Effective marketing doesn’t need to cost a lot of money. Marketing results can be more about what you do rather than how much you spend.
A little creativity, legwork and teamwork might be all you need to generate some marketing magic. Just explore these three low-cost marketing strategies for your business.
Piggyback marketing
Reaching out to your target market costs money. Some small businesses spend a fortune on:
- Direct mail.
- Print advertising.
- Event sponsorships and other marketing activities intended to put their brand in front of prospects.
Piggyback marketing can accomplish the same results with a dramatically reduced investment.
Complementary works best
It’s a low-cost marketing strategy where two or more non-competing businesses represent each other’s offering in their respective markets. Piggyback marketing works best when each business’s products or services are complementary and appeal to the same customers.
Identify products and services being purchased by your customers and approach the sellers. By teaming up, you could significantly leverage your marketing reach.
Networking
It’s no surprise that any form of networking (online or face-to-face) remains one of the most affordable and powerful marketing tools available to business owners.
Online networking platforms are free to use, for example:
- Twitter.
- Facebook.
- LinkedIn.
Adding and maintaining connections is relatively easy and often requires just one click. Powered by some of the biggest online companies in the world, you can be assured the feature-rich services available within these platforms will just keep getting better and better.
Combine both types of networking
Mix online networking with face-to-face networking and you’ve got an affordable strategy to funnel new relationships to your business. Which networking events should you attend? Ask your best customers which associations they belong to – and plan to be there.
Is there a secret to marketing success?
Absolutely! Develop a smooth and benefits-rich introduction, hang out where the people you want to meet hang out, and – most importantly – follow up with the connections you acquire.
Online marketing
Our digital age offers countless business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing options that are both effective and affordable.
Explore popular marketing tools such as:
- Social networking.
- Online advertising.
- Micro-blogging.
- Podcasting.
Your investment in any one of these marketing activities may be more about time and labor rather than money, so take the time to learn how to get the most out of any choice.