99+ Low Budget Advertising
Low Budget Advertising - After the advent of online selling sites, shopping has been made so easy that it can be done within the comfort of the home. Online selling gave rise to online advertising also known as iAdvertising, which is proving to be the best way to reach a larger audience within a short time using less money.
There are many options available on the Internet to get started. Creating a website and then placing its link on different websites is one of the ways. Pages can be submitted to the search engines after applying search engine optimization techniques. Websites offer various payment methods. Some take money for simply placing an ad or link on their website, some take money only if a visitors clicks on the link or website and some take money only if the visitors visits a link and have bought something or availed some service. There are options available for the type of ad being placed. There are pop-up ads, banner ads, wallpaper ads, polite ads, video ads, etc. Businesses with really low budget can send mails to targeted customers.
There are many options available on the Internet to get started. Creating a website and then placing its link on different websites is one of the ways. Pages can be submitted to the search engines after applying search engine optimization techniques. Websites offer various payment methods. Some take money for simply placing an ad or link on their website, some take money only if a visitors clicks on the link or website and some take money only if the visitors visits a link and have bought something or availed some service. There are options available for the type of ad being placed. There are pop-up ads, banner ads, wallpaper ads, polite ads, video ads, etc. Businesses with really low budget can send mails to targeted customers.
Low Budget Advertising
Radio stations offer a good price to advertise during the non-peak time. Get in touch with the local station and try to ask for a discount. The same applies to television; even they have a minimal amount for advertising slots during the non-prime hours, especially after midnight. Contact different television station to compare pricing.
The age-old tradition of advertising in yellow pages directories is always a success. All businesses from small to big register themselves in the yellow pages and have sworn to be benefited from it. People can look up for contact numbers, addresses and services offered directly from the pages.
Newspaper is the next best thing. First analyze the audience to be targeted by age group, sex, and location. Choose the local newspaper and section where the ad should be placed depending on the audiences to be targeted. The classifieds department of the local newspapers have special offers, find out in detail about the pricing structure for the size of the advertisements, number of words, font size, etc.
Design the business cards with accuracy. Try to include all the vital information about the business like the name of the company, where it is located, services provided, working hours, and contact information like landline number, cell number and person to be contacted. Personalized business cards are good way of reaching the genuine customers.
Other way to advertise is to give presentations on your products. Brochures can be inserted in the business presentation package. Other than things like history of the company and annual turn-up, once again business cards can be included in the package. Distribute newsletters with information about the latest offers and discounts. Informational letters of a page length and e-mails can be sent too on a regular basis. All this can become lot easier by getting in touch with companies who can provide the mailing list of a particular locality and it comes for a very small price. Again the yellow pages can be referred to get information about such companies. After getting the information get in touch with company to get a copy of the latest mailing list. Different companies charge different prices
The word of mouth is also a good method of advertising. Try growing the links in your network and join organizations which deals with advertising like trade associations and chamber of commerce. Active participation in events of these organizations eventually helps reaching more number of people.
22 Low-Budget Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses
Don't have many bucks to spend on your biz? No worries – there are plenty of marketing tactics you can make use of that won't blow your small marketing budget. Let's see how far you can stretch those dollars! Here are 20+ marketing ideas for small businesses working on a small budget.
limited budget marketing
1. Publish Great Content. I don't think I even need to say this, but it'd be neglectful not to mention the importance of kick-ass content. If you can create it yourself, all the better (isn't free always better?). Even if writing isn't your strong point, you shouldn't have too much trouble getting someone on your team to crank out some articles for your blog. Try top 10 lists, tip collections, best practices for your industry, etc. I shared a bunch of creative content marketing ideas here, and Elisa recently rewrote the rules of content marketing for small businesses.
2. Create Instructional Videos. Video content is really valuable, and while it can cost big bucks to get professional YouTube videos produced, there's nothing wrong with giving it a shot yourself or hiring a film student off Craigslist. Wistia offers a great video tutorial showing you how to shoot expert-looking footage on your regular old iPhone!
youtube cheap marketing
If video sounds like too much of a challenge, try making slide decks and sharing them on SlideShare.
3. Get Ad Promo Credits. While massive ad campaigns may be out of your budget, there are often discounts and coupons floating around for paid Facebook ads or Google ads. Some web hosting services offer advertising discount codes as part of their membership offerings. Check and see if yours does.
