Top Tips
If your marketing budget is limited, you have to find ways to be more creative. These tips show you how to raise awareness and generate sales without breaking the bank.
1. Get your customers to do the work for you
Word of mouth is the most powerful form of marketing, so encourage your customers to recommend you to other people. You could incentivise them by offering them a discount on their next purchase, or a free product or service.
2. Link up with other businesses
Join forces with other local businesses and provide complimentary products or services to each other’s customers. Make friends with your competitors by passing on leads when you are too busy to take on new work – they will then return the favour during your quieter times.
3. Be selective when advertising
Even if your budget is limited, it’s important to keep marketing. Choose techniques that are highly targeted and cost-effective such as direct mail and email marketing or place classifieds in local newspapers and trade magazines rather than running display ads.
4. Barter
Negotiate free advertising space in exchange for free products or services. For example, offer local radio stations or magazines products that they can give away as prizes – they are always looking for new competitions and you will benefit from the exposure.
5. Make headlines
Get mentioned in the press by sponsoring a local event or running a competition or event that will get attention. Send a press release to journalists or pitch stories to them – but make sure it includes an interesting news angle, and not just a load of PR-waffle.
6. Network, network, network
Attend relevant seminars and networking events to meet other businesses, as this will allow you to build up a network of business contacts that will refer you to others. Put yourself forward as a guest speaker at events – you could become known as an expert in your area.
7. Advertise on the internet
If you do have a website, submit it to search engines such as Google, or bid for keywords so that users will find you. Ask other compatible websites to link to your site or join affiliate schemes and banner exchange networks. Even if you haven’t got a website you can still advertise on the internet by placing classifieds in online directories.
8. Market to your existing customers
It’s cheaper to keep customers than acquire new ones, so encourage your existing customers to buy more of your services through discounts and promotions. Come up with schemes that tie them in for a long time or offer additional products at a discount when they are making an order or purchase.
9. Use email newsletters
Providing customers with a regular email newsletter to keep them up-to-date with news and events in your sector – and any offers or promotions you may be running – can help build up your reputation within that sector. Further, you can benefit from free marketing if recipients forward it on to others.
10. Make your sales letters work
A well-constructed sales letter is one of the most effective low-cost marketing tools available to you. Explain clearly what your offer is and how it could benefit the recipient and make sure you include a call to action and several options for them to contact you.
Further Information
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