Generating sales is a challenge when brand and product awareness is low. This is a problem that most small businesses face as they don't have the marketing budget that more established brands have. This does not mean that small businesses shouldn't focus on marketing at all, they just have to be smarter about it.
Here are seven low cost marketing tactics that will help generate exposure and awareness for your brand,
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
Search engines like Google are often the first stop for people looking for pretty much anything, whether it be products or information. As such, it is essential for your website to be present on search results when people are looking for related products or services. SEO allows you to optimise your website content to make it more discoverable by placing higher on relevant search result pages. To learn a bit more about SEO, read this article on the basics of SEO.
Social Media
It is as important to have a social media profile as it is to have a website. It makes your brand more credible and facilitates conversation. The most powerful aspect of social media is the ease of sharing content and accessing communities. So, when you build out your social media profile, think about who your customers are, what kind of content they consume, and where they are likely to be (e.g. Facebook groups). By being present in the right places and creating the right content, you will start building a following. This following can translate into direct sales or generate greater awareness through the power of sharing.
Influencers
Influencer marketing is big business. There are a large number of influencers and influencer wannabes in the social media world. Brand sponsorship is one of the main streams of income for influencers, and it costs a fair bit to engage established influencers. However, there are lower tier influencers or 'micro influencers' who are everyday people with anywhere between 5,000 - 15,000 followers. These are great people to reach out to for "free" product reviews. I say "free" as payment wouldn't necessarily be in cash, but in the form of your product or service that you provide them at no cost. They are not obliged to review your product, but if they do, your brand reaches a captive audience who might make a purchase.
Contests
Running a contest is a great tactic to latch on to your social media and influencer strategy. By adding elements like tagging people or sharing the post as part of your contest mechanics, you are able to tap into multiple networks of people, increasing your reach and awareness. The level of participation is often dependent on the prize itself. The more exciting the prize, the more participation you will receive.
Referral Program
A great tactic that a number of successful brands have used to establish themselves is the referral program (e.g. Gmail, ING Bank). The referral model of marketing works on rewarding your customers for referring your product or service to a friend. You don't have to reward them unless their referral results in a desired outcome such as a sale or registration. The reward could take many forms (e.g. discount on next purchase, cashback, gift voucher, free accessories etc.). This is an effective way to generate sales while building brand awareness.
Press Release
Firstly, ditch the traditional view of a formal press release that goes through established news publishers. The fact is, there are more independent content producers today than ever before and not all of them require payment for a space on their website. Quite often independent publishers will be willing to help if your story is exciting enough to generate more website visitors for them. Keep your write up interesting and newsworthy. It should serve to educate and entertain, not be a product listing. For example, if you are selling blue light filtering glasses, your article might be about eye health and care as opposed to being about the glasses and its specifications.
Email List
It is absolutely crucial for brands to stay in communication with their customers. They have invested in you once before, and if you play your cards right (with great customer service), you can turn them into loyal customer. Collecting their email address offers you an avenue to keep in touch with future offers without being too intrusive. This is also a great avenue to share about referral programs, contests, and future sales.
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