As a small business with a limited budget, successful marketing of your services and products can be difficult. Marketing is a big deal for small business owners as they start to expand their business, from creating engaging social media posts and email marketing campaigns to their branding strategy.
The problem is, many businesses see marketing and getting their business noticed as being expensive, and while it can be, it does not have to be. Here, we look at some ways that will help to get your business noticed and flourishing.
Promo products
Everyone likes a freebie, which is why promotional goods with your logo on them are a cost-effective, unforgettable, and effective marketing tool. Giving away freebies to prospective clients, such as tote bags, mugs, and logo-ed pens, will ensure that you remain in their minds. Your logo will be in front of their eyes every time they use the pen or drink from the mug. You can also look at having items engraved for an extra special and luxury touch to your promo products using somewhere https://www.universalengraving.com
Create a challenge
Think about Man V. Food and the number of restaurants and eateries that have challenges for their customers to complete in order to ‘win’ their food for free and get a free gift or a place on their wall. They do it because they know it garners interest and makes people want to try it out. It is also the sort of thing that people will share across social media, so have a memorable and eye-catching hashtag ready to accompany the challenge.
Harness the power of social media
Look at Innocent, who creates smoothies. They are known for their funny and often self-deprecating Facebook and Twitter statuses, that often get hundred of thousands of shares. In short, they like to make fun of themselves a lot. It works!
Do not just share promotional content. Share interesting (but vaguely relevant) research and news, articles from other websites, pictures, and videos. As a general rule of thumb, you should be working to an 80:20 rule on your social media accounts. 80 per cent of your content should be carefully curated information from other sources and just 20 per cent should be promotional.
Organize an event
Sure, this one does cost some money to set up, but the rewards can be great. You could also look at getting sponsorship for the event from an established company. Make sure that there is a purpose for the event – raising money for a charity, for example, but it should raise awareness of your brand and may even attract attention from the local press.
Hold a contest
Everyone loves a contest or a giveaway, especially if they have the chance of walking away with a decent prize. Link your prize to your brand – one of your best selling items for example – so that people who enter are genuinely interested in what you offer. Again, a memorable hashtag can really help to push it.