Setting up a business can be costly, and that’s just at the start of a long journey. Once you’ve established your business, you’re going to need to promote it in order to get customers and build strong relationships.
While marketing and advertising may not be one of your biggest priorities, doing it correctly can make a huge difference. Don’t worry though, it doesn’t need to cost a fortune to get your business name out there. Here’s how you can promote your brand on a budget.
Social Media
Firstly, social media is here to stay, so you need to sign up. Get a business page on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The best thing about social media is that it’s free. If you’re in a creative industry, you can also get Pinterest.
This is what each account is for:
1. Facebook
Facebook is great for longer updates and behind the scenes information, video and photos. It’s also ideal for explaining business changes and interacting privately with customers on Facebook Messenger. This platform also has the option for customers to leave reviews, so this is perfect to build up your reputation.
2. Instagram
Instagram is a photo-sharing platform, so it is perfect for sharing snaps of your business. Whether it’s behind-the-scenes pictures or sneak peeks at products coming soon, this is the place to showcase your business in full color, literally.
3. Twitter
As you have a limited character count on Twitter, this is recommended for small updates. It is also great to communicate quickly with customers. Make sure to use hashtags to acquire new followers and possible customers.
Website
Invest in a high-quality website to take your business to the next level. Here you can showcase what you offer, your portfolio and prices. This might be one of the biggest costs when it comes to promoting your business, but there are ways to save. When choosing a domain, try different variants of what you’re after.
Short, one-word domains tend to cost more, and if you’re in the market for something which is commonly searched for, you could pay thousands. Take Cars.com as an example. That currently has the crown for the world’s most expensive domain, selling for an impressive $872 million.
As long as you steer clear of that, you can pick up great domains for under $20. You can also save money by using a website builder and doing it yourself. These builders guide you through the steps so even beginners with no coding or website experience can do it. You can then use social media to direct people to your website.
Flyers and Business Cards
We’ve spoken a lot about how the internet is our best friend, but let’s not forget traditional methods which captured customer’s attention long before the internet arrived. Flyers and business cards are a great way to spread the word of your business locally. If, for example, you make cakes from your kitchen at home, posting a few flyers and leaving business cards in people’s doors and in other local businesses can really help get you seen. This is a cheap and effective marketing technique because it easy to design flyers or business cards cheaply and you can print them in bulk to get great prices too.
These don’t have to break the bank either, you can print a fantastic selection off using your home printer.
Whether you love online or traditional methods of promoting your brand, these all work hand in hand and can help your business get to where you want it to be.
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