Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses on a Budget

With little to no budget for flashy, high profile marketing campaigns to promote your small business, it might be easy for you to disregard the realization of such efforts as a pipe dream. Fortunately, that doesn’t have to be the case. Here are a number of things you can do to build word-of-mouth for your brand that won’t obliterate you among the competition.

Conduct an online contest. When used with social media, this is a great way to engage your customers and grow your fan base at the same time. Some options in this area include a photo contest of customers using your product or service, a trivia contest on twitter or simply a sweepstakes promoted on Facebook. Whichever you choose, make sure the rules are clear and easily comprehensible.

Host an event. Remember, this is your chance to get the attention of your target audience. When putting together your event, think about what would appeal to them. Ensure your event fits into their daily lifestyle and interests. To boost attendance for your events, consider offering door prizes, giveaways and free education.

Carry out a guerilla marketing campaign. By nature, a guerilla marketing campaign is a low-cost campaign. From distributing flyers to organizing a flash mob, it’s unconventionality and energetic imagination that catches the public’s attention on a memorable level.

Referral campaign. Encouraging your customers to refer your product or service to a friend does not have to be as tricky as it sounds. Like most things within the arena of marketing, an effective referral program merely needs a bit of imagination on your part in order to get the attention of your customers. From contests to seasonal programs, the nature of your referral campaign is up to you. Similarly, the incentives you offer in exchange for referrals also have a wide array of options. These include cash, store credit, premiums, gifts and gift cards.

Small businesses often have little to spend on advertising. This doesn’t mean your marketing efforts have to suffer. If you’re looking to put imagination and energy into your marketing campaigns, get in touch with us here or leave a comment below!