Small business has a budget. Not only that but big dreams. So how do you make the two marry up when it comes to your company? It can be tricky, and when you are starting out, or looking to firm up your position in the market, it comes down to branding and marketing.
But just because you are talking about stretching your cash, doesn’t mean you need to drop the idea of quality, production, and the touches that matter to you and your clients and customers.
So here are some ideas for you to boost your marketing, without breaking your budget.
Content and SEO
When it comes to bumping up your SEO, and getting out there more content is king. When you combine that with the other points below, you’ll have a good thing going. While writing isn’t everyone’s strongest suit, practice makes perfect. You can start by making a list of things that you have in-depth knowledge about. Lists are quick, and people can digest them with ease, top tips about a topic – ensure you put the number of tips in the title. Again, this is about giving value to readers. If you have a website simply for products, it can be hard for Google to understand how relevant you are in specific searches. Keeping a blog on the website that hits keywords repeatedly will help Google know that you are relevant in your area.
The work that goes into a post isn’t simply writing it and then waiting for millions to flood in. You will need to share your content and make use of those platforms that we spoke about. Make use of the tools to help you keep sharing the post. It will also be in your best interest to read up on how experts get their content to reach a considerable amount of viewers.
Work With the Experts
Sometimes creating content that converts to clicks and increased traffic to your site proves fruitless. When you have that experience, know that outsourcing is a valuable resource available to you. Look into SEO Pricing to get the most value for your budget.
SEO Marketing services professionals understand what it takes to get your site to populate at the top of web searches. They understand the nuances of well-placed SEO to maintain an edge over your competitors.
Infographics
They are highly underestimated when it comes to marketing and branding. They are very easy to follow, don’t indulge in jargon, easy to place links and logos on, and most importantly, easy to share. You can opt for a designer to do this for you, but with some time you can make your own. So this is a no spend option. Canva has many free infographic options, or you can spend the time and create your own template, or find a free infographic template and edit it on photoshop.
Email Marketing
We all know that email marketing is a great way to find hot leads and to warm up cold ones. It goes directly to the inbox of people who have willingly signed up because they have found something interesting on your website. You should be sweetening the deal by offering a piece of content like an eBook, or a guide – something that people are going to want. But don’t leave it there. Keep your email newsletters regular and informative. If you feel like this is time with no reward, then you might need to research how to make the most of your email marketing. You can turn readers into buyers with words alone if you make them enticing enough.
Social
The greatest free gift to marketing – social media, and the tools to automate. Social media has changed the face of how marketing works. It gives you direct access to customers on a global scale. And, while there are plenty of paid options to boost your content and place it directly in front of the people it will interest, you don’t need to put money into it. Creating content that people feel has value, means they are likely to share it. Creating your own buzz, much like the previous options will take time. But if you want to hold on to that budget for as long as possible, then make use of the free tools you have access too. You would be wise to look at all of the free options for the social media automation tools and find what you need. While it is tempting to jump into buying a package – you should understand how the tools really work and the value they bring. Monthly rolling contracts are great for when you want to bump up your social media output.
Analytics
Another free gift. You have access to all of the numbers that matter. How many people saw your last tweet about your new products? How many people are engaging with your Facebook posts? What is your overall reach?
By deep-diving into the numbers, you can have a clearer idea of where your efforts should be placed. It is often the case that companies push money deeply into the platform that isn’t performing. And while the time, effort and money spent will raise your profile, you might find within weeks it will dip again. Every type of content will be better suited to a specific platform. Images and video take off on Instagram and Facebook, short sharp texts do the work on Twitter. Use your numbers to dictate where the work should go, and how to leverage your most influential social media platform.
Branding
Everything up until now can be done on a budget as tight as you want. In fact, most of them for free. Which means you have space to get those all-important touches. When people purchase your products, there is a standard that they will expect you to meet. They will expect to see branded packaging, a business card or note in the box, branded tape, and so forth. Whether you know it or not, people want two things. They want fewer plastics in their packaging, and they want the personal touch. To see what you can do, go to pluspackaging.com.
Downloads
You probably have a lot of old content that can be repurposed, updated, and then turned into something else. The content is already written, and with some attention, you can turn them into an asset. Having downloads on your website – email gated – is another way to provide value, while delivering your branding and building loyalty.
When it comes to marketing on a budget, time has more value than money. So use it wisely.
