Marketing drives customers to your business, which means you’d be missing out if you didn’t prioritize it.
However, marketing costs money; It’s recommended that organizations spend between 7 and 10% percent of their gross revenue on marketing.
But what if you don’t have the cash to invest in it or if you have an upcoming event or product that needs urgent marketing and you can’t afford it?
Rather than letting the opportunity pass you by, you need to utilize one or a combination of these methods and get your customers and suppliers on board.
Negotiate payment terms
Suppliers and customers are two of your business’s biggest financial sources.
They can also help you out when you need cash for a marketing campaign. First of all, speak to your suppliers to see if you can negotiate a temporary payment schedule so that you delay paying them until after your product or service has launched.
If you’d rather rely on your customers for help, you could request money upfront for your services or offer them an incentive for paying early.
Make sure you only negotiate with customers and suppliers that you have a strong, existing relationship with though as this will give you the best chance of success.
Invoice financing
You can rely on your customers in another way too, but this time indirectly.
It’s common to have multiple invoices outstanding at any one time as 90% of suppliers say regular payments are late.
Research also shows that payments are often made 30 days late.
Rather than sitting around waiting for this cash, you can use your outstanding invoices as security to claim invoice finance which can then be used for your marketing project.
The system works by giving your business cash based on a percentage of your outstanding invoices.
When payment is made, the money that was borrowed plus interest is paid back.
Invoice finance brokers ABC Finance state that “Many businesses are turning to this option to take back control of their finances, allowing them the breathing space needed to move forward.”
Start a crowdfunding campaign
Crowdfunding is a popular marketing method.
Pew Research reports that 22% of Americans have financially contributed to a fundraising project.
Crowdfunding is a great way to get your suppliers, customers, other businesses, and the general public involved in and backing your organization.
It particularly works well if you’ve been hyping up a new product or service for some time and need funds to get the marketing aspect of it up and running.
To get people as interested as possible and for authenticity, be sure to engage with your all backers.
A simple thank you message shows your appreciation and will encourage others to donate.
You also need to get your business on social media and collaborate with influencers to raise awareness and bring money in.
By doing all this, you could find a total of $5,270 added to your marketing campaign.
All businesses need to focus on their marketing.
When you don’t have the cash readily available to do this, you must find ways to get your hands on some to benefit the growth of your business.
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