8 Ways to Promote your Business on a Budget
Proven story-lines you can benefit from, to create content for your business on a budget.
Good content starts with the right idea that fits you brand. It takes time, creativity and if done right, you can engage your audience without spending millions on advertising.
1. Turn your product or service into an attraction
Turning your product or service into an attraction can be a great way to promote your business and there are many avenues to do so.
The Build a Bear workshops use an interactive process in which the stuffed animal of choice is assembled and tailored to the customers own preferences during their visit to the store, creating excitement around the product.
Makers and Artisans often promote by giving potential customers a behind the scenes look at their work or by taking it a step further with a workshop, teaching the customer a skill and allowing them to take the product home.
The product and especially the process of making it, are the attraction that sells in this case.
2. Give something away for free
Everyone loves free stuff and gifting can be a good way to promote your business if done right. Whether you organize a giveaway or give your product or service for free to influencers or well-known people, be strategic.
Do your research
If they are in your target it doesn’t necessarily mean their audience is as well.
Sending your product or inviting a local businesswoman, well known in the area, might get you more traction than an influencer, whose following doesn’t fit.
3. Create content based on transformation
Think about transformation as is relates to your business and frame it into a story.
Transformation attracts and fascinates, making it an excellent tool to promote with creative content.
Adult beginner piano is a Youtube video about a woman learning to play the piano as an adult over a period of seven months. The video has reached over a million views
Every transformation from makeovers, to learning the piano, to the one you can tell about your business reveals at its heart a story.
The transformation could also be a much longer process.
Cosmetic brands use makeovers to showcase the transformative powers of their products and similar can be said for the before and after images often used in the beauty industry.
4. Do the impossible
Doing a triathlon, entering the Guinness Book of Records, doing the impossible or seemingly impossible, will certainly attract an audience.
From baking the UKs largest cupcake to breaking a world record connected to your business or location, you don’t have to necessarily succeed in your impossible task to get people engaged
So what might be the impossible that you can use to create content that attracts your audience?
5. Do the unexpected
People love the surprised and the unexpected, and the guy giving away free hugs in the street to be seen by millions on YouTube, is just one of the many examples.
The unexpected goes against the boring everyday stuff, and as such is a powerful tool to make your business stand out.
Recently a video about a hopscotch game on the street did exactly that, promoting data services by measuring how many people walking by, would play and start jumping.
Breaking the norm works best if you evaluate the expectations that come with a certain location or scenario and you need to think of a creative way to shatter them.
6. Do something fast
Vogues 73 questions are a popular example of content based on virtuosity.
Filmed in a single shot, celebrities are challenged to answer 73 rapid-fire questions.
Think of something specific and build a challenge around it, could be something you do everyday that can be done fast. A bit like regular dating and speed dating…
From product to service, your business is likely based on one ore many skills. A bit like regular dating and speed dating….
7. Think like a customer
Think about what comes before and after you
Where do they go and what do they buy before and after?
Are there products and services complementary to yours?
Are you a wedding photographer that could collaborate with a cake business?
Are you the gym that could collaborate with a beauty business?
Are you the flower and gift shop next to the hospital?
Are you the ecommerce shop using affiliates to link to your website?
Are you the restaurant that can promote a pre-theatre menu?
Trust me, there is something for everyone
8. Share your content based on geo-localization
Geo-localization is a great way to share your content with a local audience.
Searching by locations in your area, you can find easily find popular Instagram users that might promote, if you share your exciting content with them.
On Instagram numbers are not everything, someone local with a smaller following can be much more relevant to your business, than someone asking for a lot of money.
Congratulations You Made It This Far!
Are you looking for ideas, creative content
and marketing strategies to promote your business?