It’s easy to get wowed by a Super Bowl ad, huge billboard, or impressive ad campaign, but not every business has millions of dollars to promote their brand.
In fact, not every business has thousands of dollars to promote their brand. Most companies operate on shoestring budgets, trying to stretch what little they have as far as they can.
Fortunately, you don’t have to have a large ad budget to make a big marketing impact. Check out these eight low budget marketing ideas any business can use.
1. Email Marketing
Email marketing isn’t expensive. Many software options, like MailChimp, are completely free for brands with smaller lists. They also provide templates that you can quickly fill in to create your email designs. Even if you do need to pay for an email subscription, you should only have to pay around $9 per month to reach the audiences you need.
2. Social Media Posting
Like email marketing, social media marketing can be free if you do it in-house and don’t invest in any paid ads. The main expense in this case is your time. You will either need to set aside time each day to create social media content and respond to questions and messages, or you will need to invest in tools like Buffer that schedule posts for you.
3. Video Marketing
Most business owners still think they need to create Spielberg-quality videos whenever they promote their brands, but in the age of social media and instant-sharing, all you need is a smartphone. Use video marketing to share live video, give behind-the-scenes peeks of your business, and share exclusive promotions. For some social channels, you don’t even need to edit. Just film and share.
4. Curated Fan Content
One of the biggest challenges companies have with social media is finding content and sharing high-quality images with fans. If you don’t think you can afford to hire a professional photography for regular shoots and events, turn to your fans. Comb social media for hashtags and tags about your brand and share some of the top photos you can find.
5. Reviews and Recommendations
The internet is powered by online customer reviews and recommendations. A few reviews can mean the difference between a packed business and an empty storefront. The best part is that encouraging reviews is free. Train your cashiers to suggest customers leave reviews when they make a purchase so your brand can get more exposure and more fans.
6. Customer Referrals
If you want to further tap into word-of-mouth marketing to grow your business, develop a referral program and encourage your fans and customers to bring their friends and family in. For example, a veterinary clinic could offer $25 off an exam for each referral. The clinic is making money off of the new patient, which means they can afford to offer a discount to the referring friends.
7. Remarketing
Did you know that it costs five times less to market to an existing customer than to a new customer? Existing customers will also spend more and are more likely to convert. If you have a limited marketing budget, invest it in remarketing and bring existing customers back once they leave your store. You can remarket to customers by building your social media channels, growing your email list, and setting up remarketing tools online. Soon you can turn existing customers into superfans and then brand ambassadors.
8. In-Store Marketing
You spend so much time trying to bring people to your business, are you making sure they have a positive experience? In-store marketing is one of our top low budget marketing ideas because you already have a captive audience and group of people who want to make a purchase. All you have to do is create a positive shopping experience and help your customers through the buying process. If all goes well, you should be remarketing to existing customers before you know it.
Grow Your Brand With Low Budget Marketing Ideas
By tapping into these low budget marketing ideas, you can invest in your business and promote your brand without losing money. Then as your business starts to grow, reinvest in marketing strategies that work best for your brand and produce the highest results.
For more marketing ideas to try at your new business, check our list of 51 marketing channels you can use to promote your business.