7 Affordable Marketing Strategies For Small Business Owners

Writen by Eve Jackson

"Build it and they will come" only works in the movies. If you're a small business owner, relying on people finding you will most likely end in disaster. Actively pursuing clients predicts success, but many entrepreneurs simply don't know how to do that.

Let me assure you though that marketing is easy… IF you have a plan.

The best plans are written down in a notebook, or maybe they're on your computer. Even a scrap of paper will do. But studies show when you write things down, you're more likely to succeed.

Sometimes new business owners are wary of any talk about marketing because they think marketing must be expensive. Yet can you afford not to market your company? And usually they're thinking of advertising rather than marketing. Although many think so, the two terms are not synonymous. Advertising is merely one form of marketing.

Here's a few.

• It all starts with image (and yes, image is part of marketing as is pretty much everything you say and do). To show the world a professional image, consider the impact of having everything that represents your company match perfectly – be it business cards, brochures, and your web site to name a few.
• The single-most affordable marketing strategy is networking and requests for referral. In fact, not only is it the most affordable, it's also the most effective. A client coming to your through a referral is likely interested in your product or services 60% of the time. You simply can't beat that.
• Direct mail is an excellent strategy for reaching your target market one-on-one. Direct mail works for both business-to-business and consumer markets. And while writing for both markets has certain aspects in common, there's also important differences when copywriting for the two.


• If your town has bulletin boards or storefronts that allow it (most do if you look hard enough), post a notice free of charge. The only cost bulletin board notices have is your time.
• Join your local business groups and offer to speak during their next meeting. Although public speaking is one of our most common fears, speaking to a group quickly establishes expert status.
• Find a business that offers complementary services to yours and split the costs of your both your marketing. For example, if you own a graphic design business, join forces with a printer.
• I can't end this discussion without mentioning web sites. There is no other way to reach as many people at the same time (except maybe advertising, but advertising on the same scale can be very expensive). The problem with web sites is putting one up is just the beginning. Marketing your site takes a lot of hard work, but it's worth it.

Small business marketing doesn't need to be difficult. Nor does it need to be expensive. These 7 strategies are just the tip of the iceberg. Really, you're only limited by your imagination, and of course your budget.

Eve Jackson offers marketing services to small business owners. If you're an entrepreneur who'd like to increase your sales, give her a call at 306-373-1459 or visit her web site at detailssbs.com/services.php where you'll find all sorts of information to help your small business succeed. You'll learn about small business image, marketing strategies, direct mail and small business web site development from start to finish.