By the year 2025, 75% of any country's workforce would consist of millennials—people born starting 1981. The term millennials on its own carry a bad rap, with stereotypes such as 'the lazy generation' or even the 'unemployable kids.' Which, to some degree, are true. The longstanding ideals of a person studying hard to earn a degree and get a stable job are slowly fading into mythology. Millennials search for more purposeful, humane, and rewarding career paths, which corporate employment rarely offers.

This is the reason why entrepreneurship is on the rise. In pursuit of the great American dream, more and more people are transitioning to being their own boss and starting their own businesses. In fact, Millenials and Gen Zs are 188% more likely to start a side hustle compared to their predecessors, the Baby Boomers.

Brewing A Plan

It is also no secret that the millennials spend the most on coffee, especially the 25-34 age group who spends an average of $2,008 a year on coffee, according to a study conducted by Amerisleep. With the average price of a cup o' Joe at $4, your daily caffeine kick adds up to a hefty amount of money. Not to mention most people drink more than a single cup a day. Chances are, while you are reading this blog, you're taking a sip from your nonfat latte with 2 shots of espresso, 3 pumps of vanilla, 2 pumps of mocha, with whipped cream, and cinnamon powder—or something equally fancy.

For a small enterprise with little to no capital and marketing funds, $2,000 a year could already be a lot to work with. So, we at AllThingsWWW are here to help you brew your marketing plan into action with 10 inexpensive marketing tips. Be sure to read up to the end as we have also prepared bonus tips for you!

1. Use Social Media

Platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are like busy streets with hundreds of thousands of prospective paying customers. The best part is, it's free. Well, kinda. Running ads on these social media channels is effective, although a bit costly, especially for starting businesses. What you can do, on the other hand, is put up a page or an account and grow it organically by inviting your friends and encouraging them to share the page as well. Ask your customers to engage with your page online and leave good (but honest) reviews, as 85% of consumers trust social media reviews.

A great thing about social media is that it makes a business more people-friendly. Its effectiveness is also evident in a Global Web Index study just this first quarter of 2021. It posits that 54% of all people on social media use the channels to research a product.

2. Advertise in Local Media Outlets

Local TV and radio stations, even newspapers, are always hungry for content. This is a good way to get free airtime. Instead of paying them to run an ad, you can mix things up with a more creative approach. Perhaps, you can pay them a visit or write a letter saying you have something that might be interesting to their viewers. You are willing to take them through the process of creating your product. Also, you can invite them to cover your events, such as grand openings and perhaps Halloween, Christmas, or Valentine's Day programs.

3. Distribute Brochures

As we are in the era of online marketing, brochures are seen as out of touch and old-fashioned. But, this tangible piece of advertising remains relevant. A study by the Bentley University found that 7 in 10 tourists or visitors tend to pick up brochures, and 95% of all visitors who get a brochure become aware of a service or business.

Brochures are relatively cheap to mass produce compared with digital advertising. Also, most people tend to keep brochures for future use, not to mention, handing out leaflets can be a chance to have an intimate conversation with your customer.

4. Come up with a Strong Branding

A logo is more than a visual reminder of a brand, and it's what many business owners forget to pay attention to. Coming up with a killer logo and tagline may take some time and be tedious for some, but it's something that can make or break your brand. If done well, they may greatly contribute to your revenue, so for this one, we suggest you consult a graphics designer and a great copywriter.

However, suppose you want to do it yourself to keep the vision strong, Adobe Illustrator can be learned for free through Youtube University. (Kidding, that's not a real university, but Youtube can be a great learning platform.)

Check this out: The 6 Pillars to a Strong Brand Identity

5. Make Your Mission Clear

Did you know that nearly two in three people would patronize a business that stands for a purpose? According to Accenture, 63% of American consumers are affected by a brand's stance on issues of public concern. This ranges from a company's donation for a cause to their Facebook statuses and tweets.

Tom's "one-for-one" business model put the brand on the map. Basically, when you purchase a pair of shoes, they will also give an underprivileged kid in Africa a pair. This is called cause-marketing. Perhaps, your brand can participate by donating to non-profit organizations or by intentionally adopting a zero-waste business conduct.

