Companies frequently reduce marketing expenses first during times of economic uncertainty.
If you’re short on cash, try these free, high-return marketing strategies. Additionally, seek advice from the seasoned startup marketers at HubSpot. We will talk about the best ways to market without spending a penny in this article.
1- Make a plan for your content marketing:
Do you want long-term, low-cost growth? According to HubSpot for Startups’ head of marketing, Janelle Apaydin, content marketing is the way to go. She explains that by educating customers through content marketing, organic search volume can be increased over time. Not sure where to begin? Take into consideration videos, particularly short ones. According to our 2023 Marketing Trends poll, almost 33% of marketers already use short-form video, making it the most popular trend among marketers. In addition, respondents consider it to be the most efficient and to have the highest ROI. Then, blogs are a great way to reach more people, get new visitors, and make new connections. Find out who you want to reach and what their issues are. Vana Korrapati, a specialist in digital marketing, suggests writing blogs that offer readers relief from their problems and a single, actionable takeaway. Leads for sales can be generated using this strategy. Blogging could be to blame for a lot of HubSpot’s success because the company’s blog has become a trusted resource for sales managers, customer service representatives, and marketing professionals.
Podcasting is a viable alternative that shouldn’t be ignored. To get this up and running, you’ll need to put in some time and money. By turning your blog posts into riveting podcast episodes, you can take your storytelling to the next level. Your primary concern should be quality, not quantity. “It’s not about churning out 60 blog articles out there or YouTube videos of low quality and hoping that you’ll receive traffic,” says Mina Behrooz, Head of GTM Partnerships at HubSpot for Startups Canada. To be truly timeless, it only needs to be a few exceptional blog posts or a YouTube video. The next piece of advice from Behrooz is to promote the business as much as possible while remaining as patient as possible. Getting started will be a breeze with the help of marketing software like HubSpot’s Marketing Hub.
2 “It’s a good idea to look for partnerships that cross promotion:
You and another brand must have a similar customer base in order to use co-marketing. When resources are limited, Tricia O’Brien, senior marketing manager for the HubSpot for Startups team, believes that pooling them is an excellent strategy. She explains that, with her assistance, “you can develop content that offers value to your prospects and showcases your products or services.” Both businesses may be able to reach a wider range of potential customers at lower costs by cooperating.
3- “Invest time and money in social media to build a strong online identity:”
In recent years, it has only become more common to promote a product or service through social media. In fact, it is one of the primary ways Generation Z and millennials learn about new businesses and products. With just a camera phone and a focus on building and interacting with communities through the sharing of personal stories, you can become a social media powerhouse.”
Therefore, you should not feel compelled to visit each location simultaneously. “Choose your top three” is my standard piece of advice for new businesses. “You don’t need to be everywhere,” says Behrooz. all things being equal, center around what’s free and lay out your believability there.” You must take into account the location of your target market before making a decision. Are you targeting members of Generation Z? Therefore, TikTok ought to be at the top of the list. for today’s youngsters. You might rank Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook in that order. If you’re looking for fun and competitive players, check out Discord or Twitch. Software like HubSpot’s Social Media Management Tools can help you get started with social media.
4- “It’s important to involve more people in their local communities:
According to our report, “Social Media Trends 2023,” social media marketers must now more than ever concentrate on building a robust online community in order to succeed in this sector. Ninety percent of those polled believe that a social media strategy will fail in 2023 if it does not focus on growing and engaging an online community of engaged people. Twenty percent of social media users have joined an online community in the past three months, and twenty-two percent are actively participating in one, according to the findings of our Consumer Trends survey.
All of this suggests that establishing a strong brand requires cultivating a dedicated fan base. To achieve this objective, no money is required. If you don’t have a lot of money, Facebook Groups, email lists, and Discord channels are all great places to start. Where your target audience already spends their time determines how you can reach them online. You can organize or support local events that will help you connect with your target audience if you have the financial means to do so.
5-Offer free samples or accessibility to useful tools:
Despite the fact that it may appear to be a business or financial decision, providing a free trial period is an excellent marketing strategy.
