In a recession, most companies pull back on their marketing budgets to help get through the tough times only to emerge out of the other side finding that they need to do a whole lot of marketing to get the momentum going again..
Here are 5 low cost ways to ensure that not only does your business not suffer during the recession but that you actually flourish while others flounder.
1. Optimise your website for search engines.
Recent surveys have found that up to 83% of all purchases start with internet research. This is a staggering 60% increase in 6 years. For businesses that are not optimised for search engines this is a problem that needs addressing fast.
Internet searches work like this... If you need to research something...for example Wedding Photographers,
you will type “wedding photographers” into the Google search bar and Google will return all the businesses that are optimised with the keywords Wedding photographers. If your wedding photography business is not optimised it will not be found and you will have lost an opportunity to do business with this client... It’s that simple. There are a few Search Engine Optimisation companies out there (such as Knowall Media) that specialise in optimising websites for Google, it is worth giving them a call to find out how “optimised” your site is and what it would take to get there if it is not optimised. Knowall Media also offer a free keyword analysis to see how your business fares against your competitors for your selected keywords. Click here to get a free keyword analysis from them
2. List your business for free on wedding-suppliers.net until January 2010.
Wedding-suppliers.net is a Search Engine Optimised business directory for Wedding Suppliers. This means that if you have a listing on wedding-suppliers.net the chances of your business being found via search engines is higher than any other business listing website for wedding suppliers. There are several factors that make a well optimised business directory website, these include:
• Website domain name
• Website Keywords
• Website Structure
• Google value
Wedding-suppliers.net was designed as a Search Engine Optimised business directory from the ground up. In other words, we looked at what criteria search engines based their search results on and built the website around that. When you create a listing on Wedding-Suppliers.net you get your own page that is structured exactly how search engines like it. We also regularly send mail-outs, newsletters and post articles on how to write good “optimised” copy on your site and how to market your listing... Listing your business on Wedding-suppliers.net will ensure that your business is found.
3. Use social media to get the word out about your business.
Social Media sites like Facebook, Bebo, Squidoo and Twitter are invaluable tools to spread the news about your business. If you don’t already have a profile on these and other Social Media sites then now is the time to do it. Social media has been touted as the most powerful marketing medium of the 21st century. Many of the most successful marketing campaigns have been on shoe string budgets using Social Media websites at the centre of it all.
Using Social Media websites has a “Viral” effect, the very nature of a Social Media website is that if you do something like post an article or images on your profile then everyone that is linked to your profile will see it and all of their friends will also see it. It’s a very powerful tool that just needs a bit of time to set-up but if you take the time it will pay huge dividends. Wedding-suppliers.net has pre-installed links to several social media networks. Take some time to create profiles in these networks and you will not be sorry. It’s free advertising, all it takes is a bit of your time..
4. Create an extended web presence.
An extended web presence is one of the most cost effective ways to ensure that your business is all over the internet and in the faces of your target market. Creating an extended web presence is like having your product on the shelves of several high street stores and not just one store. Creating an extended web presence is simply getting your business name and website address in as many websites as possible. There are hundreds of ways to do this, these include:
• Link websites
• Free directories
• Paid directories
• Forums
• Blogs
• Social Networks
5. Create a Blog or write articles and become an expert in your field.
If you are good at what you do then the whole world should know about it... especially your target market. Creating a blog and/or posting articles about you and your business is a great way to create awareness. People researching the internet read blogs for information; they perceive blogs as sources of information written by people who know what they are talking about. There are also many websites where people can post articles for public reading. Wedding-suppliers.net is such as site and we welcome articles written by business professionals who can share advice for our website visitors.
