Small to medium enterprises (SMEs) often need to be creative and resourceful when it comes to advertising due to budget constraints. If you’re an SME searching for advertising alternatives, look no further. Our social media department wants to share with you some cost-effective advertising for small businesses right here in this blog. Here are some of our favourite marketing and advertising alternatives for your company:
Social Media Marketing
Although social media has paid options, you can do a lot for free. Thanks to algorithms, social media platforms are great at showing your customers your posts. Find out where your customers are and focus your efforts on a few channels. There’s no need to be on Instagram if your audience is only on LinkedIn. Create engaging content, run targeted ads (for a small cost), and use social media analytics to refine your approach.
Content Marketing
Develop high-quality, relevant content that educates, entertains, or informs your audience. This could be in the form of social media posts, blogs, videos, or resources such as e-books. Posting content in blog form makes for shareable posts for your social media channels.
Email Marketing
Another form of content marketing can be done via email. With 55% of consumers saying that email is their preferred digital channel of business communication, it’s important to keep your company name in their inbox. We recommend you build an email list over time of current and potential customers. This way, you can send them regular business updates, new products, and promotional offers. However, we would urge you to keep emails personal, after all, it goes a long way. Personalise your emails and use segmentation to target specific customer groups.
Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
A favourite among our marketers and web designers alike; SEO. Spend time optimising your website for search engines to improve its visibility. The more users see your page, the more trust they’ll build, and the more likely they’ll be to shop on it. Spend time regularly looking into your relevant keywords, create quality content, and build backlinks. This isn’t something that can be done once and left. We recommend frequently checking your and your competitor’s rankings.
Be Visible Locally
Local SEO is important, especially for an SME. Customers often want to keep business close to home. Therefore, our online advertising services Surrey team recommends you list your business on Google My Business. Once you’ve done this, encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. The more positive reviews your potential customers will see, the more likely they will trust you to help them!
Be Mobile
Our web designers know how important it is to optimise your website for mobile devices. If a customer can easily use your webpage regardless of whether they’re at a desk or on the move, they’re more likely to stay on it!
Give Away To Get Back
Everyone loves a giveaway. Our social media advertising Surrey team recommends running contests and giveaways to get your name seen. Encourage users to like and comment on one of your social media posts to gain some traction. The more engagement you get, the more the channel will share your post with others. Make sure you reply to everyone who engaged with your post. A little comment can go a long way!
Push the Boat Out
This one may cost a fraction more than the options we’ve previously spoken about, but it certainly packs a punch. Work with a marketing company to think outside the box with unconventional and attention-grabbing campaigns. Think street art, flash mobs, or other creative methods to create buzz.
Work With Others
Partnerships and collaborations are a win-win. Partner with other local businesses for joint promotions or events. If you’re a cafe, partner with a local run club and offer some refreshments at the end of their 5k. If you’re a gym, partner with the local massage company and trade gym space for 30-minute massages for members. Promote each other to expand your reach.
High-cost advertising certainly has its place, but there’s no reason why these options wouldn’t be a great starting point for a business! Combining several of these alternatives can create a well-rounded and effective marketing approach for SMEs.
Contact Us – Online Advertising Services Surrey
If you want to grow your business through different advertising techniques, we’re on hand to help. Our Account Managers will work one-on-one with you to find the perfect strategy. Email us at howdy@wearethunderbolt.com to speak to our advertising team today.