It is no secret we are experiencing economic turbulence today. So, we have some ideas on how to help your marketing dollars go further (vs. the knee-jerk reaction of cutting marketing budgets).

1. Social media is almost free. The popular platforms where your audience likely is, offer both organic and paid options. Determine what your needs are and go from there. 
   • Best practice tips:
     • Post content consistently. User-generated content, employee stories, or company happenings are great ways to start building an organic reach. 
     • Create events on your pages. Only as applicable, of course.
     • Tag community partners for increased exposure. Don’t do this just to do it. There needs to be a genuine reason you tag them in your content. Your audience will see right through inauthenticity. 
     • Share your content in appropriate groups. 
     • Encourage your employees to engage or share your content for increased exposure. If you post employee highlights, this may not even need encouragement. Boost your internal morale, and the rest should follow!
   • Low-cost, high-impact social media marketing ideas include:
     • On many popular platforms, there’s virtually no minimum budget to run a campaign. However, pay attention to the terms in certain ads; some could cost $5/day. These could still be useful as you don’t have to run a campaign for very long, and that cost is very minimal.
     • You can really narrow in and target your audience. When done correctly, you can narrow in on your audience without wasting ad spend on impressions that won’t provide a return.
     • With the correct setup (pixel installation on your website, proper audiences set, correct objective/creative, etc.), paid social advertising can reap major rewards.
2. Public relations is an earned medium – you can’t pay for the exposure, and the fact that a third party is producing it creates additional legitimacy. 
   • Media relations is a free option but not the easiest to obtain.
     • If you have a newsworthy story, pitch it to your local paper or TV station (meaning, contact a writer or editor/newsroom with the concept – their contact info is likely on the outlet’s website). If they are interested, they will potentially publish it. Some tips include:
       • Always provide a visual aspect to your story. Readers prefer photos and videos. 
       • Find the angle that makes the story appealing to the audience. A new employee being hired isn’t newsworthy, but a long-standing employee getting promoted with an interesting life story could be. Offer additional details like longevity, internal growth, and positive morale. Or pitch it to the news as a recruitment effort. Your company promotes within, therefore offering viable work options for residents with growth potential. If large enough, focus on the benefits your company has on the local economy.
   • Advertising is different from publicity. Know the difference before reaching out to your local paper. Advertising means you’re paying for space, so it’s guaranteed. Publicity is not paid, so it’s not guaranteed.  
3. Other low-cost digital advertising options include website content and pay-per-click (PPC) ads. 
   • Some ideas to help boost traffic to your website include:
     • Writing blogs, creating a page for frequently asked questions, or providing highly engaging content will help with generating traffic to your site. 
     • Make sure you are updating your website regularly. The content needs to be beneficial to readers. 
     • Make sure that all Meta Data on your website is complete and accurate. Don’t forget about tagging. 
     • All of the above should be guided by keyword research for optimal results.
   • PPC is a low-cost option for digital advertising.
     • This route isn’t as cheap as social media, but depending on the industry, most are fairly low, ranging from $1.40 to $8.67, according to LocalIQ.
     • This advertising option is very targetable. You can select audience demographics and keywords. You can also remove certain keywords to avoid erroneous clicks that may not turn into leads.

Strategic marketing doesn’t have to cost thousands. Don’t let an economic upset disrupt your business. Use these tips to make your marketing dollars work for you. If you need help, we are here for you. Contact us today.