Cost Effective Marketing
Methods For Startups
Startups, above all other types of business, have to be frugal with their cash. This extends to both the day-to-day running costs of a small company, as well as other aspects like a marketing budget. While you do have to spend money to make money, it can be very easy to overspend in all the wrong areas without producing results.
Often, business owners can get caught up in too much marketing that isn’t focused. It can be tempting to go all out with every kind of marketing effort under the sun. But from the outset, you have to try and find cost effective ways to reach the same goals.
This article will run down several ways that startups can cheaply market their business. The best thing about the modern age is that with an internet connection, it feels like the power of the world is at your fingertips. You can reach billions of users and engage them on levels you never thought possible. Truly creative Internet usage will be the key to your budget marketing campaign, so follow these tips and you’ll be well on your way to success.
Infographics
The reason sites like Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest and Imgur are so popular is because of their visual appeal. While many users on the world wide web love to read articles, it’s other types of media: images and videos that get shared the most.
So, why not jump aboard this bandwagon? Costing you the low price of an internet connection, a solid infographic can be entertaining and eye catching in equal measure. Of course, you’ll need some degree of skill in the image editing department, but these abilities are quite easy to learn today. If you don’t have much faith in yourself, a site like PiktoChart can help you easily create a killer infographic in minutes. Then, it’s just a case of putting it out there on social media.
You should include links to your website and social media on the infographic itself, so when people do find it, they know exactly where to go for more. Start by getting your family, friends and business colleagues to share your picture, and it’ll stand a better chance of catching on with the rest of the world.
Press Releases
If you’re about to launch a product, service or even your business, then press release distribution is an effective way to go. A press release is an announcement of something new, and can help you create a bit of buzz around your new venture. Press releases are considered a professional part of any business. And, combine this with their usefulness in helping SEO, and they’re a budget friendly way to spread the word.
Go Back And Optimize Old Content
A long time ago before you started your business, you may have set up a site for it with little thought. It was probably a free WordPress blog that you set up because well, you have to have a website right? Well, no you don’t, and many small businesses would agree. But, it’s still a good idea to build one. If you have an outdated website with poorly written content, it would be a good idea to go back and SEO optimize that content. This can help drive daily traffic to your website, as well as giving users something enticing to read. When you’ve done that, update your website at least weekly, and three or four posts a week is in the sweet spot.
Like many online website builders, this will be completely free to do. There may be a monthly subscription fee to pay, but after that, you can edit and tweak as much as you like, and that includes the older content as well. Utilize some basic SEO best practices and you’ll see a little change provide strong results.
Automatic Social Media Tool
When running a business, you may not have the time to update your social media handles, and time is money. You may not even have the budget to hire a solo marketing team, which is understandable if you’re a startup. That being said, you still need to keep on top of those Twitter and Facebook posts, but how?
Well, luckily the solution is a relatively simple one. Using an automatic social media tool can do exactly what it says on the tin. It will automatically post to social media services without you lifting a finger. In most cases, you’ll compose a tweet, then set it to go live at a later date. This means you can set up your whole week of social media marketing on a Sunday, and let the tool handle everything else for the rest of the week.
This has numerous benefits. One, you won’t have to divert your time from other important business tasks. Again, time is money after all. Second, it covers you in the event that you can’t find the time for social media every day. What if that business meeting runs extra late? Did you plan a movie night with the kids? You’ll no longer have to find the time for being on Twitter, and can rest easy knowing it’s being posted as scheduled.
Email Newsletters
Some may consider it spam, but to others, it’s a great way to get in touch with a business directly. Email newsletters are a tool that is ready built into most office toolkits, meaning you won’t have to pay for such basic functionality. Email newsletters periodically send information and offers about your business to other web users. Most people check their email inboxes every single day, so this is an excellent way to put yourself front and center.
Of course, you don’t want to send too many emails as people can, and will unsubscribe. Balancing the right amount of useful information with the right frequency can produce winning results. In short, the Internet is your best friend. If offers you the tools to be fast, efficient and effective with your marketing efforts, and is a safe bet for a startup looking to minimize costs.
