Marketing often sounds like something expensive that you’ll need to invest a lot of money in. But the good news is, there are ways to market your business that cost little but can be very effective. If you don’t have a big marketing budget, follow these tips.
- Relocate to a new area
If you’re not having much luck in your current location, you could consider moving somewhere new. For example, an area with a bigger potential customer base, or simply somewhere cheaper where you can cut your day to day running costs. If you’re planning a move, you should budget for costs such as server relocation services from Rhenus Hightech, but even with these costs included, many businesses find that a move can be a positive for their organisation.
- Boost your SEO ranking
People often use Google to find local businesses, so you need to ensure your business is visible on their search engine. Update your Google My Business listing and make sure you get some customers to leave good reviews, as this will help you rise to the top of the rankings. You should also focus on your SEO to bring your webpage higher. Take some time to learn about on-page and off-page SEO, as there are many tricks you can use for a higher ranking, which don’t take a lot of technical skills.
- Advertise on social media
If you can’t afford TV or radio advertising, you should try social media, as adverts are much cheaper. In many ways, it can be more effective because:
- You can choose geographical locations for the advert to be shown
- You can set the ad to only be shown to certain demographics
- There are filters from age to income and niche interests
- You simply set a budget and the ads show until it’s spent
Local businesses and those in niche areas often find social media advertising works particularly well for them, so why not give it a try?
- Word of mouth
Offering a good quality service and delivering what you promise will help your business too, as it’s potentially free marketing. People will often recommend great businesses to their friends and family, and when they do, they help you build your customer base.
- Local advertising
Advertising in print or on the radio is pricey, but if you are a small business, then local advertising can be surprisingly cheap. You simply need to make sure you follow advertising regulations, keep things simple, and choose outlets that are suitable for your business. Some radio stations and newspapers even offer packages with ad design or recording thrown in, saving you even more money.
If you need open your business to a new market, even with a minimal budget, there are ways you can do so, and still enjoy a decent amount of reach. It’s worth looking at underrated forms of advertising such as social media, which are extremely cheap, but give you good ROI. Ultimately, if you build a good reputation, you can advertise less over time, as your customer base will remain loyal.