Marketing is essential to the survival of a small business. What matters most for effective marketing is creativity. When you opt for creative marketing, it hits the intended target without breaking your bank. In this post, we are going to talk about marketing ideas for small businesses that are creative and pocket-friendly.
So stick to this post, till the end.
1. Create a Professional Business Website
If you haven’t created a website for your business yet, this is the first thing you should do. Having an online presence allows you to market your business online and reach potential customers. It is worth mentioning here that around 56.1% of the world’s population has internet access. Now you know what you’re missing out on by not creating a website.
Nowadays, with CMS platforms like WordPress, it is easy and affordable to create a business website. You simply need to pay for a domain name and web hosting. Don’t worry; hosting doesn’t cost a lot; you can expect to spend under $2 for a basic hosting plan.
There are plenty of creative ways you can utilize your website to promote your small business. For instance, you can add a blog section to it and share knowledge of your business.
Moreover, you can optimize your website for search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing so that more people can know about your business naturally.
Online advertising platforms such as Google Ads, Facebook Ads, and Twitter Ads can also give your website and, ultimately, your business more exposure.
2. Run an Effective Email Marketing Campaign
Email marketing is one of the cheapest marketing ideas every small business should bring into practice. It helps you reach and engage with new leads, regardless of where they live or spend their time online. It is an effective way to stay in touch with and build healthy relationships with existing clients.
The good thing about email marketing is that it’s quite cost-effective. You will be surprised to know that email marketing generates $38 for every $1 spent – that entails a 3,800% return on investment.
There are several ways you can add creativity to your email marketing.
- Personalize your messages by using customer data and learning their behavior. A perfect example of a company that does personalization perfectly is Amazon. You will notice all their emails are personalized.
- Combine email and social media. Emails with social sharing buttons have a higher click-through rate (CTR). According to a survey, social sharing boosts email CTR up to 115%.
- Email marketing is as effective as social media for connecting with customers on a personal level. Try to think beyond company news and product updates when creating an email campaign. How about exciting polls and contests with attractive prizes?
3. Ask for Referrals
If you’re looking for free marketing ideas, this is one thing you must try. Once you have developed a good relationship with your customers through your website and email marketing, ask your satisfied customers for referrals.
Who knows your products or services better than your customers? If you want to take advantage of enthusiasm they show for your brand, give them some incentive to refer other potential customers.
Referrals are an affordable way to bring in new leads of higher quality. Remember, referral leads gets converted more easily as they already have an interest in the products or services you sell.
One good way to grow the number of referral customers is to start a referral program. Give something of value to your customers to participate in your referral program.
Some cheap ways to encourage customer participation include:
- Give your customers freebies after a certain number of referrals have turned into customers.
- Give them discounts on your products or services after a certain number of referrals they provide you.
Once you have enough referrals, engage with them and try to learn more about what they are looking for. Get their basic details such as name, occupation, etc. It will help you personalize your marketing strategies for them.
You probably didn’t know, but referrals are one of the most practical marketing methods for small businesses. According to a survey, 92% of consumers trust referrals from people they know.
4. Take Advantage of Social Media Connections
Over the years, social media marketing has become a mainstay for small businesses wanting to take their marketing to the next level. Social media networks do not just offer businesses a way to send the brand’s messages to the target audience, but also boost organic visibility.
Social media stats from 2019 reveal that there are 3.2 billion social media users across the globe – it equates to about 42% of the current population.
So, if you are looking for cheap marketing ideas for your small business that don’t cost a dime, take advantage of social media networks. Engage with people you feel will be interested in the services and products you sell. Take some time out to build a personal relationship with them. The stronger the connection you make, the more chance you will have of turning them into customers.
5. Connect with the Local Community
This is one of the most important marketing ideas on our list that every small business should follow, especially those who have physical locations. Develop meaningful relationships and partnerships with people and businesses in your community.
One of the simplest ways to get out into the community is to engage with people who live or work near your business. Try to attend as many networking events as you can. These events are typically professional in nature; no one will mind if you talk about your business. Bring your business card so that you can exchange contact information.
If you can afford to do so, donate to a charity. It will help you gain more visibility in your community.
Be Creative to Stand Out
Marketing is necessary for every business, but when it comes to small business, it becomes more critical because of its direct association with the survival of a company. We hope the above-mentioned creative yet cheap marketing ideas for small businesses will help you increase the visibility of your brand, build credibility, and attract more potential customers.
