6 Low-Cost Marketing Strategies That Still Work In 2022
Whether big or small, every business must promote its offerings to attract customers and boost sales revenue. Companies can use different marketing strategies to reach their target audiences. They range from conventional paid media ads and banners to digital marketing, including online advertising and content marketing.
Running massive marketing campaigns can be a challenge for small businesses and start-ups that operate with limited budgets. Fortunately, there are low-cost marketing strategies that such companies can leverage to create brand awareness and achieve similar results.
If you’re wondering which low-cost marketing strategies would work for your business in 2022, here’s are five of them:
- Guerilla Marketing
A highly effective but low-cost marketing strategy that will still work in 2022 is guerilla marketing. The advantage of this strategy is that there are different ways to execute unconventional ideas, along with your message, that can fit every budget. You may use eye-catching graffiti and large-print stickers, flash mobs & publicity stunts, and quirky posters and signages. You can also opt to get custom metal signs today that can be displayed in both the interior and exterior parts of the store. Guerilla marketing rides on creativity and is affordable and straightforward when localized.
Small businesses can place ads on any space where potential customers can view them, including sidewalks, building walls, vehicles, parking lots, and many others.
When you do guerilla marketing, ensure that the messages and images focus on the products or services you’re selling, not just the name of your business.
- Google Business Listing
Another effective, low-cost marketing strategy that still works in 2022 is Google Business Listing. If you’re running a local business, creating a Google Business profile is an effective way of enhancing the visibility of your business to potential customers who conduct local searches online.
Listing your business on Google for Business is completely free. Implementing this strategy ensures your business gets featured on Google Maps and the knowledge panel and local sections for branded searches. When creating your business profile, optimize it for search engines to rank highly on local results or Google Maps.
- Referral Programs
In 2022, referral marketing will remain an effective but budget-friendly marketing strategy for small businesses. Through referral marketing, companies can leverage current customers’ trust to expand their customer base. Essentially, referral programs thrive on word-of-mouth, where existing customers talk to social contacts about your products or services and refer them to you.
There are great ways small businesses can encourage existing customers to refer customers to you. For example, you can offer current customers a reward like a free product or month of service after they refer to new clients.
- Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Local SEO will work well for businesses targeting specific locations in 2022. The cost of implementing a local SEO strategy is meager. However, small businesses with minimal marketing budgets that choose to use this strategy should start early and work on it consistently to achieve desired results.
In their local SEO strategy, businesses can add location-based keywords to their website pages and content body, headings, and titles. Further, companies should ensure they’re listed on local online platforms and publish blogs or web pages specific to the locations they serve.
- Social Media Contests
Most people spend significant time on social media in today’s digital world. This makes social media engagement an effective marketing strategy in 2022. Running social contests and giveaways allows businesses to market their offerings without spending hefty amounts.
The only cost they incur is acquiring prizes for the contest or product offers for most companies. But even with these expenses, the number of people they reach and the leads they generate is worth the money.
Some simple but highly effective contest ideas include requiring people to like, tag, or follow your business and asking followers to tag other people with your post. This helps get your brand out and introduces potential customers to your product or service offerings.
- Convert Staff Into Brand Ambassadors
Another low-cost marketing strategy that small businesses can use in 2022 is converting employees into brand ambassadors. As ambassadors of a company, employees can use word-of-mouth to spread the word about its offerings, increasing sales.
Small businesses can turn their staff into ambassadors by encouraging them to talk to their social networks about the company and treating them well.
Small enterprises may also leverage social media to run exclusive discount events for friends and family. They can create events on platforms like Facebook for Business and ask their staff to share the invitation with their professional and personal contacts.
Final Thoughts
Marketing is an essential function for any business, irrespective of size. However, mounting massive marketing campaigns can be challenging for small businesses. If you run a small business and are constrained by resourcing, applying the six low-cost marketing strategies above can help you get the word about your enterprise in 2022.
