10 tips for Marketing BIG on a shoestring budget

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Digital Marketing for Upstarts, Micro Enterprise & Small Business

Running a small or micro business
​on a bit of a shoestring budget
​and could use some tips on upping your marketing game?

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​I get it. There  are a ton of things weighing on you on the operations side: dealing with suppliers; customer complaints; making sure everything is running smoothly; there's that thing called cash flow; and your staff that you have to keep motivated and on track. Problem solving isn't just what's in front of you, it's taking care of receivables and procuring new clients at the same time. You're thinking forwards, backwards and sideways. It's endless really....

So you know that your marketing needs attention and that your branding could be updated. Your online presence just isn't what it needs to be or could be in order to keep things moving along and looking like you're present in the online world. Sure you'll get things posted on your social media when you get the time. But let's face it, it isn't nearly enough. And what you put out there doesn't necessarily generate enough engagement or reflect your business properly. You have a baseline amount of business that you can count on. But is it enough? If you aren't sure, read on....

10 Basic Tips to Up your Marketing Game
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1. HAVE A PROFESSIONAL ONLINE PRESENCE


2. WEBSITE 
There are a multitude of methods that don't have to cost much (including building free websites) with Wordpress, Weebly and Wix (there are others). When it's free keep in mind that they are more basic (no bells, whistles or fancy plugins), and they'll have their ad at the bottom of your site. Depending on your marketing and working your seo options within your template, that you may or not have great indexing with search engines, but for local business, you'll have something that you can put on a business card and work with your social media accounts.


3. SOCIAL MEDIA
Yes, we're all aware and know that we need to be there. Just do it. Unless you're running ads, it won't cost you money, but it will take your time. Engagement is important to build your brand. Know your clients and which social media channels to best use to reach them.


4. REMEMBER BASICS 
Your webpage doesn't have to have a lot of pages, but it does need to be professional, visually appealing and be functional. Be sure to answer potential customers' basic questions of who you are, what you do and where/how to find you to purchase your product or services. The same goes for social media and it may sound trite, but it's amazing how many times important things are left out.


5. FISHBOWL TACTICS 
If you have a local business like a restaurant or shop, don't be afraid to put out a fishbowl (or other) to gather contact information in exchange for a giveaway like a free lunch, a piece of jewelry or item of clothing. Not only does it provide their info. for potential future promotional emails that you may like to do, but people love to win something, even if it's small. They also love to tell their friends about it.


6. CO-ORDINATE YOUR STRATEGIES
If you want to do a giveaway, make sure not only to promote it in-store or at your counter, but be sure to post it on social media and put it on your website.


7. DESIGN
Make sure that you have a logo that professionally represents your business and that it is shown on every piece of information that the public will see. If you're building your website yourself, there are some great templates out there for you to work with, but if you're needing a little extra "push" don't be afraid to hire someone to finish or polish it for you!  


8. INVEST YOUR TIME 
Promoting yourself doesn't have to take a lot of money, but it does require your time. Make sure you set aside at least 15-20 minutes every day to manage your online presence. Hashtag your postings with relevant keywords that are also on your website, not only so that people can find you searching out those tags, but because they'll also help drive your SEO.


9. FOCUS 
Remember to breathe. Seriously, it helps to clear the mental cache so you can concentrate on priorities.


10. ALLOCATE THE MARKETING POSITION
Make sure that particular someone is aware of branding, able to create professional marketing content and is able to dedicate the necessary time to maintain an online presence. If you can't squeeze the time and energy, and don't have someone within your organization that is suitable, don't be afraid to hire someone that you feel is competent and meets your standards. Work within your budget and remember to be clear on your expectations. 

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Look for our next post:
It will focus on the hiring process of a digital marketing position for Micro/Small Business.

For more information: Visit Tellus at www.onpointmedia.ca

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