Managing a company that’s just starting out can be intimidating. Oftentimes, you’re the owner, marketing manager, manufacturer, and business development team of your company, and it can clearly be daunting to see corporations shelling out millions of dollars for their marketing campaigns.
However, marketing doesn’t have to be costly, especially when you’re starting out your own business. Here are 6 affordable ways to increase brand exposure for your business that will surely get your name out there!
1.Give Out Promotional Products
Promotional products are almost always good to have for every company starting out. These giveaways get consumers curious about your products and your brand, and eventually turn to customers. Consumers should remember your brand each time they use your products.
Functional promotional products tend to work better than decorative ones. Be careful when choosing your giveaway items as faulty products may have a negative impact on your brand, making it look cheap and faulty. Go for staples like memo pads, water bottles, and items related to your brand for the best results!
2.Create a Community
If you’ve ever lived in an apartment community or condominium, you might have had to join a group chat with some of the residents in your building. This is typically done to create a community channel where residents may voice out their complaints or feedback regarding building matters to the management.
Similarly, businesses are taking to online chat forums and messaging apps to create communities where their consumers can freely streamline feedback channels to the management. Discord is a popular community messaging platform where some startups create managed groups where their consumers can engage in conversation as a community.
3.Head Online for a Social Media Presence
Bring your business to the digital age by creating and maintaining a social media presence. Maintaining a good reputation online is a difficult task, and the wrong image can immediately cause your business to falter. The main rule is to be respectful when engaging with potential consumers online.
A social media presence will help your brand reach out to a wider audience without the high costs of advertising on national television or on the radio. Create content that resonates with your audience, and stay consistent with your branding. It may take a while, but you’ll be able to establish a community this way.
4.Avail of Online Advertising Space
The majority of your consumers spend their time online. Social media engagements are at an all time high, particularly after the pandemic sent the world into lock down. People generally look to the virtual space for information. Utilize the sponsored ads in social media and search engines to bring your brand to your consumers!
Online advertising space is much less costly than billboards or TV ads, but they may not be as effective. To make the most out of these advertisements, brands often seek out the most creative content they could muster. Still, online advertising is a great stepping stone to get your name out there, and you’re sure to be seen by your target audience.
5.Collaborate with Local Brands
Collaborating with brands of similar values will help boost both your brand, and your partners’. Pulling your resources together will help you build bigger campaigns, and reach a wider variety of audience as you combine your markets. This is one great way of tapping into a market demographic that you have difficulty making into!
Go for local brands and artists that you can have a beneficial partnership with. Lay down the terms and conditions before starting your collaboration, and always remember to be respectful of each other’s businesses. When done right, a collaboration will have long-term effects to your business, bringing in a whole new demographic to your brand.
6.Give Your Packaging a Human Touch
You don’t need expensive, laminated print stickers, professionally-designed cloth bags, or thick wooden boxes. Sometimes, all you need is a touch of personalization to your packaging to create a quaint design on your box, bag, or card. Handwrite your thank you notes instead of buying generic stickers, or use a stamp to personalize your paper bags with your logo.
By presenting your product in rustic packaging, you are putting a part of yourself into each product you ship out. This is best done for small-scale businesses like craft and sticker stores, home bakeries, and cafes where the baristas may have the time to personalize your packaging on the spot!
