Marketing your small business is important, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. With some time, a little creativity, and the right tools, you can attract and retain customers through low-cost marketing strategies.
Check out these low-cost marketing options for your small business.
Be Searchable
Prospective customers use Google searches at different points in their buying cycle with 88% of searches for local businesses on a mobile device calling or visiting the business within 24 hours. A Google My Business (GMB) page can provide information that will drive sales and make your small business a viable option for people who don’t know about you yet. 78% of location-based mobile searches result in an offline purchase, so it is worth the time to create and optimize your business’s listing.
Before you set out to create your page, make sure you don’t already have one. If your business has been established for a while, then one might have been automatically generated, in which case you will need to claim it and add any further information. Because everyone online has access to GMB and can enter data, if you don’t add the information, someone else could fill it out.
Email Marketing
59% of marketers say email is their biggest source of ROI. But email marketing is more than just blasting out a message to everyone on your list. Depending on your business’s size, you’ll likely want to segment your email list. Segmented emails are messages you send to specific groups of people in your email list, which can lead to substantial increases in click-through rates. Breaking down your master list gives you a chance to send relevant content to a unique group, encouraging them to take a specific action. Most email marketing management software can help you manage your lists.
A little bit of strategic forethought can go a long way to persuade customers to buy from your business. Marketers who use segmented campaigns note as much as a 760% increase in revenue.
Social Media
Nearly 50% of the world’s population uses social media. That’s over 3 billion users worldwide. The various platforms can be helpful in attracting new customers, engaging with current ones, and developing relationships with people that will promote your brand. However, the platforms you should utilize will depend on your business and your customer base.
For example, if you’re a consulting services company, LinkedIn would be the most effective platform to focus your efforts. But if you’re a local retail bakery, Instagram would be your best bet.
54% of social browsers use social media to research products. Social media is great for increasing your brand awareness and spreading information that will get people in your doors. And if you’re thinking you’re too busy, look into social media scheduling tools so you can schedule posts in one sitting. There are a few free platforms, such as Hootsuite, that will post automatically to social media according to the schedule you set.
Traditional Media
Printed marketing materials can work wonders for local businesses and 56% of customers find print marketing to be the most trustworthy type of marketing.
You can hand out flyers to other local companies, give out postcard invites to your next event. There are so many ways you can customize printed marketing material. If you’re not ready to mess with complicated design programs, one user-friendly tool that comes with plenty of templates is Canva. You can use this platform to create eye-catching flyers, informative brochures, handy business cards, even social media posts.
Don’t let marketing become an afterthought for your small business. Similar to the question involving trees making a sound: If you have a great product and no one knows about it, will it sell?
Marketing doesn’t have to cost an arm and leg if you’re willing to get creative and dedicate some time on the front end. Effective marketing will communicate your message to current and prospective customers.
If you’d like to start or expand your Indianapolis-area business, the Build Fund, operated by Renew Indianapolis, may be able to connect you to flexible, affordable, and responsible funding options for your business. Start the process now!
