Five Effective, Low-cost Marketing Techniques for Small Businesses

Marketing is a necessary component in any business, especially small businesses. Many small businesses struggle to incorporate effective marketing techniques due to financial reasons, though there are many marketing strategies that small businesses can use without breaking their budgets. Below are five examples of effective, low-cost marketing techniques to help bring brand awareness to small businesses.

1. Get Involved in Your Community

No matter what type of industry you work in, there are numerous opportunities right in your city to spread the word about your business. Join business-related organizations and become members of their local chapters. You may also consider signing up for speaking engagements, business conferences and tradeshows that are relevant to your field, which will help bring awareness to your business.

2. Improve Public Relations

Public relations (PR) is a great, cost-effective way to promote your business. Since PR is traditionally a low-cost form of marketing, this is a great tool to use to promote your business on a local, regional, and national level. With PR, you can promote your business through print, digital, or broadcast media channels, whichever you feel is most relevant. Just remember, PR is only effective if you are promoting a topic that is newsworthy, such as a client’s event, a business expansion, etc. Start researching and pitching story ideas to media influencers and journalists that are knowledgeable about your industry and see if they are interested in featuring your business in the media.

3. Implement Social Media

Nowadays, everyone uses social media, including businesses. Social media is a quick, easy tool that businesses use to promote brand awareness and connect with customers. All you need to do is choose which social platforms are most effective to promote your business. You can also incorporate images, videos and hashtags to drive social engagement. This is an extremely effective way to promote your business with little to no cost to you. If you are interested in advertising a product on social media, there are platforms that offer advertising options at reasonable prices.

4. Apply for Business Awards

Applying for business awards is one of the easiest things you can do to give your business recognition. There are numerous types of awards, including National Small Business Week Awards, Small Business Influencer Awards, and the SCORE Awards. Research upcoming awards to see if your business is qualified. There are even news outlets that honor employees within organizations like the Houston Business Journal’s “40 Under 40” awards. Most award applications are fairly inexpensive and sometimes they are free.

5. Hire an Agency

If your small business doesn’t have employees with certain marketing skills such as PR or social media, consider hiring a local marketing agency in Houston. By doing so, you are saving the costs of hiring full-time employees and providing benefits. You may also consider outsourcing to local agencies for other business needs that you don’t have much experience in. You can hire outside help at your convenience rather than paying the costs for full-time services.

Studio Brand Collective is Houston’s best digital marketing and branding agency. We’ll create a custom marketing package to suit your business budget and needs. Call us today at (713) 863-1141 for a free consultation.

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