Running a business can be something of an emotional roller coaster. The elation of winning a big contract can be followed by the trauma of losing another.
But for all its challenges we suspect most of us wouldn’t have it any other way.
However, small businesses have the added challenge of trying to carry out duties of a marketing function without the budget to employ a marketing professional.
So what can small businesses do to maximise their budget when it comes to communicating with clients in the offline space?
Exhibition Stands
The old adage, speculate to accumulate is a cliché for a reason. However, investing in an amazing exhibition stand is the easiest way of drawing the crowds at events. Never be afraid to show off your brand and your services if you’re great at what you do.
It also has the added benefit of helping everyone in your business to think of the company as something bigger than ‘just another small business’. This, in turn, boosts their confidence when speaking to clients on the stand.
It becomes something of a self-fulfilling prophecy.
More than that, a professional looking display stand allows you far greater freedom in how you present yourselves and your services. Roller Banners are absolutely the cheaper option but they dramatically limit you in how you can use any kind of event space.
An exhibition stand can be used in any number of ways to communicate a story, promote services or just look amazing and impactful to get people talking. All are perfectly valid approaches providing it’s done professionally.
Go Guerrilla
We don’t mean hire a monkey suit. Although that would turn heads.
Guerrilla marketing is an impactful way of attracting attention without spending a huge amount of cash. This can be anything from having branded bookmarks made and donating them to libraries in your target regions, to bespoke post-it notes with printed messages and your web address dotted about local areas.
Be careful of where and how you position them, the last thing you want is to be accused of littering.
Supplying branded sandwich wrap paper to local delis frequented by potential clients is a fun – albeit hard to measure – stunt that will at least increase brand awareness, making your initial overtures a little more receptive.
Be under no illusion, this kind of thing won’t fling the door wide open but open it enough for you to get your foot in there.
Guerrilla advertising gives you total freedom to come up within something unique to get your customers engaged. Hiring branded mobile coffee stalls, ice cream bikes or flash mobs are all forms of guerrilla marketing. But really it’s anything that breaks the usual conventions for communicating with your audience.
However, if you’re limited by budget, keeping things small, focused and – most importantly – effective, is definitely the way to go.
Guerrilla marketing may well be the answer you’re looking for.
Invest in Print
There is a growing trend amongst businesses to send thank you packs to their clients following the completion of their first order.
This can vary from the traditional bottle of wine with a bespoke label presented in beautiful boxes, to a folder containing a summary of services and branded promotional items.
Other companies put together premium mailers to wow their clients containing tailored offers designed to entice them into purchasing again.
There’s a lot to be said for the personalised personal touch.
Finally bespoke packaging can say more than a leaflet drop or an emailer. Communicating how seriously you take your products, services and delivery doesn’t just demonstrate the robustness of your business but the regard you hold for your customers as well.
Evans Graphics is uniquely positioned to support you in these and other specialist print needs including printed acrylics and composite metals, Foamex signage and 3D / built-up lettering.
