A business’s marketing efforts do not need to cost a fortune in tech to create value. What’s one inexpensive (or free) tech hack that can help you reach new customers?
These answers are provided by Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC), an invite-only organization comprised of the world’s most promising young entrepreneurs. YEC has also launched BusinessCollective, a free virtual mentorship program that helps millions of entrepreneurs start and grow businesses.
1. Direct Contact Search Tools
Tools like Hunter.io and PIPL will allow you to find the direct contact information of any prospect for about five cents per contact. Then you can outreach to these prospects via email, phone or social media with a value proposition. We have acquired many clients in this manner. – Michael Hsu, DeepSky
2. Thought Leadership Articles
It’s more about the time than the cost, but I have found new customers just through the advice I provide in my thought leadership blog posts and articles for various outlets. It builds my credibility with the target audience. – Serenity Gibbons, Calendar
3. Answering Questions on Quora
People are asking questions on Quora about nearly every market out there. We’ve had great success having an expert consistently answer questions in our industry. Avoid being ‘salesy’ — instead, answer with detail and non-bias. Leaving your website URL at the end of a long, well thought out answer will really resonate well with readers. Do this often to get steady traffic. – Alex Miller, Upgraded Points
4. Facebook Ads
In addition to having their own Facebook page, any business should seriously consider investing in some targeted Facebook ads. Not only are they inexpensive, they can offer exposure to a gigantic audience within very specific demographics. Its setup is low risk and high reward and can be easily used to A/B test new marketing strategies. – Bryce Welker, CPA Exam Guy
5. Affiliate and Influencer Marketing
Affiliate and influencer marketing typically works by paying out a commission when a sale is made or by donating a product for the influencer to review on sites such as YouTube. Both marketing channels are really inexpensive. In fact, you don’t pay anything with affiliate marketing unless you get a sale. It’s a win-win for content providers and your brand. – Andy Karuza, FenSens
6. Visual Content
Great marketing is all about strong communication, and no content engages audiences better than visual content. Investing in a few well-designed pieces of content, like a motion graphic, interactive web page or static mini-infographic for social, can be a huge boost for your marketing efforts. Viewers are more likely to buy after they watch a product video. – Amy Balliett, Killer Infographics
7. Consumer Barometer
You can never know too much about your potential customers. Consumer Barometer is a tool that provides in-depth insight to customers on a global level. Here, you’ll learn about how consumers shop for products in different countries and which devices are more popular in certain areas. What’s even better is that this is a free tool. – Codie Sanchez, CodieSanchez.com
8. User-Generated Content
People are naturally proud of what they create. Instagram is a perfect example of the power of user-generated content. If you are able to utilize your users as an internal strength by giving them opportunities to create user-generated content, then they can also share that content. – Nicole Munoz, Start Ranking Now
9. B2B LinkedIn Connections
One thing that has worked for us is simply connecting to our B2B demographic on LinkedIn. Connect with those who have an obvious interest in your services, with someone who has higher status in the company and is desirable to network with. Finally, have a clear and concise profile that explains what services you or your business provides so a connection can instantly make a decision on request. – Vince Wingerter, 4LegalLeads.com
10. Partnerships with Non-Competing Companies in Your Space
Partnerships remain a simple and effective way to earn customers. The reason most companies and small businesses avoid them? They require real work and strategy. You need to find companies and influencers in your space who are also looking to help your audience, rally them together and work with them to put together offers and content that is valuable for your ideal prospects. – Brandon Pindulic, OpGen Media
11. Referral Marketing
The best free marketing comes from your existing customers. Provide excellent service and give customers an incentive to promote your business to their friends and colleagues. – Vik Patel, Future Hosting
12. Adding Value Through Your Time and Interest
The best way to reach customers for free is to give the gifts of time and interest. Find someone in an organization who would be willing to listen to guidance that will help them move forward, something that you know well enough to truly help them. Next invest some time in providing real value to that person and organization, not just surface value. The approach and attitude will pay dividends. – Jeff Jahn, DynamiX
