We’re always talking about how we want to cut costs. While setting up your business, an integration of various aspects like competition landscaping, business plan, finances, venture capital, etc come into play. Marketing stands out as that item on your P&L (Profit & Loss statement) which is probably one of the biggest cost function, and easily eliminable. We often tend to underplay the marketing function in this regard. There are many items though, which should be in your marketing checklist. Have you made the most of these?

1. Email Signatures

Your email signature is as important as almost any other part of your corporate identity. Due to the frequency of communication through e-mails, thousands of customers, prospective clients, vendors, business associates, etc can see your email signature on a regular basis. A few tips to perfect your signature are -- make sure you have a high-resolution logo of your company, keep the typeface and colour scheme in check. Even though it seems like a minor aspect of marketing, these nitty-gritties have an impact on your brand. What’s more, it’s a terrific way to drive traffic to a website, social page or even a transaction link for your product or service.
On your GlobalLinker profile page, you have the option of creating a customised email signature in a few simple steps.

2. Social Media

2.46 billion people on the planet are social media users. Talk about influence. Social Media is one of the finest ways to catch the eye of interested readers, completely for free. Take note that your content should be of relevance and should be posted with an optimal frequency, not too spaced out and not too close. Active pages attract more followers. Common platforms to market your brand include Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. However, do not underestimate the power of other platforms like Tumblr, Quora, Youtube. The more your presence, the wider your reach. Don’t have the time or resources to hire an agency, do it yourself. Put up small amounts of meaningful content that matters to you as the vision leader of the firm. Be generous, give out tips, tricks, help your audience to have them help you eventually. 

3. Business Cards

It might seem archaic with the advent of digital media, however let’s not underestimate the power of the smallest brochure available. It’s pocket sized, clean and crisp, has a call to action with your number and just about enough space to say something about your brand and the services offered. More than a contact card, it proves to be an efficient recall brand tool. Again, lead people to your website, social pages and a lot more.

4. Blog on trending topics

People love people. As much as they love to see the brand, they are very curious to see or learn about the minds behind the brands. Moreover, if you share an opinion on a current topic and seamlessly link it to your brand, you have a better chance of being searched as well as being assimilated in the mind of the reader. Few websites to help get you started for free are WordPress and Blogspot. Or simply have a knowledge / publication tab on your website and social media. Also, be sure to talk about your brand in the business press or the new age online startup press.

 5. Email Marketing 

Use tools like MailChimp or other complimentary email marketing tools to help you reach existing & new customers from your database. Invest time and thought in aspects such as the subject line, test the same message in different formats to help fuel marketing intelligence. Email can be an effective tool once you’ve caught the reader’s attention. You can have multiple call to actions, details about your product, onboard the customer to continued subscription to your content and much more.

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Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views, official policy or position of GlobalLinker.