Common Misconception - Marketing is Expensive (It Doesn"t Have To Be!) Part 1
A common misconception that I hear from people when I ask why they aren't marketing enough is "It's too expensive" or "It takes too much time". Although many marketing strategies do cost an arm and a leg with little return, it doesn't have to be expensive or time consuming. You just need to know which strategies to adopt and which to throw away. In this post, I will give you a few ways that you can market not just cheaply, but without too much time being invested as well. Read on!
Social Networking
The first way would be social networking. It doesn't have to take a long time, but many people who start tweeting or start a Facebook page tend to end up spending a fair amount of time on it, but only because they have realised the benefit of these sites. It will take a bit of time to set up your profile or page, and to get some followers or fans, but once you are all set up, you only need to take 30 seconds out every now and again to post a link or to share a joke.
The idea of social networking is to build relationships with prospective customers and to direct traffic to somewhere on the web you want them to go. It may be your website, your blog, or just a news story you think people may find of interest.
Bonus Tip: Don't try and sell directly on social networks, just build relationships and redirect them to websites. Your website should do the selling for you. Have a look under the category 'Social Networking'; there are lots of tips and tricks, depending on which site you use.
Email Marketing
When someone comes into your store or office, get their email address. Email addresses are worth a lot more than most people think. If you have a website, also include a sign-up form where you can catch email addresses. Once you have a sufficient amount of addresses, start sending emails to them. Try and add some value to the customers life, either by giving them some tips related to what you do, or maybe 10% off a purchase just for reading the email. Email marketing is an extremely strong form of marketing, and is also very, very cheap!
Bonus Tip: Make the emails personal. Email marketing takes up a fair amount of time, but it really is worth the investment. For tips on email marketing, have a look in the 'Emails' category.
Article Marketing
This takes up a bit of time as well, but is worth it. Maybe won't create as high a return as email marketing, but it will definitely provide a good return. The idea is that you write articles related to your industry. You then include a link at the bottom of the article, and anyone who enjoyed reading your post will click your link to try and find more. Article Directories get a lot of traffic themselves, usually from people who are designing an e-newsletter and are stuck for content. The Article Directory I use, Ezine Articles, has millions of active monthly users! So get on there, write an article, and reap the benefits! Bonus Tip: Position yourself as an expert
I hope that this post was of help, and please feel free to leave me a comment with any feedback or questions.
Social Networking
The first way would be social networking. It doesn't have to take a long time, but many people who start tweeting or start a Facebook page tend to end up spending a fair amount of time on it, but only because they have realised the benefit of these sites. It will take a bit of time to set up your profile or page, and to get some followers or fans, but once you are all set up, you only need to take 30 seconds out every now and again to post a link or to share a joke.
The idea of social networking is to build relationships with prospective customers and to direct traffic to somewhere on the web you want them to go. It may be your website, your blog, or just a news story you think people may find of interest.
Bonus Tip: Don't try and sell directly on social networks, just build relationships and redirect them to websites. Your website should do the selling for you. Have a look under the category 'Social Networking'; there are lots of tips and tricks, depending on which site you use.
Email Marketing
When someone comes into your store or office, get their email address. Email addresses are worth a lot more than most people think. If you have a website, also include a sign-up form where you can catch email addresses. Once you have a sufficient amount of addresses, start sending emails to them. Try and add some value to the customers life, either by giving them some tips related to what you do, or maybe 10% off a purchase just for reading the email. Email marketing is an extremely strong form of marketing, and is also very, very cheap!
Bonus Tip: Make the emails personal. Email marketing takes up a fair amount of time, but it really is worth the investment. For tips on email marketing, have a look in the 'Emails' category.
Article Marketing
This takes up a bit of time as well, but is worth it. Maybe won't create as high a return as email marketing, but it will definitely provide a good return. The idea is that you write articles related to your industry. You then include a link at the bottom of the article, and anyone who enjoyed reading your post will click your link to try and find more. Article Directories get a lot of traffic themselves, usually from people who are designing an e-newsletter and are stuck for content. The Article Directory I use, Ezine Articles, has millions of active monthly users! So get on there, write an article, and reap the benefits! Bonus Tip: Position yourself as an expert
I hope that this post was of help, and please feel free to leave me a comment with any feedback or questions.