10 Most Important Tips Marketing Options For Your Small Business

It’s tough to start and run a small business. And it’s even tougher when you don’t have any marketing budget to speak of. Fortunately, there are still plenty of marketing tactics you can use to get the word out about your small business even if you don’t have money to spend on expensive print ads or Google AdWords campaigns. In this guide, we outline 10 of the best tactics you can use to market your small business on a budget.

1) Decide what you want your brand to stand for

Whether you’re doing your own marketing or hiring someone else, it’s important to figure out what you want your brand to stand for and convey that message clearly in every interaction with customers. You’re not going to do that right away (or maybe ever), but at least decide which words best describe your business so you can articulate them when answering questions and get in touch with what matters most. Understanding who you are—and how your customers see you—is essential for effective branding. From there, identify whether internet advertising (paid placement of an ad on websites) or internet marketing company services is more appropriate for your small business.

2) Think in terms of numbers

It’s always good practice to think in terms of numbers when considering your marketing budget. When thinking about how much you have to spend, keep in mind that every penny counts—it’s not just what you spend but how you spend it. If you can save a few bucks here and there, you’ll have more money for other aspects of your marketing plan down the road. It may sound daunting but with some creative thinking, there are lots of ways for small businesses to make inexpensive but effective online advertising work for them. Here are 10 ways we’ve found effective

3) Start with your customers and give them what they want

One thing all businesses—no matter how small—have in common is customers. You can’t start marketing without first considering who those customers are and what they want from you, both as their business and in general. To figure that out, you could hire an internet marketing company or pay for their services, but even something as simple as putting together a survey is better than nothing. Before you do anything else, at least poll your friends, family and anyone else you know who uses your products or services; if they’re willing to answer questions about themselves in exchange for free stuff or whatever other reward you have in mind, that’s great!

4) Create Great Customer Experiences

The internet is filled with reviews, many of which are written by dissatisfied customers. It can be very difficult for small businesses to build loyalty among their customers in such an environment. But customer experience (CX) offers an opportunity to set your business apart from competitors; get your website, online advertising and other online marketing efforts right and you’ll not only get more sales leads, but you’ll also have loyal customers who will go out of their way to recommend your business. Use these 10 tips as a guide

5) Build Relationships with Influencers

Anyone can pay for online advertising, but you have more success if you cultivate an organic strategy that builds relationships with relevant influencers. Most influencers will be happy to help promote your content for free if you offer them some personal value in return. You might start by identifying major thought leaders in your industry, then reaching out and offering them early access to content, favorable quotes about their work or even samples of your product. The goal is not only brand exposure but also knowledge exchange; both parties benefit from these types of partnerships. Social media is a natural place for relationship building because your audience can follow along as they grow together with you over time.

6) Choose What’s Important

When you’re operating on a small budget, it can be tempting to use your marketing dollars in all sorts of places. After all, how many ways can you promote your business? There’s radio, newspaper ads, and billboards—but don’t forget social media and other online marketing tactics (search engine optimization, pay-per-click advertising)By choosing your focus. If you can afford only one form of promotion for now, choose it wisely; Internet marketing companies have proven track records for engaging potential customers.

7) Brand Consistency with Social Media

With more people than ever using social media networks, social media marketing should be one of your top priorities. Companies are at risk of losing customers and brand loyalty if they do not provide any communication via these sites. Choose which platforms will benefit your company’s objectives and create an appropriate strategy for each. Define goals for each platform so you know how to measure your success in building social network buzz. Take advantage of search engine optimization (SEO) as well as online advertising, such as Facebook Ads, sponsored tweets and promoted Pins, etc., by selecting an internet marketing company that can help with content creation and other strategic assistance along with managing your presence in multiple places online—including mobile options.

8) Measure Progress Regularly

Make sure you’re regularly measuring your return on investment (ROI) and staying current with your company’s performance by looking at industry benchmarks and using online advertising analytics software. There are also many marketing-focused social networks that can help you connect with other professionals, get industry news, and get feedback from peers. The key is to treat your business like any other startup and make sure you have good data behind every decision you make. That way, even if you don’t ultimately grow into a giant corporation, at least you’ll have had fun along the way!

9) Use Advertising Wisely

Online advertising isn’t cheap. While most of your marketing budget should go toward hiring an Internet marketing company or freelancer, you shouldn’t be afraid to spend some cash. As long as you choose your ads wisely and place them on websites that already have good traffic and high credibility, they can help generate quality leads. However, if you don’t know what you’re doing or where to look for new customers, these ads will just end up costing more than they make. Make sure you educate yourself about online advertising before spending any money so that when it comes time to market your business online, you use every dollar wisely.

10) Focus on a Goal(s)

It’s important that you consider your own personal goals and reasons for starting a business. It should go without saying, but there is absolutely no point in starting and promoting your business if you don’t have any interest in actually running it. There is no Get Rich Quick scheme, so be sure that whatever decision you make will result in genuine happiness or fulfillment of some kind. Don’t do it just because someone else says it can be done, do it because you want to prove yourself right. What your personal motivation is will guide every step of your journey through online advertising and internet marketing company towards success; even if they never know what drove you behind every cold call, thankless handshake or long night at work alone with your thoughts.