How To Market Your Business On A Budget

How To Market Your Business On A Budget

With any small business, marketing is important. However, most business owners choose to invest less in marketing in favor of other areas. While you should always allot a portion of your budget to marketing, there are tactics you can utilize to lower the costs.

Digital marketing is where many small business owners turn when it comes to marketing. See what you can leverage to market your business on a budget.

Speaking of budget, you can choose exactly how much to spend with CraftJack. Give us a call at 866-456-6977 to receive new home remodeling leads for less than you think!

Create A Marketing Plan

Before you spend any money, you should know where you’ll be spending it first. By creating a marketing plan, you can outline what marketing efforts are best for your business and what goals you hope to achieve. This way, you know you’re only investing money in marketing that works.

A part of your marketing plan should be your budget. Research your chosen tactics and see what the average spend is and how much you’re willing to allot to that out of your overall company budget. Break it down by tactic so you can see exactly where your money is going.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is a great way to reach both potential and previous customers to tell them about your services. Most email marketing services, such as Constant Contact or MailChimp, offer a low-cost option that’s perfect for small businesses.

If you do go with email, always ask before adding someone’s email to your subscription list, as you don’t want to annoy them with unwanted email. You can include a sign-up form on your website or social media to help grow your list.

Create A Marketing Plan

Social Media Marketing

Nowadays, most businesses, both large and small, are connecting with customers on social media. At the very basic level, it’s a free way to advertise, talk about your business and bring more awareness to your brand. However, if you really want to boost your social media marketing, you may want to consider advertising a post or your page for a certain amount of time, based on your budget.

Network In Your Community

If you’re looking to connect with local homeowners, try networking with other local businesses in your community. Leave business cards at local coffee shops or community bulletin boards. A service project within your community can be a great way to show your expertise, while connecting with others and helping a local cause. You never know when you’ll make a connection in your area, so always carry business cards on you.

More than anything, the costs of community networking is more time rather than money. Though, you may want to invest in a business card that’s well done so you’re prepared to impress others!

Leave-Behind Materials

While reaching your customer digitally is a must, there are still the tried-and-true methods of traditional marketing. Items like pens, brochures and fliers can be a reminder of your business whenever a customer sees or uses the item. Of course, much of the cost here depends on the item you choose to personalize with your branding. Pens and magnets can cost more than a simple flier, but are more likely to stick around longer. Consider what leave-behind materials might be right for your business and create your marketing budget accordingly.

Email Marketing

Share Advice

As the saying goes, the best things in life are free. As such, sharing advice with a potential customer is not free for them but it helps to market your business for free as well. Sharing advice with others can be done in person or online and helps benefit your company by showing your expertise in the subject. While you don’t have to give away all your tips and tricks, a contractor who’s willing to be helpful is more likely to be hired by a new customer.

Look for groups on social media or online message boards. You can find many DIYers there looking for help, but also homeowners directly looking for pros. Share your advice but keep an eye out for a potential lead.

Referral Incentives

Word of mouth is ideal when it comes to finding new leads. However, you certainly must rely on previous customers for that style of marketing and hope they follow through. Offering an incentive for referrals can be a great way to boost business. Consider giving a discount to repeat customers who refer you to another homeowner. This makes it easy to fit in a tight marketing budget, as you won’t be paying for any additional materials.

As you may already know, reviews are helpful for all contractors. Never be afraid to ask for reviews and direct customers to where they can leave them. You may also want to provide an incentive for satisfied customers who leave you a review.

Conclusion

You don’t have to spend millions to make your marketing worth it. Create a budget based on the marketing tactics you think will work best for your business and measure how successful they are. Planning ahead is key to spending your money wisely. Get creative and try a few of these tactics for the best ROI!

Looking for an easier marketing tactic? Try CraftJack where we can send you leads and never go over your desired budget. Give us a call at 866-456-6977 to get started today!