards. Ensure your business card matches your branding and has a name, website, social profiles, and phone number.
Network
This has a similar impact as business cards, but it works in person and online. You can leverage your network without being obnoxious and get good results. In most cases, your networks know and trust you. Reaching out and letting them know that your business is open and what you are capable of doing is all that is needed.
Offer Incentives for Referrals
You do not have to start a referral program. Most businesses do not have adequate money to set up an expensive online referral system with tracking, custom links, and even automatic payouts. Rather you can let your current customers know that whenever they refer a customer, you will give them a discount next time. If you are running an online business, you can send them emails with coupon codes.
Work with Other Small Business
It is a good idea to partner with small businesses, whether officially or unofficially. This can be a vendor but may also be other businesses in complementary industries that you share a target audience with. Collaborations and partnerships should be flexible.
Content Marketing
The truth is that content marketing is quite free unless you want to outsource and it can help you to rank a lot of keywords, establish expertise, provide valuable information, and keep your website content fresh. That shows that your website is up and running to the new customers. You have to ensure that your website is updated with content on a regular basis.
