Marketing can be an expensive endeavor, especially for a small business.
Effective and affordable marketing ideas can help you grow your business without breaking the bank, but the problem is that these campaigns often cost a lot of money, something that, as a small business, might not be in your remit.
Why Should Businesses Invest In Marketing?
Regardless of the investment, marketing is required. The rise in popularity of the internet has made marketing cheap and easy, with businesses needing to create content to compete against others on this platform.
A good strategy should be flexible so that you can adapt and change without having to spend vast amounts of money reinventing the wheel. It should also include elements such as copywriting, SEO (search engine optimization), PPC (pay-per-click) advertising, and social media; all of which can be costly to outsource but could be brought in-house.
However, it’s important not to go overboard and get carried away. There is a balance between effective marketing campaigns and spending too much money on them; one that needs some fine-tuning before it is ready for actual implementation.
Here are a few ways to do marketing in a more affordable way.
Promotional Materials
Developing promotional materials such as custom water bottles, hats, and packaging, etc. is a great way to get your brand out there, and the costs involved are relatively minimal.
By doing this, you can save money on other more pricey and targeted marketing campaigns, while still being able to market your business and stand out from your competitors.
Take a look at anthembranding.com for some great promotional material choices that may work for your brand.
Affiliates
Partner up with bloggers and social media influencers who are in the same industry as you to help spread awareness of your brand.
A win-win situation is created when both parties help each other, creating a larger audience for both of you at no cost.
Social Media Ads
Social media helps you to expand your audience, while also making more people aware of your brand, which can lead to higher conversion rates.
It is affordable and a great way of expanding your reach to a wider market.
Collaborations
Collaborations are a great way of reaching a new audience at no cost and may even bring in some extra revenue if you have another business.
It is also a good way of gaining publicity by creating something that is more creative than just straightforward advertising.
It is hard being an entrepreneur, but with the help of collaborative marketing, it doesn’t have to be so difficult.
Blogging
Start blogging and create content that is relevant to your business, so that you can get more people to find you online, while also strengthening your brand.
When done well, it is one of the cheapest marketing strategies, and the faster it becomes a habit for your readers, the better.
Blogging should be a core part of any marketing strategy, but do be aware that it can take many months for even a good SEO blog to gain traction.