It almost sounds like a paradox, doesn’t it ? “Cost-effective” and “Marketing” ?
But this is not necessarily the case. Especially not in 2016.
With the advancement of technology and “social media” now being practically synonymous with the “internet”, it is certainly now possible to market your business for a little as a couple hundred dollars each and every month and still come out at the other end with a GREAT return on investment.
5 Cost-Effective Ways To Market Your Local Business
Facebook Ads
A few years ago Google Adwords was all the rage and businesses all over America still use them.
The cost of Google Adwords however can climb very quickly. Enter Facebook Ads.
3 Reasons You Might Strongly Consider using Facebook Ads as an Advertising tool
- 1 billion people use the platform worldwide. 100+ million of those people are in the US alone AND I bet there are a few hundred thousand who live within 25 miles of your business you can advertise to.
- Because of all the demographic information Facebook collects on its users (e.g. types of restaurants visited, locations they mention in their posts regularly, books they read, their online buying habits, etc) you as a business owner can use that information to your advantage and target the EXACT demographic you are trying to reach with your business. Played right, I especially think this will be an amazingly profitable game-changer especially if you are a newer business owner.
- Facebook ads are very cheap. You can get targeted and qualified leads into your business for as low as a cent if you target well. No other platform offers you that.
Instagram Ads
Instagram started offering ads just about less than a year ago and entrepreneurs like Sandi Krakowski are excited about the potential.
The photograph-based platform can be great for just about any business that has something visual to sell. So that’s you food establishment , decor and apparel businesses.
But don’t worry if your business does not fit into one of these categories.
Look for a business that is not traditionally “visual”.
Instagram ads are currently integrated with the Facebook Ad Manager. A great plus here is that if you decide to run both types of ads, you can do it from one dashboard and thankfully, Instagram ads are also pretty cheap at the moment.
Use Twitter Search To Find People Tweeting About A Need & Engage Them
Perfect example.
So if you were an event space in New York, you would be courting Ramit’s favor.
Here’s another one that came up when we searched the term “good hairdresser”.
If you were a wonderful hairdresser who could do curly hair, this would be your chance.
Here’s a breakdown of what you do.
- Make sure your Business Twitter Account is nicely filled out with a profile picture representing your business and a profile header.
- Describe the services and products you offer in your description clearly.
- Use Twitter search and type in a search term
- Engage whoever tweeted about their need redirecting them to your business
Honestly, this technique takes practice and requires patience and time on your part but it can work very well once you get a hang of it because of the “real-time” nature of the whole thing.
Add Video Marketing Into The Mix
Unconventional ? For a lot of local businesses, yes ! But video marketing can certainly open up doors to a whole new unexpected world for your business.
This is the area of humanized marketing. And the more humanized you get, the better.
Youtube, Periscope, Facebook Video, Vine and Snapchat are all video platforms being used by businesses everyday to build a personal relationship with clients and potential clients and make millions of dollars. Don’t dismiss it as a way to get in front of your target audience.
Get Listed On Business Directories
This one may be the most conventional of all the ways listed but sometimes business owners still miss it.
Make sure you are get listed on Yelp, Yellow Pages and Google Business Listings if you are not already.
As the years have gone by, Google search has gotten smarter so when people type in terms like “pizza” or “vegan restaurant”, Google pulls up locations closest to the searcher.
Getting listed on these business directories increases the likelihood that you are found simply by someone searching for the particular service you offer.
