91. Develop An App
Mobile applications are becoming increasingly popular at the moment, and having a small application that could be available to download on certain mobile phones is not out of reach for businesses. An application may provide customers with updated product info, news feeds for the business or it could simply be a tool such as a quantity calculator to market and be useful to those who download the software.
92. Corporate Gifts
Gifts given to customers as a thank you for their continued business can be a low-cost form of marketing which will strengthen brand loyalty and promote the positive image that the customer has of the company, as they feel rewarded for choosing to bring their business to your establishment.
93. Product Samples
Giving product samples to customers is a smart form of marketing at a low-cost as the quantity of the product is negligible, but the customer gets to experience the product nonetheless. This works especially well with regards to new product launches and when trying to convince customers to use a certain product.
94. Research New Techniques And Marketing Tools Often
The world of marketing changes often and with Web 2.0 and social networking becoming increasingly more important in terms of low-cost solutions for marketing a business, it is crucial to keep abreast of the major changes and improvements in the industry.
95. Make Time For The Complaints And Compliments Of Customers
Show your customers that you are the type of business that appreciates feedback, whether positive or negative and you respond to complaints within a reasonable amount of time.
96. Moderate Social Networking Sites Thoroughly
Having a social networking and online presence is key to modern marketing, but it is equally important to make sure that comments, feedback and your own content reflects the values of the brand and nothing which can damage the business is posted or left to be read by customers or other users of social networks.
97. Present Yourself And Your Staff Well
A well-presented person gives a good impression to potential customers, and this is important when decisions are being made and clients are shopping around for the right product or service. Make sure the people who run your business present themselves in a manner which will improve the image of the business.
98. Develop A Digital Product Catalogue
Having a catalogue of your products displayed in a digital file means that it can easily be sent via email, downloaded from your website or burnt onto CD to give customers or send to potential partners. This is a useful way of marketing your abilities as a business in a cost effective way.
99. Exchange Business Cards At Trade Shows
Another low-cost and effective marketing activity would be to make your ways to important trade shows and pass your business card out to potential customers, competition and suppliers, while collecting some of their details for your benefit. A strong network of contacts is always a useful tool.
100. Promote An Open And Idea-Sharing Environment
Some bosses are afraid to let their employees come forward with their ideas for marketing and ways to help the business improve and grow, but this also gets rid of the creative juices that a business needs to run on. Let your employees become more entwined in the business by providing ideas for marketing and who knows, perhaps some of those ideas may work wonders for your business.
101. Read Through This List Once Again
This didn’t cost you anything, but it is packed with low-cost marketing ideas to help your business in improving sales, increasing exposure and growing ever bigger and more profitable. Read through the list again and see how many of the ideas you could apply to your business.
Article Written by Peter Pedroncelli for Business Owl
References:
Books
The Referral Engine: Teaching Your Business to Market Itself, John Jantsch. Portfolio: 2010
The Marketing Gurus: Lessons from the Best Marketing Books of All Time, Chris Murray. Portofolio: 2006.
The Zen of Social Media Marketing: An Easier Way to Build Credibility, Generate Buzz, and Increase Revenue, Shama Kabani. BenBella Books: 2010.
Word of Mouth Marketing: How Smart Companies Get People Talking, Revised Edition, Andy Sernovitz. Kaplan Press: 2009.
Journal
Journal of Marketing Research, Print ISSN: 0022-2437 – November 2010 Issue.
Online
Internet Marketing In The Modern Age: Shristy Chandran, Oct 2010
