Marketing is essential for business growth and profitability. The dream of every business owner is to have their product reach potential customers. However, most marketing methods require wads of cash. In your early stage of a startup, you may not be in a position to raise these funds.
The good news is that there are numerous low budget ways to promote your business. You are probably wondering, are these methods effective? Absolutely yes. Below are the six best ways to promote your business at little or no cost at all. Let’s jump right in.
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List Your Business in Search Engine Local Directories
Popular business directories link buyers to vendors. While some are dedicated to B2B listings, others are customers oriented. Examples of business directories include IndiaMart, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and SoftwareSuggets.
The biggest listing services are Google Places, Yahoo! Local, and Microsoft’s Bing. All you have to do is fill in a form and register. The whole process will only take you a couple of minutes.
These lists attract massive traffic and rank high in search engines. Some of these sites even have mobile apps. Although free, their value will surprise you.
Set Up Social Media Profile for Your Business
If you are not using social media, you are missing out big time. One of the effective ways to promote your business at a low cost is by leveraging on the power of Social media. To begin with, you should create business profiles on Twitter, Facebook, and linked in. Social Media will not only help you reach potential customers but also engage them. As if that is not enough, you will get quality feedback about your products and services.
What’s the catch? Well, you have to post regularly to gain popularity and followers who are your potential customers. This means you have to gather news and updates about your business industry and share it with your followers. Ideally, you should do about four posts on twitter daily and at least two posts on Facebook weekly.
Business pages on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and LinkedIn are absolutely free. In addition to increased sales, social media platforms are is excellent for enhanced brand awareness and public relations.
Give Business Cards
Business cards are also useful for brand awareness. You can get a colossal amount of them for a relatively low fee. They come in handy during large business events. You can also dish out to people you come across in your daily activities. If you have a storefront, consider placing near the cash register.
Optimize Website
Nowadays, people search for a product online and collect as much information about the product before making a purchase. Your business should, therefore, have a website listing all your product information. Having a website for your business is not enough. You should optimize it so that it appears on Google search.
If you are a total rookie, you can hire an SEO expert or agency. However, it is not difficult to learn SEO optimization. Some experts charge relatively low rates.
Email Marketing Campaigns
The email market is another low-cost method to promote your business. Simply create a signup form on your website. You can gather a plethora of email addresses of people interested in your product. Mail list informs the potential customer of what your business can offer. You can keep them updated on offers and exclusive deals. Email lists are highly effective.
Attend Networking Events
Networking events and expos are great places to meet potential customers. You will be amazed at the value you can get from these events. Talking to people is an excellent way to market your business. You should consider erecting retractable banners during these events. They conveniently display your business at trade shows and events.
Conclusion
There are numerous methods to promote your business freely or at a low cost. However, you need to be a little creative. While some methods will result in instantaneous success, others will take longer. Either way, the bottom line is that you will promote your business and achieve your goals.
Neha Nidhi
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