13 Cheap, Easy Ways to Market Your Product or Business

13 Cheap, Easy Ways to Market Your Product or Business

Got a tight marketing budget? Here are 13 easy ways to promote your product or business without spending a lot of money. Some have more impact than others, but all are marketing tactics nearly anyone can deploy in a small-budget, smart marketing strategy:

1. Social media: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare, and other social media can connect you with hundreds of millions of people for free. Yes, you need to invest time to do social media effectively, but time may be easier to come by than dollars.
2. Blogs: Creating a blog is easy and free if you use common platforms like Blogger and WordPress. They even provide free design templates. Like social media, blogging takes time, but there’s almost no out-of-pocket expense and blogging with the right keywords can make a big difference in your search engine rankings.
3. Email: It costs very little to email promotional messages to customers and others who opt in to receive your promotions. iContact and ConstantContact are two of the best, low-cost email distribution services and both offer free trials.
4. Product shipments: If you’re already shipping products to a customer, include a direct mail catalog, a special offer, or a promotion to cross-sell another product or service as a free ride-along in the package.
5. Statements and invoices: Every communication – even a bill – is a chance to deliver a marketing message. Inkjet or laser messages on statements, insert promotions, or print promotions on envelopes.
6. Email signatures: Include a market positioning tagline and links to your website, blog, Facebook page, and Twitter account in your email signature. Get all your employees to use the same promotional elements in their email signatures, too.
7. Letterhead: Go beyond your address and contact information to describe your company’s capabilities and services on your letterhead stationery. We once landed a major new client who saw the term “public relations” listed as a company service on our letterhead.
8. Personal stationery: For high impact in a high-touch sales environment, nothing beats a handwritten note. It’s quick and inexpensive to print note cards and envelopes with your brand identity so you and your staff can send personal notes to prospects or customers.
9. Business cards: Every business card has two sides and most people use only one. Print promotional messages on the back of your card and include links to your website, blog, and social media accounts.
10. Recorded voice messages: Don’t waste your company’s on-hold messaging on music. Record a promotional message, make a call to action, and give callers your website URL. And listen to your own voice mail message; can you say something more meaningful than “I’m out of the office, leave me a message?”
11. Vehicles: Use your company’s vehicles to promote your products and your business. Use large magnets on doors or apply colorful, attention-getting vehicle wraps that can last for years and cost less than you think.
12. Building: Your lobby, elevator, reception area, and hallways are full of walls you may be able to use for tasteful promotions. If you own the building, use the exterior, too.
13. People: Adorn your staff with pins, hats, uniforms, ties, t-shirts, or golf shirts, so they can wear your brand wherever they go.