It’s exciting starting a new business, but unless you manage to make some sales, your embryonic business isn’t going to last long. The trouble is, if you are operating on a shoestring budget your marketing budget is likely to be somewhere between nought and zero. So how can you promote a small business when cash flow is tight? The good news is that there are plenty of low-cost and extremely effective ways of getting the word out there. It might be a challenge, but if you try some of these methods, you should be able to attract new customers without blowing a huge hole in your bank account.
Set Up a Website
A website is a must-have in today’s modern world. Most people use the internet to research products and services and if your business is undiscoverable, you will definitely be losing business to your competitors. Simple business websites are little more than an online brochure, but if you want to make more of an impact, add a blog so you can upload useful articles and provide interesting news items on subjects related to your niche; that way people are more likely to come back.
List Your Business in Online Directories
This is a simple way of ensuring that people looking for whatever you are selling can find you if they go online and perform a search in search engine local business directories. For best results, write a small description of your business and what services it offers, and don’t forget to include a link to your website with contact details.
Have Business Cards and Brochures Printed
Business cards and brochures are incredibly useful. Have some printed from print-print.co.uk 24 hour printing and then hand them out to everyone and anyone, including family and friends. If you happen to get into a conversation on a train with a random person, tell them about your business and give them a card. You never know, they might contact you at a later date with a business proposition.
Join Local Business Groups
Professional business groups are very useful for networking purposes. Go along to local meetings and use the opportunity to talk to other small business owners. Some of them might become your customers eventually, so useful contacts you make now could pay dividends. And don’t forget to take a stack of business cards along to hand out!
Network on Social Media
Ignore social media at your peril. Millions of potential customers spend hours every day using their favourite social media websites: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, LinkedIn and the like. Social media is an excellent way to spread the word about your business and what it has to offer, plus it gives you a fabulous opportunity to connect with potential customers. You can also use social media accounts to plug your website and build your brand.
Create Promotional Videos
Video is a great platform for promoting a business. YouTube is massively popular and if you create a great video, there is a chance that it could go viral and subsequently reach millions of people.
These are just a few of the dozens of strategies you can use to promote a small business. Hopefully theywll work for you, but if a marketing strategy isn’t as successful as you hoped it would be, try something different.
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