Small businesses might find that finding extra money in their budgets for online marketing is difficult, especially in a tight economy. However, online marketing is vital to success in today’s business world. Here are five cost-effective online marketing tips to implement for your small business.
Facebook Pages
In 2013, every business with an online presence needs to have a Facebook page. They don’t cost you any money, unless you decide to pay for extra advertisements. When people are searching for your page on Facebook, they can find information about promotional events, details about new provides that are up for sale and photos of the items you have. They are simple to create, and absolutely necessary for any small business.
Twitter Accounts
You might think that a Twitter account really has no place in the business world. However, do you frequently develop new products? Do you host events? If the answer to either of these questions is yes, then you could absolutely use a Twitter account. Have a countdown to the day that the product is released or when the event is to be held. During the event or release, you can Tweet details of what is happening.
Google Plus
Many people get overly interested in Facebook and Twitter and ignore Google Plus. While Facebook and Twitter are important parts of getting your brand and company noticed, Google Plus has some added advantages. When people search your company and your company has a Google Plus account, Google will show your company’s recent Google Plus activity on the search results page. You can also add a virtual tour of your business on Google Plus. The more you have about your company on Google Plus, the more people will see when they search you on Google. This is a chance to get some free advertising or at least get more brand awareness without having to pay anything extra. Google is more likely to favor those companies that are using their social media, so it couldn’t hurt to get a Google Plus for your business.
Redo Your Website
You don’t need tons of flashy graphics and details to make a suitable website for your business. In fact, you can tackle some of the components yourself. Only call in professional help for the components that you do not know how to do. You could also hire some college students in a graphic design program or computer programming class to work on these website elements, but there are several free or cheap web hosting services that will host your site for a reasonable rate.
Developing a Concise Message
Ultimately, no matter what format you use, you need to be able to reach out to your target audience with a clear and concise message. Once you have that message figured out, the ways in which you promote it are secondary. Focus a lot of time and effort into creating a catchy slogan or a graphic that will represent your company for years to come. Clarify and perfect your message before you send it out to the world. Once you have your message, then you can focus your efforts on creating an Epic Marketing campaign.
Online Networking Opportunities
Surely, you can find a way to network with other professionals in your field online. From these conversations, you can gain ideas. Even if you have to pay some sort of membership fee, it will likely be significantly less expensive than having to travel to meet with other people who work in the field.
Marketing is a necessity for all businesses. Without a message to relay to the customers, nothing exists. Fortunately, when you follow these steps, you can accomplish this important task within your planned business budget.
This article was written by Dixie Somers. Dixie is a freelance writer and blogger who has written extensively for the business, home, and family niches. She lives in Arizona with her husband and three girls.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.com
