5 Ways to Establish Your Brand on a Tight Budget

You might not have the budget for a Super Bowl ad placement or a billboard in Times Square, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t create an impact with your brand. With a certain amount of creativity and a focus on the right target audience, small businesses can build their reputation and attract new customers on a shoestring budget.

Here are 5 tips to help you start building brand awareness for your own small business.

Branding on a budget piggy bank target

Be a Part of the Community

Trying to hack it as a local business? The first thing you need to do is make sure that local people know and appreciate your brand. One of the best ways to start building goodwill for your local business is to get involved in a big community event like a 5K for charity, summer festival, or parade. Consider becoming a sponsor for a fundraiser so that community members will associate your name with a good cause, or give away freebies that people will need—like sunscreen or sunglasses—at an outdoor event.

Know Your Stuff

Hopefully you already know your products and industry inside and out. Now you just need to show your potential customers that you’re a trustworthy voice in your field. You can do this by providing great customer service and working directly with people who come into your brick-and-mortar location, and by answering questions about your industry online using platforms like Twitter and Reddit.

Go Viral with a Video Campaign

These days, you don’t even need a camera to make a video campaign. Smartphones and apps like Vine have made it easy for amateur filmmakers to create short clips that gain large audiences. If you do decide to make a video spot for your business, focus on telling a story about how your business started, what your mission is, or what your products can do. If you have a good sense of humor, let it show in your video. Humor goes a long way in attracting viewers and getting others to share your video on social media.

Give Them an Offer They Can’t Refuse

It’s one of the oldest marketing tricks in the book, but offering special discounts is still a great way to promote a small business. Even though you might be uncomfortable about the idea of “giving away” your products, remember that discounts will encourage customers to visit your physical location, purchase more and buy from you again later. Consider using a popular app like Groupon to share a coupon with people in your community.

Establish an Online Voice

Just about every business has some kind of online presence, but not every business utilizes social media to its full potential. Sure, it’s a good idea to use Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, but you can go a lot farther than that in order to stand out from the competition. Determine who your target audience is and look into niche social media networks that your ideal customers use. For example, if you own a craft store or run any kind of business with a lot of visual appeal, you might turn to an image-heavy network like Pinterest.

You can also start building your online voice on your own website by creating a blog and updating it regularly with original content. When you’re trying to come up with blog ideas, think about questions that your target customers might have and then answer them. That way, you’ll attract readers who may have been searching for a specific answer and establish yourself as an authority in your field.

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Comment

  • I don’t think that branded corporate gifts should be too far overlooked. It’s definitely worthwhile to offer regular customers something in return for their custom.

    Even if it’s a simple loyalty card scheme: ‘Buy 5 x item and get a free mug” type of thing, it’s giving something back and will encourage them to spread the word.

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