Apaydin argues that demonstrating the value of your product to potential customers by offering free trials is a cost-effective strategy. Offering a free trial is a great way to demonstrate how you can solve your customer’s problem before they decide to buy if you are confident that your solution can sell itself. Apaydin suggests offering free trials to leads in order to get them to give you their contact information so that you can turn them into customers. Before the buyer can fully appreciate your product, you need to give them a taste. Korrapati predicted that the guests would not want to leave because of your lavish treatment. According to Korrapati, even if some people don’t buy your expensive product, you’ll still learn important lessons from their reactions. Additionally, you won’t have to spend any more money on market research and you’ll learn about issues you weren’t aware of. In addition to a trial, you can provide content in the form of ebooks, guidelines, white papers, case studies, and reports. These kinds of lead magnets are great because they not only help you win over your target audience as potential customers but also help you gain their trust.
6- “Get rid of freebies:
Freebies, according to O’Brien, are a good way to get potential customers to make a purchase or convert. The best part is this: They shouldn’t cost anything to purchase. It’s a common misunderstanding that giving away prizes costs a lot of money. She explains that contests offering freebies made from materials they already have can help businesses save money. “for example, one hour of your time to provide consultation services in your area of expertise or a free trial of your services” would serve as an illustration.
“Katey Gold, senior partner marketing manager at HubSpot, concurs, highlighting the significance of presentation. Gold says, “Look at how you’re asking if you’re asking your customer to take action to get something.” Instead of being just another form to fill out for a freebie that everyone can have, customers need to feel like they are getting a good deal.
7-Inspire the public to produce content:
UGC, or user-generated content, is a valuable resource for any business. Why? It can be used as social proof, can be used again, and sometimes doesn’t take much effort on your part. UGC examples include:
A video review from a satisfied customer states:
O’Brien asserts that user-generated content, such as customer testimonials, no longer requires a budget in this era of ubiquitous smartphones equipped with cameras and microphones. A section of the website of a blogger or influential person.
According to her, “Adding testimonials from actual customers helps strengthen the trustworthiness of your advertising and shows social proof that your offering is well received.” Gold suggests thinking about how to get customers to contribute this content to your business. She suggests taking into consideration the long-term effects of short-term incentives like gift cards or merchandise. What are some low-cost strategies for attracting customers? One simple way to collect user-generated content (UGC) and make the customer feel appreciated by the brand’s audience is to share a customer review on social media with the customer’s name included in the post. Content created by users can also be incorporated into a larger marketing strategy. Lay’s has had a promotion called “Do Us a Flavor” running for a long time. In it, customers can suggest new flavors for the chip brand. It draws in the intended audience while simultaneously increasing the company’s visibility.
8 Engage in a webcast
Inbound marketers focus on providing value to their target audience in order to generate leads for their clients. One way to do this is through webinars. Apaydin says that webinars are a cheap way to educate customers at every stage of the sales funnel. These can be hosted by team members who are also experts in the field and cost little to put on. However, if you are the host, Behrooz believes there is one thing you must keep in mind. Behrooz suggests using your webinar to educate your audience rather than as an opportunity to sell something. If you don’t or use boring language, the audience won’t care. Similar to this, Apaydin advises contacting a client’s pain point as a starting point. She claims that panel discussions with your partners and/or customers will “make the event more engaging and generate greater interest in it.” Webinars are also a great way to build your email list and meet new people. This only leads to positive outcomes.
9 Never underestimate the significance of search engine optimization:
You don’t want to have to spend money on ads if you want people to find you, right? Then you should invest in your SEO strategy. It is helpful to keep two things in mind when developing an SEO strategy to simplify the process: Google and the people you want to reach. The first, as you’ll need to know which terms to optimize for so that people can find your website when they search for it. The second step is to ensure that Google can comprehend the structure of your website.
A few fundamentals underpin search engine optimization, including:
Analysis of search terms Establishing connections Structure of the Site”
10- “You should have your business featured in relevant business directories.
Your listing in online directories like Yelp, Google My Business, and Facebook, where many customers first come across your business, needs to be up to date on a regular basis.
Customers will be able to easily find your business’s name, address, and website, as well as read reviews and comments left by previous clients.
An easy way to improve your online visibility and connect with your target audience is to keep these directories up to date.
Advertising doesn’t have to cost a lot in the end. You can still accomplish a lot with little money. In point of fact, the vast majority of the aforementioned strategies necessitate slightly more workers than the material itself requires.
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