Simple Marketing Strategies for a Shoestring Budget

For most small businesses, there is a lot of overhead involved when it comes to developing a marketing strategy. You have to have access to a considerable marketing budget for following any marketing advice that’s recommended by the experts. However, it should be noted that the success of marketing doesn’t hinge on how much money you spend on it. The success of any marketing campaign depend on how many people are aware of your brand and what products you can offer to them. Highlighted below are some effective as well as simple marketing strategies that you can use on a shoestring budget:

Keep in touch with your clients

Using a phone call or personalized email for keeping in touch with your clients is not going to cost you anything. They have put their confidence and trust in your business and can be your best source for generating leads. They are happy with your offerings and when you stay in touch with them, you will stay fresh in their memory. This might help you eliminate a problem or make a sale.

Get customer referrals

Sometimes, both small and large businesses forget the importance of customer referrals and testimonials. These days, customers like to make informed decisions and some of the top things they look for are referrals. It is also a great way for you to see what your existing clients think about your business and if there is any area that requires improvement in order to provide a better experience.

Create personalized experiences

Every client wants to feel special and valued. If your service or product has any room for customization and personalization, you need to find a cost-effective way to do it. Bear in mind that these small details can stand out in the long run and your customers are going to remember it.

Focus on social media and email marketing

A number of marketing tactics have become overused in today’s competitive market and you don’t want to go down the same route. Your focus should be more on social media and email marketing because both of these are essentially free. Plus, they also come with built-in analytics tool that can be a lot more helpful than any others. Sharing informed sights and valuable content online, highlighting on social media and contributing to a blog can be helpful in establishing branding and thought leadership.

Take advantage of content marketing

If you are looking for an unparalleled way for raising awareness about your business; it is none other than content marketing. It allows you to reach out to your target audience and figure out what differentiators are suitable for which platform. You have to become a thought leader in your niche in order to stay relevant. Don’t forget to add testimonials of your existing clients. You also need to work on developing your email list because it can turn out to be a goldmine later on.

Develop interactive content

You need to develop interactive content, such as giveaways, polls and quizzes for Instagram and Facebook. You don’t need to spend more than $5 a day for promoting your content on these channels to thousands of people. The purpose is to increase the interest of your audience and it is a big win if you are able to garner the interest you are after.

Educate your market

It is completely free to get feedback from your audience by polling them or through similar means. Once you have gathered some information, you can educate your market by using the data points that interest them the most. Once you share with the audience what they need to know, they will understand what they need to do. The audience will be interested in inquiring about your business and offerings and your goal will be achieved.

Make use of storytelling

You can help your clients connect with your brand through storytelling. In fact, the storytelling feature of social media is one of the top reasons why these networks have been so effective at engaging an audience. Therefore, your focus should be creating content for social media that has been derived from stories. From mechanics and chefs to doctors and pilots, stories can help in building trust and make your business more relatable.

Develop a Google business page

This is something every small business should take advantage of. Google My Business is easy to use, free and gets you views and visibility. You need to fill out the online form and mention the address. It will be verified by Google via mail. When people search for your name or business, it will be displayed on top and will have links to your website and social pages. You will boost the traffic to your website in this way.

Use grassroots marketing

This kind of marketing includes the use of marketing materials, such as handouts and yard signs, and it is also helpful in putting a face to the brand that customers are bound to remember. Having vehicles with your brand name printed on them is an excellent example of grassroots marketing as your business is marketed wherever the vehicle goes.

Turn your customers into advocates

You need to focus on strengthening customer relationships and learn how to move from the lower level on the engagement ladder to a higher level like advocates. This can go a long way in reducing future customer acquisition costs. You can provide these advocates with some easy-to-use tools, such as templates for video reviews, hashtags and photo filters, which they can use for sharing their experience on social media and this can expand your exposure and generate more leads for you.

These are some very simple and yet very powerful and effective marketing strategies that can come in handy for all small businesses as they have a limited marketing budget. Even big businesses that have a shoestring budget for marketing can make use of these marketing strategies for promoting their business and adding to their customer base.