Most people around the world would like to become their own bosses one day, and the best way to do this is to start a business. Another option is to buy an existing business, but this may require more money than starting a business from scratch. It is important to note that running a business is not easy.

After all, you have to think about paying the salaries of your employees even when your business has not started breaking even. There are also utilities, rent, taxes and other obligations that you have to fulfil.

In most cases, you will need to also spend money marketing your small business. You will most likely also need financing at one time or another. As the owner of the business, these are all your responsibilities.

Importance of Marketing Your Business

There is a lot of competition in the industry. Whatever business you have started, chances are high that competitors have an edge over you and command a bigger customer base.

To attract customers and create a loyal customer base, you have to market your business, brand, products and services effectively. While marketing might be costly, there are cheaper or even free marketing tools you can use. Below are 5 marketing tips for a lean startup

1. Use Social Media Marketing

One of the marketing tips for a lean startup is the use of social media. Most of the customers you are targeting are already on social media. The easiest way to reach them, therefore, is through social media.

You only need to create social media accounts for your business on all the popular social networks and add content. Use the most amazing pictures of your business in the profile picture section and provide your contact details as well as your website.

Most social networks have affordable sponsored ad programs. Be sure to sign up for these ads as they can add thousands of likes, followers or users to your business account quickly. Once you have many followers on your social media accounts, you can easily convince them to buy products or pay for a service your business is offering.

2. SEM

Search engine marketing is incredibly important. Since the vast majority of consumers usually search the internet for products and services they need, every business needs to have a strong online presence.

Search engine optimization is one SEM strategy that you should implement. You want your business to rank highly on the search results page. You also want your ads featuring on top of the search results for related keywords as sponsored ads.

You can incorporate both free and paid-for search engine marketing strategies to ensure you get the best results. Fortunately, organic SEO strategies are free.

3. Run a Special Sale

The easiest way to get loyal customers is to first get them to visit your business premise. Once they are inside, they can explore all the products and services you are offering, the ambience in the premise and compare prices to decide whether or not to make another visit.

Running a 50% off sale on selected products or services is a sure way of getting customers to visit your shop. You can also run a buy 1 get 1 free promotion for a limited period or while stocks last. While you might make losses, you will be able to generate interest in your business and possibly get a number of loyal customers.

4. Build a Great Website

In addition to selling goods and services on your business premises, you can also do the same online on your website.

Therefore, it is recommended you build a great website for your business. Be sure to hire a professional website designer to sort you out.

The website should have superb graphics, sufficient security, quality content, fast page load speed and must be easy to navigate. It should also be mobile-friendly. Customers should be able to order goods on your website and have them delivered to their address.

5. Use Promotional Products

Consumers love free things and never pass up a chance to grab something free. That is why you should consider offering promotional products as a marketing strategy for your business.

Obviously, you will need to have an amazing logo to get the best results.

You’ll also need to hire a great printing company to help you brand the promotional products. You can offer printed t-shirts, pens, mugs, water bottles, key holders, baseball caps and other products as promotional products.

Ideally, these branded products should also have your address and contact details to make it easier for customers to reach you. When giving out these products to customers, you can decide to pay attention to the value of the shopping cart, or you can give them out to customers randomly regardless of how much they spend.