If you’ve just started a business, it can be hard to think of ways that you can market it effectively. Plus, you might not have the capital to spend on expensive marketing and advertising – such as TV or radio adverts. Which is why it’s so important to discover more budget-friendly ways that you can market your business, without it costing you the world.

Getting the word out about your business to both your target customers and a wider demographic, you will soon start to grow in popularity. Marketing, however, is something that shouldn’t be rushed into. You want your customers to trust you and for your credibility to grow. Therefore, you need to create a thorough and well-researched marketing plan before you take the leap.

To get you started, here are some ideas of how you can market your business, whilst sticking to a shoestring budget:

Create a Blog

Once you’ve created your website, it’s time to consider creating a blog to go on it. Blogs are a cheap way of advertising your business and humanising it so that it’s more appealing to customers. Helping to drive traffic (and therefore conversions) to your website, it will directly increase the rankings that your business has on search engines if done correctly.

By using SEO techniques and writing about relevant topics, it adds a layer of authenticity to your business - helping you to stand out from the crowd.

Utilise Social Media

Social media is a fun way to market your business. Once you’ve created a Facebook, Twitter and Instagram account, you can start posting advertisements of your products/services and any updates that you want your customers to know about.

Ensure that when you are posting these, however, that you are using keywords and trending hashtags – this way those searching for those particular things will find your posts.

If you want to reach a larger audience, you can also pay for your adverts – this will make them appear at the top of the pages. Although this is, of course, it will cost you, the cost is so minimal that you will hardly notice it. Plus, your ROI will make it more than worth it in the long run.

Sponsor an Event

A clever and affordable way of reaching a large audience is through sponsoring an event. This way, your name will appear whenever anyone books a ticket for it. One of the first steps that you can take, you’ll be surprised about how much attention this will garner – especially if it’s for a popular event with thousands of people attending.

However, with the events that are considered to be more popular, you need to keep in mind that the sponsorship fee will be more than that of a smaller one. So make sure that you always have a budget in mind and that you don’t go over it.

Host a Webinar

When your website starts to gain popularity, consider hosting a webinar on it. A way of connecting with your customers, it will help to increase customer engagement and retention.

Showcasing the value of your product or service, it’s a technique that will add an extraordinary touch to your business that others might not have.

Create a GMB (Google My Business) Account

As a new business, you want everyone nearby and further afield to know about it – which is where Google My Business comes in. A way of ensuring that your business shows up in a local search, it will draw customers in who are looking for your particular product or service within that area.

As well as a clever marketing tool, it will add to your business’ credibility as customers can leave reviews and you can add key contact information.

Network, Network, Network

As a small business networking can be your best friend. A way of connecting with others within your industry as well as your customers, it’s easy and cheap.

During these networking events, it’s a good idea to use branding techniques such as creating promotional products. Branding ideas such as pens and fans are almost ‘free’ forms of advertisement. Why?

Because the moment that someone visits your stand and takes one of these items away others will see them. This, in the long run, could entice others into enquiring about what you have to offer.

Use Press Releases

Press releases are a clever method that you can use to promote your business for free. Containing information about what you have to offer, how you differ from your competition and contact information, it will gain people’s interest from the moment that they see it. You could also add in if you’re sponsoring any upcoming events and what awards you might have one.

Helping you to capitalise on your achievements, the press release can then be published either online or in print.

Invest in Email Marketing

Email marketing is an invaluable tool to use. Informing your customers of the latest news about your business, any promotions you might be offering and any new products/services, it’s a direct way of keeping them in the loop throughout the years.

It’s also very affordable. Even though it will cost you once you’ve gone over a certain number of subscribers, the price is still worth it.

Final Thoughts

So, there you go! Those are the top 8 budget-friendly methods that you could use to help market your business. What marketing technique you choose to do, of course, is up to you and what your budget allows. However, you will want to keep in mind that the more marketing you do, the better the return on investment. Which is why so many small business owners opt for a few methods at a time – rather than just one.

It will, also, be a learning curve. As what works for one company, might not work for others. Therefore, it’s good to try a variety of techniques before settling on the one that’s right for your business.

THE BEST BUDGET-FRIENDLY WAYS TO MARKET YOUR BUSINESS