When it comes to marketing something as close and personal, and important, as your own business, you may feel confused or even hesitant in how to start and how much to spend. There’s nothing wrong with starting out with a small business and not having the wherewithal to spend great gobs of money on marketing — sometimes the best ideas come when you’re forced to work with a shoestring budget. Necessity is the mother of invention. Even a few hundred dollars, spent wisely and well, can give you a marketing campaign that will bring results, and customers. Here are some of the best hacks around for getting your marketing campaign(s) up and running on very little money, or even no money at all.
Connect the social media dots
There’s really no limit to the number of social media venues you can use to advertise your business. But however many you decide to use, always remember to keep your postings fresh, and to make sure that all your channels are interconnected. In other words, make sure that people reading your blog can click right to your Facebook and Twitter and Instagram accounts as well. Use those hashtags, baby! And remember, if you’re groaning over the time this will take at the office, that all of this can be done on mobile devices like your smartphone or tablet. You can handle just about all of your social media, and other marketing maneuvers, on the run.
The first thing that 87% people do when performing a background check on a brand is to check its Instagram page. Checking Instagram is a huge part of the modern-day consumer’s vetting process and it plays a huge role in determining whether or not someone will end up buying from that brand.
Now, there are two ways to minimize the amount of time it takes to grow and maintain your brand’s Instagram account:
- You can either hire a full-time Instagram Marketing Assistant for 50-70K a year
- Or, you can use Instagram automation tools for $9.99/week
Sara Agency is a GAME CHANGER for Instagram Influencers, small businesses and accounts. For only $9.99 it is less expensive, but more powerful than all other IG bots. The software, which has been featured in Social Media Pro Magazine engages with over 200,000 profiles a month from your account and grows it at 40x your normal rate! It is considered the best instagram growth service in the world because it uses REAL organic engagement from your profile. Sara is NOT for people who just want a bunch of fake followers that aren’t fooling anyone. It will get you REAL followers and engagement so you will wake up to tons of new followers everyday.
Here’s their secret – Sara used to only be available to celebs and verified (blue check) instagram accounts, but it recently opened up to everyone. It comes with a FREE trial so just click here to check it out for yourself. I’d suggest you do so soon, not sure how long it will be before they stop allowing new users to join again…
To sum it all up, there’s absolutely no reason why your small business has to think small, or be small, when it comes to advertising and marketing. With today’s cyber opportunities, hitched to your ambition and hard work, there’s no reason your company or brand can’t become a household word someday!
Make your blog amazing
Setting up a blog is virtually free, and if you supply the content yourself you don’t have to pay any writers. What’s not to like about that kind of setup? Even if you have hardly any skills with online posting, getting a blog up and running today is so user friendly that it can be done in as little as fifteen minutes. What you need to remember is that with blogging, Content is King. Don’t go for length or vast detail, go for an easy joke to begin and then either make a very brief pitch for your product or service, or give the reader a valid and valuable piece of information or advice — something that will make them want to come back to your blog again. You can make it interactive by asking for comments, and when you do get comments make sure you always respond in a positive and professional manner. Engaging viewers in an ongoing dialogue is marketing gold, when it comes to blogging. And if you just can’t come up with two hundred words of your own, ask a friend or family member or just about anybody if you can use their own words, their own recommendations and praise of your product, on your blog. You’ll be surprised how often people will be happy to do this — it gives them a feeling of importance, a feeling that their voice counts.
As you get better at blogging you can add graphics and all sorts of bells and whistles that are easy to set up — all at no cost. And here is the Prime Directive when it comes to blogging: Keep It Fresh. Update your blog at least several times a week. That, more than anything else, will keep potential customers coming back to see what you’re up to.
Use Google My Business
To insure that your business shows up on local searches you’ve got to use Google My Business. Again, this is a very user-friendly app that can be set up in just a few minutes. It will guarantee that your business information will show up on SEO and on Google Maps and Google Plus. This is especially important for a brand new business, one that’s trying to find its niche in a competitive market. Potential clients who find your business listed on Google My Business will know that you’re in the game for keeps, and that you’re a professional.
What about HARO?
It stands for Help A Reporter Out. This brilliant combination of business and journalism can give you not just local, but even national and international marketing publicity. Say you run an online fishing rod store. When a reporter is looking for information for an article on what kind of fishing rod is best for what kind of fishing, you are able to contact said reporter and let them decide if they want to use your expertise. If they do, then you and your company’s name will be part of the article, which may be syndicated and read around the world. Maybe you think that’s a long shot — but in today’s voracious media market an original quote from an original source is something reporters lust after — it gives their stories more body and human interest.
Start building your email list
Once you’ve established a customer base, you need to keep those valuable people informed about upcoming sales and special programs that may interest them. The best way to do this is by using an email list. Mass emailing doesn’t have to be terribly expensive. In fact, you can use an app like MailChimp to email up to 2 thousand subscribers for absolutely nothing. Spend a few hours each week creating some interesting and informative messages, and then let the app do all the rest of the work. Again, what you’re really doing is telling customers and potential customers that you care about them and want to keep in touch. People who feel like they’re being treated as individuals, and not just a number on a sales graph, are the ones you can rely on for repeat business.
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