When you start a small business, marketing seems like the last priority on your budget list. Small business owners need to meet multiple objectives in a relatively short time and have a limited amount of money available. So, if you have recently launched a start-up or small business, you may not have enough funds to invest in expensive advertising and marketing campaigns like your larger competitors. On the other hand, poor marketing strategies translate into reduced profits. You may feel like your small business is doomed to failure before you even effectively start your activity.
But who said that a low budget means no chance of promoting your products and services as they deserve? There are plenty of simple and effective marketing techniques with a modest budget that can help you promote your small business. Check the following marketing strategies for SMBs:
Excellent content
Content marketing is an essential and affordable marketing technique for any business, big or small. You can expand your customer base by creating and distributing relevant and valuable content to your target audience through various channels. You don’t need to be a marketing expert to create content that helps you drive traffic to your website and attract new customers. You just need to know what your customers are interested in and use your creativity.
Attention grabbing emails
Email Marketing is one of the most effective marketing strategies because you are communicating to an audience which has already expressed their interest in your products and services by subscribing to your newsletter. Think how many times you ended up making an online purchase because you got an email with an excellent offer from your favourite online store. You can use this tactic as well without needing to spend too much money.
Social media and online forums
Marketing strategies for SMBs and social media websites are almost synonyms, since Twitter, Facebook, and Google Plus allow companies to market their brand intensively and at very low costs. It will take you months of work to establish a base of fans or followers, but all the effort will be worth it when you see people engaging with your brand on social networks and leaving customer reviews.
Pay Per Click campaigns
There are two immense advantages of a Pay Per Click (Google AdWords) marketing strategy: one is that you can choose exactly what kind of users will see your ads (based on criteria) and the other is that you can nominate how much you want to spend each month. You can start with a small amount and work your way up. When the daily budget has been reached, your ad simply does not display anymore.
Informative videos
Video Marketing has literally exploded in the last years, and it’s hard to imagine marketing strategies without moving images. It is easier to inform your potential customers and clarify their questions by providing informative videos that explain your product and service in a helpful manner.
These five marketing strategies are vital for any small business with a restricted budget and will help you save money but at the same time generate quality leads for your business. Read more about each strategy, come up with some ideas, and start promoting your business. Just remember that patience and consistency represent the key to success.
