Does this sound like one of your business challenges: You need to market your business, but you don't have the cash to drop on consistent advertising or marketing plans. Social Media is clearly the Go-To strategy, but it's only a component. You've got to do more than tweet and blog. Content is crucial, and by all means keep it coming and keep it fresh, but here's 5 easy-on-the-budget marketing tools that when, used collectively, are effective uses for building brand awareness and ultimately increasing sales.
Linkedin is the best way to promote your personal brand and many folks take it for granted as merely an online resume display. It's not. The biggest mistake people make with their Linkedin Profile is to present themselves two-dimensionally, cutting and pasting their resumes onto their profile. Linkedin is your opportunity to tell your story -- your professional story rounded out by your personal attributes and interests that reveal who you are to potential employers, clients, partners. Once you makeover your Profile and utilize it to its full potential, you can leverage this to gain more visibility for your brand
There's safety in numbers, yes, and power. Networking isn't the easiest thing for everyone and it is a time commitment. But it's worth it! Take a look at all the different ways you can network and partner within your existing framework, and using the tools you already have available to you. Get involved with your alumni organization. Most university and college alumni organizations need volunteers and, attendees. Find out what your alma mater's alumni network has going on and dive in. Linkedin is not only ideal for promoting your personal brand and corporate brand, it's the single best networking outlet for professionals. So take advantage of everything it has to offer. Basic membership is free! And there are now several different cost-efficient membership options that offer varying benefits. Hook up with 3rd party partners, or local businesses that complement what your business does, and brings a whole new audience to your table. Design a savvy cross-promotion leveraging your network and theirs and you'll get access to a larger audience. Cultivating partnerships do take time, but it's crucial and endlessly effectual.
3. Seek Out Karma Points - Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is hot these days, and for many good reasons. Coming up with a clever CSR campaign can help set you apart from the competition and gain you many good karma points. Good karma goes a long way in building a brand's perception and reputation. There is a much greater motivation for customers to buy a product or service that also happens to be supporting the greater good. Case in point, I started buying Dove products after seeing the Dove Self-Esteem Project campaigns. You may not have the budget to do a series of videos, but that's what's so great about CSR. It doesn't require a big budget just some really imaginative ideas tied to a solid social media campaign and good partnering. It can also get you global awareness if you get really creative. So get creative!
Your community has a lot more to offer from a business promotion perspective than you might think. Embrace it. Get involved in your local chamber of commerce, sponsor an event that is well established in the community that gets your brand noticed. There's so many local sponsorship opportunities, Little League teams, educational programs or initiatives, 5K run/walks, golf tournaments, high school trips or drama club productions. There's a lot of k-12 drama and music departments hurting across the country, as well as after school sports and other programs. Find out where the need is and get involved.
You may hate to give a public speech, but it's a great way to promote your brand! Positioning yourself as an expert in your field is always a good thing. Volunteering at an event as a speaker, or participating on a panel or forum at a trade show, a festival, educational institute, alumni organization. There are many local and national, and global opportunities for speaking engagements. Check out what your industry has to offer and remember, if you're intimidated by the audience, don't be. They're all in their underwear.
