The investments and costs of advertising, social media management, website maintenance and other marketing strategies can add up quickly. But it’s important to remember that this is not a unique situation to your organization. Businesses of all shapes and sizes measure returns on investment (ROI), so it’s best to start the process with asking yourself these questions:
Who is my customer?
What message am I trying to convey?
Which channels are best to convey my message?
What’s the best strategy to accomplish my goals at the lowest cost possible?
Here are ten tips that will make the process of marketing with a budget much easier.
Define Your Goals
Before investing any money, what do you want to get out of your marketing investments? Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, driving sales, boosting your engagement rate or generating more leads, having well-defined, SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, time-bound) objectives will guide your budget friendly strategies.
Take Advantage of Social Media
Social media offers a cost-effective way to connect with your current audience and reach new potential customers. You don’t have to be on every social media channel, just the ones relevant to your business. By developing a consistent posting schedule, creating engaging content and using targeted ads, you can interact with your followers and build a community around your brand.
Content is King
Invest time and effort into creating engaging and valuable content. Blog posts, infographics and videos are just a few ways to not only capture attention but also position your brand as an authority in your industry. If your content marketing is missing the mark, make sure to take the time to educate yourself and make the appropriate adjustments.
Learn Email Marketing
For ten years in a row, emails have generated the highest ROI compared to other channels. It’s one of the most direct and cost-effective ways to nurture leads and convert those leads into loyal customers. Build your contact list and nurture them with targeted and personalized campaigns to keep them informed and engaged.
Optimize Your Website
More times than not, your website is the first point of contact for potential customers. By ensuring that it is user-friendly, visually appealing and plays nicely with search engines, it will not only attract more organic traffic, but also contribute to a positive user experience, meaning they’re more likely to return.
Graphic Design… DIY
Save on design costs by taking advantage of free, user-friendly graphic design tools. Your graphics don’t always need to be overly fancy, just visually appealing, consistent and professional. When your graphics contain all three of these factors, they contribute to brand recognition thus increasing brand awareness. Doing graphics on your own isn’t always the best solution, but it can help in many situations.
Network Locally
Local networking not only increases brand visibility, but it puts a face to a name. Attending local events, building partnerships and engaging with your community will contribute to meeting new people, potentially new customers, and positive word-of-mouth marketing.
Convey Confidence
In all that you do, be confident and authentic. Confidence influences how your brand is perceived. Whether it be in networking, your messaging or your visuals, believe in your brand and your audience will too. Showcasing your confidence in your messaging and differentiators plays into being confident in your budgeting. A confident approach ensures each dollar spent contributes to your overall goals.
Track Your Results
Track key metrics to analyze how well your campaigns are performing. Analyzing this data lets you identify successful strategies and where improvement is needed. Tracking your metrics enables you to optimize your budget accordingly. To ensure you’re tracking the right metrics, check out our recent blog post on the social media metrics that truly matter.
Partner with an Agency, like JSK Marketing!
At JSK Marketing, we are committed to your success, and we recognize that effective marketing is not a one-size-fits-all. Our team creates customized strategies that align with your goals and your budget. Whether you’re a startup with a modest budget or an established business seeking larger solutions, we have you covered.
There you have it! You don’t need to be extremely well-funded to have a successful marketing campaign. All it takes is a little creativity, understanding your audience, utilizing the right tools and partnering with your favorite agency to be successful. Contact us today to get started!
