15 Inexpensive Ways to Market Your Business on a Budget

A marketing budget that is properly defined is essential for managing and measuring what has been invested into retaining existing customers and acquiring new ones. It can also be useful for spotting the opportunities that maximise on strategies that yield the best results.

Like personal finance management, a marketing budget compels business owners to carefully consider where they spend and save. This is very important for smaller businesses that may be tempted to set up last minute campaigns to boost sales during challenging times.

Marketing budgets also enable businesses to assess the performance and cost of various tactics that are used in marketing such as email marketing, direct mail, content marketing, banner ads and targeted ads online. 

Investing in marketing

More Singaporean business owners are choosing to invest in online marketing with the desire to increase their marketing budgets significantly. However, emphasis has also been placed on the need to budget affordably and go beyond being noticed. With a cost-effective marketing approach, messages can become more appealing, more relatable and more relevant to customers in comparison to what competitors may be conveying.

Preparing a budget, regardless of how small it may be, helps to identify the most effective ways to reach customers, gain a loyal customer base and keep people coming back for more. It empowers business owners in regards to managing and measuring what has been spent on building the business to figure out how different marketing strategies perform.

Marketing businesses on a tight budget

For any business that has a tight budget, one of the expenses that they may choose to cut down on is marketing. While conventional advertising methods are usually difficult to measure and can be costly, modern small businesses have access to more marketing tools that are affordable and much easier to track.

Considering the wide range of marketing tools that are available, knowing where to begin can be an overwhelming task. Email marketing is among the online tools that offer a great return on investment. There are various strategies that make it possible to market a business on a stringent budget.

1. Website

One of the key foundations of affordable marketing is a website. Every business requires a website in order to thrive in the competitive marketplace. By simply registering a domain name, the process of creating a website can begin. Adding some advanced features gives more control over how the site feels and looks.

 2. Social media

Being present and active on social media is an inexpensive marketing solution. Whether it is LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, social media accounts provide cost-effective ways to spread awareness about brands and businesses. It is advisable to avoid using a personal account for this purpose because it can hamper professionalism. Creating separate accounts for the company is the most ideal approach. Social media networks such as Instagram are amazing platforms that consist of millions of users who are active on a daily basis.

• Posting content on social media is easy, with options that include pictures and videos along with captivating captions that can drive engagement. Many companies have become aware of how valuable and important social media is. Any business that is not actively pursuing consumers on social media risks missing out on numerous opportunities for growth.
• Along with basically being free, social media platforms provide several different options that go beyond posting videos and pictures to profiles. Content can be added to additional features such as Instagram Story and going live on Facebook.
• Adding links to social media bios helps to drive more traffic to business sites. Companies can interact directly with followers through direct messages and comments.

3. Website

A strong online presence requires a steady stream of content that give existing and potential customers something to look at. Blogging is an inexpensive way for businesses to start attracting viewers and readers. Built-in platforms as well as other free or affordable options are available for business blogging. WordPress is popular among many business owners as a website solution and blogging platform because it is powerful and affordable.

4. Quality content

It is important to carefully think about the type of content that will be included in a business blog. The most effective type of content enhances credibility and keeps target consumers interested. This will be determined by the kind of business that is being operated.

5. Recycling content

When a business is running low on time and funds, it can be challenging to identify ways to market the company. Old content can be reused after some time while still keeping it fresh. This can be achieved n different ways such as compiling upgraded blog posts and creating an eBook. Going through older marketing material is a resourceful approach to finding content that is still relevant and can be reused at no extra cost.

6. Videos

Contrary to popular belief, creating video content does not necessarily mean spending a fortune. People can create videos without hiring professionals or buying fancy equipment. A smartphone is sufficient for recording videos or investing. Alternatively, business owners can invest in pocket-friendly cameras and microphones. Videos offer benefits such as higher click-through rates and conversion rates.

It is a good idea for competitive businesses to include video content in their marketing strategies since a substantial percentage of online traffic is attributed to videos. Many consumers look at videos that are related to services and products they are interested in before making a purchase. Videos are versatile and easy to distribute.

7. PPC advertising

Pay-per-click advertising gives businesses the chance to advertise on search engines. Offers are available for people who are yet to start advertising. Incentives include getting free advertising initially. It is important to go through the details of the service that is being used and monitor the amount that is spent on a regular basis when using the ads to ensure a worthwhile return on investment.

8. Email subscribers

Businesses can take advantage of active subscribers and email addresses that they have collected over time. Depending on the type of platform that is being used, there may be charges for each subscriber. However, a growing list of subscribers is always good news because these are people who seek communication and want to hear from the company.

Business owners should avoid making the mistake of focusing on new customers while ignoring existing ones. Email marketing typically includes current customers and has an impressive return on investment in comparison to other marketing methods.

9. Contests

Businesses can encourage users to generate content and participate in contests. This is basically a free marketing strategy that has the potential to yield amazing results. While running a contest means that a gift or product has to be given away, the cost is minimal compared to the level of brand exposure that will be gained.

10. Guest Posts

Along with writing blog posts for your site, contributing to other blogs helps to give your brand exposure for free. Guest posts increase the brand’s outreach and expose it to a new audience. Businesses will also be able to drive more traffic to their sites through links that increase search ranking.

11. Networking

Networking is one of the most effective ways of developing a business as it compels people to get out there and meet new people. It requires time but establishing a strong business network is a major asset for any company or business owner. Networking is essential for sharing ideas and inspiring each other.

12. Referrals and reviews

Some business owners may be hesitant about asking for referrals but the reality is that is important to take the initiative and ask for customer referrals that make it easier to access new business opportunities.

When people want to choose service providers or products, they need to be assured that their choice is worth the money that they will spend. Reading reviews is one of the ways to get this assurance. Thank customers for their support, which may inspire them to leave reviews on websites. There should be a link or provision on sites for customers to post their reviews.

13. Attending events

Attending events is a good way to meet people who have similar interests and business ideas. It helps to boost a business owner’s presence and can work well for different types of ventures. Networking locally can be highly beneficial for companies that provide services to other businesses.

14. Compelling business pitches

Businesses should be in constant marketing mode, which means that they should be marketing wherever they are and all the time. This requires a compelling pitch that can grab and retain someone’s attention within a limited amount of time. Engaging people successfully is a valuable opportunity to tell them about certain products and services. This is why it important to invest some time into crafting a good pitch that is capable of attracting more business opportunities.

15. Search engine optimisation

A good amount of traffic via search engines is crucial for any business that aims to thrive online. This involves higher rankings among search engines that showcase sites as the most relevant words for certain keywords that people use during online searches. The more traffic a site receives, the more chances there are for converting them into earnings. People can learn how to optimise their sites or hire professionals who offer affordable rates for their services.

Conclusion

For any new business that is looking for different ways to minimise its marketing budget, the good news is that marketing no longer has to cost a fortune. There are numerous low-cost and highly effective strategies that can be considered for promoting and advertising businesses.

It is important to think about the most ideal ways to promote a business, how to advertise and attract potential customers when funds are low or starting a new business and how to spread the word about the business affordably.

Promoting a company is a challenge that small businesses face. Whether the business is new or has been in existence for several years, there are proven marketing and advertising tactics that can help businesses find prospects without disrupting their finances. Businesses tend to borrow strategically with an aim to expand the business. It is therefore important to have a good understanding of the various lending options available to them, in order to use them more effectively.