By | John Preston
Knowing how to promote a business or product, when you start a new project, is one of the main challenges you face, especially when it is very likely that you have a very low budget.
If this is your situation, you are in luck, because in this article I am going to propose a dozen promotional actions that will help you achieve that visibility that your business needs for much less than you think.
Online promotion actions
Since my thing is digital marketing consulting, you are going to allow me that my first proposals, to show you how to promote a product, are actions carried out on the Internet for very little money.
1 – Website
One of the best ways to advertise your business is to have a website where you post information about it, its products, its equipment, the benefits it provides, customer testimonials, etc.
Having a business website allows you to multiply your reach and make yourself accessible and visible to potential customers who might never hear from you otherwise.
And this even if they are at the other end of the world. In addition, a good website will allow you to differentiate yourself from your competition. If you have a bit of knowledge, and want to dedicate some time to it, you can create a website with WordPress installation and simple hosting to start with, although my recommendation is that you look for a good designer who guarantees a simple but professional website design.
Think that there is nothing worse than working to position your website and that your visitors leave lost or scared.
2 – Blog
Another ideal tool to promote your product or business is the blog, because it will bring great visibility to your website and, with it, to your business.
You can prepare a content plan and create articles that show the value that your products or services bring to your customers.
Remember that it is not about “selling” the technical benefits of your solution, but about what it, or your company, can do for your customers.
This way you will be able to show the benefits of your products, educate your visitors and create an incentive for them to come back for new content, and make your brand known and recognized.
With this you will be generating content for visitors at different levels of the conversion funnel, enhancing the possibility of getting conversions or leads.
Also, if you have created your website with wordpress, the blog is free, and all you have to do is spend some time.
3 – Social Networks
Social networks will bring a lot of visibility and virality to your business and your content.
For this reason they are a very useful tool to promote a product and create an interested community around your brand. And opening the profiles is free.
To take advantage of the effect, determine which social networks your clients use and open professional profiles on them. Think that some, like Youtube or Vimeo, practically allow you to create your own television channel. Create appropriate content for each type of network and the philosophy of each one of them, and remember that social networks work much better as a recommendation channel than as a sales channel. Therefore, it seeks to add value, entertain and educate and, from time to time, presents an offer or novelty that may be of interest.
To do this, you can use the comments and suggestions of your visitors as a source of inspiration and as a tool for detecting needs. And, of course, interact with your followers, answering their questions, thanking them for their comments, encouraging their contributions, etc.
The objective here is to create a community committed to your brand that serves as an amplifier of the benefits of your solutions.
4 – Advertising on the Display Network
If what you are looking for are possible customers interested in buying your products, you can carry out advertising campaigns in the Google Adwords search network (the ads that appear when you search for something).
The problem is that if you are in a sector where there is a lot of competition, and you are a newcomer, the price of your bids will have to be much higher than that of your competition.
In addition, you have the problem that you are a stranger, so it is very possible that netizens will ignore you.
To avoid this, you can start your first advertising campaigns in the Google Display network (those ads that usually appear on some websites) where, unlike in the search network, you will pay for the number of views and not for the number of clicks.
With them, the level of sales or conversions achieved will be much lower, but the price will be much lower (with quite a difference) and what you are going to achieve, segmenting them properly, is to appear on websites related to your theme and that your brand or your product becomes familiar to your potential customers.
5 – Advertising on Youtube
Similarly, ads on YouTube are quite cheap and the visibility they bring to your business can be very interesting.
Remember that YouTube is the second search engine after Google and you can create both text ads and promotional videos.
In addition, the virality of this channel is tremendous, so a well-conceived and executed video can have an incredible impact on you.
And you don’t need infinite budgets or large technical teams. A simple, original, useful and/or funny video can give you impressive visibility.
Once your brand is known is when you can start to consider boosting your ads on the Google search network.
Offline Promotion Actions
Of course, online actions are not the only ones that will give you visibility, although it is true that their potential reach is incredibly higher.
However, offline promotional actions will also give your business or brand a lot of visibility.
6 – Signage
Signage and stationery is essential to give visibility to your company, both in the immediate environment and in your business contacts.
Therefore, design your company image, logos, logos, colors, typography and create materials with them.
Business cards, letterhead and contact paper, envelopes, folders, etc., will help you give your business an image and it is more than affordable.
Remember to include your web address and email in all your signatures, and invite them to follow you on social networks.
In addition, the posters will help to publicize your business quickly and cheaply. For it:
Locate the usual routes and environments of your potential audience and place advertising for your business.
Of course, create an impressive window display or sign for your facade.
Think that you can make an adhesive vinyl and you can place it on your car or on a magnetic surface to put on and remove.
7 – Mailing / flyers
If your business is local, another way to promote it is to choose to mail and distribute flyers in your area.
It is cheap and in a short time allows you to reach a relatively wide area.
In this case, you have the advantage of knowing the target audience well, with which you can adjust the message very well.
Now, look for a good company to help you with this and if you want to distribute flyers on the street on your own, consult the local regulations first, because not all municipalities (or all countries) allow the distribution of flyers on the street.
8 – Meetings / Fairs
A classic of business promotion. Knowing someone who can open doors for you is an essential asset for any business. Therefore, do not hesitate to attend as many fairs and professional meetings as possible and where profiles of interest to your business are concentrated.
But I think that it is not about exchanging cards, but about meeting people. That you know what they need or are interested in and that they know what you can offer and do for them. The exchange of cards is only useful if there is follow-up and new real contacts afterwards.
9 – Word of mouth
Probably the best publicity of all that a business can have for its promotion. It is received by someone who is very interested in or in need of services or products like ours, the source is a person the potential client trusts and the experience with our business has been positive.
It is true that the scope is very limited, but the effectiveness is usually very high and, if we do it well, the new client will become a new prescriber.
10 – Press / Radio / Television
Yes, I know you’re going to think I’ve gone crazy, but remember that there are radio stations and local press where advertising can be quite cheap.
In addition, many of them may be open to possible collaborations to create programs or sections of interest to their public and in which you can contribute your knowledge.
