7. Flyers, business cards and print marketing

Printed marketing materials have been around a lot longer than most of the options listed above. They include everything from flyers, business cards, and pens to water bottles, stickers, and hoodies.

Before you decide which printed marketing materials to spend money on, it’s worth asking yourself a few questions:

Ellie, Graphic Designer at Simply Business, said: “Relating your printed marketing items to your core product or service means you’re more likely to stick in people’s minds. For example, if you sell bottled drinks, you could market using branded bottle openers. Or, if you repair electrical goods, you could distribute fridge magnets among your customers.”

Tips for designing print materials

The first step is to be creative with your design so your business will be remembered. Then do your research to find local print suppliers – not only is this likely to save you money, you’ll also be supporting other local small businesses.

It may also be easier to build a great working relationship with your print provider, which means you’ll be more likely to get tailored service from them. It’ll also make life easier when you want to see sample prints and make tweaks to the design.

If finding a good quality, local printer isn’t an option for you, Moo is a good example of a high-quality online print marketing provider, offering great service and a variety of finishes to help you nail the right style and tone for your business. You can give them a go by ordering a free sample pack of their range of paper weights and print finishes.

What free advertising can I try?

Something to bear in mind is that effective marketing doesn’t need to cost lots of money. In fact, most of these forms of marketing can be done for free.

The digital world in particular has lots of ways to start advertising for free. Making the most of social media, blogging, word-of-mouth marketing, and customer reviews is about finding different ways to connect with your customers, making their experience positive.

And while SEO tools can be expensive, many come with free trials that can help you establish (and improve) your website’s ranking:

Don’t forget about Google’s own free tools, Search Console and Analytics, when keeping on top of your website’s performance.

As you become more familiar with the different forms of marketing and the most useful tools for your business, it could be worth investing money into your marketing.

But in the meantime, establishing a marketing plan for your business is a great way to start building better brand awareness and relationships with your customers.