Marketing on a Restricted Budget

Festive season is around and some of our retailer friends are worried about marketing their business. Here are a few simple yet powerful low-cost ideas that creates both personal and professional image and brings reasonable revenue through marketing campaigns. 1. Create a Marketing Plan We all know that nothing runs without a plan, and a plan cannot run without having its objectives set. That applies to any kind of plan and for any kind of business. Setting milestones is of crucial importance for any planning activity and is the core of its success, or failure. 2. Create and manage a database Keep capturing personal and business information of you esteemed customers. These information over a period of time becomes a huge database with fair breakup of geographical and demographical detailing. This information helps you in customer profiling and profile specific campaigns. 3. Achieve results through direct mail Never under-estimate the power of mails. Letters and Post cards are still alive and small thank you notes or invitations leaves a fine impression in your customer's mind. Bulk emailing solution is one of the most convenient way to reach mass in smallest amount of time. 4. Develop an in-house telemarketing campaign Using a customer profiler, create profile specific tele-marketing campaign. Personal call is another powerful tool like direct marketing for pulling crowd. Make sure to share the benefits derived using the products offered by you. 5. Provide focused customer service Indirect but one of the most powerful marketing tool is customer service and support. A satisfied customer becomes your salesperson and there is no better marketing than mouth-to-mouth publicity. Imagine one of your customer is suggesting a prospect to buy your products or enroll for your services. 6. Get high-profile publicity at low or zero cost Use technology to the fullest extent. Make web-presence of your brand or store on social media and networking sites. If you're dealing in specialized product or service or catering to niche group, make sure you highlight it. Pitch the local community papers or write a small compelling story. 7. Create a low-cost high-return advertising campaign Buzz, Buzz, Buzz.... This is all about an advertising campaign. Idea is to be present everywhere where your customer moves. Expand your horizons, get on Local FM, send promotional text messages, cross-promotions or road-shows.  It doesn’t take a big budget to look professional and get media attention.