Million-Dollar Marketing on a Budget
Businesses, regardless of their size, thrive on marketing. The more money which can be dedicated to your marketing efforts, the more customers you will be able to reach. Huge companies may have million-dollar marketing budgets, but you can still follow their lead without spending quite as much.
Every major marketing campaign has a few important elements. Large companies may spend a lot to incorporate them into their marketing, but you can do the same thing with a much smaller budget.
The reason for this is that the power of these elements isn’t tied to the amount spent on them. The following are a few of the most useful.
Branding
Every major business spends significant money on its branding. The brand builds equity, which people associate with the promises made in the marketing. Apple, Microsoft, and Verizon are all easily recognizable brands which play a major part in the company’s marketing.
Your business may be no bigger than a simple website, but that does
not mean it should not have a brand. A good brand helps people identify with the business and what it does. The more recognizable your brand, the easier your marketing becomes. Pick something catchy and relevant, create a logo, and include it in all your marketing material.
Packaging
Everyone knows when you have bought something from McDonald’s or KFC because it comes in a distinctive box. Apple products come in futuristic white boxes. Every company has a distinctive look to their packaging and this generally carries over to their retail locations as well as promotional materials.
More can be obtained from your marketing efforts if everything you do has a cohesive and consistent design. Your website should match your book covers, which should match the banner ads, which should also match your business cards. When everything has a distinctive look, people will have no trouble recognizing you.
Personalization
Many major businesses rely on a mascot or spokesperson of some sort. Geico has their gecko, McDonald’s has Ronald, and MetLife has Snoopy. This works because it helps personalize an otherwise complex and abstract corporation. People do not usually identify with an insurance company but respond well to an animated bulldog or a moustachioed tenor.
The cheapest way to do this is to become your own spokesperson. Make sure people identify you with your brand and business. When you appear in a video or on a podcast, they will instantly know who you are, what you do, and what you stand for. This is one of the main goals of marketing, so you can see how valuable it can be.
None of this takes much money. It will, of course, require a small investment in research and design, but the return is incalculable and will pay off for years to come. If you really want to market like a pro then develop your branding.