4. Reddit. Reddit, a bare-bones social network self-titled as the "front page of the internet," can be a powerful tool when used strategically. Reddit is composed of a very tech-savvy audience that bristles at any obvious marketing tactics.
To win at Reddit, share only truly awesome content, and post only to extreme niches. In Reddit, there are subcategories (known as subreddits) that deal with some of the narrowest, most specific interests in existence. There's a subreddit for lockpicking (/r/lockpicking ), a subreddit for unicycles (/r/unicycling), and there's even a subreddit for admiring beautiful handwriting (r/PenmanshipPorn). (And of course there's one for SEO.) Find your niche and dominate.
5. Be a Savvy Social Networker. Create business accounts and participate in the big social media sites – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, and Pinterest. Add Instagram in there too if your business is image-oriented. Also check out this list of easy Facebook marketing ideas for any type of business.
Need even more ideas? Get our (free!) all-star playbook to online advertising.
6. Stumble Upon Advertising. If you want to try some paid advertising but you're not looking to break the bank, Stumle Upon's Paid Search Discovery could be for you. Paid Discovery delivers users straight to your site, ready to engage. What works best on Stumble Upon? Photography, visual assets, and humorous content.
Stumble Upon is pretty cheap compared to other paid ad structures. You start with a base price of 10 cents per click, then add +2 cents for age targeting, gender targeting and device targeting. You can see the whole price list for detailed info. Whichever way you spin it, Stumble Upon's paid offering is leagues cheaper than most other social media ads; Facebook ads, for example, can cost as much as 80 cents per click.
7. DIY Infographics. Infographics are insanely powerful marketing tools. They're visual eye candy, they're easy to digest, and people love to share them, so they're a great way to drive up referral traffic and links. Hiring a designer to make you an A+ infographic can hit your wallet hard, but you can make your own on the cheap if you don't mind a bit of a challenge.
infographics marketing tactic
If you have some understanding of Adobe Illustrator, try out these free vector kits that provide all the elements needed to make a stunning infographic. Not sure where to start? Check out Visual.ly for inspiration. They have beginner and advanced examples for you to browse through.
8. Give New Life to Old Data. If your marketing budget it tight, you might not be able to always afford content writers to whip up content for your blog. If you're in a dry spell, instead of making something new, breathe new life into something that already exists on the web. There are a ton of data studies and stats available on the internet. While some of these studies may get initial traction, many often go unnoticed.
Find a study that relates to your industry and polish it up. Highlight the most important or interesting parts of the study, add images, crank out some charts, and make your own thoughts and predictions based on the data.
You don't need to be a master writer for this strategy – the data will do most of the heavy lifting for you. One man's throwaway data is another man's content success story! Just be sure to cite your sources and give credit where it's due.
For government data, check out data.gov or The Census Bureau. Global statistics can be found through UNICEF and the World Health Organization. Ultimately, you'll have to find source data that relates to your industry and audience interests.
9. Lounge About on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a major social media site that is often under-utilized. Don't just add network connections and sign out – join groups, enter into dialogue with connections, and share your blog posts. There's a ton happening on LinkedIn, and it can be a great place to promote your content, share ideas, and build your brand. Larry recently shared some tips for getting more LinkedIn connections, and here are some ways to spruce up your LinkedIn profile if you're a recent college grad.
10. Recycle Your Content. Just as you can repurpose existing data studies, you can rehash your old content into new creations as well! Turn a webinar into a video tutorial. Transform a collection of blog posts into an ebook. Never be afraid to mash-up your old content – chances are there will be a ton of people who never even saw your old stuff, so it'll be a fresh, 100% new content piece for a large segment of your audience.
11. Develop a Customer Referral Program. Offer existing customers a free product, free month of service, or some other reward for referring new customers. Remember, word-of-mouth is powerful stuff, so friends telling friends about your business is incredibly valuable.
12. Online Contests. You'll need to cough up some dough for a prize, but the number of participants and new potential leads you get will be well worth the price. Really tight on budget? You don't technically need a super expensive prize to get participants. Even a couple high-end water bottles or fancy backpacks might be enough of a draw for some users.
Not sure how to host a contest? Go with Rafflecopter – they make it super easy to set up a contest and embed the contest entry form on your website.
marketing for limited budgets
13. Industry Partnerships. Team up with a business related to your industry (but not a direct competitor) for a joint project. This can be done locally offline through some kind of special event, or online with a webinar or promotional giveaway.
