When you are trying to market a business some low-cost and effective marketing is welcome. The following strategies achieve a good return on investment (especially if at no cost to yourself). Anyone can pay hundreds for advertising and reaching an audience, but with a few smart business ideas the advertising is achieved for a reasonable and manageable cost.

Referrals are a brilliant way to achieve results in marketing by leveraging your existing customer base and creating opportunities that will allow and encourage referrals. People who are pleased with your product and service like to recommend to family and friends and by introducing incentives for referring, you can generate more sales. You have the customers, you’ve supplied the goods, now add an incentive that works for your customers when they promote your product or service.

Press Release – if you have organised an event write a press release and forward to your local newspapers. They may be interested enough to follow up on the information, expand the article and interview you. No matter what size the newspaper article , a press release will be cheaper than the equivalent advertising space.

Newsletters if you have a newsletter/email campaign advertising your new products or services are easily marketed via this medium. Campaigns can provide ongoing useful tips and information together with your product/service and promotions. The cost for an email/newsletter campaign depends on the number sent and compared to a mail-out is minimal. (Not to mention, more eco-friendly) Ezine – a magazine sent by email, an electronic format of a printed magazine, without the need to be printed. Delivered by email reducing the costs again. (Average response to direct mail advertising is somewhere between 3-5% and a response of between 5-15% for an ezine.)

Flyers – flyers can be an effective way to spread the word about a business, especially if your business is part of the locality and needs to operate within a compact area. Flyers can be the menu for a local restaurant/takeaway, local event, one off sale or limited-time event. They can be sent by mail,handed out, placed in windows (shops with permission) and anywhere where people meet. Add an incentive to the flyer – on receipt of leaflet and sell your promotions.

Adverts – if you go the route of paying for your advertising you will get noticed if you stand out from the rest of the advertising. If your article is written from the perspective of a reporter who has just discovered the hottest item of news and needs to share it with his readers. Write it in this fashion and people will read the ad. Tell more, sell more.

PPC and Google Adwords This can be a budget friendly way to advertise. PPC is advertising where you only pay when someone clicks on your advert. Adwords ads are displayed in search results and you can choose from a variety of formats, all of which are trackable so you can change things if you are not earning from your ads. Make your decision as to how much you want to spend so that spending doesn’t get out of hand. Facebook adverts along with your Facebook page . Either pay for Facebook ads or promote an event within Facebook for free. Showcase your products with images and video, all easily and freely uploaded to the site. Integrate Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and your blog to maximise the effect of your social media, making sure your information reaches the largest audience possible. (You can also advertise on LinkedIn for free.)

Television and Radio once only affordable by major companies has reduced in price and may be an affordable option. If using these mediums, ensure that the copy is concise and grabs the attention of your prospects.

There are many more ways that you can advertise. Have you found any that are successful? Or better still, free or at minimal cost.

If we can help in any way with your advertising, copy, SEO, contact Tamara on 0203 468 8594.

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