More great low cost marketing ideas

Too many small business owners look at their marketing budgets as just too costly or too much of an expense. Contrary to this belief marketing need not be a huge expense. When you are a little quieter why not focus your time on creating a cost effective marketing plan? You will need to invest some time and maybe make a small investment, but unless you get the word out to your customers any business will only be forgotten. However, lets look at doing this the most cost-effective way possible.

Ok so you need to market, but your not sure how or what to do? A quick knee jerk reaction will not help. Many businesses often do this and spend money on marketing the wrong way with very little return. Instead, why not use smart, cost effective marketing strategies that stretch every dollar as far as possible?

Partner with Other Businesses

Why not team up with another or many other local businesses to pool your money? If several complementary businesses get together, then they can afford to publish a newsletter or flyer for distribution in their local area. Maybe you can organise a business luncheon in your local area where you can all sit down and find out more about how you can help each other? It can be a win-win situation for everyone.

Outsource it When you Can’t do it Yourself

You have spent days and days and many nights putting final touches on your flyers or collecting photos online for your next marketing brochure only to find out they cannot be used for print due to copyright and low resolution. Maybe you have spent days doing your tax only to find out you have set up your MYOB system all wrong. Why not get a professional to do it instead? Not only will you save time but you will also save money in the long run. Think about it, would your time be better spent doing what you do best and paying someone to do the other stuff you are not so familiar with and do it in half the time?

Network, Join and Sponsor Local Clubs and Organizations

Make yourself visible. Join the Chamber of Commerce and any other service clubs that exist in your community. It is a great networking opportunity and many local clubs always look for people to speak too. This is a great opportunity to increase peoples knowledge about your business and also promote your business so as you are always first and foremost in peoples minds. People like doing business with people they know. Once you start networking you will find yourself meeting up and doing business with others because they can relate to the you or feel they have a connection beforehand and therefore feel doing business and knowing their needs will be better understood.

Although networking can take time it’s worth it. My plan is always to figure out where to spend your time by talking to others and visiting other networking groups to ‘try before you buy’. Don’t network where it isn’t paying off.

Tip: Network online too! Use Facebook, Twitter and the Small Business Forum to contact your clients.

Get Online

Every business must have an online presence. An initial website build, domain and hosting package can be bought pretty cheap. An important aspect to consider is having a CMS website which will mean you can update text and images yourself going forward. A CMS site also allows you to keep building on your web presence from your initial set up. A website is a very cost-effective way of letting people know about your business even if your business is mostly a storefront operation. Your website works as a 24/7 catalog for your business and can also save you a lot of time if you can direct people to the information they are seeking online.

Tip – Why not set up an e-newsletter? You can publish a newsletter about your business on the web or to your clients very low cost and in most cases free! Create articles about your business and guide people to you site!

Communicate with Your Customers

It is so important to communicate with your customers. At the moment it seems many people are tightening their belts and some items we once purchased regularly are now seen as luxuries. Think about selling something like a massage. On the surface some people will say ‘That is a luxury and I cannot afford that’. A massage reduces stress and back pain and also relieves headaches and sports injuries. Is your customer thinking this and purchasing pain killers, seeing a physio and taking time off from their business because they have a sports injury? Maybe they are more stressed because they cannot play their favorite sport every week which was their ‘time out?’ educating clients on why they should invest a small amount initially for a long term goal such as a healthy and productive lifestyle can really help you stay busy and your customers feel satisfied the money they are spending is worth investing.

Follow some of these tips and you will build a cost-effective marketing budget in no time!

Author Bio: I began my career in Graphic Design in Melbourne in 2000 after completing my study of Multimedia. I spent 2 years in-house as a photo editor, web designer and graphic artist for a modeling & production agency. I re-located to the Gold Coast in 2002. Another 4 years on the Gold Coast were spent in-house designing for various agencies before launching Sass Design in 2005. For more information, visit www.sassdesign.com.au.

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