At times of economic uncertainty, companies frequently cut marketing expenses first.

“Here are some free, high-return marketing methods to use if you’re strapped for cash. In addition, get some guidance from HubSpot’s expert startup marketers. In this article, we will discuss the best strategies to use for marketing without spending any money.”

[1-Plan out your content marketing plan:]

Want low-cost growth that lasts? Janelle Apaydin, the head of marketing at HubSpot for Startups, says that content marketing is the way to go. She explains that growing organic search volume over time is possible through educating customers through content marketing. Not sure how to get started? Take into account videos, especially short-form ones. Almost 33% of marketers are already using short-form video, making it the most popular trend among marketers according to our 2023 Marketing Trends poll. Furthermore, respondents believe it to be the most effective and have the largest return on investment (ROI). Then, blogs are a fantastic tool for expanding your reach, attracting new visitors, and developing new contacts. Find out who you want to reach and what problems they’re having. The digital marketing expert Vana Korrapati advises writing blogs that offer readers relief from their problems and provide them with a single, actionable takeaway. Using this method, you can generate sales leads. A large part of HubSpot’s success may be attributed to blogging, as the company’s blog has become an authoritative resource for marketing professionals, customer support representatives, and sales managers.

“Podcasting is an alternative that should not be overlooked. A small investment in time and money is required to get this up and running. You can take your story telling to the next level by turning your blog posts into riveting podcast episodes. Quality, not number, should be your primary focus. According to Mina Behrooz, Head of GTM Partnerships at HubSpot for Startups Canada, “it’s not about churning out 60 blog articles out there or YouTube videos of low quality and hoping that you’ll receive traffic.” It only has to be a handful of exceptional blog articles or a video on YouTube for it to be truly timeless. Behrooz then advises being as patient as possible while also promoting the company as much as feasible. With the support of marketing software, such as HubSpot’s Marketing Hub, getting started will be a breeze.”

[2-“It’s a good idea to look for cross-promotional partnerships:]

To use co-marketing, you and another brand must share a similar customer base. Tricia O’Brien, senior marketing manager for the HubSpot for Startups team, thinks that pooling resources is a wonderful idea when money is scarce. With her help, “you can develop content that offers value to your prospects and showcases your products or services,” she explains. “By working together, both businesses may reach a wider range of potential customers at a reduced overall cost.””

[3-“Establish a strong online identity by spending time and money on social media:]

The use of social media to promote a product or service has only grown more common in recent years. In fact, it’s one of the primary ways that millennials and Generation Z learn about new companies and goods. You may become a social media powerhouse with just a camera phone and an emphasis on creating and engaging with communities through the sharing of personal narratives.”

“So, don’t feel like you have to be at every place at once. My standard advice to new businesses is “Choose your top three.” Behrooz advises, “You don’t need to be everywhere; instead, focus on what’s free and establish your credibility there.” To make a choice, you need to consider the location of your target market. Are members of Generation Z your intended audience? TikTok, then, deserves to be high up on the list. For the younger generation. Perhaps you’d rank Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter in that order. Looking for some fun and competitive players Visit Twitch or Discord. You can get started with social media with the use of software like HubSpot’s Social Media Management Tools.”

[4-“It’s important to get more people involved in their local communities:]

Our report, Social Media Trends 2023, shows that in order to succeed in this industry, social media marketers need to focus more than ever on cultivating a robust online community. Ninety percent of respondents believe that, in 2023, a social media strategy will fail if it does not focus on growing and engaging with an engaged online community. According to the results of our Consumer Trends survey, twenty percent of social media users have joined an online community in the past three months, and twenty-two percent are actively involved in one.”

“All of this suggests that creating a loyal fan base is essential to establishing a strong brand. It’s not necessary to spend any money to achieve this goal. Facebook Groups, email lists, and Discord channels are all great places to start if you don’t have a lot of money. How you reach your target audience online is determined by where they already spend their time. If you have the financial resources, you can arrange or support local events that will help you connect with your target demographic.”

[5-Provide no-cost samples or access to useful tools:]

Offering a free trial period is a terrific marketing strategy, despite looking like a business or financial decision.

