5 Ways to Solve the Marketing Puzzle

Many of our clients are small (to very small) businesses. They call us because they want to reach more potential customers and to keep the ones they have happy. Most of them have very tight budgets. While we believe that even small businesses that want to survive should allocate a reasonable budget to marketing, there are ways to maximize the marketing budgets of even the smallest company.

Here are a few things that have worked for our clients:

1. Craigslist. One of our clients sells used restaurant equipment. He has two large warehouses filled with appliances, furniture and equipment that restaurant owners and homeowners are looking for. We publish attractive ads with photos on Craigslist. These “free” ads generate a lot of interest – and sales. Offering a “special” on any of your products or services is a great way to get people interested in what you area offering.

2. Website SEO/Blogging. As Google’s algorithm changes, updating your website for the best possible SEO is critical. However, because Google admits that it favors “fresh” content, one of the best SEO tactics is to add a blog – and post often. As professional writers and web developers, we understand how to incorporate good keywords into an interesting “story.” Blogging pays big dividends: Companies that blog enjoy a 5 times more web traffic and generate 67% more leads than those what do not. (See our Info graphic.)

3. Email Marketing/Newsletters. While blogging helps with SEO, sending an email newsletter to an interested audience is another great way to get your content noticed. Mail Chimp is a free service. We routinely send email newsletters for clients we blog for. We include their blogs, business updates, special events and special offers. Adding an interesting image, video or slideshow increases the “open” rate dramatically.

4. Social Media Marketing. Many of our clients add hundreds of new Facebook fans to their sites every week. Facebook and other social sites are one of the best ways to reach your audience, and turn them into customers. However, doing it wrong will do more harm than good to your company. If you are not posting often enough or not posting the right content the chances of anyone seeing your posts decreases drastically. If you are posting inappropriately or not responding to queries quickly, you risk alienating your audience. Social Media has turned professional, and you should turn to a professional who thoroughly understands how it works.

5. Facebook Advertising. Using a small daily, ad budget, we were able to add from 1-7 new customers a week to our client’s grocery delivery service. Facebook has been consistently adding new advertising products. The key is to develop attractive ads, targeted to the right audience and have them displayed consistently.

While there really is no such thing as a “free lunch,” working with a company that understands how to turn a small budget into a winning strategy may be the closest thing to it.

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