Whether your business is just starting out or you've been running it for years, traditional marketing can become expensive, quickly.
In most cases, marketing is vital in spreading the word of your products and services. But there is always the issue of your available marketing budget.
Traditional marketing techniques such as TV advertisements, print ads or even a billboard can quickly become expensive and prove difficult to measure ROI (return on investment). Regardless of your industry, here are the top inexpensive marketing techniques that you can use in your business today:
This is one of the least expensive marketing techniques available, and it also has the potential of giving you an excellent return on investment.
As an inbound marketing agency, Open Path Digital encourages that you respect your customer’s inbox and always provide helpful content. With email marketing, you collect the email addresses and other contact information of those who visit your website and give permission for future contact.
You can also obtain emails from people who come into a physical store location or you can prompt someone through social media to enter their email address so they can be notified of special offers. Be aware that the customer needs to 'opt-in' to emails; unsolicited correspondence could be seen as 'spam'.
Social media is a must for any business, opening you up to hundreds of millions of possible customers.
Now, naturally, not everyone is going to end up on your website, but with a strong social media presence, you can build a following without ever paying a cent. First, you need to create your businesses ideal customer profile and decide which forms of social media work best for outreach.
Facebook and Twitter are heavily recommended, but from there, what should you use?
If you sell a physical product, consider image-based platforms. Pinterest, Instagram and Snapchat are all great for highlighting products you make, or even for showing how things work behind the scenes at your company. Don't underestimate the power of putting a human face on your business. You may be surprised how valuable it is.
Learn how to convert customers using social media for small businesses.
Don't be afraid to advertise yourself wherever you go.
The President and CEO of T-Mobile wears T-Mobile clothing everywhere, has it printed on nearly all of his vehicles and promotes his business wherever he goes. Yes, the company has a multi-million dollar marketing platform, but the company understands that it can still meet new customers through this approach as well.
You don't need to wear T-shirts, sneakers or other items for self-promotion, but you can have vinyl prints made for your vehicle.
These go on easily and instantly turn your vehicle into a billboard (the imagery size is up to you). It's hard to beat this kind of business name exposure for a one-time fee. Plus, if you showcase your social media accounts, it makes it easier for people to instantly connect with your company's social media platforms via their mobile phones.
Turn to these different inexpensive marketing techniques, each of which can help you reach new customers without breaking the bank. With the help of Open Path, you can grow your business and not your marketing budget.