Small businesses need quality customer communication just as much as big business; sometimes even more! But small businesses generally do not have the same resources to devote to marketing that a larger company may have. These free and low-cost advertising ideas will help a small or medium sized business grow their audience and connect with customers.
Great Content
Creating great content is the simplest way to get noticed on the Internet. Write a blog, create Pinterest or Instagram posts, develop a great Twitter feed, or craft an amazing newsletter. Great content drives sales by engaging and intriguing customers.
Instructional Videos
Every smartphone has a reasonable video camera as one of its features these days, which means there is no excuse for your company not to have instructional videos. Demonstrate how to use your products, show the benefits of your services, or even talk about developments in your industry. You don’t need to be a professional actor to make this work for you.
Use Promo Credits For Ad Campaigns
Ad campaigns can be expensive, but many website hosts offer discounts after you sign up to create ads on Facebook or Google, for example. Using those credits on carefully targeted ads can help your business expand its audience dramatically.
Invest in Infographics
If there’s any content you hire out, let it be infographics. A well designed and attractively colored infographic can get you tons of shares on whatever social media platform you use, expanding your reach well beyond your normal customers.
Rehash Old Content
Just because the conference is over and the keynote address has been given, that’s no reason to let that old content linger in a drawer indefinitely. Turn the keynote address into a webinar, the conference presentation into a series of articles, and that survey into a series of infographics.
Online Contests
Online contests can be a great way to get some fresh shares and get seen beyond your typical audience. Give away an item of yours, a gift certificate to Amazon, or a customer experience at your brick and mortar location. Make sure to be clear about what customers are going to win and what they need to do to enter.
Workshops or Classes
Really good at something and have the motivation to share? Get your business’s name into the community by offering a workshop or class for local participants. Maybe you can teach local businesses about SEO and SERP, or offer management seminars for local supervisors. Consider bringing this to the web as well!
Cross Promote With Other Businesses
Is there another company in your town or area who is not a competitor, but has a mission that coincides with yours? Consider cross promoting with them, either by jointly sponsoring an event, offering reciprocal discounts to customers, or sharing each other’s posts and events on social media.
Participate in Local Business Events
Most local SBAs and Chambers of Commerce hold mixers, business dinners, and other events throughout the year. Find the schedule of events in your area and go to as many as make sense. By mingling with other business professionals you’ll get new ideas for your business, new concepts for partnership, and get your name out there. Bring business cards to exchange.
Press Releases Around Business Events
If your business does something cool, gets noticed in a state or national contest or event, hits an anniversary, or participates as a vendor somewhere exciting, make sure to let people know by crafting a press release and sending it to your local media.
If you’re not familiar with writing press releases, make sure to note that they have a very specific format. You can easily Google the writing method, or you can pay a freelancer to write a press release for you and get an expert touch.
Volunteer at a Local Event Wearing Company Gear
Does your town host a big event, like a marathon, 5k run, local fair, craft event, or any other outing where families and other residents are likely to be? Volunteer to hand out water, be guides, serve as ushers or parking attendants, or anything else that needs to be done.
While you’re volunteering, wear company gear like hats and t-shirts to put your name into people’s minds. If you will be staffing a table, find out if you can bring a banner to hang on the table, advertising your business.
Great marketing doesn’t have to break the bank. By using your time and effort as currency, you can promote your business without eating into your budget. Not all advertising efforts have an immediate reward, but building a brand reputation happens with time and consistency. Get going and don’t stop.
