Money-Saving Marketing Tips for Smaller Businesses with Small Budgets

Street marketing was founded on the same principles as more traditional advertising methods: tangible goals, a clear picture of the target demographic, and a thoroughly researched game plan.

But unless your marketing budget is limitless, you won't have enough money to follow a large-scale marketing campaign to reach all of your potential customers. A good street marketer is able to center their focus to those consumers who are most likely to purchase the product in question. They use their budget to catch the attention of that select group numerous times, instead of reaching everyone's eyes and ears a single time. It doesn't mean they narrow their focus on who to sell to, only to which demographic they're trying to attract with their promotional materials.

So how do you figure out the best use of your marketing budget? Take some time out to do a bit of research before jumping headlong into it. Look at your past profit margin, and try to figure out from which demographic most of your sales have come from. At the same time, take to the street and research the area you're interested in. Examine the raw data from the neighborhood, search for any new trends that might be hitting the area.

Also, look to see if there's any subculture in the area that hasn't been noticed by your competition. Such groups might be more willing to purchase from you if you show you understand them. Just make sure such a group has enough of a presence in the community to help you reach your marketing goal.

What is the goal? Simply put, you need to capture their attention. It's a matter of timing, reaching your prospective clients right when they need what you have to offer. Instead of spending your money on a small ad in a large paper (along with everyone else), maybe you should consider purchasing a bigger space in a smaller paper, or even the local community directory. By advertising regularly, the community paper may be more willing to give your ad more space.

If you sign up with a business network, make a point to show up regularly. You may not receive referrals the first few times you show up, but once your face is recognized you may find yourself accepted as part of the "usual" crowd...along with the opportunities that come with it.

Don't forget that being consistent in your marketing practices will always work to your advantage. All of your promotional material, from the ad logo to the company website, should be uniform in appearance. Make sure you use the same lettering and colors on all written material. This will let your customers know you are organized and trustworthy.

Good marketing tactics don't mean you have to empty your wallet, just that you keep a close eye on where the money is going. Don't outdo your competition with the biggest and brightest ad campaign; sometimes you can win just by making it the smartest.