Running a business on a modest budget sounds like a never-ending struggle, following the right practices to market your business can help you achieve the bottom line without spending a fortune. It involves some quick brainstorming and strategic thinking. Follow these 10 simple ways to gain maximum exposure for your small business on a shoestring budget.
1. Employ social media strategically
Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and, many other social channels are some of the best marketing tools out there. Businesses of all sizes have exploited social media marketing techniques to reach out to their target audience and expand their consumer base. Through refined research regarding your audience and crafting top-quality content businesses attract customers, drive traffic on their websites, and boost sales.
2. Start an email list
Email lists help businesses reach a wider audience for an affordable price. This can help in spreading information about your products, promotional offers, discount codes, and more to customers and prospects. Setting up an email list is one of the simplest ways to raise brand awareness and create a buzz about your services.
3. Customer testimonials
Positive customer reviews and testimonials always come in handy for marketing purposes. One excellent way to use them is by including them on your website; this builds your company’s credibility and prompts prospective customers to check out your products. They can also be included in brochures, e-newsletters, or Facebook reviews, as long as you have gotten their permission. In addition, people prefer investing in products that others are talking about, so once they are aware of what people are saying about your business, they will be more inclined to check it out.
4. Create buyer personas
Creating personas help business owners develop a better understanding of their customers and their demands and in result, craft marketing strategies and campaigns catering to those specific needs. Buyer personas are created after extensive research on your original customer base through surveys, polls, and questionnaires, etc. It is an effective method of gaining a deeper understanding of current and prospective clients, their demographic info, likes, and dislikes. This way you can tailor content, products, and services to their requirements and establish better customer relationships.
5. Optimize your site’s search engine listing
A cheap and effective way to bring in more traffic to your website is by optimizing search engine listings to work in your favor. Implement reputable online tools to help in executing the right SEO strategies for your business’s website. Entrepreneurs and small business owners are now relying on search engine results and rankings to increase conversions and boost overall sales. For instance, if one is looking for a carpet cleaning business in Southern England, they will search for the keyword carpet cleaning Guildford to find the best reviews and decide on an appropriate service provider.
6. Speed up your website
There’s nothing more frustrating than a website that takes forever to load. Visitors will immediately bounce over your site if your webpages do not load within a second or two. No marketing tricks would be able to save you from the damage of a slow site, so work on your website performance optimization to speed up its loading time. The faster the website loads, the longer a customer sticks around. Implement the right optimization tools so customers gain the best user experience on your website and Google’s search algorithm ranks your website generously higher in the results.
7. Share product samples
How can you get potential customers to try out your products? By offering free samples! It’s the oldest trick in the box and has helped many businesses to gain new customers and increase revenue. This way start-ups can let people experience their products and build a fan base of their own. Customers are normally hesitant to trust a new product or service, so allowing them a chance to try out a brand without having to purchase anything helps them in making a well-informed decision.
8. Guest blogging
Guest posting on niche sites is a perfect way to reach a new audience without having to spend a single penny. It helps bring in traffic and exposure to your website, as well as brings attention to your business. Many businesses have utilized guest blogging as a way to gain recognition in the market and promote their services to potential consumers. Guest bloggers can include a link to their website in their author bio which directs quality traffic onto their site and helps them to gain recognition for their expertise.
9. Build your network
A strong network is one of the best ways to get the word out about your business. This requires some time, commitment, and patience but its benefits are long-term. Building a professional network of strong and reliable connections helps build, reinforce, and maintain relationships with individuals that can aid you in achieving your business goals.
10. Offer coupons
People love coupons and go out of their way to collect these knick-knacks to redeem as and when they please. Start-ups and beginners can give out coupons to expand their customer base and get their name out in the market. It is important to eloquently describe where and how the coupon is applicable so they are able to use it and gain a memorable experience out of it. This results in numerous return visits by customers that wish to purchase your products for real this time.
In Summary
Successful marketing techniques do not require major funding, but a clever mind thriving on ideas creation. Any business can stand out and shine through with a stellar marketing strategy to get their brand at the top of everyone’s minds. The above-mentioned practices can help business owners achieve visibility and exposure to kick off the ground and build buzz on a larger scale. Just remember that it is not always about the money, but the effort and time you put into catering your services to the likes of your audience.