Partnering with another business means twice as much notice. If you're partnering with an industry-relevant business, you're getting introduced to a whole new audience related to your niche. People pay big money for that kind of access!
14. Apply Online for Business Awards. Most industries have business awards you can win, providing you with an online badge you can place on your website. Badges like these can boost credibility, and as a result, increase sales.
marketing on a budget
If there aren't any awards for your industry, host your own! You'll get a ton of attention from other industry businesses who want to apply for your award, which means even more connections and more possible future collaborations!
Local Marketing Ideas for Limited Budgets
Local marketing can often be less expensive than massive online campaigns. Your reach is smaller, but if your business is regional, there's no better (or cheaper) way to build your business. Here are 69 MORE ways to boost your business.
15. Awesome Business Cards. Get yourself some snazzy business cards, then give them to every person you lay eyes on. Every handshake should come with a business card. The more people who find out about your business, the better – even if it's just a quick glance at a business card.
budget marketing ideas
16. Guerilla Marketing. Guerilla marketing emphasizes creativity over budget, and strategies are often cheap and easy to implement, especially when localized. Broadcast your Twitter handle with sidewalk chalk, use an abandoned storefront as a canvas for street art, or plaster custom stickers on urban décor that makes those who stroll by look twice. There's a ton of room for invention here, and you don't need a big budget to be successful. We did a massive post about guerilla marketing recently, detailing a bunch of strategies and examples you should check out if you want to learn more!
17. Host an Event or Class. Plan an event or class to host, then print out flyers and post them on community bulletin boards (libraries, coffee shops, local colleges and adult ed centers). While most community bulletin boards won't let you post business advertisements, they're often more than happy to post a flyer promoting an educational event or class.
18. Business Card Drawing. Put a fishbowl at your place of business with a sign asking visitors to drop their business cards in for a chance to win something from you (for example, a restaurant might offer a free pizza party).
marketing tactics for small businesses
At the end of the month you've collected a ton of business cards, and while you can only have one winner, there's no reason those other business cards have to go to waste. Use the email addresses provided to let users know that while they haven't won this time, they are more than welcome to join your mailing list, which will notify them of future giveaways and special offers.
19. Email Marketing. Email marketing is a great way to get new visitors engaged with your business, as well as maintain relationships with your existing customers.
budget marketing tactics
Get new website visitors to sign up for your newsletter by offering a bonus content piece for subscribing (e.g. get your free ebook detailing how to make a homemade pizza when you sign up for our First Slice newsletter). Slowly nurture your subscribers via email until they are ready to become paying customers. Start your email campaigns with a free email marketing service like MailChimp.
20. Car Magnets for the Company Car. Slap a magnetic sign on your company car to build brand awareness as you drive around town (just be sure to obey traffic laws). Bumper stickers and window decals work as well!
21. Give Away Balloons at Local Events. Get a few hundred custom balloons printed with your business name, rent a helium tank, and watch the smiles roll in.
marketing strategies for small businesses
Kids love balloons. Adults love them too, but are embarrassed to admit it. Stop the shame – balloons and bubbles will always be awesome, it's OK to say so. You'll have a bunch of happy people marching around with your brand floating above their heads, all for less than $200.
22. Join in on Local Contests. Consider donating a product or service of yours as a prize in a local contest or event.
Low-Budget Small Business Marketing Ideas [Summary]
Here are all 22 ideas to market your small business:
Publish great content
Create helpful instructional videos
Get ad promo credits
Use Reddit for marketing
Be a savvy social networker
Try StumbleUpon advertising
Make DIY infographics
Refresh old data
Lounge about on LinkedIn
Recycle your content
Develop a customer referral program
Hold online contests
Develop industry partnerships
Apply online for business awards
Create eye-catching business cards
Leverage guerilla marketing
Host an event or class
Host a business card drawing
Engage in email marketing
Use car magnets for company vehicles
Give away balloons at local events
Join in on local contests
Any low-budget marketing tactics we missed? What works for your small business?
40 Low Budget Marketing Ideas for Your Small Business
They say you have to spend money to make money, and that's certainly true of marketing. But if you've only got a small budget to market your business, these ideas can help you get the best marketing bang for your limited buck.
1) Learn how to ask for referrals - and do it. You're much more likely to get something if you ask for it. Nervous or new to it? The linked article has a script to help you out.
2) Learn how to tell prospective clients what you do. Rambling or being flustered won't win you any converts. Learn how to win them over by emphasizing the benefits.
