Opening a startup? Or is the business just a bit slow these days and you want to bring in more customers? Whatever your reason for wanting more publicity might be, it’s always a gamble to invest a lot of money into marketing. Luckily, there are many ways you can call attention to your business, without blowing your budget on huge billboards. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
People
The best – and most importantly, completely free – way to get more people talking about your business is to do exactly that: tell them to talk about it. Make sure that all of your friends and family, employees and of course, yourself, are keeping your eyes and ears open and recommending your business to anyone who might want to use your services. People are much more likely to use a service that was recommended to them by someone they know, so make sure you spread the word all over your social circle.
Another way you can reach more people is talking to businesses that might want to use your services. Local businesses always thrive if they work together, so you can work out a deal with a company that offers a related service to recommend you and, in turn, you will also recommend their services to your customers.
Online
If you don’t already have a Facebook page and an Instagram profile for your business – you are missing out big time. Make sure you are reaching all of your customers online by utilizing social media, search engines and advertisements. Advertising on social media is a great move, because you can reach a specific targeted audience that you think will most enjoy your products. You can use social media to raise awareness about your business, to promote an event of showcase new products or services that you offer. If people regularly see advertisements about your business on their social media, they are more likely to think of you next time they need those services. You can also use social media to give away promo codes, gifts or share an important message you support.
Merchandise
Similar to social media, the more people notice your business logo and advertisements in real life, the more inclined they are to use your services. If you own a store, that isn’t too hard, because you can simply place your logo on your products. But if not, there are still things you can do to have your business noticed.
Print out T-shirts with your company’s logo and hand them out at an event or as gifts. Whenever people wear them, you will be getting extra advertisement. Same goes for giving out custom USB sticks, water bottles, caps, tote bags and anything else you can think of that you can put your logo on, and that doesn’t cost too much to make. This will be more effective than printing and giving out thousands of flyers, because people won’t throw a useful item into the next bin.
If you want to take it another step further, give out free samples of your products so that the people can actually see what you’re advertising and can try it out for themselves.
So, drop the myths about having to spend all of your savings on ads, because there are many ways you can reach the eyes and hearts of the public, without blowing your budget – and sometimes without having to spend a single penny. The most important part is to have a set plan for your advertisement campaign and adapt it as you go. An advertising campaign is not a one-time task, but a long-term commitment that you have to nurture as you go.