6. Build a Website

A website serves as a brand's face. Sure, having great social media reach is important. Still, with your own website, you will be reaping more benefits than using social media alone. One of the most noted advantages of running your own dot-com is increased authority and credibility. In fact, 75% of users admit that they judge a company's credibility based on the website design alone. Not only that, in 2018, Deloitte found out that digitally advanced small businesses experienced revenue growth of almost 400%. Now that's an investment!

This, however, cannot discount the fact that establishing and running a website can break the bank. But today, there are companies such as Wix, GoDaddy, and SquareSpace that fill this void. Although depending on the features you want to incorporate into your website, prices can be overwhelming.

Here at AllThingsWWW, we offer free consultations and price estimation. Just send us a message at [email protected], and we'll help your business boom.

Apart from the desktop version of a website, you should also highly consider having a great mobile version. You can know more about it here: Mobile Web Design is VERY Important, Here’s Why

7. Utilize Google My Business

If you don't have a GMB (Google My Business) profile yet, you may be missing out on great opportunities to be found online. GMB is a free platform for businesses to register into and appear as legitimate businesses in their search engine. Through this channel, you can put your business on the map--literally through Google Maps.

You can also bid for keywords through Google Ads and appear on top of the page when your keywords are searched. According to a research conducted by BrightLocal, the average business with GMB receives around 1,009 searches each month. 16% of these are direct searches, while 84% are discovery searches—meaning, they discovered the business after searching for keywords.

8. Go to Trade Fairs

With commerce booming online, one may think trade fairs are the ways of the old and a waste of time, just like brochures. But trade fairs or shows actually present great opportunities for small businesses. In this short period, suppliers, sellers, and buyers from all over the world gather to keep the market healthy. You can use this as a chance to get a feel of the competition, adopt innovations into your business, and by any luck, expand your business through partnerships. Plus, trade fairs often get media attention, so go ahead and reserve a spot!

9. Collaborate with the Public

One of the best ways for your market to know your business is to engage with them outside business transactions. This people-to-people relationship can be achieved by encouraging your consumers to write blogs for your website (with proper credits, of course). You can also host donation drives for orphanages or perhaps partially sponsor local events. Apart from ultimately benefitting from the exposure, this is a great chance for people to connect with your brand and develop loyalty.

10. Sell Merch

In the Netflix Series "Better Call Saul," Bob Odenkirk plays a Criminal Defense Attorney (and a criminal attorney). He executes some of the best marketing ideas to make his name ring a bell. One example is that he gives away matchsticks with their packaging imprinted with his name and phone number. What's excellent about that is his clients are mostly and criminals, and it's no secret that most criminals smoke.

You can also market your business through inexpensive (but effective) giveaways. If your target consumers are kids, you may give away candies or crayons. If budget allows, you can give away shirts—and when people wear them, you've got walking billboards.

You can read more about giveaways and lumpy marketing here: What is Lumpy Marketing? (4 Guidelines and 40 Gift Ideas!).

11. Explore Influencer Marketing

A concept that was recently birthed by our social media hyperconnectivity. Businesses can partner with content creators or influencers from different platforms to increase brand awareness. One great reason why this is effective is that these influencers already have a decent size of a fanbase. Unlike superstars, influencers are thought of as real people by their followers, making these online icons great endorsers. As a matter of fact, businesses make $5.2 for every $1 spent on influencer marketing.

Bonus tips

1. Postcards

Handwritten postcards or even 'Thank You' notes add sentimental value to your products and services. This is a good way to stay on your clients' or customers' minds and develop a long-term relationship with them.

2. Awards

Having a seal of an award in your packaging increases your credibility by a hundredfold. Apply for local awards to gain good publicity.

3. Marketing Consultant

Freelance Marketing Consultants charge an average of $30 for an hour of their time. Speaking with the experts keeps you on top of your business and gives you pointers on how to run your business and make good decisions with confidence.

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