There are a few options when you don’t have a huge marketing budget for your small business. Where is the best place to put your money? You worked hard for it, and it should be spent wisely. I’ll give you some of the secrets I use to marketing for companies. The only difference in the plans between a large corporation and a small business is the budget. Ya, really, just the budget.
You can spend 25-100 dollars a month on ads and make money when you do it right. I’ll tell you how to do it and what to avoid. Let’s go!
What are the business stats when running marketing/budgets for those small businesses?
The recommended amount from marketing companies that small businesses should spend on marketing is between 7-8% of their gross revenue, and most actually spend 3-5 percent of their total budget.
You Make $100, and it looks like most people are spending $3-$5, and people recommend $7-$8.
I recommend and higher amount of 15 % because you don’t want to have a small budget for marketing forever. You want severe growth and can’t grow doing what everyone else does.
The stats
- Nine out of ten business owners believe that having a website is the most effective digital marketing strategy.
- Social media has a significant impact on businesses and consumers alike. According to recent statistics, 41% of local businesses depend on social media platforms to generate revenue, while 74% of consumers rely on social media to guide purchasing decisions.
- Before 60% of consumers choose a product, they first research it using a search engine.
- Nearly half of businesses invest less than $10,000 annually on digital marketing.
- 47% of all small business owners handle marketing by themselves.
- Almost half of the small businesses spend less than two hours weekly on marketing efforts.
This tells me that everyone wants growth but lacks the cash flow to do it, and your customers are online looking for and searching for your product/service.
You may not have a budget or don’t believe in your product/ service enough to invest heavily in it.
So this is what you can do to use a small budget to get the results you want.
The first step in Using a small budget to grow
Know your target market. I’ve written a detailed way to find your target market that you can find here, but I will briefly touch on it now. You don’t have much money to spend on ads or marketing, so you better ensure it gets in front of the right person.
It’s important to know who your target market is because it will affect everything you do from here on out.
Whos your target market
- Customers who don’t need much information to purchase your product or services. They look at it and say this is for me!
- Look at past customers, is there a trend?
- Age group
- Where do they live ( small budget, you can’t go nationwide, you have to have it be a city or even a region in that city)
Have questions? You should go here to find a detailed way to find your target market before you continue.
Create your Offer for your Market
Now that you know your target market, it’s time to create an offer for your product or service.
An offer is a way to entice people to buy from you by offering them something special. It does not need to be discounted or given away to get a customer. It needs to be unique and speak to your customer. You don’t have to discount. You need to make the perceived value be higher than the cost.
If I were to market this page to you, it would be
Example:
How you can grow your business while not wasting your budget.
How to market your business while spending only 2 hours a week.
Ways to get more customers out of your website by doing it yourself.
It’s the double effect. You Get something, and you also get something else, making the value justified. The more expensive the product/ service, the more you will have to tell the customer what they will get.
Product Example:
Running shoes that are light and comfortable without breaking the bank.
This bed will support your body while keeping it cool at night.
Dog treats that keep your dog’s breath smelling fresh, and your pet will love it.
Pet treats that your dog will love and freshen their breath.
Service-Related examples:
Get everything out of your divorce while making it seem like your ex is winning.
Lose weight and get it done under 30 minutes.
Windshield repair that is quick, and we come to you!
Nothing about those offers said anything about a discount, but you see them all the time and do buy and use a service based on getting more for what you paid for.
Where to market on a small budget
For everyone who has a small budget, I always recommend Facebook and Google Ads but don’t follow any recommendations these platforms make. They want you to send money and will try to increase your budget or use it up very quickly.
Be very targeted in the keywords you choose. If you have 50-100 bucks, pick only 2 keywords based on what people search for. If you have a service, do the same but for the business directory. For Facebook, I would just pick the main topics that your target market is interested in and stick with that
Now let’s create a landing page based on that market and offer.
You should focus on the customer every step of the way, even here.
You get to put all your content to convince them that this will be a great product and service.
What I suggest is to start with a headline that speaks directly to the offer you have presented earlier.
For example, if we were selling running shoes for people on a budget, we could have something like:
“Lightweight & Comfortable Running Shoes at an Affordable Price”.
The rest of the landing page should be focused on talking about why they should buy this product. It’s not just an ad, it’s a story that will make them choose you over the competition.
You can also include things like customer reviews and testimonials that have already purchased your product or service. That way, potential customers can see what other people are saying about it. Answer any questions one may have when reviewing the product. This page should have everything a customer needs to make a purchase decision.
A service-related would be why are you qualified to do the work?
What is your process? How are you different from any other business in the area?
For example
Windshield repair travels but is more expensive than other services.
Windshield Replacement, We Come to You While You Work Guaranteed Craftsmanship.
Finally, wrap it up with a CTA (Call to Action). This will encourage visitors to take the next step and buy your product or service. Make sure your CTA button stands out and has a clear call to action. Call Now, Shop Now, Learn More, I want It, Find Out How, etc…
Now it’s time to put it all together and let it rip. You will need to change your message if it’s not working quite the way you want. Remember that you need to have everything targeted for your ideal customer. Let them decide what works and what doesn’t.
If you need guidance or assistance, I’m more than willing to offer a quick suggestion over the phone. Alternatively, we can talk about having us do it for you if that works better for your needs. In either case, my aim is to help out in any way possible!
Don’t have money to market.
Marketing your business with a small budget can be challenging, but it is still possible to effectively promote your company and reach potential customers. Here are a few strategies you can consider:
- Utilize social media: Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are great places to reach potential customers, and they can be accessed for free or at a low cost. By creating a strong social media presence, you can showcase your products or services and engage with your target audience.
- Collaborate with other businesses: Partnering with other businesses or influencers in your industry can help you reach a larger audience without incurring significant marketing costs. For example, you could offer to cross-promote each other’s products or services, or collaborate on a joint marketing campaign.
- Utilize content marketing: Creating and sharing valuable, informative, and engaging content (such as blog posts, infographics, and videos) can help you attract and retain customers. By regularly publishing content that addresses your target audience’s needs and interests, you can establish your business as an authority in your industry and drive traffic to your website.
- Participate in local events: Attending local events or sponsoring community activities can help you connect with potential customers in your area and raise awareness about your business.
- Utilize email marketing: Email marketing allows you to send targeted, personalized messages to a list of subscribers. By creating engaging and relevant emails, you can nurture relationships with potential and current customers and drive sales.
Remember, its all about your customer.
Leave a comment with your thoughts and happy marketing.
Who Am I
Caleb Grant
CEO/Founder
Caleb Grant is the founder of Blanc Ideas, a digital marketing firm founded in 2015.
I’ve been helping businesses nationwide grow from start-up companies to $10,000 a month to 2.5 million a year. Using my experiences of being deeply involved with various companies over the last seven years and running 3 of my businesses using the same techniques.
E-commerce Marketing 101 Guide For Getting More Sales
Marketing 101, the very basics of marketing and how the basics will move your store toward greater success and increase your product sales. Marketing plans fail when they forget the basics.Most people obsess over the tools they use to help them with e-commerce...
How Ecommerce Copywriting Services Can Help Your Business Grow
Are you seeking ways to increase sales and expand your eCommerce business? Look no further than copywriting services. In today's competitive marketplace, standing out from the competition requires more than just offering quality products – it requires delivering...
What is a full-service eCommerce Solutions Agency?
Table Of Contents What is a full-service eCommerce Solutions Agency?What are the benefits?What are the Cons?Should You Hire An Ecommerce Agency?A full-service eCommerce solutions agency is an organization that provides comprehensive services and products designed to...