3) Then learn the most likely places to find clients - and go to those places.
4) Give free workshops or classes related to your products/services. People love to learn so classes on topics related to your products and services can be a big win.
5) Create a snazzy logo and tagline for your business and use them on all your documents (including email).
6) Create a brochure. Brochures can be great sales tools. They give potential customers who want to think over your pitch to have something to take away with them. They give you some in-hand marketing material when you're discussing your products or services with customers. And something you can send out as advertising too.
7) Get free publicity for your business by involving the media (including social media!) in your grand openings, moves, or charity events. Don't have one of these happening in the near future? You can always get heavily involved in someone else's charity event by becoming a sponsor.
8) Create a website for your small business if you don't have one. Even if all your website does is present the who,what,where and why of your business at least it gives you a home on the web and a chance of coming up in local search - critical for getting your business found nowadays. (Increase your chances of being found in local search by listing your business in all possible web directories.)
9) Create a blog for your business. Blogging can create a bigger market for your products or services if you do it right (do it regularly and have something of value to share).
10) Visit and comment on other relevant blogs regularly. (Be smart; pick the ones your customers are likely to be visiting too.)
11) Develop a social media plan and implement it. Developing a presence on social media can be great low budget marketing.
12) Create a Facebook page for your business.
13) Tweet about your business on Twitter.
14) Use Pinterest to promote your business.
15) Use LinkedIn to connect with potential clients/customers.
16) Spend some money on social media advertising. All the major platforms offer forms of inexpensive advertising, often with incredible targeting options. Learn about Facebook ads. Learn about Twitter ads.
17) Create a video about your product or service and post it on YouTube - or even get your own YouTube channel up and running.
18) Become a radio guest. Radio is far from dead and can be both a very effective way of targeting your potential customers and a much more inexpensive form of advertising compared to other channels such as television.
19) Develop business partnerships and do cross-promotion with other businesses. Cross-promotion is a great way to cut down on the cost of advertising and can create valuable synergies that benefit all the partners.
20) Participate in a joint venture. Another great way to cut down on costs.
21) Send out promotions with your invoices. A no-brainer. You're sending out a document anyhow so why not include a promotion?
22) Learn how to write a killer sales letter. Direct mail or email, this will work for both. And once you've written one, be sure to learn how to maximize the response to your sales letter.
23) Create an email newsletter. This gives you a great opportunity to stay in regular contact with your customers.
24) Sponsor (or at least be a big part of) a community charitable event.
25) Network on the web.
26) Join a face-to-face networking group. If you're running a local business, and you're not already a member of at least one local networking group, put this at the top of your to-do list in capital letters and move on it. There's no faster, easier way to make contacts and get known in your local community.
27) Join professional and/or business organizations. See #26. A must do.
28) Participate in local business mixers/trade fairs. (And by the way, this advice about creating effective trade show displays will make your table or booth the center of attention.)
29) Save money by learning how to properly prepare for a trade show before you attend any.
30) Apply for business awards. Many business organizations choose top businesses each year, for example, and top businesses in particular categories such as customer service. There's nothing wrong with a nomination from a friend - or even nominating yourself.
31) Learn how to create a powerful sales presentation that persuades customers to buy.
32) Learn what the worst sales blunders are - and avoid them.
33) Write articles on topics related to your business and encourage people to post them for free.
34) Go cold calling.
35) Advertise your business on your vehicle.
36) Put a plastic business card holder on the side of your vehicle.
37) Blow your own horn. Get over being shy and promote yourself. Everyone has something they can be proud of. Whether it's an award, a new skill, a milestone or work for the community, practice self promotion by speaking and writing about your accomplishments. Add a line about something you're proud of to your email signature and to your stationery. Announce it on Facebook, tweet about it, add it to your LinkedIn profile. Let other people know about it!
38) Learn how to present a price increase to a client - and keep the client.
39) Remember that when you run a small business, you are your business. Review this PAK system and use it every day.
40) Create/update a marketing plan for your small business. Have you even looked at your marketing plan lately? Haul it out. Have a look. Are those marketing objectives still what you're trying to achieve? Do you have new ones? And what are you doing to achieve them now? At the least it's time for a new marketing campaign.
They say you have to spend money to make money, and that's certainly true of marketing. But if you've only got a small budget to market your business, these ideas can help you get the best marketing bang for your limited buck.
