3 Effective Low-Budget Marketing Strategies for Start-ups

In every business, the competition is always very stiff. So when you’re starting up your new business, it is not enough that you have the best quality product or service only. You’ll also require a start-up marketing strategy as a core part of your operations to compete effectively. It is what will move your start-up from a struggling business to a thriving one.However, not every start-up has a big budget for their marketing campaigns. In a report from the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), the average cost of starting a new business is around $30,000. For some start-ups, the sum could be more, and for others, it could be less. This cost does not cover salaries, office rent, and other on-going operational costs, let alone the marketing budget.But thankfully, with the advent and advancement of technology, more marketing strategies have evolved. So here are three effective low budget advertising for start-ups that can help your business.1. Create a Killer Content Marketing StrategyLeveraging your content marketing is a perfect way to go about low-budget advertising. First, you can create a website where you can share all your content and link other channels. Before you go-ahead to design the website, you will need to consider a content-first strategy. Thus, to have comprehensive ideas of what your site should look like, you need to consider the content before design.Your content marketing can take many forms without you having to invest a lot. It could be through blogs, visuals, newsletters, infographics, podcasts, slide share, etc. These channels can all create brand awareness and improve your reputation. They can likewise increase inbound traffic to your site and complement your other marketing strategies. For example, you can link your social media handles to your site.When creating a blog section to your website, try to add new content consistently. The content you add should be educational as well as entertaining. The reader should be moved to share it with their family, friends, or colleagues. An example of this is the essay writing review site Online Writers Rating. Besides providing cheap and professional essay writing services, they have a blog section on writing tips customers can find useful. Allow your content to cover topics around your niche area.You can also publish tutorials and webinars to enlighten and engage your audience. Remember that your content should be easy to read and digest. To achieve this, you can consider mixing your written content with pictures and videos. This is because your readers are less likely to read through a long worded post. If you don’t have your visuals, there are free apps you can use, such as Canva. You can also translate your content into other languages if you wish to expand your audience.Furthermore, your content should be grammar error-free. There are tools such as Grammarly and Hemmingway that can help with your spell check and grammar structure. Lastly, if you do not have an in house content writer, you can always hire an external writer. There are affordable professional custom writing services you can use, like Best Writers Online.2. Infuse Social Media into Your MarketingAnother excellent tool for your start-up strategies is social media. It is because the number of mobile phones and social media users globally stands at 3.6 billion and 5.15 billion. Therefore, these mostly free platforms enable you to market to a larger target audience. The first step towards advertising and marketing on social media is to set up a business profile.But before you set up your profile, there are several social media statistics you should consider. Such statistics could help you identify what social channels your target audience uses the most. And you can also get other demographics like location or how long they stay online. With these, you can post your content to the right platforms and at the right time. This way, you are sure the right people are engaging with your product or service.You can create brand awareness campaigns, post promos, and giveaways. Also, you can post DIY tips and share discoveries. Your posts must be regular, relevant, and informative. They should also have the right mix of visuals and written content to keep your followers engaged. There are social trends and influencers you can use to help shine the spotlight on your new business. These platforms are also an excellent way to answer customer questions and get their reviews.Although social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter let you sign up for free, you can opt to subscribe to premium services when you expand. For example, Facebook ads, Instagram, and Twitter promoted posts and tweets, etc.3. Use Smartphone and Ecommerce AppsAlmost half of the world’s population uses a smartphone. The numbers are projected to go up significantly by 2021. Additionally, about 79% of smartphone users make use of their phones for eCommerce transactions. It goes to show the level of potential of an eCommerce application. The significant part is that these apps are an inexpensive means of advertising for start-ups.The things to consider when creating an app are that:

• They should be mobile-friendly.
• The overall user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) should be smooth.
• The customer should be able to place an order and have access to customer support seamlessly.
• The app should leave your customers coming back for more.

A well-created app enables your start-up to reach the highest possible number of potential customers. And they are a perfect way of making sales transactions easier for your customers. As a start-up, you can also use third-party apps like Etsy, Amazon, etc. Your business can leverage on the popularity of such apps to reach a wider audience.Conclusion:The value of marketing and advertising can never be overemphasized. But for a start-up, your marketing budget can be pretty tight. Rather than go overboard to spend money you don’t have, these low-budget advertising strategies can do the trick. Your content and style of storytelling should captivate and engage the audience.The social platforms you use should be able to reach a broad audience and generate traffic. Also, your eCommerce apps need to be easy to use and cater to the customer’s needs. With these strategies, you can effectively market your brand and watch as your start-up grows.