As part of growing as an entrepreneur, we learn how to squeeze every penny. As far as marketing is concerned, it can be an incredibly expensive endeavor.
But whether you are an SME or a startup, or you are well established and have to cut the corners somewhere, it can be difficult to find the best option.
But, believe it or not, advertising is one of those things that can be done cheaply, but still, have a far-reaching impact. What are these advertising methods to take advantage of?
1. The Social Media Approach
It’s common sense, isn’t it? Approximately two-thirds of American adults use social media; it’s the best way to get into the subconscious of anyone idly scrolling through their news feed.
Read: 22 Social Media Marketing Tips For Beginners
Of course, this is where everybody attempts to make their impact. But it’s not just about every social media platform; it’s about choosing the right one for your audience.
For every Facebook and Twitter, there is LinkedIn and Reddit. Make sure you know how best to communicate with your target market and social media can do the rest.
Read: How To Discover And Engage Your Target Audience
2. Guerrilla Marketing
This is where you implement an original and creative idea in lieu of a large budget. Many small businesses use guerrilla marketing as a way to compete with its bigger counterparts.
If you run a physical location, hiring somebody to create a piece of art can be an easy way to stand out. Or you could be covert and hire undercover agents to promote your products on the street, or even a flash mob!
3. The Hidden Power Of Trinkets
We can neglect the power of a slow-burning piece of advertising that slowly trickles into your subconscious. It’s a small thing, but these underappreciated items like keychains and custom air fresheners are cheap to acquire and get your business out there.
Custom wraps for cars are another idea that could be leveraged by a small business. It’s eye-catching because you don’t seem any vehicles with business names emblazoned on the side, and whenever you take that car out… Boom! Free publicity!
4. SEO Optimization
Everything is about search engine optimization now. The businesses that have the money invest so much in keeping their rankings up high that can seem like an exclusive club if you don’t have the necessary finances.
Read: 11 Reasons SEO Is Crucial For Business Growth
But you don’t have to look far to find an abundance of resources to optimize your content, especially when you haven’t got a clue in the first place. It’s not expensive to create content that is shareable but also gets you up the rankings. It’s about choosing the right content for your business.
Read: How Strategic Content Converts To Email Subscriptions And Sales
Nowadays, video is one of the most important. And because the vast majority of smartphones now have amazing picture quality, we can create videos quickly. But it’s not just videos that you can use to make an impact; lest we forget, good content is what Google loves.
And when you are bridging the gap between business and customer, good content is what will appeal across the board. Creating something that resonates isn’t just about making tweaks to the content so it figures higher in the Google rankings, it’s about creating something that’s infinitely shareable so it continues to pique people’s interests.
Read: 5 Ways To Write A Ridiculously Shareable Post
5. Media Attention
Be careful with this one. While they say “any publicity is good publicity”, it depends on the context. Getting your business featured in the most popular media publications is a wonderful way to make an impact, but it doesn’t have to be done with some sort of crazy publicity stunt.
Read: How To Get Published In Reputable Publications
What you can do instead of scaring the general public half to death could be to do something for the community. This is something that works wonders with the local press. All you have to do is send out a press release beforehand and it pretty much advertises itself. You could also get yourself interviewed for a big publication, or get on a podcast.
Every business appears to operate on a shoestring budget now, and if you are struggling to make it in fact, and you are sure that the product is as best as it can be, then you have to turn your attention to the advertising approaches.
While we can’t all get billboards in Piccadilly Circus or Times Square we’ve got to find ways to make the same impact on customers new and old. The great thing is that there are so many options out there.
Read: 73 Ways To Promote Your Blog
We don’t have to stick to advertising in the real world, and so many businesses don’t these days. But while so many of us go on the internet, to make sure that our product makes a splash, we’ve got to choose the best shoestring methods.
Read: 10 Ways To Promote Your Business For Little Or No Cost