It takes three things to effectively market your business: time, effort, and money. But these are also the three things that all small- and medium-sized businesses are in short supply of. 

If you want to be successful in promoting yourself and your business you must not only be effective. 

You have to be efficient. 

Why? 

Because you can do more with less. 

So how can you be efficient so you can get the most out of your time and money? 

Know What You are Trying to Accomplish

The first thing you want to do is define what success looks like for you and your business. Set goals for your business and for your marketing efforts. When you know where you are going you can chart the path you need to take to get there. 

Before you begin any marketing campaign, take some to detail what you are trying to accomplish and work backwards to figure out what you need to get there. 

Know Your Audience

Next, define your ideal customer. A lot of businesses waste too much time, money, and energy either targeting the wrong people or too broad of an audience. 

While it might be true that your products and services are suitable for a large audience, the truth is only a segment of that population is actually interested and ready to make a purchase at this time. You want to understand who those potential customers are and devote your resources to attracting their attention and getting them to act. 

Select the Correct Marketing Channels

Once you understand who you are speaking to, determine where they get their information. You want to share your messaging on the marketing channels where your ideal audience gets their information and spends the most time. 

So, if you are targeting an older audience, Facebook and print materials might be your best bet. A younger audience might go for social media apps like Tik Tok or Instagram. If you are targeting a niche audience like video gamers, then Twitch might be the place for you. 

The key is trying to learn more about your audience, which will help in other ways down the road.

Use Your Resources Wisely

Like we said above, the three primary resources for marketing your business are time, money, and effort. You also have your employees, digital assets like images and videos, and your branding material like your logo and tagline. 

Take some time to define how you want to use these resources to maximize their effectiveness, whether it’s your employees, yourself, or digital assets. 

Communicate with Your Team

Get everyone on the same page by communicating your vision for the business, your marketing goals, who you are trying to target, and how everyone can help. Relay any important deadlines, dates, or key objectives. Consider holding regular meetings devoted to marketing. 

The key is to get your entire team on the same page. You want everyone to be able to address any questions a customer might have. You want your entire team to understand their role in making your business and marketing efforts a success. You want everyone to understand the steps it takes to reach your goals. Everyone will better understand what you are trying to accomplish while increasing buy-in.

Being effective with your marketing efforts does not have to take a lot of time or energy or take up your entire budget. You can conduct a very effective marketing campaign by being efficient and thinking strategically.