With a limited budget, it’s vital that every penny spent on marketing is spent wisely. Here are some tips to guide you in the right direction for the new year!
Website architecture —Yes, a well contracted website is consequential to your brand’s image. It can either draw people in or scare them away. In order to make sure you get this right, consider hiring a professional to help you design and create your prefect site.
Collaborate- Put together a group of non-competitive businesses in your area and agree to cross-promote. You can use coupons, fliers, bundled promotions or social media platforms. By working with each other, you can reach a whole new pool of customers because you’ll have access to a new list of contacts.
Know your market.
Your marketing strategy will never be successful if you do not have a clearly defined audience. Save money by waiting until your target audience is decided on before you spend valuable marketing dollars. If you know your product or service, you should be able to figure out your market pretty simply. Ask yourself a series of questions like, who will be most interested in your product? What is their age group? What is their likely financial situation? As soon as you figure out who they are, it’ll be easy to know how and where to find them. Take your time during this phase of your marketing strategy. It’s crucial to give it a lot of thought if you want your marketing dollars to go far.
Customer Loyalty– A top priority for a small business should be attempting to gain new customers. However, it’s very important to treat your existing customers with as much enthusiasm and respect as you did when you first met. Creating a sense of loyalty will make you stand out from your competitors simply from word of mouth. Invest some money into these customers by doing something thoughtful for them. A simple gesture such as a discounted rate after a period of time, a holiday card, or a happy hour on occasion will help them keep you at top of mind.
Sponsor a local event or charity. Becoming active in your community is one of the easiest ways to self promote. Not only will you gain notice, but it really does make you feel good to support your community. Plus, everyone benefits — you, your staff, your customers, the people you sponsor and, of course, the community at large.
