Affordable Marketing Ideas for Your Small Business
Let’s face it, small business owners need marketing campaigns that don’t break the bank. It’s important to save every penny you can while still marketing effectively. To that end, we’ve compiled a list of affordable marketing ideas for your small business. Now, let’s get to work!
Email Like a Boss
One of the best starting points for your small business marketing plan costs nothing at all. Your prospective customers likely have a cell phone in hand for most hours of the day. So, when implementing affordable marketing ideas for your small business, look to email marketing. Sending a well thought out, attention-grabbing, relevant email to your customers makes you accessible. Also, emails are easy to forward to friends, giving you instant word-of-mouth credibility.
Get Social
Another affordable marketing idea for your small business revolves around social platforms. It costs nothing to post content on social media sites. You’ll find businesses of all sizes making a name for themselves in the twitterverse, on Facebook and in Instaworld. Post well and post often and watch your follower numbers rise.
Sharing Is Caring
If you haven’t done so already, it’s time to start an Affiliate marketing program. Share a small percentage of your profit with folks who draw paying customers to your products. Provide a unique link to your affiliates that auto-pays them when a customer purchases through that link. This is a great easy and cost-efficient way to generate more biz.
Stand Out
The world looks very different right now. There is less in-person shopping due to the current pandemic situation. But, you can still grab the attention of the brick-and-mortar shoppers who are out and about, in an affordable way. For instance, place brightly colored balloons outside your shop and offer a table of free hand sanitizers. Print-at-home stickers that contain your brand’s logo, to customize the bottles. When looking for affordable marketing ideas for your small business— it’s important to get creative!
Charity Work
There is so much you can do for your community that won’t cost you a dime. Send your team to a food bank to help load food trucks or hand out supplies. Join a cleanup crew that picks up trash in local parks or on beaches. Hold a holiday toy drive. Doing charity work not only helps those in need but shows the local community that you are a business that cares and a business worthy of their patronage.
Be a Walking Billboard
Billboards can be expensive. But, logo tees are a great marketing idea for your small business as they are fairly inexpensive and effective. Give each team member a logo tee and wear them during working hours as well as during off-hours. In fact, hand them out to customers or sell them for a reasonable price. There is no better advertising than “word of shirt.
Blog It Up
Many people are home, in front of computers for much of the day, with more time than ever to read. So, give the people what they want and write some inspiring blog posts. Blogging daily or even monthly helps boost your appearance in google searches. Also, small business blogging keeps you in the loop of relevant topics in your field. And, it gives you something to post about on social media.
Befriend Other Small Businesses
Other small business owners are not your competition, they are your peers. Interacting on social media and in-person (when it’s safe to do so, again), with other local businesses helps build mutually beneficial relationships. Recommending other businesses to your customers helps keep small businesses afloat and will likely result in more business for yourself. So, make friends and share the wealth. What goes around comes around.
Let’s Sum This Up
When looking for affordable marketing ideas for your small business think local, blog and post often, and support your community. Also, take advantage of the current work-from-home atmosphere through email marketing. Further, create affiliate and referral marketing programs that bring in business. Above all, get creative and have fun!
