5 Free and Low-Cost Marketing Ideas That Help Bring In More Customers
Business owners everywhere are struggling to get the most out of their budgets as the current economic conditions are forcing everyone to tighten their belts. This is especially true when it comes to how they’re spending their advertising dollars.
You’ll be happy to know that marketing doesn’t have to devour your profits. There are several ways to advertise your business without spending a fortune—or even devoting one penny! In addition to posting about your business for free on social media platforms, marketers are enjoying various other methods that are helping them attract customers and increase sales without bottoming out their budget.
Budget Friendly Marketing Techniques are Keeping Businesses Booming
If you aren’t using the following advertising methods, you’re spending too much on marketing!
- Reel in Customers with Infographics
Infographics are perfect for marketing products and services because it allows you to present them in a way that’s attractive and educational. You can even have fun designing your infographic in a way that doesn’t make it look like an advertisement!
Canva is an excellent tool for creating visually stunning marketing material that allows viewers to understand immediately what is being promoted and how it can help them. The Canva website is very user friendly and has several free images you can use to bolster your marketing campaign. However, if you have some wiggle room in your budget, you can subscribe to the website for a reasonable cost to gain access to images that have a price point.
- Boost Your Credibility with a Badge
There are business awards you can apply for within your industry that will enable you to post a badge on your website, so visitors know that your products and services are the gold standard!
It goes without saying that quality matters. This is the reason why posting a badge on your website’s homepage is a great way to influence customers and increase sales. In the unfortunate event that your industry doesn’t have a badge, you have the freedom to invent your own! Doing so may result in businesses getting in touch with you to find out how they can apply for your badge.
Moreover, if you have stellar customer reviews, put a spotlight on them by displaying a badge that broadcasts your 5-star customer satisfaction rating.
- Attract Attention with Guerilla Marketing
If you enjoy being creative, you’ll love what guerilla marketing can do for your business and its bottom line! While most guerilla marketing techniques aren’t free, they allow you to advertise without busting your budget.
The possibilities are endless! You can strategically place stickers on structures in areas with high foot traffic such as posts located at busy intersections. Some stores and gas stations provide corkboard for business cards, so take advantage of this by creating brightly colored coupons to pin up. If there’s no rain in the forecast, turn your twitter handle into street art with sidewalk chalk!
Guerilla marketing is great because it’s limited only by your imagination, so start brainstorming and get ready to attract customers that wouldn’t have been aware of your business otherwise.
- Repurpose Old Content
Consider all the time, money, and energy you’ve spent creating interesting blogs, articles, and infographics. You can milk this content for all it’s worth by transforming them into marketing videos!
Begin by reviewing which of your past publications were the most rewarding for your business. Next, highlight the information you want to present in video form, then get to work! You’ll be surprised by how seamlessly written content is converted into visually stunning presentations.
If you have a large library of articles and blogs, you will be saving beaucoup bucks in your marketing budget, then enjoy redistributing these funds into other areas of your business. The best part? People love sharing videos! Before long, you’ll see your customer base and sales numbers growing exponentially.
- Be the Host with the Most!
Sometimes, marketing yourself is the best way to propel your business forward. By hosting an event, teaching a class, or holding a webinar, you’ll spend very little money attracting new customers.
Feel free to organize any type of educational or social event that compliments your products or services. You can choose to have the presentation at a library, coffee shop, or adult learning center. Some specialty wine distributers even have small conference rooms that can reserved for events. However, be prepared to spend some money if this is the route you choose to take.
Once you have a location, date, and time arranged, publish an announcement on social media. In addition to specifying that the event is free to attend, be sure to stress that seating is limited. Building urgency will compel people to register early, so you have a good idea about how many people will be attending and can prepare accordingly.
As an extra incentive, hand out coupons or discount codes to attendees. This will help drive sales. You can even give away free samples during the event, which will do wonders to convert prospects into loyal customers! You’ll also be giving them something they can show off to family and friends, so they become aware of your business, too.
If your event is a hit, you should consider holding one monthly or quarterly!
The Best Marketing Involves Creativity and Flexibility
According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), businesses that earn less than $5 million a year should only be spending 7 to 8 percent of their total revenue on marketing. Businesses that bring in more money can increase their marketing budget by 3 to 5 percent.
While these estimations appear reasonable, today’s economic climate suggests that business owners would be wise to keep their marketing expenses as low as possible. However, traditional marketing isn’t cheap, which is why you need to think outside the box to attract customers and increase sales.
By using the free and low-cost marketing techniques discussed above, your business will be raking in the green because you’re spending less to increase your customer base.
If you’re ready to explore marketing methods that are both rewarding and cost effective, Higgins Marketing Group can help. Contact us for a pressure-free chat about the alternative marketing ideas we’re using to boost a business’ recognition and financial gains during these uncertain economic times.
Not sure yet? Check out our work and let us know when you’re ready.