10 Budget Friendly Hacks for Marketing
Let’s talk Marketing…
Marketing has always seemed like an ambiguous field of work. Telling people you work in marketing often seems to elicit responses of confusion, curiosity or amusement depending on their thoughts on the topic. But, what many people fail to recognize is that marketing has existed in some shape or form for most of human history, evolving over the centuries and shaped by societal and technological changes.
During the era of barter and trade, long before the existence of money, “word of mouth” was the only marketing tool employed to spread the news of bartered goods and services. One’s reputation was everything.
Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press in 1440 brought about the Printing Revolution and lead to the first forms of advertising: printed flyers and newspapers. By the 1700’s everything from medicine to lost pets were advertised in newspapers. Mass production during the Industrial Revolution led to a need for mass marketing. Branding was popularized in an effort to persuade the public that their product was superior to all others, using logos, slogans and pretty packaging to stand out.
By the 1950’s, marketing became a science, with research-driven campaigns, psychological tactics, and emotional storytelling driving advertising television and the radio. The internet gave birth to email marketing, websites, and online ads, with search engines like Google revolutionizing search engine optimization.
Today, social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok make marketing interactive and more personal to one’s target audience. Influencer marketing has become a key strategy in getting and keeping the public’s attention. AI & Data Driven marketing now have the potential to personalize ads even further as we continue to see the development of machine learning.
But what does that mean for small businesses trying to market themselves in a seemingly oversaturated market, where everyone is trying to sell you something? Not everyone has a multi-million dollar advertising budget to lean on when trying to promote the goods or services they provide. Here are 10 budget friendly hacks to marketing your business today!
1️⃣ Content is King, Consistency is Queen! – Post regularly on social media with valuable content to keep your audience engaged. Create a social media plan and stick to it!
2️⃣ Go Live & Thrive! – Use Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok Live to connect with followers in real time—no fancy equipment needed! Bear in mind, most social media platforms require a certain number of followers to be able to go live, so be sure to keep up with tip one to get there!
3️⃣ Collab & Conquer! – Partner with fellow small businesses for shoutouts, giveaways, or bundled deals to expand your reach. In the words of Helen Keller, “Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.”
4️⃣ Hashtag Hustle! – Use trending and niche hashtags to get discovered by the right audience without spending a dime. Keep track of the hashtags that go viral and make it your own “for you page”.
5️⃣ DIY Designs That Pop! – Use free tools like Canva or Kittl to create eye-catching graphics and marketing materials like a pro.
6️⃣ Email = Goldmine! – Build an email list and send out exclusive deals, updates, and valuable content to keep customers coming back.
7️⃣ UGC is Your BFF! – Encourage customers to share photos using your products or services and feature them on your pages!
8️⃣ Google My Business = Free Visibility! – Claim and optimize your Google Business profile to show up in local searches for free.
9️⃣ Recycle & Repurpose! – Turn one piece of content into multiple (e.g., a blog post into social media snippets, a video into a reel). Kill two birds with one stone!
🔟 The Power of the Ask! – Don’t be shy! Ask happy customers for reviews, referrals, and social media shares to spread the word. The worst they can do is say no!
We hope these tips empower you to take control of your businesses image and become a pioneer in the ever evolving field of marketing!