1) Learn how to ask for referrals - and do it. You're much more likely to get something if you ask for it. Nervous or new to it? The linked article has a script to help you out.
2) Learn how to tell prospective clients what you do. Rambling or being flustered won't win you any converts. Learn how to win them over by emphasizing the benefits.
3) Then learn the most likely places to find clients - and go to those places.
4) Give free workshops or classes related to your products/services. People love to learn so classes on topics related to your products and services can be a big win.
5) Create a snazzy logo and tagline for your business and use them on all your documents (including email).
6) Create a brochure. Brochures can be great sales tools. They give potential customers who want to think over your pitch to have something to take away with them. They give you some in-hand marketing material when you're discussing your products or services with customers. And something you can send out as advertising too.
7) Get free publicity for your business by involving the media (including social media!) in your grand openings, moves, or charity events. Don't have one of these happening in the near future? You can always get heavily involved in someone else's charity event by becoming a sponsor.
8) Create a website for your small business if you don't have one. Even if all your website does is present the who,what,where and why of your business at least it gives you a home on the web and a chance of coming up in local search - critical for getting your business found nowadays. (Increase your chances of being found in local search by listing your business in all possible web directories.)
9) Create a blog for your business. Blogging can create a bigger market for your products or services if you do it right (do it regularly and have something of value to share).
10) Visit and comment on other relevant blogs regularly. (Be smart; pick the ones your customers are likely to be visiting too.)
11) Develop a social media plan and implement it. Developing a presence on social media can be great low budget marketing.
12) Create a Facebook page for your business.
13) Tweet about your business on Twitter.
14) Use Pinterest to promote your business.
15) Use LinkedIn to connect with potential clients/customers.
16) Spend some money on social media advertising. All the major platforms offer forms of inexpensive advertising, often with incredible targeting options. Learn about Facebook ads. Learn about Twitter ads.
17) Create a video about your product or service and post it on YouTube - or even get your own YouTube channel up and running.
18) Become a radio guest. Radio is far from dead and can be both a very effective way of targeting your potential customers and a much more inexpensive form of advertising compared to other channels such as television.
19) Develop business partnerships and do cross-promotion with other businesses. Cross-promotion is a great way to cut down on the cost of advertising and can create valuable synergies that benefit all the partners.
20) Participate in a joint venture. Another great way to cut down on costs.
21) Send out promotions with your invoices. A no-brainer. You're sending out a document anyhow so why not include a promotion?
22) Learn how to write a killer sales letter. Direct mail or email, this will work for both. And once you've written one, be sure to learn how to maximize the response to your sales letter.
23) Create an email newsletter. This gives you a great opportunity to stay in regular contact with your customers.
24) Sponsor (or at least be a big part of) a community charitable event.
25) Network on the web.
26) Join a face-to-face networking group. If you're running a local business, and you're not already a member of at least one local networking group, put this at the top of your to-do list in capital letters and move on it. There's no faster, easier way to make contacts and get known in your local community.
27) Join professional and/or business organizations. See #26. A must do.
28) Participate in local business mixers/trade fairs. (And by the way, this advice about creating effective trade show displays will make your table or booth the center of attention.)
29) Save money by learning how to properly prepare for a trade show before you attend any.
30) Apply for business awards. Many business organizations choose top businesses each year, for example, and top businesses in particular categories such as customer service. There's nothing wrong with a nomination from a friend - or even nominating yourself.
31) Learn how to create a powerful sales presentation that persuades customers to buy.
32) Learn what the worst sales blunders are - and avoid them.
33) Write articles on topics related to your business and encourage people to post them for free.
34) Go cold calling.
35) Advertise your business on your vehicle.
36) Put a plastic business card holder on the side of your vehicle.
37) Blow your own horn. Get over being shy and promote yourself. Everyone has something they can be proud of. Whether it's an award, a new skill, a milestone or work for the community, practice self promotion by speaking and writing about your accomplishments. Add a line about something you're proud of to your email signature and to your stationery. Announce it on Facebook, tweet about it, add it to your LinkedIn profile. Let other people know about it!
38) Learn how to present a price increase to a client - and keep the client.
39) Remember that when you run a small business, you are your business. Review this PAK system and use it every day.
40) Create/update a marketing plan for your small business. Have you even looked at your marketing plan lately? Haul it out. Have a look. Are those marketing objectives still what you're trying to achieve? Do you have new ones? And what are you doing to achieve them now? At the least it's time for a new marketing campaign.
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