5 Secrets to Promoting a Business Without Breaking the Bank

 

?Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising.?
Thank you, Mark Twain, for the incredibly insightful marketing tip. Unfortunately for many small businesses, the right kind of advertisement can be very expensive. Many times, a small business desperately needs some advertising momentum to gain the sales to survive, but cannot afford an advertising campaign due to a lack of sales. If you find yourself in this boat, here are a few inexpensive marketing approaches that businesses on a shoestring budget can pull off:

1. Keep the little details professional. You probably can’t afford a billboard or a commercial, but you can make a great impression on potential customers if you use for a business sign company who gives you the opportunity to customize your own signs that look professional at a low cost. For example, order custom vinyl banners with grommets that hang outside your business to announce promotions; it’s effective for catching your customer’s attention and making a great first impression. In fact, the impact of business signage such as custom vinyl banners is estimated to be equal to 24 full-page newspaper ads.

   Bonus tip: Get your custom vinyl banners or other signage produced online, and Google “custom signage coupon codes” to find promotions for the best deals.

2. Be catchy. Your creativity costs you zero dollars. Invest a little time in creating eye-catching and attention-grabbing ways to introduce your product to potential customers. Studies show that the average adult will dedicate 6 to 8 seconds to any new subject. If your sales pitch is particularly engaging, you have a much better chance of landing customers.
3. Get involved in your community. Consider what your target audience is, and then find ways to make contacts in the areas that they are involved in. For example, if you have children’s clothing consignment shop, get involved in mommy groups on social media, join parenting clubs in the area, you could even host of parenting club that would bring customers right to your doorstep!
4. Stop, collaborate and listen. Create or join a network of other small local shops who work together to promote each other’s businesses. Put promotional posters, flyers or coupons at each other’s establishments. You could offer punch cards that give a discount to customers who use every business in your network. Work together to offer promotions that you wouldn’t be able to pull off by yourself. The strength of leveraging the customer base of all of your businesses will give you a lot of more momentum than any one of you could on your own.
5. Leverage referrals. Word-of-mouth is every small businesses best friend. If a customer is satisfied with the service you provide, don’t be shy about asking them to tell their friends. You can find creative and effective ways to promote referrals, such as offering a discount for a customer who shares your business on social media, or if you make a new client from an old one, offer both parties an incentive.

Do you have any other great ideas for helping small businesses get the right advertisement without selling a vital organ? Please share in the comment section below!