MARKETING BEST PRACTICE
marketing on a shoestring budget – FIVE TOP TIPS FOR SMALL BUSINESSES
t ’ s often said that “ the best things in life are free ” and this can also be true in
Ibusiness . Many small businesses feel they simply do not have the budgets or resources for marketing and this activity often falls to the owner manager – just one more thing on a long ‘ to do ’ list .
Dwayne Stewart , Communications Manager at InterTradeIreland , discusses how to start marketing on a shoestring budget to get your message heard and understood .
1 . Create truly meaningful information
You and your business are ‘ experts ’ in what you do so work out why you should be the ‘ voice of authority ’ in your space . Start with reviewing the business , analyse what your competitors are offering and plug the gaps . Create a list of USPs ( Unique Selling Points ) for your product or service and consider how one of your team may be the ‘ go to ’ person for that industry .
Then turn these into interesting content in should be bitesize chunks that your audiences can easily understand .
2 . Manage your online presence
Your website is often the ‘ face ’ of your business . Make sure it is visually appealing and user friendly . This will have an initial cost attached to it .
However , once up and running , populating your website is free . Ensure that your Blog is either on your website or links to it . Remember to track visitors through Google Analytics so you know what ’ s working , what ’ s not and react accordingly .
3 . Keep it social
Social Media channels can be great tools particularly Twitter , Facebook and Pinterest if you have a visually appealing product . New platforms such as Facebook Live and Periscope allow for live video streaming , great for events and product launches . Snapchat can be useful to specifically target and engage with younger audiences .
4 . Use your team and customers
Employees and customers can be your best ambassadors so let them tell your story in a ‘ human interest ’ way . Someone else being positive about your business says a lot more than you ever could .
It could be as simple as using your iPhone or Android device to video a customer testimonial and adding this to your website , blog or social media . Ask your customer to share it too , spreading the message even further .
5 . Enter Awards
There is a range of Business Awards out there ; from InterTradeIreland Seedcorn Awards and Northern Ireland Rising Stars ( businessfirstonline . co . uk / risingstars ) to CIM Marketing Excellence Awards and Northern Ireland Emerging Leaders 40 under 40 ( businessfirstonline . co . uk / 40under40 ). These are all free to enter and have many categories from which to choose .
How can InterTradeIreland help ?
If you are a microbusiness looking to identify crossborder markets and customers to win new business , 100 per cent funding for specialist consultancy support is available through Elevate .
The Trade Accelerator Voucher scheme provides small businesses with financial support towards professional advice in relation to crossborder trading and regulation , such as legal , accountancy , marketing and other business services .
The FREE Simple Guide to CrossBorder Business can help business owners with simple and practical advice on all aspects of crossborder trading .
If you would like more details on any of the InterTradeIreland export supports , including eligibility criteria and application details , . intertradeireland . com / salesgrowth .
58 www . businessfirstonline . co . uk