Marketing on a tight budget

It’s the classic dilemma. You haven’t got enough money to pay for marketing, but you need to do some marketing to get some money in. If we’re honest, most of us have been there at some point. And the good news is, there are things you can do which either cost nothing, or very little, and which will help get your brand name out there and make it top of mind for the people you’re trying to reach.

Audience and objectives

Before you start on any marketing activities remind yourself (or establish) your objectives, and what you what to achieve from your efforts. All your aims should be SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Timely). You also need to think carefully about your audience. Who are they and where do they hang out? When you’ve done that, you can fine-tune your language so that it will resonate with your audience and make sure you share any content in the places that they’ll be, i.e. LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, etc.

A regular newsletter

The idea of a newsletter often daunts people. The fear seems to be that you might have nothing to say or can’t commit to writing something regularly. However, most email platforms like Mailchimp or MailerLite have a free version and a short newsletter is a great way to remind your clients you exist. If you’re writing blogs, you can include links to them in your newsletter, thereby helping them to get a bit more traction, and you can usually share a newsletter on your social media platforms as well so you can get a lot of mileage out of it.

The secret to a newsletter is to decide how often you’re going to write one and then make it a habit and unmoveable commitment. The joy of a newsletter is that you really don’t have to write much (less is usually more). But you do need to make it worth your reader’s while to read it. If you share one useful nugget, that is enough. And the more often you write, the easier it becomes, and the more ideas you’ll get.  Here are some tips for getting them right.

LinkedIn and other social media platforms

We all like to moan about social media platforms and yes, they can be a time drain. But they also offer massive potential to communicate with a huge number of people for free. I’ve written lots about social media strategies but as a starting point, get yourself on LinkedIn every day (even for 5 minutes) and participate in conversations. Think of it as your morning networking. This is not sales. This is about being part of a business community and can be very effective. Similarly with other social media platforms, don’t get overwhelmed by the idea of having to create amazing content. If you haven’t already, just start by having conversations, commenting, liking, and sharing other people’s posts.

Google your business

An often-overlooked free tool is your Google business profile. Think of this as a bit like a listing in a massive business directory. However, unlike most such business listings, with your Google profile, you can add lots of information on an ongoing basis. Include a link to your website, photos, post updates, add your contact details, your opening hours, add offers and promotions, and invite clients and customers to leave feedback, testimonials and ask questions. Once you’re set-up, you’ll appear on Google Maps and in the local results of Google Search.

Google My Business also has a dashboard where you can gain insights on your audience and local searches for your business. For example, you can see the search terms people used to find your business. You can also add keywords to your Business Profile to help it rank in local results.

You might be interested in my previous blog – Google Business – are you missing a trick? 

Optimise your website

Whenever I mention SEO and optimisation, I notice a tendency for people to glaze over or leave the room. But actually, there is some basic SEO that you can do to your website yourself which will help improve its performance in search results.

For example, if you have a WordPress site, make sure you have something called Yoast. Your web developer will know what this is, and if you haven’t got it, it’s easy for them to install.

With every page or post you create, Yoast encourages you to think about what the main search term for that post is. Then, using a traffic light system, Yoast guides you through how to make sure the post is properly optimised, for example, by using the keyword phrase enough times, adding internal and external links, and writing a post description. This process should become a habit with every post you write and will help get your website found. If you haven’t got WordPress, speak to your web developer to find out what options are available for you.

Networking and presentations

Depending on the event, networking is often one of the most affordable ways to meet potential clients and spread the word about what you’re doing. Better still, at many of these events, they have a speaker. This is a great way to showcase your expertise and services.

Remember, however, this is not a sales pitch. Try and give your audience something of value. A free piece of advice or some top tips. People often worry that they’ll lose potential clients by giving away free advice, but in my experience, this is rarely if ever the case. Instead, you position yourself as an expert and someone who happily helped others, and hopefully, your memorable presentation means you’ll stick in their mind.

Guest blogging and collaborations

Guest blogging is another great way to get your brand in front of a new and different audience. The secret to this is collaborating with another business that aligns and complements yours, either in terms of the services you offer, or the values you share. You may be able to share a blog you’ve already written and if appropriate, you can invite them to guest blog on your site which gives you some additional content. Guest blogging should work for everyone involved as you share their post on your social platforms and they do likewise.   

All of the above actions can have a significant impact when it comes to your overall marketing. They are very low budget but do require some time on your part. If you’d like any further advice about any of the areas above or need an extra pair of hands, please email karen@littleacornmarketing.co.uk.