5 Must-Haves for Success 

Marketing is fundamental to the growth of every business. But for entrepreneurs, it’s often the difference between success and failure. Small business owners face the unique challenge of getting the word out on who they are and what they do, and they’re usually doing it on a threadbare, shoestring budget. So, it’s really important to find ways to stretch those marketing dollars and make them work as hard as possible. 

Some marketing tactics are out of reach for entrepreneurs. They’re simply too expensive and a worthwhile ROI would be hard to achieve. Luckily, there are plenty of clever ways to reach customers that don’t break the bank and others that don’t cost anything at all. With a little insight, ingenuity, and good old-fashioned hustle, entrepreneurs can create great buzz for their businesses in some solidly cost-effective ways. 

Of all the affordable options available to small business owners these days, there are a few tactics that should be part of every entrepreneur’s marketing arsenal. These five are surefire ways to create a strong, professional image for your business, allowing you to leave a lasting impression, reach a lot of potential clients and customers, and keep more of your money firmly in your pocket. 

#1. Have a Professionally Designed Website 

This one is almost painfully obvious. Having a website is non-negotiable in today’s business world. If you’re in business, you need to have one, and if you’re a small business owner, it’s important to make sure your website not only looks professional but operates smoothly, too.  

Yes, it will cost you a bit of money to have a website professionally designed, but this is one marketing cost that’s worth every penny. Why? Because the first thing people do when they hear about your business is look for you online. We can almost guarantee you googled us when you first heard of WJ. And you liked what you saw. And here you are now. 

Once they’re on your website, people will immediately (and often subconsciously) judge you like a high-school in-crowd, based on what they see and experience there. Amateur site = amateur vibes. That’s not the impression you want to make.  

Our pro tip? Hire a professional dev, design, and strategy team to create your website and send your page to the top of the all-powerful Google listings.  

#2. Have an Active Social Media Presence 

Social media platforms like LinkedIn, Instagram, Tiktok, and others have made it possible to reach mass audiences quickly at little to no cost. Used the right way, social media is a highly effective brand-building tool and offers business owners an exceptional way to connect with customers in real-time.   

A well-executed social media strategy can create broad awareness of your business almost immediately, will drive traffic to your website, and has the power to expand your viewership (and followers) quickly. But there’s a reason not everyone goes viral: like most things, a good social presence takes time, effort, and more than a little bit of consistency.  

If you want to take it to the next level, invest some of your marketing dollars in a consistent social presence, boosted posts, and ads. These will be seen by just the right people as they scroll through their social feeds. 

#3. Devise an Effective Email Marketing Campaign 

Some people think email marketing campaigns are a waste of time. They believe that the messages land in recipients’ junk folders or get deleted without ever being opened. There’s a risk of both of those things happening, it’s true – which is why you need the help of an agency that’s got the know-how to get your messages seen.  

Email campaigns aren’t just ad-hoc typed messages, they’re carefully crafted and designed messages that are jam-packed with valuable content. It’s stuff your target market wants to read and see. Done right, the people on your email list will come to look forward to receiving your next message and will read it top to bottom.  

Another bonus? Email campaigns aren’t only affordable, they’re great for generating sales. Among the best in the biz, actually. Calls-to-action are the key to this tactic, and conversion rates between receiving messages and jumps to your website are usually high. 

#4. Get Your Stationery Suite Up to Par 

This may seem like a small thing, but a set of sharp-looking and uniquely designed sales tools makes a big impression. You’ve got to think out of the box with it, but a good designer can do that for you.  

Think of how it all works together: business cards, letterhead, email signatures, presentations, leave-behind brochures, all of it. Every piece reinforces all the rest in one loud and holistic bang for your brand. While some of it will only ever live digitally (like presentation templates or digital sales sheets), you can also make a big splash by printing physical materials on strong, sturdy paper stock as needed. 

#5. Network, Network, Network 

As a small business owner, you’re the face of your company. The more you can get in front of people, the more likely they are to do business with you.  

Networking generates leads and opportunities, builds relationships, educates you on what’s happening in the marketplace (there’s no better way to check out the competition), and promotes goodwill. If you want people to get to know your business, get in front of them personally!  

There are all kinds of networking events in every city at all times of day – but if you can’t find one that works for you, start your own. We did. WJ hosts Ryan’s Roundup on the first Thursday of every month at Ranchman’s. Why not join us next time and get your cost-friendly marketing strategy off to a great start?  

And if you’ve still got questions…well, what better way to ask us directly?