Cost-Effective Marketing: How Managers Can Invest Intelligently

Marketing can cost as little or as much as you have to spend. In order to invest intelligently in your marketing campaigns, you will need to do some research about your target audience. Once you know the best way to reach your target consumer, you can then employ one or more of these four cost-effective marketing techniques to attract leads and gain new customers.

Hire a Graphic Design Specialist

If you do not already have a professionally designed logo and set of graphics and images to use in your marketing and promotional materials, consider hiring a graphic design specialist. A graphic designer will be able to create a wide variety of digital files for you. Those files could be used in your printed and online materials.

The designer could make files in a variety of resolutions, allowing you to use them on materials of different sizes. The logos and images could be created in black and white, single-color and a full spectrum of colors. The graphic designer could also assist you with website layout, brochures, and other marketing materials.

Create Eye-catching Posters

Eye-catching posters are a traditional and effective means of advertising. Posters are a great way to advertise your special event. They can be hung up in public venues such as: bulletin boards at casual restaurants, bookstores, and libraries. A poster gives you plenty of space to include all of the information that people would need to know, such as the date, time and location of the event. You will also have the space to note important details such as a headline performer, a charity that receives proceeds, or who the emcee of the event is. Posters can also be used for educational and training purposes in the workplace, such as guidance on hand washing after using the restroom.

Develop Marketing Materials That Are Undated

Developing new printed marketing materials every couple of months could be pricey. Instead of putting sale dates on your printed materials, focus on developing printed materials that are undated. These “evergreen” materials could focus on your process or the advantages of using a particular product or service that your business offers. Undated marketing materials should be useful for several years, which allows you to purchase the brochures, posters and cards in bulk quantities. Buying in bulk allows you to get a unit discount that gives you the biggest bang for your marketing dollars.

Implement a Variety of Digital Marketing Solutions

Be sure to employ a variety of marketing solutions. This diversification of your investment helps to ensure that a failure of one technique will not doom your entire marketing strategy. Split your marketing budget between printed materials and digital marketing campaigns. Some digital marketing strategies to try include viral marketing, social media, webcasts, live blogging, newsletters and videos. If possible, hire a professional company to produce any videos.

Do short and longer versions that could be linked to your website, YouTube channel and social media pages. For printed materials, focus on items such as magnets, brochures, postcards and business cards that you could hand out at trade shows, put on a display near your front door or at the checkout area of your retail location or items that could be sent in the snail mail to prospective customers.

Be sure to track your return on investment. Consider asking customers how they found out about you, such as seeing your ad on Facebook or coming across your booth at a trade show. This will help you to further enhance the cost-effectiveness of each marketing campaign. Making intelligent investments in your marketing strategies like working with professionals such as Meredith Broadcast Digital Solutions and similar firms allows you to reach the most people at the lowest possible price.