Low-Cost Marketing Strategies to Help Boost Exposure
In today’s economy, marketing can get expensive. It seems like the only way to be successful is to either buy ads or pay for SEO. While both options are useful ways to market a business and very popular among business owners alike, there are many other marketing strategies that come at a low cost, if not for free. Below we’ve put together a list of four low cost marketing strategies that not only create organic traffic and gain exposure for your business, but place emphasis on the most important factor of your companies marketing: the people you’re targeting.
1. Networking
Networking is one of the most effective marketing strategies any business owner can utilize in their business. LinkedIn for instance is a platform devoted entirely to networking. A general rule of thumb is that you should be adding most everyone you shake hands or speak with including potential clients, business partners, etc. While promoting your personal growth on LinkedIn, you can also promote your brand. Making a group page or joining a local business group is a great way for you to network with other likeminded entrepreneurs like yourself who are looking to exchange ideas and offer business strategies to help get ahead. Participating with these individuals will surely help boost the exposure of your business.
2. Establish Partnerships
Building a partnership with the right company can help you reach that company’s customer base and vice versa. This works extremely well for local businesses as it offers a sense of unity and support with the general community. People are receptive to recommendations that come from businesses they already know, trust and had an overall positive experience. Partnerships allow you to take advantage of this cost-effective opportunity by helping to build your reputation.
3. Request Reviews
If it’s one thing people pay attention to, it’s the reviews left by your previous customers. What your customers have to say about you is the clearest indication of what kind of experience your future customers will encounter when doing business with you. By asking your customers who have had positive experiences to write a quick review on sites like Facebook or Yelp, you can begin building your endorsements and vouchers from your already existing customer base. An added bonus is if someone is willing to write a review for you, they’re more likely to recommend your business to a friend or family member in the near future. All of this comes at little to no cost and allows your customers to do all the marketing for you.
It’s imperative in today’s ecommerce world that a business encourages their customers to leave a quick review on any of their major social media networks to show their satisfaction with your company.
4. Start a Blog
Offering a solution to people before they even know they need it is a great marketing tactic that could produce some great returns if done correctly. An easy way to go about this is to add a blog section to your company’s website so you can provide your audience with useful tips and insights about topics related to your business. The only thing it will cost you is your time and effort. Blogging about topics you’re already familiar with can help provide friendly credibility to the interest of your current and future customers.
By providing a real utility to the kind of customers who have use for the information you’re providing, you instantly create a relationship with that person that establishes your business as a helpful authority. If people find your information useful, you’ll probably be the first thought of their mind when they need something done in the future.
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If you’re currently utilizing other low cost strategies to boost your company’s exposure, we would love to hear about them! Share your experience and insights in the comments below.