4 Quick Cost-Effective Marketing Channels For Start-Ups

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Trying to launch a business is usually a shoestring operation. And the perfect storm for entrepreneurs is that at a time when you have the least resources and cashflow, you have the most requirement for outlay – from buying in stock, to setting up a website, renting office space or even taking on staff, everything seems to need money before you’re making a big profit. That goes double when it comes to your marketing budget. You need to raise awareness about your brand and draw customers in to convert them to sales, but you also need cost effective marketing ideas that don’t cost the earth.

Focus On Referrals

Some of the most effective marketing is actually the least expensive – and that’s getting existing customers to refer you to others. A small discount or freebie as an incentive often works wonders, and if people have a positive experience with your brand, then they are usually happy to recommend you to others. And nothing convinces a prospective customer to take the plunge more than testimonial from others who found your products or services useful. If you’re clever about how you structure referral schemes, they can actually be cost-neutral and provide you with a great pipeline of sales.

Target Events

If you have a very specific target audience, then investing a small amount of budget in attending the right events is always a good return on investment. It’s all about being able to start conversations with the right people when they are receptive to your messages. Leave them with your website link and if money allows, a well considered promotional item can work well – consider marketing with tote bags and other affordable items which are eco-friendly, such as reusable water bottles or branded phone chargers. If you can get a slot as a keynote speaker, that is a brilliant way to position yourself as an expert in the field and have people remember your business. 

Focus On Your Website

Digital real estate is a lot less expensive than it’s physical equivalent, so focus on making your website both user friendly and appealing, with great content that adds value to your customers and draws them into what you do. Apart from working with a great web designer, it’s not too expensive to create a great site, and content creation doesn’t have to take a big chunk of your budget – you can build it organically, around the topics that you know visitors are interested in. Find these out with some keyword research or social listening and you’ll have an insight into what customers really want to know.

Add Some PPC 

Pay per click ads are a really simple way of getting a digital ad campaign up and running without a huge budget. You can zero them in to be really specific on the audience you want, and with clever copy and a relevant offer, many companies find they are a high converting marketing channel that doesn’t cost a lot and can be adjusted at any time.