Do you have marketing or branding needs for your small business but don’t have the money to hire a consultant or an agency? There are many ways to get the marketing and branding you need for your small business.
Marketing Vendors
You can find free whitepapers and e-books from marketing and branding companies that provide these resources to generate leads. You are not obligated to use the services of these vendors, but you can share their valuable content on social networks with your colleagues and help them increase their search engine rankings. This is a great way to show your respect for their knowledge.
Read marketing, branding, and customer-focused blogs, books, and websites regularly to gain insights, learn new ideas, and discover new tools.
Social Media, Associations, and Chambers of Commerce
Join selected marketing and branding LinkedIn Groups, Small Business Associations, Chambers of Commerce, and Question Sites. There are many ways to learn about marketing and brand.
Members of active LinkedIn groups post resources, share advice and opinions, and engage in discussions. You can also ask questions or share your best practices.
You can post questions about marketing and branding on question sites and get expert and peer responses. You can follow members who consistently provide good answers. You can also sign up for their emails and take advantage of any webinars or publications that they offer.
There are many small business associations in the United States, some of which have a national and local presence. Many associations offer resources for marketing, branding, conferences, training, and educational programs.
Chambers of Commerce are excellent organizations through which you can access professional development resources and marketing/branding opportunities. These groups can also provide valuable networking opportunities and increase your business’s credibility and exposure.
Join or create a mastermind alliance or group. You can learn from other small business owners and professionals how to market their businesses using tools and techniques that have been used with success by joining a mastermind group. You can either meet locally or use online programs such as Skype to connect with members from other cities.
Do Some Research
Bartering
You can ask your network if they know of any marketing or branding agencies that are willing to trade their expertise in exchange for the goods or services your company offers. Online bartering groups or online exchanges are also options. The International Reciprocal Trade Association is a group dedicated to ethical standards of trading and bartering.
Higher education
If you are looking to develop a brand strategy or conduct marketing research, look for local universities that offer entrepreneur and marketing programs. Some have professor-supervised student consulting groups that will work on your project for free or a fee significantly less than professional consultants or agencies.
Look for college departments of marketing and communication to find students who are interested in a small project. They would be happy to receive a payment and gain experience. You can ask their professors for references in order to make sure that the students you are considering for your project will be a good fit. If you want to ensure that the work of students is worth implementing, ask their professors or instructors if they would be willing to review student results at a reasonable fee.
You can also get your problem “solved” by some of the best college students around the world: NoodleStorm. It’s free, confidential, and features universities like Harvard, Stanford and Texas A&M.
Internships
You can also get low-cost branding and marketing assistance by hiring student interns in the summer or right after graduation. Some universities offer employers subsidies for hiring their students. Investigate also state and provincial grants.
The federal government will fund supervised work experience that is career-related for young workers in Canada. This helps them to improve their knowledge and skills. Businesses can receive up to 50% of the intern’s minimum wage for the summer. Contact Mentor Works.
To learn more about paid and unpaid internships in the US, you can read the Department of Labor Fact Sheet ” Programs under the Fair Labor Standards Act.” Unpaid interns may have legal implications.
A second option is to search for new immigrant programs. Many immigrants struggle to find employment in their field without having local experience. They often turn to internships as a way to get a foothold in the labor market. You may have solid candidates who are familiar with marketing and branding from their country of origin.
You can either hire the interns you have placed or send them a referral letter and say goodbye.
Freelancers
Also, you can explore freelance websites where you can post a marketing project as well as the budget that you’re willing to spend. You can then sit back and await freelancers’ proposals.
This is a great way to reach out to marketing professionals who might have extra time, be just starting and want to gain experience, or who need new clients.
A request: Do not use sites that allow freelancers to do your work before you can “win” the job. Consider: This is unfair to people who live in countries of the third world. Before you award the project, check their portfolios and references.
Summary
The sooner you budget and invest in building a brand that will be successful for your small business, the more likely it is that your company can achieve success.
Take advantage of free and low-cost resources until you can afford to hire or contract professionals.