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We all have a budget. Marketing is one of those things that can eat into your budget in seconds. More so if you are throwing money into the campaign after campaign – boosting posts on the suggestion of Facebook, and then following up with some Pinterest pins. It is essential that you know why you are spending what you are spending, and if it is actually going to do you any good. 

It is easy to throw money at a problem and feel like you have done your job, but marketing in this day and age doesn’t need to cost the earth. 

We are lucky that we have access to tools and software that make the journey quick, productive with access to the numbers that are going to make a difference. Here are some tips on how you can tackle your marketing without spending anything.

Renew

If you are posting content on your blog or website, then chances are you have years worth all stacked up. Quality posts that have relevant links and great information. However, they aren’t getting the eyes on them that you had hoped and the chances are you didn’t do much with them the first time around. This is your chance to revamp and reshare. Go back through the content that you would consider high-value, and edit it. Add images and more supporting data. Update the links and reshare it. However, don’t just share it once, add it to your schedule (which we will get to in a moment). You can even create eBooks and other download content for you readers to pick up – email gated, naturally. 

Infographics

If you are pressed for research and writing time, but you need to be producing content that will get people engaged in a conversation and sharing, then take a look at infographics. You can make free infographics with something like Canva. They have a range of templates that you can utilize. Try only to create infographics that you have fast access to the data for, and that you have supporting links for. Moreover, always remember your branding. Without it, the infographic won’t be selling your brand in the way that you really should be aiming for. 

You can make a range of infographics, some for clients and customers, and some for people and businesses in the same field as you. 

Branding

Your branding is going to have to be on everything. And you can create your own logo, website, social media images, and so much more. Again this just takes time and probably a few tutorials. However, once you have the images that you feel suits what you do, you can then get it printed (yes, this costs) on things like your business cards, flyers, promotional materials. However, if you want only to put money where it matters, then put it into your packaging. People wish to receive something that is an indicator that the company cares about them, and looks good. Branded wrapped paper, stickers, and a note inside are great touches. Find custom shipping tape to really take it there. 

Email Marketing 

Email marketing is a powerful tool that so many companies just aren’t using to their full power. It doesn’t take more than a few days to create a beautiful funnel taking people from the sign up to purchase links over the space of a few weeks. There are many email marketing funnels tools that are free to use. You will have to try a few out to see what you like the most, but for the most part, you are going to really enjoy seeing it automatically being sent out. Turning cold leads into engaged readers and buyers is a great feeling. Neil Patel has some great advice on how to really amp up your email marketing. 

Content 

We have mentioned writing for your blog or website above. Now we should look at what you should be doing when you have written a piece of content. Unless you have a lot of traffic naturally, because your SEO is great and you are appearing for all of your keywords, then you’re going to need to keep producing fresh content. Not only that but your supporting links need to be of good value too. Those will help Google every further put your content where it should be in search results. All you are going to need to do for content creation is to write it. Of course, if you are writing in an area that you are an expert, it will come more naturally to you. You will need to find your tone, and also the research might take some time – but in general this is free and more than worth the time spent. 

Social Media

Every company has a platform that they are performing better on. Instagram works for images; it is a visual platform; LinkedIn works better for text pieces as does Twitter – Facebook is a bit of both. You have access to all of the analytics you’re going to need to see where you should be putting your time and effort. We have the tools now that allow us to create months of automated content. Meaning that you can have a hands-off approach to your social media, and spend time once a month inputting, a 30 minutes a day responding and engaging. This is a huge time saver. There are paid options for social media, but you aren’t likely to need them in the early days, and you can use a combination of the free options to cover all of your basis. 

When it comes to business, you can do a lot yourself with time, some tools and a few tutorials. It is essential that you always write your goals when you are doing anything to do with social media and content. Having a clear direction will mean that you always know what is coming up and what is next. Spend time, not money – and you’ll see a more significant profit in the end.