How to Acquire Customers on a $0 Marketing Budget
Many entrepreneurs are aware that to reach more customers and increase conversions, they need to market their business..
However, to get the money to create effective marketing campaigns, they need to get customers. Marketing a business can be a paradox. See the problem? Fortunately, there are plenty of cost-free ways to market your business. With the right tools and creative thinking, you can acquire customers on a $0 marketing budget by paying with your most valuable resource: your time. Here's how.
Use Social Media to Your Advantage
It's free to be on social media. Not only is it free, but it's one of the most effective ways to connect with customers and build a relationship. In fact, there are many businesses that forgo the traditional website setup and operate solely on social media for marketing purposes.
Get on your social network and start making connections. Publish original content and re-share that of others. Engage your audience by asking questions and starting conversations. There are plenty of free tools that can help you create an incredible social media marketing campaign. Some must-have social media tools include:
- Buffer - this social media scheduling tool has a robust platform with a free version that's ideal for marketers with no operating budget.
- Social Clout - use this tool to analyze what people are saying about your brand on social media.
- Best-hashtags.com - use this tool to generate the best hashtags relevant to your business.
Practicing smart social media habits sets up a foundation for scaling and growth when you have a marketing budget in place in the future.
Host Free Training Sessions and Webinars
Hosting free information sessions and webinars relevant to your offering is a great tactic for both digital and traditional marketing. Find community rooms that you can reserve for a nominal fee or free and host a free training event. Alternatively, you can reach out to your local chamber of commerce and offer to host one on their behalf.
Online, there are a variety of ways to host training sessions. Post your information on YouTube or use Facebook live streaming.
You'll want to have access to your videos to repurpose into other content later (which is another free way to market your business). Set up a free Zoom account to broadcast yourself across various channels while retaining a copy of your video to use later.
Go Google
When in doubt, Google it. In this case, you aren't searching for answers, you're using the free Google software that's available to everyone. G Suite offers a variety of cloud-based business tools, such as Sheets, Docs, Slides, and Drive.
In addition to the basic office tools that Google makes readily available, there are also powerful analytic tools that can help you drive your business forward. Furthermore, the Google My Business page can help you promote your business and collect valuable reviews. For more information on using these tools, check out this great article from The Boost Apps.
Learn how to track your website ranking on Google search result pages.
Create Compelling Content
It's not enough to have a presence online; you need to be interesting and engaging. You can accomplish this by creating compelling content. Write blog posts for your business website and look for unpaid guest posting opportunities to get your name out there and create high-value backlinks to your site.
HARO (Help a Reporter Out) is a free tool in which you offer your expertise to another publication and get quoted or backlinked in return. Not only does this feature cost you nothing, but it also positions you as an expert in your industry.
Creating shareable social media content is also essential for success. Canva is a robust graphic creation tool that you can use to create social media posts, interactive content, and even printable marketing materials. While Canva does have premium content and a paid pro-version, the free version is sufficient for most business marketing needs.
Create Cross-Promotion Partnerships
There are likely plenty of complementary businesses in your community (local or global) that would be happy to boost their promotional capacity with a partnership. For example, if you own a gym, you could reach out to a local nutrition coach and sports doctor to create a promotion agreement. How you approach this partnership is up to you. You could create a referral network that offers a kickback to the referring business, or keep things money-free.
As you can see, there are plenty of options for marketing your business on a $0 budget. Try using one of these strategies to start generating more converting leads, while boosting your income!
If you enjoyed this Mod, you might like to read more about these 6 important tips for getting more traffic on your blog posts in 2020! Please share this Mod using the social links below. Any questions or comments? Let us know on Twitter!
Wendy Dessler
Wendy Dessler is a super-connector who helps businesses find their audience online through outreach, partnerships, and networking. She frequently writes about the latest advancements in digital marketing and focuses her efforts on developing customized blogger outreach plans depending on the industry and competition.
