• Marketing is the driving force for any business. It is essentially the reason your company grows and attracts more and more clients.
• But in order for marketing to give great results, you need to know which tactics and ideas to utilise and which ones will work for you.
• Networking is key. Events are important. Social influence is vital. Find out how to use this knowledge.

When you’re in business, you know that customers are your real source of business growth. For this reason, every business must have marketing strategies in place to attract customers. However, this can be particularly difficult for businesses that are going through challenging times, especially if they’re on a tight budget.

What we’re about to show you is that you can market your business when you’re on a budget! You don’t necessarily need to be spending thousands of dollars on advertisement to get your name out there.

So, how do you manage to attract attention and stay relevant to customers? Let’s give you some practical marketing ideas!

1. Participate in Networking Events

Attending networking or social events can open many opportunities for you to market your business, free of charge. The idea is to meet new like-minded people, make new friends and market your business. Make sure you take a handful of business cards with you to hand out. You also want to pay attention to your personal and professional brand, as you are representing your business. Be positive, confident and approachable – you will soon start attracting many customers.

2. Be Active on Social Media

Any business that’s not active on social media these days is missing out on a lot of potential customers. Period. These networks are huge, and they have the potential to reach a lot of people. Depending on which industry you’re in, some social media sites will work better than others. One thing is for sure – it’s free!

Make sure to add insightful and quality content so that people react to it and share your posts. Find out what your biggest competitors are doing and try to make an educated guess as to whether the customers are responding to their content.

On social media, you also want to encourage reviews as that can help build your credibility - knowing that other people have brought from you and recommend you builds trust. However, be also ready to promptly respond to negative reviews by trying to resolve issues as quickly as possible.

3. Create a Business Website

You need to be found online and one of the quickest ways is going to be through a business website. Your website needs to be user-friendly, modern, and professional. It should clearly tell customers what your business is about. You might want to invest in a single page website as that can be more affordable than a 6-page website.

4. Get listed on Google My Business

If you are a local business, then you want to make sure your business is listed on Google Map, it’s free. This can help customers find you if they are looking for your products or services in your area.

5. Ask for Referrals

Nothing speaks better for your brand than word-of-mouth referral. This is by far one of the most effective ways to get customers. Go ahead, ask for referrals from existing customers, family, friends and suppliers – you will be surprised with the results!

6. Host a Community Event

Organising local events can help you gain exposure in your community and build your reputation. They are often low-cost but make sure you carefully plan it to ensure it doesn’t go over budget. To promote your event, use social media to get a wider reach.

7. Give Away Samples

Instead of spending money on adverts, donate your signature product to charity events, business conferences or any event that is frequented by your target customers. That way, you would have someone actually sampling your product than just reading about it!

There you have it, 7 marketing ideas for your small businesses when you are on a budget. Remember, you must keep at it until you find what works for you. To continue your momentum, you must keep on marketing. Sometimes investing a few hundred dollars to talk to an expert can go a long way, as they can tell you precisely what is more likely to work for you.

It’s all about persistence and hard work. The rewards will eventually pay off.