Now more than ever, small businesses need to be creative when it comes to marketing their products and services. Just because you can’t afford to spend a lot of money on marketing campaigns doesn’t mean you can afford to stop marketing – that would spell disaster for your business.
With that in mind, we’ve put together a list of creative, low-cost ways to promote your small business so that you can bring in new customers without breaking the bank.
Social Media Competitions
By now, you’ve probably been tagged hundreds of times by friends in social media competitions. So why not start your own?
All you need is a prize (something small and inexpensive will do) and a creative way to promote the competition. For example, you could ask people to take a picture with your product and post it on social media with a specific hashtag.
Or, you could simply ask them to share your post and tag three friends in the comments – that’s a classic formula!
Then, you can simply use a random number generator to choose a winner.
You will need to include a disclaimer that your competition isn’t affiliated with the social media platform on which you are promoting it and that they are in no way responsible for the prize.
Social media competitions are a great way to get people talking about your brand – and they don’t have to cost you an arm and a leg. Your follower count will rise in no time and suddenly, you have hundreds of new members in your audience who you can reach with your message.
Encourage User-Generated Content
User-generated content, or UGC, is a great way to get people talking about your brand. And the best part? It’s free!
All you need to do is encourage your customers and fans to create content about your brand – whether it’s a review, a testimonial, or simply a post about how they use your products.
Make sure to give them a shout-out when they do, and you’ll soon find that others are eager to join in.
User-generated content is a fantastic way to get honest, unbiased feedback about your products or services – and it’s a great way to build up social proof for your business. When others see that their friends and peers are using and enjoying your products, they’re much more likely to give you a try.
Film Video Tutorials
If you sell products, why not film video tutorials showing people how to use them? This is a great way to get exposure for your business while also providing value to your target audience.
Not only will people appreciate the helpful content, but they’ll also get to see your products in action. This is a great way to show off their features and benefits and get people excited about using them.
You can film the tutorials yourself or hire someone to do it for you, and it’s even possible to do it on your smartphone camera. This is an effective, low-cost way to get your products in front of new people and show them what they can do.
Create a Referral Program
A referral program is a low-risk way of attracting new customers because you don’t pay out until after they’ve made a purchase.
The way it works is simple – you offer existing customers a discount or a freebie for referring new customers to your business.
This is a great way to get people talking about your brand and it doesn’t have to cost you much – even a small discount will incentivize people to spread the word.
Plus, it’s a great way to build up customer loyalty as your existing customers feel appreciated, and they’re more likely to keep coming back for more.
Summary
There you have it – four low-cost and creative ways to promote your small business and attract new customers without breaking the bank. When it comes to marketing, you don’t need a big budget to see big results. What matters is getting your message right and targeting the right audience.
We offer a wide range of marketing services to help your business thrive, check out Brooks Amplify here.