If you are starting a business and need to save money on marketing read our list of 10 inexpensive marketing campaign ideas for small businesses.
Are you thinking about starting a business? Do you have many great ideas about small businesses but you are afraid to realize them? We get you. It definitely may appear frightening and overwhelming to consider and comprehend all the aspect of starting a business. We tend to freeze by all the little things we would need to do if we started a business, and not to mention the responsibility that we would have. It is much more demanding that having a job with a fixed schedule where you finish at 5 on Friday, go home, and tend not to think about your job again until Monday. This is much different because you are the boss so you won’t really get to forget about your business ever again. Sounds terrifying, right? But, it is also so much more satisfying and rewarding because you are not under pressure to complete tasks because someone else said so. As you are the boss, you create the tasks and you know for whom you are doing them. Now, this sounds amazing, right? One of the most common reasons for starting your own business must be the freedom you get when creating your schedule. You don’t need permission to go run some errands and you certainly don’t need to ask for a day off. It is everyone’s dream to be able to go on a trip without having to wait for your boss’s approval.
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So you have decided to step out of your comfort zone. Now what? How to expand your small business? How to find new clients? The answer is marketing. The key to all your questions regarding small businesses is how you advertise it and how much do you really pay attention to marketing. Your goal is to sell your product or service but most small business owners try to save money so they only invest in marketing when they absolutely have to. This is a mistake because starting up a business doesn’t guarantee success unless you continue to invest in it. If this caught your attention then read our list of 11 Most Successful Marketing Campaigns of All Time.
Fortunately, nowadays there are so many marketing ideas that don’t require a lot of money. With a little creativity, you can reach your goals and still get to save money. How? By creating a marketing plan. Using generic marketing strategies can lead you nowhere because your target is not set, and not everyone is interested in buying your product. Many small business owners waste time on those who are not likely to become their customers. Instead, you need to do a research, find out who your customers are, and then create your marketing strategy.
We did a research on what are the best marketing strategies for small businesses and where to invest our money and time. Then searched for ideas for your marketing campaign and with the help of Guardian and The Balance, we compiled a list of 10 inexpensive marketing campaign ideas for small businesses.
10. Facebook
Marketing doesn’t have to cost a lot. In fact, it can be free! Use the resources we already have, such as social media and create a page for your business. As Facebook is the most popular social network naturally, this is the best choice for your marketing campaign. Update regularly and inform your followers about your services, actions or upcoming activities. Having a page on Facebook will help you connect with your customers and get feedback. If you want more publicity, there is an option on Facebook which costs about $1-$2 a day.
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9. Create a Video
Creating a video ranks 9th in our list of inexpensive marketing campaign ideas for small businesses. Posting it on YouTube is an excellent way to reach your audience. You can be as creative as you want. The best part about this is that it’s completely free, so no investing is needed. If you need more information on how to make a video to promote your business, read it on Marketing Donut.
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8. Create a Newsletter
Is your inbox filled different newsletters each week? Probably. Creating a newsletter will allow people to see who you are as you will share your experience and knowledge with your audience. You can include images in your newsletter to make it more interesting or even videos. If you choose to create your newsletter in PDF format, you will have endless possibilities with design and it is free. Plus, readers can download it and save it for later. You can send it weekly or monthly.
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7. Giveaway Samples
One of the smartest marketing ideas on our list of 10 inexpensive marketing campaign ideas for small businesses is giving away free samples. You don’t really lose much, as you will be giving one or two products away, but imagine the amount of publicity you will receive. Talk about your giveaway action on your Facebook page or Instagram. Ask your followers to share a picture of your product or simply ask them to leave a comment. Before you have to announce the lucky winner or winners, you will get plenty of new followers.
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6. Create a Website
We are continuing our list of inexpensive marketing campaign ideas for small businesses with the idea of creating a website, that is probably the smartest thing to do when you start a business. Everything seems more serious and more reliable if their website is such. You can hire a web designer or a web developer to create a unique website or do it yourself. Building a website can be free if you are able to do it yourself, or $50 to $80 an hour if you hire a professional. Hosting costs are usually between $5 and $30 (unless you are using a VIP or dedicated hosting) and it depends on the number of visitors your website has. Find more information about creating a website on WebsiteBuilderExpert.
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5. Create a Brochure
A brochure is never too old despite all the technology and social media. It is a great way to advertise and if you choose to design the outlook of your brochure, it might not be pricey at all. Of course, the price varies depending on the umber of pages and other factors but approximately costs from $100 to several hundred dollars. Read more about pricing and other details about brochures on BrochureDesignService.
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4. Create a Blog
Creating a blog ranks 4th in our list of inexpensive marketing campaign ideas for small businesses. It is very popular these days, and no wonder because it is a great way to promote your small business. It can improve your search ranking and get more people to read about your services. You can create blog posts daily or hire a professional writer to create content for your blog, it’s your choice. But if you are good with words and you are looking to save a few bucks then you can do it yourself. You can find free blog hosting and save money on that. If you already have a website, then you can add your blog to the site. In that way, you don’t need to purchase a domain name. You can find out more on how to start a blog on The Balance.
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3. Google AdWords
Start a Google AdWords campaign and allow your clients to see you when they search the Internet. What is great about this is that signing up is free, you don’t need to pay until they actually click and go to your website or your YouTube video. You can then decide how much do you want to spend on this and you set an average daily budget.
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2. Organize a Workshop
Sharing your knowledge with others should not be restricted to e-mail newsletters only. By planning a business workshop in your area you can connect with your customers and get to know your audience. You may need to rent a studio for the workshop if you cannot find a suitable space, and provide materials they will use. By showing people what you do you will appear professional and you will meet lots of potential clients. You can announce your workshop on Facebook and write blog posts about it later so you will get a lot of publicity. And now, let’s see the number one in our list of inexpensive marketing campaign ideas for small businesses.
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1. Hire a Marketing Consultant
If you cannot decide which ideas from our list of 10 inexpensive marketing campaign ideas for small businesses you should use, you can always hire a marketing consultant. Granted, this will cost you at least $100 an hour, but the outcome will definitely be positive considering that the job will be done by a professional. Some marketing consultants charge by project and not by the hour, but overall, the price depends on how much time it is needed to complete the project as well as on several other factors. It might seem a lot to a small business owner but consider it to be a valuable investment in your business that will bring much more money than you initially paid for the service of a consultant.
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