Are you scrambling to market your company? Who isn’t, right? Online marketing can be hard if you don’t have a big budget but others have done well without the bags of cash and you can too. Here are some ideas for when you hit The Wall that soaks up all your magical creative juices:
Share interesting news and behind-the-scenes information
Let your readers know what you’re working on with a ‘Coming Soon’ tab. This will help create buzz for your upcoming projects/events and keep your readers updated. You can even have a weekly/monthly newsletter that your readers can subscribe to. Taking on ads for every newsletter is a great idea to make a couple extra bucks.
Connect brand fans to discuss common interests
Start discussions and forums on current events to connect people with similar interests. Discuss the release of a latest blockbuster for a movie blog or ask people to comment on the new trends seen at a fashion event. Some websites even get celebrities to talk to their fans for a particular amount of time on a given day.
Gather and discuss customer ideas for R&D
At the end of the day, customer satisfaction is key. Ask them for their opinion. Generate questionnaires to your subscribers to learn where you could improve on. If you have regular customers, get in touch with them and ask them what changes they would like to see in the future.
Collect ratings and reviews
Get back to your customers on their experience or satisfaction of your services. Ask them to rate their experience from 1-5 the next time they call or seek out your business. Keep a suggestion box at your office. Any criticism is good criticism.
Host interactive competitions or sweepstakes
Organize lucky draw lotteries during the holiday season or host contests where the first 10 answers win vouchers and prizes. Hashtag competitions are all the rage these days where you the follower with coolest tweet along with a promotional hashtag wins a special prize.
Interact with customers across the globe
The 21st century has made the world a smaller place. Talk to clients from different countries across all continents to give your company a global outlook. Understand different demands in different regions and cater to the same if possible to give your customer a more personal experience.
Recognize active community members
Show your faithful clients that you care about them too. Offer discounts to your most frequent customers. Set up a loyalty point system where shoppers can earn points every time they make a purchase. Provide one day discounts on their birthdays and anniversary. That oughta keep ‘em coming.
Integrate your social strategy
Make sure you account for social media in your business plan. You can’t run one without it. Facebook and Twitter pages aren’t enough anymore. Connect with your customers by posting promotional videos on YouTube or posting pictures on Instagram. The Internet is your oyster.
Outsource your digital marketing
From emails, media and blogs online marketing has reached another level. Hire the services of experienced companies to get the most out of your marketing budget. MonsterWriters can take care of all your Social Media woes.
So here’s the deal. Online Marketing doesn’t compulsorily have to cost you a bomb. In fact, you can market your company with some pocket change. What you need is creativity. Hundreds of people out there have succeeded without a marketing budget that of the size of the Lannister kingdom, you can too.
The settlement is simple: If you aren’t willing to spend big then you ought to put in your time and energy.
Do you know any cool marketing ideas for small companies? Feel free to comment.