A few smart, cost effective marketing ideas for Small Businesses can help you gain exposure and increase ROI on your marketing.
The key to boosting your chances of surviving and thriving is to have clarity, consistency and to make every marketing dollar count by only focusing on opportunities right for your business.
1. Get to Know Your Desired target markets
Eliminate the scattergun approach in your marketing by being clear about who your ideal client is and where you can find them. Spend time to profile your ideal clients. Work out which social networking platforms they use, what they read, what they listen to and what they watch. Start to engage with them on a personal level.
2. Use Cost Effective strategies
Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are free, and advertising on them is very targeted and cost effective. Paid ads or sponsored stories on Facebook can provide you with many leads. If you provide something free or something of value that showcases your expertise, you will get people wanting to engage with you. Free publicity is very valuable, gives you credibility and is easy to get if you develop the right relationships, have effective writing skills and remember to follow up.
3. Be Found Online
Get you website optimised using basic SEO practices so that you can be found online by potential clients when they search for words and phrases related to your business. List your business with free online directories like Bloo, Hotfrog, Gumtree and Google Maps or use Google Adwords to advertise your business online.
4. Develop Partnerships
Strategic partners will help your marketing dollars deliver a better result through joint promotions. Your partners should offer services that are complimentary to your business. Ensure they are reputable, deliver on their promises and will add value to your brand image.
5. Test and Measure Your Campaigns
Set up criteria for every marketing campaign you plan and test the results you get. You will see what worked well and what needs to be changed the next time. It can be as easy as just asking the question “How did you hear about us?”
I am a Cambridge University Honours graduate with postgraduate business qualifications. I am also a qualified Secondary School Teacher having taught at schools including Melbourne Grammar School and Scotch College in Perth. Married with 4 kids, I am a cricket tragic. I love business, marketing, advertising, music, playing guitar and singing. My music can be found here http://soundcloud.com/plopconsortium/sets/tunes My linkedin profile can be found here: http://www.linkedin.com/in/davidprice2
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David Price, Director at Price Advertising
Yes indeed test and measure is crucial, even more so if you haven't got a large marketing budget
Phil Khor, Founder at SavvySME
Thanks David, short and sweet! I agree the scattergun approach doesn't work, esp on a shoe string budget. Even with lots of research done, the key is to keep our toes testing and be ready to adapt.