As a small business owner or startup founder, you’re probably familiar with being strapped for cash when you’re just starting out. One of the most important aspects of building a business is marketing your product or service.
Now, we have companies that spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year on marketing and ad campaigns. But how do you as someone without that kind of budget, create effective marketing strategies that are still just as successful?
In this article, we have five marketing tactics that are inexpensive and go a long way in sharing your message and generating sales.
Create Valuable Content
You’re probably on social media and familiar with scrolling through a newsfeed or swiping through Instagram stories of your friends sharing other people’s content. What if it was your business’s content that was being shared?
When you create valuable and entertaining content, such as informative articles, funny videos, or photos with snappy captions, people will start to become aware of your brand and share it with their network.
The best thing about this type of marketing tactic is that you only have to pay to create the content. The rest is up to the world to make it go viral.
Offer Free Samples
People only have an idea of what your product is like through your descriptive website copy and customer reviews. What if they could actually experience it before they decide to purchase it?
While it may be old school, sending a free sample in the mail to people’s homes could be an effective marketing strategy. First, narrow down your target and see the areas where they live. You can even purchase an already tailored list if it’s easier! Then send a free sample with a short sales letter to encourage them to purchase the full product.
Put Up Signs
Don’t underestimate the power of signs throughout your community. If you’re a local business that offers a service you know people in your community need, it’s a good idea to place signs around town advertising your business.
Place these signs in your own yard, on telephone poles, or ask your current customers to place a sign in their yard in exchange for a discount on your service. It’s also very easy to get your signs made! Simply search for local sign businesses near you, such as “sign company St. Louis,” so they can design and print your signs in no time.
Speak at an Event
One way to freely market your product or service is to speak at an event within your industry. This is when the power of networking comes into play! Partner up with other companies and tell your story or comment on industry changes. Not only will you have the right target audience sitting in front of you, but you’ll also have a chance to humanize your product, service, and brand.
When you speak on stage, you can connect better with new customers and increase sales by touching on their pain points directly while offering them a solution.