Affordable_Marketing_Strategies for Small Businesses

Small businesses must be extra imaginative with their marketing efforts in order to attract customers and get them to open their wallets. Another problem arises since most entrepreneurs have shallow pockets and shoppers are being more selective with the current economic trend. Its therefore valid if we say that Marketing can become quite handy and difficult to small business entities given their tight budget and lack of enough funds.

However, the Internet has come up as the great equalizer in that it gives small businesses marketing opportunities on par with their larger competitors. It can still cost money to market online though and, if you aren't careful, the total costs can totally blow your budget.

Here are some proven low-cost marketing ideas that help small businesses increase sales and generate referrals, ultimately helping you build your cash cow, while spending very little.

1.  Maintain Relationships With Clients
The difference between a successful company and a mediocre one often boils down to an owner’s commitment to building (and sustaining) relationships with clients and prospects. While it’s important to keep up traditional communication and PR, business owners should also be extending their relationships through online forums – website, blogs, and social networks.

2. Use your blog to reach out to prospects and customers
"We use our blog to share news about our company, news about our clients, awards we have won, and other content like our videos on YouTube  that we're pushing out," explains Hassan Bawab, founder and CEO at Magic Logix, an interactive digital marketing agency.

3. List your company on Google Maps/Local
"A company presence on Google Maps/Local is as extremely important, and it's completely free," says David Hudson, managing director at EasyClear, a family run house clearance business in London.
Google Maps/Local presence is important for many reasons, he says. It directs customers to your establishment when they are in the area, and your business typically appears higher in Google search rankings. "Finally, because customers can review the company and leave comments, it is also a tool to evaluate the efforts we made, and it helps us to understand customers better.

4. Get Out and Walk
Next time you walk down a street with high foot-traffic, pay attention to storefront windows underutilized. Approach the store owner and offer to pay a small fee to advertise your business in their window. Imagine, you pay $50 per month for a location that costs someone else $2500 a month in rent. This idea also works in reverse.

5. Special Deal Today Only
The next time business is slow, try sending out an email to your prospect list that reads, "Please call me. I have a special deal I can offer you if you call me today. You'll be glad you did!

6.  Twitter Giveaways
Give away your product or promotional item on Twitter. Ask a question about a product on your website or blog. The first person to answer wins. When you send the item write, “Retweet upon receipt,” to be entered in a second contest.

7. Facebook It!
Your Facebook friends can be your greatest free marketing tools so enlist their help! In Facebook, use the NOTES application to create a special, limited-time “friends and family” promotion (i.e.: enter “facebook09″ at checkout to receive 10% off), tag all your friends and ask them to pass along your exclusive deal to their own friends. A great offer goes a long way quickly…especially through our favorite social networking sites!

8. Never Stop Growing Your Network
Expand your network of contacts and potential clients. Ask your best, most powerful, most influential friends or business associates to introduce you to the five people they think you should meet to expand your business. Take each of the contacts out for coffee and get to know them. Discuss your plans and future goals, tell them about why your business is special and ask for their advice. You will be amazed at how these new contacts will pay off ten-fold with recommendations to you for new business and innovative ideas you hadn’t thought of.

9. Be Generous
To keep customers loyal to you, instead of a frequent buyer program, send your customers small “surprise” gifts. Customers come to expect rewards when they are members of a program. Surprises always work to instill loyalty and retention.

10. Small Groups
It only takes one person to start a movement. So don’t hesitate to start an informal group that can provide something of value to the market in which you specialize. For example, a monthly breakfast discussion on current news and events in the smart phone app industry, or manufacturing or outdoor gear retail industry. Leaders and business owners will come together in this informal, low-pressure situation, because keeping an eye on the state of the industry is their job. Since you’re the one providing the benefit of this group, they will already be predisposed to a positive relationship with you, and it’s a short leap to noting your business savvy in their field.