Marketing is a really important part of starting a business, but not everyone has a huge budget to dedicate to getting the word out. Luckily, there are lots of ways to build a buzz about your business without bucket loads of cash. Marketing on a limited budget can be tough, but it’s not impossible! Here are 3 ways worth considering…
Social Media
The joy of social media marketing is that it can be done on a shoestring - if you play your cards right. Creating social media profiles and connecting with your audience on the right platforms is a great way to generate some interest in your business. Social media platforms have huge user bases ready and waiting to tap into. Updating these profiles with relevant content on a regular basis can be hugely helpful for growing your audience.
It’s worthwhile remembering, however, that a lot of these platforms lean towards “pay to play” nowadays. Paid advertising on social media can work well with a limited budget, as these platforms do have super customisable budgeting options which can be adjusted to fit your needs.
Public Relations
If you’ve got a newsworthy product or a story with an interesting hook, then it can be worth looking at the press coverage route to get some exposure for your business. Putting together news releases and building relationships with relevant journalists to secure coverage can help get your business seen by new people online and offline. Check out this post by PingGo about pitching your press release for some top tips on securing coverage.
Depending on your business, you can also include relevant influencers in your contact list. Take the time to do a bit of research and investigate what bloggers and influencers are deemed popular in your industry, and reach out to them, too! If you have a product based business, you might want to send out some samples in the hope of getting a review or other online coverage.
Networking
Don’t underestimate the power of your network! Meeting new people can help you learn new things, share your knowledge and increase the reach of your work. You never know where that new connection could lead you or who they can put you in touch with.
Nowadays, you can network just about anywhere. There are still plenty of traditional style networking events, which you can find on places like Eventbrite and Meetup, but there are some more casual events taking place around the country too - like the RookieOven Meetup.
If in-person events aren’t your cup of tea, there’s a lot to be said for networking online. The growth of social media has been a brilliant development when it comes to networking, and now you can connect with people around the world at the touch of a button. Want to find out more about online networking? Check out our top tips here.
