Humble beginnings are certainly the stepping stones to achieve greatness and the same can be said for small businesses and startups. Although small businesses might lack big budgets and extensive workforce as compared to larger companies, but with careful planning, they can quickly be at par with the biggest of brands. Marketing your product or service or putting the word out can look seemingly simple to many but can cost a lot depending on the marketing channel you choose. While spending a considerable amount of capital is not a problem for big companies, smaller businesses need to plan their moves carefully due to the lack of adequate budgets. Spreading the word about your organization isn't as hard as it is sounds and can be achieved effectively through a planned approach to marketing. If you own a small business or have just started a new company, here are some extremely simple and cost saving methods of marketing.
1. Blogging
One of the best ways to show others what your business can do is by sharing your news and updates on a blog. You can add engaging content such as videos and articles on your blog that display your work. Also worth mentioning is your list of esteemed clients and their testimonials so that visitors will have a better idea about your organization. Creating your personal blog is extremely simple and can be done for free by registering at content management platforms such as WordPress etc. Once people are able to sample your work they will certainly want to buy your products and services.
2. Email Marketing
In the midst of all the technological advancements such as online videos, blogs and social media, not many businesses realize the immense potential of email marketing. Emails offer a much higher return on investment as compared to other means of online marketing. They can be sent in much less time and can also be used to respond to any queries about your business and your products. You can also checkout email marketing tools such as GetResponse to avail helpful features such as auto-responders and 24/7 helpline. As emails are sent to the customers who subscribe for them, they are great for putting the word out regarding any new service or product you launch. Hence, helping you know the customer's reaction as soon as you send the word out, allowing real-time reporting of your campaign's performance.
3. Mobile Marketing
With more than two billion subscribers across the world, there is no reason why mobile should be ignored as a potential marketing platform. With the introduction and popularity of high end mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones, more and more businesses are shifting their focus to the mobile platform. Mobile marketing platform like Vibes can provide a boost to your customer base and conversion rates. Sending a message on a mobile is even quicker than email and with the inclusion of smartphones, yields a high conversion rate.
4. List Your Company Online
As important it is to put good quality content and deliver a good product or service, businesses must also try to attract the media attention by being more visible on the internet. Listing your company's location and contact details on Google maps and other similar websites is a great way to become visible to a wide number of users and buyers. As most of their services are free, this is a great way to get noticed by a larger audience irrespective of their location.
5. Social Media
Another low cost but high yielding online market solution is through social media. With the explosion of users on social media sites such as Facebook and twitter, more and more businesses are focused on making a significant online presence. Sharing engaging content, product reviews, news about upcoming products, customer testimonials and regular status updates can almost double the traffic that your website receives. With the help of social media management platforms like Oktopost you can schedule your content with ease, plus track all the interactions to see if your campaigns are effective.
These above methods will not only help you save money, but will also help you understand the market in a better way. Even though your budget won’t allow extensive marketing like the big companies, these methods can certainly help your businesses get noticed by your target audience and media to establish yourself as a brand.
