Marketing on a Shoestring: What Can You Do on a $15,000 Budget? You’re a $500,000 company and want to spend a conservative 3% of revenue on marketing. Where does that leave you?
When working within a tight budget, contractors need to think basics and grass roots, says Victoria Downing of Remodelers Advantage of Fulton, Md. Here’s a rundown.
$2,000. Design a logo for business cards, letterhead, contracts, etc. The amount you spend on design should be dictated by your target client. If seeking high-end work, you need high-end design. Middle-class clients respond to less expensive materials.
$1,500. Jobsite signs and vehicle lettering. Signs, says Downing, should include tubes that hold company information, so passers-by can take something from the site.
$350. Write a letter. Then mail it to friends, family, and suppliers asking if they know anyone who needs remodeling work done. Consider a form to fill out and fax back, which will be entered into a drawing for a $100 gift certificate.
$2,500. Professional photography of your best projects. Hire a pro to take shots from many angles so photos can be used over and over.
$2,000. Radius mailings. Four-color postcards are an effective way to let those within a predetermined distance of the job you’re working on know you’re in the neighborhood. Mecera suggests attention-grabbing photos and catchy messages so readers read and see your logo, creating top-of-mind awareness.
$3,500. Web site. Experts differ on whether this is a must-do for a startup, because cheap Web sites aren’t effective. But done well, even on a budget, they project a professional image.Your customer profile should dictate if you need one and how sophisticated it should be. If you opt for a starter site, it must be clean and include plans to notch up quality. Professional photos and well-written copy are musts.
$2,000. Direct mail postcard to 500 contacts, four times a year. Once you have a client and prospect database, consider regular mailings. Many online resources offer these services cheaply, but photos should be professional. Prime mailing times, says Mecera, are January and the end of August.
$500. Saturation mailing of 1,000 letters in envelopes. Pinpoint key neighborhoods to match your ideal customer profile. Take that list to a company specializing in mass mailings.
$625. Memberships in local organizations or ads in bulletins, shoppers, and Little League booklets — whatever suits your target market. Grass-roots efforts, such as Chamber of Commerce networking, can be more effective than advertisements.
$25. Public relations. Send press releases to newspapers, magazines, and key media to alert them to something that your company or your employees have done. To build your reputation, include architects, interior designers, suppliers, and others.