24

Feb

Cost Effective Solutions to Continue Marketing your Business

Posted by: Carolyn Young

It’s no surprise that companies are cutting costs during these tough economic times. Whether it makes sense or not, marketing expenses are often first to go since they are perceived as the most disposable. Some business owners consider themselves in a position where they can rely on their existing client base, and don’t need to attract new clientele. Do you fall into that category, or do you need new customers to keep your business afloat?

If you absolutely have to cut back on your traditional marketing spending, there are still inexpensive (and some free) solutions to help keep your brand active and visible to consumers:

• Blogging: If you already have a blog running, but don’t update it very often, then now is the time to increase your posting frequency. Maintaining a consistent schedule of blogging about topics relevant to your industry – and more importantly, relevant to your customers - is a great way to let people know that you aren’t going anywhere, while simultaneously helping to boost your ranking in search results. If you don’t already have a blog, it’s pretty cheap to add a very basic one to your existing website with WordPress.
• Social Networking: The biggest selling points of social networking sites are that they are (1) free and (2) have massive traffic! It doesn’t cost a dime to create a Twitter account, Facebook page, LinkedIn profile, Ziggs account, etc. These tools represent simple ways to get your name and brand out into cyberspace. Like blogging, the key is to use the tools consistently. Creating an account and letting it sit there won’t do you any good – you have to become part of the site’s social fabric. Therein lies the drawback of social networking sites: they can be time consuming.
• E-mail Marketing: If you have an email list for customers and prospective customers, then the most cost effective way to reach out to those individuals is probably by email. Email marketing isn’t free, but it’s pretty cheap (pennies per recipient). There are a wide variety of do-it-yourself email solutions that won’t cost you an arm and a leg, and will enable you to keep clients and prospects updated on your company’s latest news and offerings.

The major cost that each of these have in common is your time. Yes, it takes time to launch an email marketing campaign. Yes, it takes time to get involved in a social network. But look at it this way – if those efforts result in new business connections, opportunities, or even customers, is it worth your time?