15 Marketing Tactics for Startups on a “lean” Budget

Tuff Tactics for Lean Means: Website, SEO, Content, Target Market, Brand, Social Media, Email Mktg, LinkedIn, Thought Leadership, Optimize, Impact.

$$$ No matter how much passion you have for your startup, money will always be one of the most important factors in your success. To properly pay your employees, cover rent, market your business and more, you’ll need a steady Cash Flow to go, go, go !!!

Advice. Unfortunately, sales can fluctuate—and when budgets are tight, marketing efforts are often among the first expenses to be cut. To ensure you don’t neglect your promotional efforts because of monetary concerns, follow these budget-friendly marketing methods from the experts of Forbes Agency Council.

  1. Start with your Website

Often, when we start a business, we waste loads of money on things that aren’t directly used to generate revenue. You will need a Website for sure. Beyond that, you might want to invest in a few outreach tools, but not too much else. Focus on getting into the black and staying there.

  1. do Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Always start with the foundation of your Brand. Your Website & SEO are those foundations. These are long-term investments that will bring a large return – if done right. Take time to develop and grow your traffic. “Cheap can be expensive.” So don’t short yourself !!!

  1. Create Informative Content

Whoever is starting a business shud hav good knowledge. They need to make that knowledge into useable Forms: Checklists, guides, How-to articles or general informative pieces. These can then be marketed on their Website, on S/Media & used to enhance their SEO. It does take time to write, but if you can covey your wisdom that is valued, you’ll attract lots of traffic.

  1. Go wherever your Target Market is

The best growth channels for Marketing a business with a tight budget tend to be the least utilized. Search for the places online that your Target market frequents and test ways of conveying your Value Proposition to them. When Airbnb first started, for example, they grew rapidly by building technology to post all of their new listings to the CraigsList housing section for free !!!

  1. Develop your Brand

It’s obvious for startups to use their precious capital toward their new product, then set aside a portion for new customer marketing, but you should also invest in your brand story, identity & messaging. Starting with good branding supports both product design & new customer acquisition. A small initial investment to get the brand right from the start will keep you from having to redo it all

  1. Market on YouTube & Facebook

For small marketing budgets, there are two methods I would suggest considering: YouTube & Facebook. Both offer a better bang for your buck and are scalable. You can also leverage re-marketing on both platforms, which will serve you better in the long run.

  1. Incorporate Instagram too

An engaged Instagram following kills several birds with one stone. It attracts new clients, can help gain the attention of media outlets, creates brand awareness & builds trust with consumers. Invest in ads, influencer partnerships & a competent social media manager.

  1. Use strategic Email Marketing

I’m a big proponent of Email marketing, and at Online Marketing Intelligence (OMI), it’s central to our business model. The reason it makes sense for businesses with a tight budget is simple: “The return on investment (ROI) is incredibly high – relative to other marketing channels, at 4400% & $44 for every dollar spent. Additionally, if you take a strategic approach to your Email data over time, the ROI will increase even further.

  1. Connect on LinkedIn

With Sales Navigator & some strategic targeting, you can build meaningful connections on LinkedIn with your target audience. First, develop the connection, then wait about a month and begin a friendly follow-up conversation. Don’t hard pitch—be conversational and take a legitimate interest in what the other person is focusing on. Repeat this several times, and you’ll build new business.

  1. Leverage User-Generated Content

If your brand is working with a tight budget, it’s more important than ever to leverage your consumers as an extension of your marketing team. This is the answer to never having to choose between time, quality & cost. Not only is user-generated content easier to scale & optimize for social, but it’s also produced at a fraction of the cost that traditional channels are capable of.

  1. Generate “Thought Leadership”

Often, in business-to-business B2B markets, companies look to individuals to help guide them in a product- or services-based industry. I can tell you firsthand that the best leads for most of my companies are generated through my Thought leadership. While this shouldn’t be the sole focus of our marketing, I often encourage business leaders to invest in themselves as a way to market their business.

  1. Invest in paid Social Media

A paid Social Media program – focused on the right channels – will deliver the best traction & short-term growth for most Startup businesses. The other major benefit is that paid Social Media serves as a platform for real-time testing of messaging, creativity & targeting. You can quickly see certain messages resonate with certain sub-segments, allowing you to adjust & focus your Budget to drive ROI.

  1. Try “Paid Search”

If you’re entering an established industry, you’re going to have opportunities that are lower-funnel. Be smarter and more proficient at Paid search than your competitors, and then build your way back up the funnel from there once you have established revenues. But absolutely maximize all of the low-hanging fruit via a strong paid search campaign.

  1. Optimize Programs the help you Reach your Lowest-Hanging Fruit

Often, a Startup’s biggest marketing challenge is top-of-Salses-funnel education as they are launching a new solution or product no one has heard of before. Take time to look back at which Marketing campaigns are having the most success in driving leads for you, and consider that your lowest-hanging fruit. Focus on optimizing those programs before launching new ones.

  1. Craft a Campaign that will get the Most Impact for your Product or Service

The method of Marketing you pick will depend on what you’re selling and who you’re selling it to. Social Media is great if your product drives loyalty & engagement, but falls short when people only seek you out when they have a problem. If your product has a low barrier to purchase, conversion-driven pay-per-click is the way to go. If your company is newsworthy, develop a public relations (PR) campaign that gets attention.

Comments: Do you know any other Tactics that would be useful in Starting a Business?

fm Forbes Agency Council. 6/21 enhanced by Peter/CXO Wiz4.biz

For more Info, click on Marketing.

 

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