So, you’ve got your idea that you’re hoping to turn into a startup, but the problem is that you don’t have an endless budget to spend on it. While this might make it seem like you’ve got everything going against you, this isn’t the case at all – you can still be effective with your marketing without breaking the bank.

Coming up with the best marketing and advertising campaign for your business needs to be a top priority if you want to make good progress, especially in the beginning.

It’s essential because it helps you promote your product and get the word out so that you can engage with potential customers and stand out from the crowd. Don’t worry – there are many affordable ways that you can use to help your business get ahead.

Having a number of different options to choose from makes it easy for you to come up with the best plan that fits your budget, even if it’s really small right now. Some of the strategies that we’re going to talk about are free, too, which always helps.

Affordable Advertising & Marketing Ideas

Let’s take a look at 20 affordable marketing and advertising ideas that you can use for your business.

1. Canvassing

This is when you print out a number of different flyers for your business at an affordable rate and hand them out to people outside of shops or in parks. You can use a free online flyer template to make stunning flyers with ease.

This is a great way to gain a bit of hype around your business, and it’s more suited to businesses that sell a service.

If you want this method to be really effective, try to find people who are naturally extroverted for the job, and get them to go to places that are usually crowded. Get them to politely approach people who are passing by, and get them to engage in a conversation with them.

It’s going to be easier to make a good impression if the people you get to work for you make the general public feel comfortable and at ease.

2. Content Marketing

Want people to know more about your business so that you can bring them to our website and have them checking out your socials? Then invest in a bit of content marketing. Content marketing involves writing content that’s relatable and relevant to your brand, so that you can post it on your website as well as your social media platforms, too.

This is a really common approach to advertising your business online these days, and outsourcing this service to a marketing agency is going to be a lot more affordable than you might think. The best part is that you don’t waste any resources doing something like this.

Make sure that you find someone that has had a lot of experience doing this already so that they can create the kind of content your business needs.

3. Advertising LED Screen

For local brand promotion, find an LED screen that is in a good location so that you can show people what your product looks like and why they need it. Make sure to find an LED screen that is located on a busy street, so that you can have as many people as possible looking at it.

4. Pay for a Professional Website

What does your website currently look like? When was the last time that you put any money into making it look appealing to anyone who was visiting it? If it’s been a while, then you might want to think about sprucing things up and updating it to look a lot more professional.

While there is social media, the buck stops at your website, especially if you’re selling your product or service from it. This is why it’s so important to invest a little bit of money into creating a professional-looking website that people are going to enjoy being on.

Make sure that you don’t overdo it, though – you don’t want to overwhelm visitors and make them want to look elsewhere for the same product.

5. Offer Free Coupons

Everyone loves a good deal, especially if the business they’re checking out is new and they don’t have any experience with them. One of the best ways to sweeten that first transaction is to offer new clients a free coupon so that they can get a discount.

You can also offer a free consultation if your business is a service – this way, they can dip their toes in the water to see if they like it or not. It’s a great way to get them in the door, and it’s not going to cost too much on your end.

6. Have a Blog

If you’ve got a website, you need to have a blog on it. Blogging is a great way to market and promote your brand affordably, and similar to content marketing, it can help your potential clients read all about your business and topics related to your business to keep them interested.

Make sure that you remember to blog regularly so that you can keep your clients updated with what’s going on with the business. Adding a content calendar to your site will make it easier to stick to a schedule.

7. Be Active on Social Media

Have you got your brand on social media websites like Facebook and Instagram yet? If you don’t, then we recommend that you do. The more platforms you dedicate your brand to, the better you will do, and the more progress you will make with it in the beginning.

They’re a great way to connect people to your brand and get them to go over and check out your website. You could even just choose one social media platform right now to work on, and then branch out when you’re a bit more confident.

8. Create a Facebook Fan Page

Facebook is a pretty popular place for people to be, including brands all around the world. This is why it’s worth creating a Facebook fan page for your brand so that your clients can stay connected to what you offer and any updates that you may have for them.

