Brand Building With Minimal Budget Thanks To Online Marketing

Even the best business idea can fail without the right support. How to start a business and build a brand when your budget is not exactly ideal? Try it with online marketing.

Can online marketing be done with minimal cost? Yes!

Online marketing does not mean investing all your money in paid PPC ads. Or that you will be in debt because you decided to come up with creative campaigns that did not bring the desired profit.

If you are just starting your business, stick to reasonable limits. Even less is sometimes more. Bet on efficiency and think about what will bring you the most. Accordingly, “mix” activities that will not only look good, but also bring you set goals.

And now, some online channels you should use:

1. Brand Building Starts With The Web

You can also create a website yourself using the WordPress or Drupal platform . It all depends on your skill. Alternatively, you can use the services of students or freelancers who already have experience in creating a website and can prepare a website for a reasonable amount. Do not forget, however, that the bigger your business will be, the higher the requirements of your site will be (understand time and money).

The absolute foundation of a website is its responsiveness. Attention, the website must look and have a head and a foot. Otherwise, it won’t do you any good. If you have no experience with the web and its creation, get advice. A bad website is worse than no website. Look for help in Facebook groups, discussion forums or LinkedIn.

2. Social Media

It doesn’t matter if you want to sell products, get new subscribers, or convince fans, first you have to make yourself known. And social networks are a great tool for that. Before you decide to set up business accounts, think about which network best reflects your brand’s needs.

Facebook is especially suitable for promoting a brand as such. Or to communicate with customers. Instagram is a visual medium, but that doesn’t mean it’s only suitable for clothing or cosmetics brands. Vice versa. You just have to count on the fact that you will have to take pictures. Google+ isn’t as successful as some people expected, but it does reach more tech-savvy people. And finally, there is LinkedIn, which will mainly serve companies oriented to B2B communication and the promotion of such oriented content.

Think about which social networks your customers are on and what you want to say to them. Social media is a good tool for reputation management, customer service, public relations, networking, even trending. Everything depends on the type of your business and therefore also on the target group. It is still true that Twitter, Pinterest, and Tumblr are still less effective networks than the ones mentioned above in our geographical regions.

3. Content

First of all, you need to realize that content strategy is not just about writing a blog. The blog is only one part of it. Content should be taken much more comprehensively. But above all, you have to think about the fact that it must have added value for the visitor. Create your content based on the needs of your customers. Place it where they are and in an interesting form. You create the content for them, don’t forget. In time, you will find that it will do a lot for you too.

In what you ask? First of all, you have content that makes you visible and at the same time educates/convinces or entertains the customer. These are the first steps leading to the purchase process. On the other hand, you have something to communicate on social networks. In the case of successful brands and e-shops, social networks are also a source of income. In conclusion, you need to build a relationship with the customer. And what better way than personalized content?

4. Advertising

The concept of advertising has changed a lot in recent times. If you are already building content marketing and you haven’t forgotten about SEO in the process, and your profits allow you to invest elsewhere, you can try AdWords or YouTube. However, think about whether your investment in them will return and what effect they will bring you. Focus on long-term goals and results, while supplementing them with short-term ones. This system usually works best because you can’t rely on just one activity.

Look at your numbers. Only then will you know which channel will bring you the most. The magic of online marketing is that you know how to measure it. So take advantage of it.

Remember that you need to publish your content wherever your customers are. They need to hear about you first. This will not work without publicity. The more interesting content you can offer, the easier it will be to win the sympathy of other sites that can facilitate your efforts.

Reach out to influencers and bloggers. Let them test your products and write reviews on them. This will help you a lot especially if you are starting out and need to gain confidence.

Talk about your project wherever you go, or find smart ambassadors for your brand. The power of word of mouth cannot be underestimated. Talk to people in groups who are passionate about the same thing. Don’t forget to motivate people and at the same time add “call to action” elements to your page. Don’t expect your customers to rush you to sell them something. If so, congratulations.

5. Events

If at the beginning you don’t have enough funds to organize something yourself, participate in events related to your business. Don’t forget to network and casually mention what you do for a living. Alternatively, take advantage of online events. Do a webinar, a lecture, a tutorial… sell the knowledge that you have and others don’t. Your fans will thank you for getting added value for free. Think of an interesting topic or event that you know would be successful. But for that you need to know your customers.

6. Visual Branding

It doesn’t matter if you are building a brand new brand or trying to revive an old one, visual identity is very important. It’s the first thing your customers see. Therefore, you should be consistent in it. From the logo, website, marketing materials. Don’t try to make anything complicated or too specific. You want your visuals to last as many years as possible and still look up-to-date. A simple color palette, logo, font, or image should be enough for you. Once you have your visuals ready, don’t forget to give your brand a voice and present it to the world. Only in this way will it bring profit.

If you want to deal with the visual identity yourself, knowledge of at least one graphics program would be welcome. If you do not dare, you can use the services of individuals from 99designs, or in our geographical conditions, the page I will do it.

As you can see, building a brand in the online environment is possible even with minimal resources.

Everything takes time, so first think carefully about the overall strategy, the goals you want to achieve and the necessary steps. I wish you a successful business!

Also Read: Succeed In Your Digital Marketing Strategy