9 Tips to Market Online on a Low Budget

Utilizing online marketing for your business can prove invaluable but doing it on a tight budget is often very difficult.

At Ciplex, we provide full marketing services that help both small and large businesses. But often, our starting price of $1,500 a month is expensive for smaller businesses focusing on bootstrapping their marketing. ROI is key before hiring a company like mine. It's important that in a few months, the expense is replaced by revenue. If the budget is out of reach, avoiding online marketing all together is a big mistake, especially for a small business.

Here are 9 tips you should use to bootstrap online marketing for your business:

1. Define your Audience. To ensure success, know your market. Who are you trying to reach? You don’t need to spend any money on marketing to find this answer. The answer is found in the question itself: what is your product or service? Who wants or needs it, and what is their age? Sex? Financial state?
   
   
2. Channel. Now that you have profiled your target, how and where can you find them? Take your time on this step. It’s a lot better to go through trial and error at this stage, rather than experience it after top dollar has been invested.
   
   
3. Be Goal Focused. Where do you want to stand post online marketing? You are likely to have multiple goals, and that is okay. You should continue to set and reset these goals, since your business, much like anything else in life, is dynamic.
   
   
4. Set a Budget. You know whom you are trying to reach, why you want to reach them, and your goals are set in place. Now let’s talk about how to execute your online marketing strategy in as smart a way possible. First, find the platforms that do not charge. If that is not an ideal fit for you and your company, reassess. Determine your priorities and carefully strategize accordingly based on what will bring real results.
   
   
5. Brand Yourself. Every organization and person needs a brand, especially with endless competitors on the Internet. What makes you unforgettable? The first step is setting apart your website with a domain name as close as possible to your company’s name (which must, by the way, stand out from competitors’ names). Although there is a fee for using a domain, fear not: regardless of your budget, this is affordable.
   
   
6. Be Consistent. Determine your brand and stick with what works. It should be evident in every touch-point of your company. Your website must be professional, but do not disregard the value in interacting with potential customers. Building relationships and trust is key to success. The sunk cost here is time, our most valuable asset, but once your brand is established, you will have time to breath once again.
   
   
7. Search Engine Optimization.
The tactics that ensure your company is one of the first in search engines revolve around appeal. Want to be appealing? Ensure success by using commonly searched keywords, backlinking your site, customizing the headline and description, etc. This is complicated and exhausting, but necessary. I recommend hiring a professional who can give information you would not naturally assume. At Ciplex, we recognize that the best way to increase conversion rates is to use terms your audience is looking for, rather than including keywords to simply rank your site. To bootsrap, choose less competitive, lower traffic terms. They are usually easier to rank for.
   
   
8. Blog.
This is a free tool that provides opportunity for search engines to pick up your information. Blogging generates leads and links to your business's’ site, but if you don’t write quality, consistent blogs, it bears less meaning. Try inviting a guest blogger – he/she will be flattered, and your business will benefit.
   
   
9. Engage in Social Media.
 Signing up is the first step, staying active is the next. Often times, people don’t stay relevant, but maintaining these and leveraging their networks has a huge impact on your success. Promote blogs, interact with customers, and give people a reason to want to follow you.

About Ilya Pozin:
Founder of Ciplex. Columnist for Inc, Forbes & LinkedIn. Gadget lover, investor, mentor, husband, father, and '30 Under 30' entrepreneur.

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