When your budgets are tight, online marketing might be the first expense you think about cutting. Don't. It is one of the biggest mistakes you can make in your business. Traditional methods of advertising are expensive and difficult to measure.

In contrast, we now have access to a vast range of cost-effective and trackable tools to help you with your marketing strategy

Of course, one of the most important things is to have someone who has experience and qualifications. This might be hiring a marketing manager with a degree in communication management from USC.

They will be able to work with you on implementing marketing campaigns and strategies and will know how to use the tools that are available, even if they are budget ones, effectively. 

Here are a few strategies you and your marketing manager can look at putting into place.

Have an elevator pitch ready

You should be ready to market your business at the drop of a hat, whether you are in a formal business meeting or literally in an elevator. Your elevator pitch should be a compelling spiel that holds your audience's attention.

The first five to ten seconds are of paramount importance - if you do not grab their attention then, you will have lost them! Then, the rest of your pitch should be no more than one minute long, and in that time, you need to succulently sum up who you are and what you are all about.

Utilize the power of social media

Social media is one of the most influential and least expensive marketing tools that there is available to you. The three main platforms to focus on are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Set up pages for your business and update them regularly with interesting and engaging content.

A good rule of thumb to go by is 80:20 - 80% of the content on your page should be from other sources - industry news, etc., and the remaining 20% should be promoting your own content.

If you are active on all of the main social networks, it is crucial to address the issue of coherence and brand image. Your advertising content needs to be consistent and in harmony across all of the platforms, to avoid looking disorganized and unsure of your brand.

The platforms all have tools that you to gain an insight into the behavior of your followers and people who see your posts, so use this information to inform your future content.

Grow your email list

It is all well and good having thousands of followers on social media, but those followers belong to that network. If they shut down, delete that user's profile, or delete your account, you lose all of them.

Building up a solid email list, which belongs to you, means that you can send carefully crafted and targeted emails to customers. It isn't always easy to begin with - quite often, businesses offer an incentive to customers who join their email marketing lists, such as exclusive money off vouchers or access to particular services or events. 

Focus on improving search engine optimization

Search engine optimization, or SEO as you have probably heard of it being referred to, is one of the best things that you can do for your business. It is a slow burner in that it can take a while for results to become apparent, but when they do, if you have done it right, the wait will be more than worth it.

Essentially, SEO means getting your website ranking highly in the search engines. To do this, you need to think about the keywords that potential customers would use to find you and using this in your content. It is a lot easier than it sounds, although there are lots of tools - many of them free - out there to help you. It is also a role that can easily be outsourced.

Write a blog

Blogs are big news these days. They are a great way of connecting with your audience, sharing information, and establishing yourself as an expert in your field. It also can be used in conjunction with your social media and is great for search engine optimization.

Just like your social media, it does need to be consistent and updated regularly. The main benefit is that you establish a connection with your audience, and this is what marketing is all about. 

Marketing does not need to be expensive or fancy. In fact, going back to basics and simplifying it, using the free tools available to you can really benefit your company.