Small Business Marketing Without Emptying Your Wallet
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One of the main reasons that a big business can outperform a small business is big marketing budgets. When it comes down to the bottom line, small businesses often have less overhead and can provide products and services at the same price points as larger competitors and even sometimes at a lower cost.
However, getting this information out in the open can be costly, and many small businesses don’t have a large budget for advertizing. How can you get your message out there, letting people know who you are and what you can offer without emptying your wallet
You should start small. While it seems antiquated in this age of technology and online resources, one of the best ways to let people know you are there is through direct mail. The rates charged by the United States Postal Service for bulk mailing of postcards is still reasonable, and you can get tri-color postcards printed quite inexpensively at your local office supply store. Try starting with between 250 and 500 postcards in the zip code where your business is located and see what sort of response you receive.
Save a few of those postcards and some business cards to pin to information boards at other local businesses. Many small restaurants and most supermarket chains have a corkboard where entrepreneurs such as yourself tack up this sort of brochure, postcard, or information that frequent shoppers and diners check out. Use the free publicity – you’ll be surprised at how many people you can actually reach this way and the number of them that will actually need your services.
Use the web. If nothing else, make sure that your business shows up under local listings and is pulled up with general searches for companies offering your product or service in the local area. When potential customers go to the yellow pages looking for someone who carries your line of products, you don’t want to be the only business that isn’t found. What you want to be is the top of the list of available providers. You may even want to consider purchasing ad space in that location online, you can purchase ranking in the yellow pages of various companies.
To further advertise online, be sure to have a website. It doesn’t have to be greatly detailed or even interactive, as long as it is attractive and informative. You can add the web address to your yellow pages listing so that viewers can click right over to your site from your listing as well, making you convenient for them to contact. Note, however, that if your website is not interactive, you should make your contact information as easy to find as possible within your site, either posting it clearly on the front page or having a prominent link to a page with contact information.
Above all, never underestimate the power of word of mouth. If you please a customer, they will remember and tell friends and family, recommending you to others and helping you to build your business. You can also join in a networking group with others who are trying to build their small businesses so that you can all promote and recommend each others’ products and services.
Advertising doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and you don’t have to let big business outperform you just because big budgets allow them to reach a larger audience. You can make waves in the neighborhood and get a great start on what can turn into a very profitable campaign.