Effective and Inexpensive Marketing Tactics for Small Businesses
Client: US Website
Label: Ghostwriting (no byline)
Marketing on a budget can be quite a challenge for small businesses, particularly those in the start-up phase. After all, traditional marketing and advertising practices in the print, radio, and broadcast media cost a fortune these days. If you’re a novice and conventional businessman, your first option is print marketing. You can posts on your area’s Yellow Pages, send out flyers and direct mailers, and pay for posters and signage. However, these promotional materials cost a lot. Fortunately, there are now more and more marketing options small business entrepreneurs can choose from, especially if they have limited resources. Here are a few examples.
Increase Customer Base through Networking
This is probably the cheapest way to market your products and services. Besides, the main goal of print advertisements is to let people know about you. When you can do the job yourself, why pay for print ads? Networking can magically increase your pool of customers overnight. Go visit and join as many groups as you can and meet new people. Just make sure that you are also joining for the sake of nurturing a shared interest and not just making contacts for your own selfish benefit. When members recognize you an effective contact, they will come to you for suggestions and in turn, you create a powerful reputation for yourself. After a meeting, you can call those members who you think will benefit from what you have to offer.
Conduct Customer Feedback Surveys
Asking for customers’ feedback is also a great way to identify what needs improvement as well as their contact information for future reference. When you conduct surveys, don’t bombard your customers with a 3-page essay-type customer feedback forms. Keep it short and simple. If possible, limit your inquiries to yes-or-no questions only. Tally up the feedbacks so you can study what majority of your customers expect from you and your business and then work on the improvements.
Reach Out to Customers through E-mail Marketing
There’s a reason customer feedback forms ask for the customers’ email addresses. Since most of your customers are online, blasting promotional messages, teasers, discounts, menus, and other promotional materials online can reach them faster with zero marketing costs. Today, E-mail Marketing has become a convenient and cost-efficient way of reaching out to customers with just a few clicks on your keyboard. What’s more is that your customers can forward your E-mail materials to their friends who may be interested in purchasing your product or service.
Turn Customers into Partners
Your customers can rake in not just more sales than you can imagine. Frequent buyers and loyal customers patronize your business because they believe in it, and if they do, their friends will probably will. Cut deals with your most trusted customers by offering them special discount or VIP privileges for every successful referral. This way, you relay good public relations, rake in double sales, and expand your customer base. Now that’s hitting three birds with one stone!
Be visible!
You don’t expect new customers to just find you, right? Make yourself and your business visible by being one of sponsors to events or renting a small booth at a fair. Sponsorships and booths might cost a little, sure, but these are smart investments. Just imagine how many people will learn about your business in just one day. Have brochures, small samples, and sign-up forms at hand so potential customers can leave their contact information with you. This is a great way to expand your customer base in just one sitting.
