10 Inexpensive Ways to Promote your Business
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from local business coaches
Promoting a business can often be stressful. Not only do promotions take time to set up, but they can often cost quite a bit of money as well. Sometimes a simple yet unique idea will not only make your efforts more effective, it can make them more affordable as well. Here are 10 great ways to promote your business without breaking your budget.
1. Utilize Social Media
Advertising on the internet via social networking sites is not only one of the newest tools for businesses to utilize, it’s also one of the cheapest. Setting up a Facebook page or a Twitter account can help inform the public about what you do and any special offers you might have. The best part is that it is entirely free.
2. Referrals
The idea seems simple enough, but it’s surprising how few do it; ask customers to refer your business to others. In cases where a customer is extremely satisfied with your business, ask them to tell others about it. Word of mouth referrals are a very effective promotional tool, and they’re free.
3. Free Giveaways
Everybody loves free stuff, and giving stuff away can end up giving your company a huge promotional boost. Handing out items customized with your business’s logo can be a really effective way to get your business out there. T-shirts, pencils, and mouse pads are all cheap to produce. Silicone bracelets have also gained popularity, and offering these will almost certainly leave a positive impression upon any consumer base. Giveaways that are worn are usually more effective, since more people will see your company logo on them and potentially start buying your products, or using your services.
4. Have a Kid’s Day
Popcorn, clowns, and balloons aren’t just for the circus. Holding a free fun day for kids at your business will not only generate goodwill from grateful parents, it will also generate business.
5. Sponsorships
Sponsoring a local event is a great, often overlooked, way to get your business’s name out there. Local kids’ sports teams are often looking for sponsors, with most organizations allowing sponsored teams to bear the sponsor’s logo on their uniform. Local charity events, such as marathons or festivals, are also often in need of sponsors. Not only will charity events help your business get noticed, they also can generate goodwill in your community.
6. Make Calls
Another simple and often forgotten method to advertising is by simply calling potential customers and asking for their business. This could also mean sending out an email to those you think might be interested. It requires some effort, but it can be worthwhile to try.
7. Coupons
While coupons seem like a natural way to help promote products, the power of the coupon often goes overlooked by small businesses. By passing out flyers or contacting your local newspaper, you can offer a small discount to the public for your business via a coupon. Just make sure the discount is enough to encourage new business, but not enough to eat away too much of your profits.
8. Use Your Vehicle
Whether you have a company van or just your everyday car, get it outfitted with your company’s logo and contact number. It’s cheap to do, and it will advertise to potential customers anytime it is driven.
9. Start a Website
For bigger businesses, a website is usually a necessity. For smaller local businesses, it is unfortunately forgotten when it comes to promotion. Not only can a small website inform visitors about what your business does, it’s also very cheap to set one up.
10. Cross-Promote
Find other businesses in the area that will be willing to refer customers to you in exchange for the same. This could mean handing out flyers, or simply having the company’s brochure in your lobby. A little friendly camaraderie among businesses can help out everybody.
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