Five shoestring budget marketing activities your business must embrace

1. Work your business contacts as often as possible

Your business network plays an important role in getting the name of your company out there. It’s important to speak to all your contacts at least once a week. This will help elevate your company’s reputation and maintain a presence in the mind of your clients and customers.

Even if your business contacts don’t require your services, they might know someone who does. So speak to them at least one a week. Inform them of new developments in your business, the industry in which you operate and any special offer packages that you may be offering.

2. Get free media coverage with a basic PR campaign

Your business is unique. It has something special that other businesses just don’t have. People want to know about it. You can get some great media coverage for your business if you have a strong public relations strategy for your business.

Just because you don’t have a massive budget, doesn’t mean that you can’t get into the media. Make a list of all the media that you’d like to get your business profiled in, then start writing well drafted, error free press releases and send it to the editor. Follow up with a phone call and ask the editor if they’d be interested in publishing your knowledge.

If you don’t receive coverage, don’t waste the opportunity to publish your press release on your website’s media page. Add the new content to your marketing pack and use it to communicate your business services to your contacts.

3. Speak to your existing customers and clients

One of the best ways to increase the value of the services you offer to keep in contact with your existing clients. Don’t just bombard them with marketing material. Speak to them about their experience with your business. Ask them how you can improve your products and services. Use their feedback to improve your business services.

Keep your costs low by only choosing a handful of your best customers to keep contact with. This is the best place for you to get testimonials about your products and services. You can use this in other marketing material too. Most importantly, make sure that you get their permission to use their name and comments in your marketing.

4. Create an email marketing campaign

Once you’ve built up a steady base of customers, consider implementing an email marketing campaign. You don’t need massive infrastructure or complicated systems in place to get this up and running. Using platforms like www.mailchimp.com, you can do this for free.

With email marketing you can reach more people, measure your engagement and get your readers to take the action you want them to take. The most important thing you need to do is have a well laid plan. You can drive people to your website, get them to sign up to your products and services, encourage them to share your business with others.

5. Visit and exhibit at trade shows

Handing out your business card at tradeshows and exhibitions is the most affordable way to get your name out there. Tradeshows allow you to interact with likeminded business people in the same industry as you. Exhibitions are also a great way for you to discover new marketing avenues, build your contact base and forge long-term relationships with new suppliers, clients and potential funders.

Many trade exhibitions offer you free entry including The Small Business Expo will be an annual trade show held at the Ticketpro Dome. This expo exposes visitors attending to a wide-range of business models, incubation programmes, business contacts, speakers and other entrepreneurs who will engage them on starting or growing their business.

By Aiden Sookdin, Chief Communicator, BizWrite