You can stay engaged with loyal customers as well so that they can continue to plug into your company.

9. Start a LinkedIn Group

Want to find a way that people can connect with one another as fans of your business and be involved in the same message board? Then create a LinkedIn group around your business. This is also a great opportunity for you to connect with others in the industry that have similar companies so that you can share helpful insights, marketing ideas, and general information.

This is a great way to stay connected with what’s happening in your industry and meet people. You never know what kind of opportunities this could open up.

10. Create an Email Newsletter

This is a great way to help you current customers stay up to date with what’s happening with the business, without having to spend too much money doing so. You’ll need to get them signed up to your email list first, but once you’ve done this, it will be really easy to send this out to them.

11. Create a Press Release for Your Company

There’s nothing quite like being able to get people’s attention through a press release. It’s a great way to build hype around your business, and you can launch a new product or service with it as well.

It’s just basically an announcement where you can give information or updates on your business, as well as the products that you offer.

12. Start Networking

While there are plenty of ways that you can network online, there are also ways to network with people in real life, too.

Networking with other people within your niche through network events is a great way to get to know others and their business so that you can trade industry secrets and build up your credibility.

There are a lot of ways that you can connect with other people in the industry through online websites so that you can find different events and groups to get involved with.

13. Submit Blog Articles and Guest Post

Do you consider yourself an expert in your field? If so, then you can always reach out to big websites that have a lot of traffic on their posts, and connect with influencers in your industry through submitting blog articles as a guest.

This is going to give you another way of getting the exposure that you need in your industry so that people can be drawn to your website as well.

14. Offer a Rewards Program

Similar to the discount or free coupon, there’s nothing like getting people through the door with a rewards program. Most satisfied customers who are loyal will be happy to refer a friend to your business, especially if they know that they will get something out of it.

There are plenty of ways to figure out a rewards program, so go online and get researching.

15. Collaborate with Other Companies

If you can’t beat the competition, join them. There’s nothing like joining forces with another business in your industry to help you get more exposure so that you can bring visibility to your product and website within your niche.

Try and find an event that’s being put on by a company that you think is similar to what you offer, and join them in offering something free or enticing.

16. Conduct a Free Webinar

The more that people know about your business and what it involves, the more likely they will be to buy your product. This is why it’s worth thinking about hosting a free webinar, so that people can learn more about your business and what you’re offering.

This is helpful if you are an expert in your industry and have a lot of knowledge to share that can help people thinking about getting on board take that next step.

17. Get Endorsed on LinkedIn

LinkedIn has a way of being able to endorse you through other LinkedIn users, and the more you are endorsed by others within your niche, the easier it’s going to be to build credibility around your business and boost testimonials around your product or service.

18. Give Away Free Product or a Free Trial

Remember, there’s nothing like giving something away for free to get people in the door. If you want to try and get more people looking at your business and website, then why not give a sample of your product away in the beginning?

Like we talked about above with the free consultation, consider offering a deal for first-time customers. This way, they get to try your brand for a little less than it would usually cost, and you get to benefit from people willing to sign up from the very beginning.

19. Be Seen on Blogs in Your Industry

Want to be seen by other people in your industry? Then make sure that you are active on their content.

Leave comments on the blogs of other people within your industry. This is going to get you seen, and it’s going to bring more traffic to your website.

It might even end up, resulting in more leads for your business, which is always a good thing.

20. Create an Email Signature

One of the most underrated features of your business is your email signature.

This is a great way to get your name out there and have it seen every time you send someone an email. They might even be tempted to check out your website – you never know.

BONUS: Give Presentations at Events

People love presentations at networking events. You can talk about your business and the problems it solves. Use free PPT templates to help you with digital presentations.

Final Thoughts

So, there you have it – 20 affordable ways to market your brand right now even if you don’t have that much money in the budget. One of the first things you need to do with your brand new brand is getting it out there and in front of the right people.

However, you can’t do that if you don’t try, and you don’t have to wait around for a bit of money to grow your business. Make the most of these tips and watch your business grow to new heights today.