The ABCs of Marketing—4 Low-Cost/No-Cost Must-Haves for Your Marketing Strategy

​In one of the final hilarious scenes of Steve Martin’s 1979 movie, “The Jerk,” he staggers out of his mansion, telling his wife that he doesn’t need any of their possessions…except an ashtray. And a paddle game. And a remote control. And matches, a lamp, a chair, and a magazine.
 
The last four terms in our ABCs of Marketing may be some of the things you really need to make your business go places.

​(Hopefully, not like Steve Martin, with your pants around your ankles as you shuffle down a Beverly Hills sidewalk.)

​Word of mouth—A recent study found 83% of people trust recommendations from family and friends, and a whopping 92% trust recommendations from complete strangers. (Think of those always-entertaining Amazon reviews or even many Instagram influencers!)

Word of mouth marketing can really pack a punch and should absolutely be a part of your marketing strategy. WOM includes social media posts, customer reviews, free products, and more.
 
User eXperience—UX converges at the intersection of your end-user’s experience with your product or services and your own business goals.

In all aspects of creating your marketing strategy, UX best practices ensure that your content be useful, your website be easy to use, that all design elements be attractive and on-brand, that your website be easily navigable and accessible to people with disabilities, and that it be credible to build trust in your brand.

As you create your strategy, keeping UX in mind every step of the way will ensure the best experience for your end-user and greater success for you.
 
YouTube--YouTube is the second largest search engine on the internet, which makes it an ideal place to promote your business to a wide audience.

And while creating a YouTube channel for your business is absolutely free, you may have to invest in some equipment to create professional-looking videos. These can range in price from $250 to $500.

While that’s not cheap, the return on investment could be significant.
 
Zero Cost Strategy—These are strategies you can utilize to promote your business that cost nothing, such as posting to Facebook or blogging on your website.

However, the term “zero cost” might be a bit misleading if you factor in the value of the time you spend creating content or posting.

Alternatively, while utilizing the services of a professional may require an investment, it will prove well worth the return and afford you the time to put your focus elsewhere.  

Are you ready to take your business where you want it to go? I'd love to help. Contact me today and let's talk.​

​#thejerk #wordofmouth #customerreviews #userexperience #UX #youtube #zerocoststrategy