Online Marketing on a Shoestring

Creating and implementing a superb online strategy with little or no cash to play with could be tricky but not impossible. It is simply a case of prioritising the viable avenues to explore, rather than focusing on the schemes and services you can’t afford.

So if trying to make the most of a tiny marketing budget, here is a rundown of a few ways and means of making it happen:

Give priority to quality content
No matter what your budgetary restrictions are, quality content is the bone of every online marketing campaign. In theory, outstanding content doesn’t really have to cost your business even a penny. After all, there is no more knowledgeable authority than you yourself when it comes to your business. Experiment with infographics, blog posts, video clips, original imagery, podcasts, case studies and so on – anything and everything you can create for basically nothing and give your online profile a boost in the process.

Contact the press
Even the biggest companies in the world can’t put a price on the importance and value of positive press coverage. But what so many overlook is how newer, smaller and local businesses are much more likely to be featured in press publications. Local personal stories, interest pieces, supporting good causes and so on. There are hundreds of options to explore and, if successful, you could gain invaluable exposure without really paying a penny.

Use social media strategically
If you’re able to build strong reputation and following on social media, you are golden. Considering the fact that most social media platforms are free for anybody to use, it is something you probably need to be using more of. Just because you don’t have plenty of cash of invest in extensive paid ad campaigns doesn’t mean you can’t stand out from the crowd. As a matter of fact, even a single image, article or video clip at the right time and in the right place could propel your name to overnight stardom.

Start networking through LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the type of platform that has capitalised big on the “It’s not what you know, but who you know” motto. There is really no better social media platform for finding and reaching out to others within the same niche and making potentially important contacts. The stronger and larger your network, the better your chance of making a success of your business.

Build an email list
The most crucial key to creating a successful email list is being proactive. Rather than simply waiting for hundreds of email addresses to land your way naturally, encourage every relevant individual and customer to provide their email address. It is also important to keep in touch with your contacts on a regular basis, as opposed to just sending them the occasional random email every few months or so.

Use influencers
Lastly, it is typically small businesses with limited budgets that are the least predisposed to give things away for free. Nonetheless, these are also the businesses that would benefit most by doing so. You need to get your products out in the open and have them backed by those with more influence than you. Therefore, why not hand out some freebies here and there to the kinds of influencers whose words and thoughts count for more than yours? If you grease the wheels with the right individuals, the rest does take care of itself.