Quick marketing and sponsorship wins

30 Jul Quick marketing and sponsorship wins

We’re all trying to look for savings at the moment, but before you slash budget lines, consider trying these cost-effective and free ideas to keep your brand top of mind with customers and clients.

Sponsorship
We can’t all afford to be naming rights sponsors for causes we believe in let alone have the budget to leverage sponsorship. On a local level there are plenty of opportunities to piggyback on existing sponsorships by getting a group of friends together to attend an event, offer to be a collection point for a charity or loan a fence for some signage – these things will be low or minimal cost but provide content that you can use in your social media and news and align your brand with a cause you believe in.

Recycle content
Content is king but there’s no need to always be on the hunt for new, new, new all the time. Go back through old blogs, social media posts and see what worked and refresh it for a new channel, industry group or maybe even your local paper if it has true news value.

Create a Google My business listing
Google My Business listings are free and act as literal way finders for customers and clients to find you. Google My Business can be more than just a listing tool, you can add photos, opening hours, services, etc and gather and respond to client reviews. Go to www.google.com/business to get started.

Network
Join a new group or make a commitment to go to more events to increase your presence in your community. This works better for some types of businesses than others, Obviously, if you are an online or export business networking locally is going to be more about sharing ideas and best practice with other business owners or finding the latest recruit for your team rather than connecting with customers.

Volunteering
You don’t always have to give money or products, try giving your time (or your team’s) for a local cause, not only will it generate content to share, it feels good to help others.

Social media
No matter what you think of social media personally, be objective and think about your customers and clients: Who are they? What do they read? Where do they network? If you suspect it is online then see whether Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or LinkedIn is the place to be to get the word out, or at least to be part of the conversation others are having. And remember it is not just what you add to your own page it can be what you say and contribute to other pages that can give you a wider reach.

e-newsletters
We’re a big fan of e-newsletters, so much so we’ve written a whole blog about them. Needless to say, they are free (until your audience number tips over certain thresholds), measurable and an easy way to share information with many.

Existing marketing channels
Are you using your existing channels to their fullest? Are you able to include marketing messages in your text reminders? Is there a follow-up function in your CRM? Do you check your e-newsletter, social media and website analytics and make adjustments to your planning?

Survey
Sending a simple (and meaningful) survey to former, current and prospective clients can be a great way to stay top of mind as well as provide valuable research for you to act on. If a survey isn’t appropriate perhaps a phone call is – depending on your industry this may not be as time-consuming as it sounds

Website
While not free, an online presence is important and a simple ‘brochure-style’ website doesn’t have to cost the earth. A website verifies and legitimises your existence, provides another place to house your contact details, opening hours and product or service information for those who like to do their research online. A simple website can always be built on (think shop, product catalogue, forms, online booking facilities, etc) as your marketing budget grows!