Create Low-Cost Marketing Materials for SMBs

No matter the size of your company, marketing is essential to help spread the word about your business, products, or services. While it’s true that some marketing strategies can be expensive, the reality is that there are low-cost solutions available to business owners that can give you an edge over the competition while allowing your brand to connect with customers at the same time.

Your marketing materials are an extension of your business. While the quality of your products and services is important, your marketing materials connect with customers and potential customers on a deeper level. They show who your brand is and what it stands for.

Beyond Attention: Generating Leads With Marketing Materials

Marketing materials are also vital in the lead generation process. Different types of marketing materials can be used to capture attention, nurture relationships, encourage action, and build brand affinity after a sale. Combined, these actions mean that focused marketing materials are vital for creating an ecosystem in which customer relationships thrive.

If you’re looking for ways to create affordable marketing materials for small businesses on a budget, below are some expert tips you can use when promoting your business:

Use Free and Low-Cost Software

There are plenty of free and low-cost software applications available these days that can help your business create affordable marketing materials for small businesses on a budget. In the past, free options often meant dealing with no-name software from indie developers, but these days, well-known brands like Adobe provide access to free and low-cost design and printing software.

For example, Adobe Express helps you design business cards, and it’s completely free. Using these types of resources can help you gain access to the vital marketing materials your business needs without breaking the bank.

Take Advantage of Social Media Platforms

Social media has become an essential part of small business marketing, and for good reason. For the most part, social media is free to use, and the amount of reach brands can achieve using social media is incredible. Of course, if you choose to use paid advertising options on social media, your company can fine-tune your marketing efforts and target customers even further. Still, even the free features of most platforms are enough for small businesses.

The key to getting the most out of social media when seeking to create affordable marketing materials for small businesses on a budget is to consider your branding. Although some social media platforms provide access to free design tools, your branding may benefit from working with professional graphic designers instead.

High-quality graphics alongside messaging that is consistent with your brand identity can go a lot further with customers than simply throwing together some words and images and calling it a day. You will also want to think about how often you post on social media. Your target audience may demand a tailored posting schedule, so consider the needs of your audience weighed against the pros and cons of the platform you are using.

Leverage User-Generated Content

User-generated content (UGC) is content created by real people. It can include pictures and videos, customer testimonials, product reviews, and more. Soliciting UGC from your customers can produce cost-effective marketing materials and assist in lead generation.

The value in UGC is in its authenticity. For example, you could encourage customers to send in photos of themselves using your products or services. You can then place these photos on your brand’s website or social media to highlight the joy customers get out of using these products and services.

As a low-cost method of creating marketing materials, UGC also has the added benefit of encouraging sharing. When customers see that their UGC is featured on your company's website or social media, they will be more likely to share this with friends, family, coworkers, and others. This can extend the reach of your marketing materials online in a big way.

Another benefit of UGC is that customers are more likely to associate with people who share the same likes and pain points. This means that UGC shared by a customer is more likely to reach others who can benefit from what your brand has to offer. In a sense, UGC helps your company skip the traditional vetting process required to target leads and, instead, allows you to get your business in front of your target audience with trust already built into the relationship from the start.

Turn to Your Network

You can turn to your network to partner with complementary businesses that offer discounts on the production of marketing materials. Free and low-cost networking events are also a way to spread the word about your business, and these are especially helpful if you run any type of B2B company.

When approaching others in your network about ways to create affordable marketing materials for small businesses on a budget, think about leverage. Can you trade services? Is there a deal you can work out that will allow your company to barter products in exchange for promotion? By tapping into your network or expanding your network through events, you have the potential to gain new customers and partners while promoting your brand at the same time.

Create Blog Posts and Email Newsletters

Email marketing and blogging can also provide your brand with content that can have a huge reach. In general, creating these marketing materials only requires an investment of your time, and while that’s valuable, you have control over how much you spend.

Newsletters don’t have to be flashy, but they do need to contain valuable content. At the end of the day, you need to give customers a reason to subscribe as well as a reason to open your newsletters.

Blog posts should be helpful and written from a place of authority, but they must contain value. Consistently posting high-quality blog posts that contain helpful information can boost your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts as well.

Work With a Digital Marketing Agency

Another solution is to partner with a digital marketing agency that can handle everything for you. For many small business owners, this is a relatively low-cost option compared to trying to handle everything yourself.

A digital marketing agency like E-Marketing Associates provides personalized strategies. It has access to advanced software tools that can get you marketing materials designed to speak to the needs of your unique target audience.

Contact E-Marketing Associates to Partner With an Expert

E-Marketing Associates provides comprehensive marketing solutions for small businesses across a variety of industries. Our online marketing software makes it easy to build relationships with customers and potential customers that can drive revenue for years to come.