In the United States alone, there are over 30.7 million small businesses, which account for 99.9 percent of all businesses in the country. Looking at that number alone is enough to know exactly how overcrowded the small business industry is and how much competition one small business has. So business owners are doing all they can to rise above the ranks and make a name for their brand.
Marketing efforts are highly called for in order to help raise awareness about a company and get people to actually purchase their products and services. But for small businesses, marketing is often a hard feat because of the limited budget and resources. Business owners too often mistake marketing as a costly venture that they don’t have the money for just yet.
Although it’s true that traditional marketing methods, such as printed ads and TV airtime, are costly and hard to measure, not all marketing techniques are going to cost you money. Especially now with the advent of technology, there have arisen plenty of cost-effective and measurable marketing tools that small businesses can utilize.
The first and foremost thing you have to do is to study your market. You need to know exactly who they are and who you’re aiming to reach. Once you do, you will be able to properly target and focus your marketing efforts. A divorce lawyer should be marketing himself to couples undergoing the legal process. In the same way, a brand selling suits and ties should be marketing to professionals and executives. If you know who your market is, you will be able to properly craft your messages and strategies to suit their interests and needs. After you’ve done that, here are some budget-friendly marketing techniques you can try.
Email marketing
Have you ever received an email that looked more like a sales pitch? If you have, then you basically have an idea of what email marketing is. Email is a platform where businesses can reach out to their consumers on a targeted and more personal level. And many experts would say that it actually works in generating good conversions. Statistics show that marketers received a return of investment of $44.25 for every $1 spent on email marketing!
If you have the capacity to write your own emails and send them out manually, you’re looking at a zero cost for this efficient marketing technique. But making use of email marketing platforms will also not cost you a fortune, ranging from only $20 to $50 a month.
Work on SEO
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is all about researching for the right keywords to use in your content so that you can rank your page on search engines. As long as you find the right keywords and are able to incorporate it properly in your content, you’re looking at favorable results and an increase in traffic to your site.
Optimizing your website for SEO will cost you nothing if you learn and do it yourself. But that doesn’t discard how effective it is, considering that most consumers go online to research products before making a purchase. With that, it can easily be implied that if your site is visible to consumers, then you’re more likely to get organic traffic and good conversions.
Social Media Marketing
Everyone is on social media, which is why marketers consider it as one of the most cost-effective yet best platforms to market a business. But this needs to be done properly in order to generate good returns. Up your digital marketing game with visuals, engaging content, and top-of-the-notch value. You can also invest in sponsored posts to gain more reach.
Marketing is not about how much money you spend. It’s about how well you do it and how you’re able to properly utilize the vast array of platforms to your advantage. Take these tips and start uncovering opportunities for your business.