Don’t have the marketing budget of Apple, Nike or Coca Cola? It’s not dramatic, far from it. Anyway, you do not intend to compete with these giants!
SMEs, VSEs, craftsmen, self-employed, self-employed. It is all about setting up a paid marketing strategy, for a minimum budget. Here are some tips to follow.
Table of Contents
Create A Website
It is absolutely essential. Today, the Internet is the first source of information for everyone, and this concerns all trades.
Example :
Your old leather cowboy boots have just dropped… Will your first instinct be to google a shoemaker near you, open the yellow pages directory, or call your loved ones to ask them if they know someone who can help you.
The answer is obvious. The shoemaker who has created a web page will therefore have many more customers than the one who relies only on word-of-mouth!
You can choose to create a simple web page using free tools , or call on the services of professionals to have a more attractive site.
Be Present On Social Networks
“Virtual word of mouth” works, and it’s on social networks that it happens.
Getting known on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and others is simple, requires very little investment, and allows you to reach a very large audience.
It is also an excellent medium for distributing your promotional material (we will come back to this) to your potential customers.
Think About Your Logo And Slogan
A visually strong logo and a slogan that “sticks in the head” can radically increase its recognition with the general public, but also improve its brand image with customers, suppliers and employees.
No need to hire the services of a specialized agency: with a little imagination and a few simple tools, you can create your logo yourself.
Have Promotional Material
As you can imagine, any marketing campaign must be able to show something: having promotional material is therefore mandatory. And this one must be of quality, in order to give a good image of the company.
Today, a distinction is made between online and offline marketing.
Online Marketing Content
This obviously includes everything on your site (articles, product sheets, etc.), as well as your various messages, posts and tweets on social networks. But that’s not all !
Some ideas for online advertising material:
- Informative videos, which can be published everywhere
- Catalogs, brochures or other documents to download
- Shopping vouchers and discount coupons
- Webinars and other online courses
All this is relatively simple to create, requires very few resources, and allows you to position yourself as an expert, which gives confidence to future customers.
Offline Advertising Material
Neglecting offline marketing is just as bad a mistake as not having an online presence! It is in real life that you market your products, and your customers are real people, not just “visitors to your web page”.
Here are some good ideas for an economical and effective marketing strategy:
- Participating in shows and fairs in your sector is the best way to get in touch with new partners.
- Always have on hand a few personalized pens with your logo and your contact, to offer to all potential customers. (Large selection of promotional pens for all budgets at Universal Pen )
- Do not forget your business card, the essential accessory for any self-respecting professional.
- Prepare a short, clear and attractive presentation speech. This helps capture the attention of as many people as possible, rather than wasting the time of those in a hurry.
Also Read: What Are Google Discovery Ads Campaigns And How Do They Work?
Develop Cross-Promotion
This strategy consists of reducing the costs of your advertising campaign by partnering with another company whose services are complementary to yours. Thus, you can offer the public a more complete, and therefore more attractive, solution.
This is a strategy used both by large groups (MacDonald’s advertising with a bottle of Coca Cola, the AirFrance-Visa credit card, etc.) and small local producers (a crafts market, which attracts a large public and where each trader can present his products.)
You now have some ideas in hand to develop your marketing strategy at a lower cost. All you have to do is implement them!
