More that 60% of all businesses in any economy are small scale. One thing common with SMEs is that they are either still start-ups or just getting to break even. There is no much money lying around, and so marketing suffers. Luckily, there are several ways that company can advertise its services without breaking the bank.
1. Go Social
Now, the world has embraced blogging so well that almost every business has started its own blog. A blog is one great way to let people know about your business without paying much. Pairing that with Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter takes your company a notch higher and creates awareness several folds. All this will only require a little investment and a social media manager.
2. Create An Optimized Website
The content on your site is either selling you or not. Ensure that it is properly optimized to bring it to the front page of search engines so that people will see your page first when they look for services. Proper optimization will call for working with a professional, but the cost is only a fraction of what it’d have cost to use mainstream media.
3. Contribute Content In Popular Forums
Look for a popular forum in your area (and beyond) and provide content regularly. Of course, the idea is not to offer advertisement, and so they will not allow you to talk exclusively about your organization, but you can find clever ways to link something back to your company’s website.
Whenever your organization does something unique, ensure to get some space to publish and note the achievements. You will want to publish in publications that are well read to tap into their resources.
4. Make Use of YouTube
YouTube offers a visual idea of what your organization offers. Most people prefer to watch stuff than to read it, and so using videos is an amazing way of getting the message across. Here is the catch: you will need to make videos that people will want to see. Capturing beautiful landscapes and then allowing them to tell your story is a great way to catch attention.
5. Using Influencers
Depending on your niche market, you can use social media influencer and then negotiate a way of payment. Airlines are known for marketing their services through influential people. They give them nice packages such as free flights to various destinations and then the influence is tasked with tagging them in practically everything they do.
It will not cost you much more than goodie bags with samples from your organization, which you can then claim under marketing.
6. Referral Programs
Your current customer is your best form of marketing. Always treat them so well and give them the best service you can such that they will comfortably refer their contacts to you. You could even have a partnership where you offer them a free service or at half the usual price if they refer one person to you.
Takeaway
As the business grows, so will your customer base. Eventually, you will afford to advertise in the mainstream media, but in the meantime, the near free avenues will serve you just as well.