maple marketing
10 THINGS YOU CAN DO WITH NO MARKETING BUDGET
by Renata Mathewson, Maple Marketing
November 11, 2011
If you own or manage a SME with limited marketing funds, here are some ideas of what you can do to market your business that don’t cost a thing, other than your time. These points are in no particular order. Some will be more relevant or important than others, depending on the business you’re in and how much marketing you’re already doing.
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1. Update the content on your website.
This is usually a task that gets pushed down the priority list when we get busy. Updating your web content, however, is beneficial in more ways than one. It keeps your regular visitors or customers interested, it shows you’re genuinely interested in passing on useful information, and it helps maintain or improve your search engine rankings.
2. List your business on online directories.
There are many free ones, including Dmoz.org, Finda.co.nz, NZS.com, HotFrog.co.nz, Zenbu.co.nz, Bizzone.com, MadeFromNewZealand.com, NZPages.co.nz, Yalwa.co.nz, NZWebZ.co.nz, ZipLeaf.co.nz, NZDirectory.co.nz and maps.google.co.nz.
3. Write a list of topics for your newsletter or blog.
If you leave coming up with a topic to the last minute, do it ahead of time when you don’t have the pressure of a deadline. Next time you’re stuck in traffic, think of a topic you could write about. Think of the following questions: What is it that people do not fully understand about your industry? What free advice can you offer? What can you tell people about your industry that shows you’re an expert in your field? What news or current affairs topic might affect your industry? Next time you meet someone new, make a mental note of what they ask about your business or your industry.
4. Use social media.
Begin with Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (or even just one of these) and use them strategically. Don’t expect to sell anything. Instead, use them to gather customer feedback, market insight and competitor research.
5. Take advantage of free tools available online.
MailChimp.com will help you produce professional email newsletters. SurveyMonkey.com is an easy-to-use free survey tool.
6. Make sure you network regularly.
Look into local Chamber of Commerce groups, BNI, Venus Network, Auckland Executive Club, Her Business and Rotary Clubs. Do your research and find out if you can visit before making a decision about joining. Not only will you meet some interesting new people, but you’ll also have the opportunity to practise talking to strangers about your business and perfecting your elevator speech. And don’t forget about online groups you can join on LinkedIn.
7. Try some cold calling.
Even if you make just two calls a week, you’ll have close to 100 calls made in one year. Begin with coming up with a list of prospects, then writing a phone script for yourself. Remember, the point of a cold call is not to sell something over the phone. It’s to set up a meeting, even if it’s just a casual coffee date or introduction.
8. Talk to your customers or clients regularly.
Pick up the phone or write them a personalised email, rather than your standard email newsletter. Ask them if they’re happy with what you’ve provided and if they thought the pricing was fair. Find out what other problems they need to have solved (not just what else you can sell them).
9. Get some testimonials.
As soon as you’ve completed a project, ask the client if they’re happy, if their expectations were met. If so, mention that you’re regularly putting new content on your website and are looking for some new testimonials.
10. Write some articles and get published.
Research what publications or websites exist in your industry and contact them with an article already written. Make sure it provides information and advice for readers or visitors (and therefore presents you as an expert in your field) rather than trying to explicitly sell your product or service.
And because marketing is about exceeding expectations, not just meeting them, here are two more ...
11. Use Google Analytics.
It’s a free service from Google that provides you with statistics on your website traffic. If you don’t know how to use it, go to www.Google.com/analytics.
12. Write a marketing plan.
Do you know what marketing activity you are going to be doing every month? Having a written marketing plan gets you working proactively rather than reactively. It will help you even out any slow sales or cash flow periods, avoid last minute booking charges and rush charges from suppliers, and possibly even save on print costs. First and foremost, thinking about marketing opportunities and activities ahead of time and writing out your plans will greatly increase your chances of reaching your business objectives for the coming year.
If you have any other tips or tricks that you’ve used in your business for low cost marketing, we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch on info@maplemarketing.co.nz.
© 2011 Renata Mathewson • Maple Marketing • Unit 4, 18 Railway Street, Newmarket, Auckland • Ph: +64 (0)21 555 210 • info@maplemarketing.co.nz