That's why it's so important to really understand your target audience, and know what social media platform they're most active on and what print and online publications they read so you can focus on what matters most.
Third, I'd say develop a really clear and compelling message. Reaching millions of people is not worth much if you don't capture their attention. Is your message easy to understand, interesting and relevant to your target audience, and do you have a point of difference or something that makes you stand out?
What channels do you think work well for communicating that message when you've got a limited budget?
I think once you've done those three things you'll be in a really good position to leverage some key free or cheap marketing channels. First up, there's media and PR. Here you've got to make sure you're talking to the right publications and people, and that you build relationships with the media people that are active in your space.
Another key thing to remember with media is they'll only print stories they think are of interest to their readers, so make sure you pitch the right kinds of stories. From my experience, stories about people doing or experiencing interesting or emotional things work best.
How about social media?
As I mentioned earlier, the key here is making sure you pick the right platform. Then it's about posting regular and relevant content. Posting just about your business and your product probably won't work; you need to give people a reason to engage with you.
From my experience, that means you need to do one of two things: entertain them or teach them new things. With The Icehouse, we've found that a mix of business tips and resources, stories about startups and business owners and a bit of 'social' stuff from the office works really well for us.
But the challenge I think many small businesses face is to actually build their social media fan base, because posting the best content in the world isn't worth much if you only have 12 fans.
What are some things businesses can do to build that fan base?
There are a few things. Make sure you drive traffic to your social media account via links on your website and email signature and include it on your business card. Posting content that people are likely to share with their followers is a big one, and it works both ways, so try engaging with and sharing the content of other relevant organisations.
I think it's also worth planning some budget to promote your most engaging posts to reach more people, especially on Facebook, selecting your target audience carefully to get the best return on your investment.
And ask for help! There's nothing wrong with being a bit cheeky and asking your network to tell their friends about your page.
Marketing strategies that promote word of mouth seem to be key when you're on a limited budget. Any tips on this?
In my opinion there's no better marketing channel than word of mouth. And that's not just because it is free; it's just so much more powerful when other people promote your business.
In terms of tips - give your customers an outstanding experience, because there's no better advocate for your business than a happy customer. Of course you have to get the basics right, but think about doing something they aren't expecting. And it doesn't have to be anything big, but make it personal - maybe send them a thank you note when they've referred a lead or in some other way helped spread the word.
Also, consider offering incentives and rewards to your customers for referring you to their network, and use your own network. Ask people you know to refer your business, and make it easy for them by giving them the information they need to do that.
Coming up in Your Business: I'm keen to hear about some of the interesting small businesses people are running in rural locations, and how their environment impacts on their operations. If you've got a story to tell about your rural business, drop me a note: nzhsmallbusiness@gmail.com
For more on NZ business ambitions go to www.businessambition.co.nz
