5 Free Resources For Reducing Your Marketing Costs

The U.S. Small Business Administration is a valuable resource for small business owners; a treasure trove of statistics and guides on how to pretty much do anything. Here, though, we're discussing the SBA's guidance on marketing. They recommend spending anywhere from 7-8% of your annual gross revenue on marketing if you have less than $5 million in sales. That's a lot of money!

If you're putting down that kind of cash, you want to get the most out of your money. So, you should be aware of the free resources the internet provides to accomplish a variety of marketing tasks. Here are six such resources to help you stretch your marketing dollars and still put out a great product. 

1. LogoCreator.io

What good is a business without a logo? Not much, it turns out. Instead of paying a graphic designer a lot of money to design a logo, head over to Logo Creator, where you can choose from a variety of templates specific to your industry to design something professional and eye-catching. The best part is that this service is completely free, and you get full rights to use your logo wherever you want. 

2. Mailchimp

Email marketing is the most effective form of marketing in terms of ROI, so this should definitely be a weapon in your marketing arsenal. Instead of trying to manage cumbersome spreadsheets full of customer data, use the free services at Mailchimp. Here, you can apply email templates for a professional-looking newsletter, manage a contact list, and embed a widget on your website that signs visitors up at the click of a button. 

3. Buffer

Social media marketing is one aspect of your marketing plan you shouldn't neglect, and you shouldn't waste time managing multiple profiles across half a dozen platforms by yourself. Instead, check out Buffer, which helps you manage profiles on all the top social media sites. With Buffer, you can schedule posts, analyze follower engagement with your content, and engage with your community directly. It has a free version as well as a premium version.

4. Due

Due isn't quite a marketing app, but it is a valuable way to track your time and make sure you're using your hours as efficiently as possible. Due is a handy app that makes time tracking super easy, so you can know exactly how much you need to bill clients, or how many hours you're spending on developing marketing content each week. Due also offers invoicing services, so you can bill your clients accurately and on time. It offers a way to accept credit card payments on your website, which can widen your target audience and can increase sales. 

 5. Unsplash

Marketing isn't much without images and purchasing royalty-free imagery can get expensive quickly. Instead, head over to Unsplash, where you can search through thousands of royalty-free images to find the perfect one for your marketing needs. It does offer a way to donate to photographers if you're feeling particularly generous.