Many corporate leaders say that you need to spend money in order to make money. And while that may be true, sometimes due to tight budgets and lack of resources, you may not be able to implement some of the strategies that would have helped your business grow.
Giant corporations and large companies may be able to pipe in thousands of dollars at the drop of a hat, to spread awareness about their products or services among their target audience. However, when it comes to small-scale businesses, more often than not, they have a limited marketing budget to work with, which can make the marketer’s job in that business slightly challenging. However, there are several methods and strategies marketers can implement without spending a lump sum of money.
Several budget-friendly or free marketing methods and strategies can be effective for a small business. You can mark the ideas that interest you the most, check off the ones you have already implemented, and list down the ones you will be implementing on your business to enhance brand awareness and growth.
For your convenience and ease, we have compiled a list of affordable marketing strategies that small businesses can implement to market their products or services to their target audience.
Create a Google My Business (GMB) Account
If you have a small-scale business that only operates locally, a Google My Business account is one of the most effective ways to garner the attention of your target audience. This free listing allows small-scaled businesses to be ranked for local search queries, have their own Knowledge Panel on the right side of SERP for branded searches, and show up on Google Maps alongside the address of the business and the directions on how a potential customer can get there.
Create a Hashtag Campaign on Social Media
Hashtag campaigns can help businesses drive their target audience’s attention to a specific content topic or cause. However, when these hashtags are unique to your business and branded, they add an element of brand awareness also. Some of the popular hashtag campaigns by big brands include #LetsDoLunch by Domino’s Pizza, #NationalFriedChickenDay by KFC, #ShareACoke by Coca-Cola, and #OreoHorrorStories by Oreo.
To set your hashtag apart from other hashtags, add your brand or product’s name into it or some tagline that defines your business’s core values. The parameters should be broad enough so that followers will be driven to engage, but precise enough that they are easily recognizable.
Increase Social Media Engagement
Enhancing social media engagement is one of the most effective and affordable digital marketing strategies. Impression alone won’t help you grow your customer base, nor will it lead to new revenue opportunities.
These days, social media has become substantially advanced, which makes it hard for brands to compete. Many social media platforms elevate accounts that frequently post relevant content, prioritize engagement, and actively encourage followers to participate.
Small businesses need to have a strong social media engagement strategy in place. A good strategy entails assessing the current social media content, followers, and engagement rates, recognizing areas that can be improved, and what kind of action can be taken to invite in more followers and increase engagement rates.
Create an Email Marketing Plan
Email marketing is one of the most effective digital marketing strategies to maintain relationships with existing customers as well as get new visitors engaged with your business. Although it is one of the oldest marketing strategies, it is also the most reliable one that guarantees a return on your marketing investment.
To launch an effective email marketing campaign, make sure every email has an offer that encourages your readers and has an enticing CTA, which will motivate them to take the next step. Also, put creativity and thought when coming up with the subject lines as that is the first thing that a customer reads.
Final Note
For most small business owners marketing is not a piece of cake. Given that actual business operations can become unmanageable from time to time, most small businesses do not get around to devising and launching a marketing plan.
The above-mentioned marketing tips are not just budget-friendly but also require relatively less effort as compared to other marketing strategies. However, to implement them effectively, make sure your business has access to a reliable internet connection, and if in any case it does not, you can subscribe to one of the many affordable Spectrum Packages after taking into account your internet needs.