For many small businesses, the biggest problem isn't their product - it is getting the word out. Marketing is expensive. The moment you start paying for it, you're competing against established businesses. And many of them have a lot more money to spend than you.
The good news, though, is that there are powerful techniques that you can use to market your company on a budget. You don't have to spend big to get the money out. Here are some ideas.
Use Guerilla Marketing
When a country is outnumbered and outgunned by an invading force, it typically doesn't mount an official defense. Instead, it goes into the Guerilla mode, taking potshots at the invaders and causing maximum disruption before retreating rapidly.
Startups, therefore, need to adopt a similar mindset. You might not be able to go head-to-head with the big boys right now, but there are still plenty of things that you can do to get the word out about your business behind the scenes.
There are plenty of ways to do this, from organizing a flash mob to paying people to go undercover and promote what you sell.
Create A Pop-Up Stand
Creating a pop-up stand is one of the best ways to attract attention to your businesses. As this ultimate guide for custom pop up tents points out, customers love branded gazebos and covered spaces. It immediately attracts attention and makes your company stand out in a crowd. Plus, it provides some shelter from the sun and rain, so people are free to peruse your wares in peace.
The Social Side Of Social Media
Paying for advertising on social media is expensive. Still, none of these platforms prohibit you from reaching out to customers organically. Many SMEs, therefore, now deliberately take steps to communicate with individual prospects personally. Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, and Reddit are great places to pick up new buyers and sell more.
Organize A Contest
The number of businesses built on the back of contests is quite extraordinary. Suffice to say; there's virtually no better way to attract attention.
The main reason for this has to do with who competitions attract. Typically, the prize is a free product of some description. So contests bring in all of the people who are interested in buying the type of thing that you have to sell. Plus, the moment that they enter the competition, you grab all their personal details, like their name and email address. Then you immediately have a tool that you can use to market to them further.
Grab A Partner And Piggyback
Some businesses are so valuable to their partners that they will often include them in their advertising for free. You see this type of thing in the industry all the time. One business will promote its services by pointing out that it hosts another. For instance, a department store might highlight the fact that it has a Starbucks. If you can find opportunities like these, they can prove highly lucrative. Search for them high and low.
