As you just read, marketing is one of the most critical—if not THE most critical—part of a successful small-business strategy. But you might be wondering how to get your business out there without a massive marketing budget.
Good news: Your marketing plan doesn’t need to include expensive options to get started. Word-of-mouth requires no spending, for example, but it delivers amazing results.
Use the following five tactics to market your business without spending money:
Satisfy your customers
Customer satisfaction opens marketing opportunities that extend beyond your current reach. Every time you service clients with excellence, you get free publicity because people talk and spread the word.
Marketing via customer service requires that your firm has a substantial commitment to clients. You must value them as people, not as numbers. When you this customer-first attitude, you give customers the confidence they need to know that they will receive an excellent value whenever they spend money with you.
Satisfied customers make positive referrals by word-of-mouth both in person and online. Similarly, irate customers can work against you, posting complaints that might go viral and damage your reputation. Naturally, you want all your customers to feel satisfied right away, so there are a few things you need to keep in mind.
Pay attention to every customer comment you receive whether in-person or on social media. Make an effort to express your appreciation both for their business and for the time it took them to leave feedback for your company.
In adverse situations, make sure that you show your commitment to your customer and work together to find ways to solve the problem. Every customer interaction gives you a chance to make you and your brand shine. Even if there’s a problem, excellent customer service can create a lasting relationship and an energetic advocate for your brand.
Connect with people
Connecting with people means planting the awareness of your brand in their minds, which is something you can do both online and offline.
Online
Leverage the power of social media—connect with people for free, build relationships, and expose your company to your target market.
Your first step is to create a company profile on one or several popular platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and so on. The best way to choose is to see which platforms your targets mostly use, and create your social media presence accordingly. Whichever platform you use, the important thing is to connect with as many people as you can.
Going beyond those initial connections will help you create meaningful relationships that can enrich both your business and personal life. Rather than nagging people for sales and making endless pitches, become friends with your fans and followers. Talk with them, get to know them, and find out about the things that matter to them. Like their posts, share their comments, and include them when you need to make decisions by asking for feedback and opinions.
Make your connections all about other people, and they will become marketing agents for your brand.
Offline
Offline, you can participate in community activities and trade associations, host or attend social events, and so on. The important thing is to make yourself visible to other people. Connecting with people face-to-face will spread the news about your brand and put you in touch with influencers who can open new channels for you. For example, you might find future business partners or suppliers in addition to prospective customers.
Wherever you go online or off-line, try to build a community that will become a resource for growing your business. It takes effort, but it’s free.
Be friendly and approachable
Although this tip might sound too obvious to be listed, its importance cannot be overemphasized. Since your attitude and demeanor represent your brand, you need to make sure to always have kind words to say and a pleasant look on your face.
In live interactions, for example, non verbal communication means more than your words, so make sure your body always says positive things. Keep an open posture, so people always feel comfortable approaching you to chat or get information. Work on having a solid handshake that you can use during face-to-face meetings, and always have a pleasant voice when you talk on the phone.
On the other hand, electronic communications including text messaging, email, and social media don’t transmit inflection and tone that would otherwise convey meaning. Recognize the limitations of such channels by always writing clearly and in a casual style. Communicate as you would with a friend, but carefully choose your humor and emoticons to ensure no one misinterprets your messages.
No matter the communication channel you use, always have kind words to say and make honesty your only policy when it comes to business. You can have fantastic products, but no one will talk about your business positively unless you come across as a nice and likable person. Kindness is one of the top qualities of a successful business.
Acquire and share knowledge
One way to market your business is to educate your customers and prospects. If you share valuable knowledge for free, people will more likely gravitate to your brand. But in order to share knowledge, you first need to acquire it. Let’s briefly consider why and how you should educate both yourself and others.
Educate yourself
KEY as Keep Educating Yourself Text written on notebook page, red pencil on the right. Motivational Concept image
Educating yourself means constantly staying on top of your game when it comes to your business. When you’re aware of all the trends in your industry, you are able to speak intelligently with your prospects and customers.
However, education also means learning about things that might seem unrelated to work, but can become advantageous at some point. What if those French lessons pay off one day when you need to communicate with a client from France? You get the point.
Now, acquiring knowledge doesn’t mean spending money on expensive courses. Books from the library are free, and so are countless internet resources. Technology has made education available to everyone, making it easier than ever for people to commit to lifelong learning. There are free online degree programs, educational websites, apps, and so on. With a little time and effort to explore numerous options, you can become an eloquent and educated person others will want to talk to.
Educate others
Resist the temptation to hoard your knowledge. When you share the things you know, not only do you help others, but you also promote your brand for free. When people learn they can rely on you for honest and expert advice, they will trust you with their money. Moreover, they will start identifying your brand with knowledge and value, and thus more likely talk about you with others. Therefore, you should selflessly respond to everyone who asks you for advice or information.
CONCLUSION
Even when things get tough, get tough as you rise to every challenge. Robisearch Ltd has been in the ICT for the last 8 years, ready to serve our clients and encourage you in the any way we can. We understand the tough situation alot of businesses are in and are determined to be there for our clients, whether it means reducing prices or going the extra mile in providing support or just posting encouraging and informative material on our blog.
Call us today on 0754413386.