Apaydin argues that offering free trials is a cost-effective strategy for demonstrating your product’s worth to potential clients. If you’re confident that your solution can sell itself, delivering a free trial is a great way to demonstrate how you’re able to solve your customer’s issue before they make a final decision to purchase. Apaydin suggests using free trials to entice leads to provide their contact information so that you may nurture them into customers. You need to give the buyer a taste of your goods before they can fully appreciate it. Korrapati predicted that with your lavish treatment, the guests would have no desire to leave. Korrapati explains that even if some people don’t purchase your high-end product, you’ll still learn important things from their reactions. In addition, you will learn about problems you were unaware of, and you may do this without having to shell out any more cash for market research. You can also provide content in the form of ebooks, guidelines, white papers, case studies, and reports in addition to a trial. Lead magnets like those are great because they help you acquire the trust of your target audience while simultaneously attracting them as potential customers.

[6-“Do away with freebies:]

O’Brien claims that freebies are an effective technique to entice potential customers to convert or make a purchase. This is the finest part: You shouldn’t have to spend any money on them. It’s a prevalent myth that doing giveaways requires a sizable sum of money. She explains that businesses can save money by holding contests with freebies made from materials they already have on hand. An example would be “for example, one hour of your time to provide consultation services in your area of expertise or a free trial of your services.”

“Senior partner marketing manager at HubSpot Katey Gold agrees, emphasising the importance of presentation. According to Gold, “if you’re asking your customer to take action to receive something, look at how you’re asking. Customers need to feel like they’re getting a good bargain, not just another form to fill out for a freebie that everyone can have. “

[7-Inspire the creation of content by the public:]

Consumer-generated content (UGC) is an invaluable commodity for any company. Why? It can be used as a form of social proof, reused in the future, and sometimes requires very little work on your part. Examples of UGC include:

1. In the form of a video review, a satisfied client says:
2. A customer’s social media review
3. A section of the website of a blogger or influential person

O’Brien asserts that user-generated material, such as consumer testimonials, no longer necessitates a budget in this era of ubiquitous smartphones equipped with cameras and microphones.

“Adding testimonials from actual consumers helps bolster the trustworthiness of your advertising and show social proof that your offering is well received,” she says. Gold advises considering how to motivate customers to provide this content for your business. She advises that, while short-term incentives like gift cards or swag can be effective, it is worthwhile to consider the long-term implications. “What are some low-cost ways to reward patronage? Sharing a customer review on social media and identifying the customer in the post is one easy way to collect user-generated content (UGC) and make the customer feel appreciated by the brand’s audience. User-created content can also be used as part of a bigger marketing strategy. For many years, Lay’s has run a promotion called “Do Us a Flavor,” in which customers can suggest new flavours for the chip brand. It raises awareness of the company while being entertaining and interesting to the target audience.”

[8-Create a webcast:]

To generate leads for your business, inbound marketers focus on providing value to their target demographic. Webinars are one method for accomplishing this. Apaydin adds that webinars are an inexpensive approach to educate clients at all points in the sales funnel. These are cheap to put on and can be hosted by members of your team who are also experts in the field. ” But Behrooz believes there’s one thing you need to remember if you’re the host. Behrooz advises that your webinar not be used as an opportunity to make a sales pitch but rather as a means of educating your audience. The audience will stop caring if you don’t [or] if you use boring language. In a similar vein, Apaydin suggests getting in touch with a client pain point as a beginning point. The panel discussions that include your customers and/or partners will “generate greater interest in the event and also make it more engaging,” she says. Webinars are also a great way to get new contacts and expand your email list. There are only positive outcomes from this.”

[9-Don’t overlook the importance of search engine optimization:]

You want people to find you without you having to spend money on ads, right? Then you should put money into your SEO plan. In order to reduce the complexity of developing an SEO plan, it is helpful to keep two things in mind: your target demographic and Google. The former, because you’ll want to know what terms to optimise for so that your site comes up when people do a search for it. The second step is to make sure Google can understand your site’s structure.

Search engine optimization relies on a few mainstays, including:

1. Analysis of search terms
2. Making connections
3. Structure of the Site”

[10-“You should have your company featured in relevant business directories.:]

It is crucial that you keep your listing updated in online directories such as Yelp, Google My Business, and Facebook, where many customers first encounter your business.

Your company’s name, address, and website will all be easily accessible to consumers, but they will also read comments and ratings made by previous customers.

Keeping these directories up-to-date is a simple and low-effort strategy to increase your visibility online and better connect with your target audience.

In the end, you don’t have to spend a fortune on advertising. With little money, you can still accomplish many things. In fact, the vast majority of the aforementioned tactics need a little more manpower than is needed to create the material itself. “