Here are cheap ways to get your business know since one of the many challenges we face while running a startup is getting visibility and awareness.
The cost of running promotions to drive visibility and awareness are usually a cost many are not ready to face. Worse for startup in Uganda or this region where it is almost close to impossible to raise funding before you gain traction.
Luckily, there are affordable and easier ways to get some share of voice, to get noticed and drive some eye balls as you get started. Here is a simple blue print for you.
Table of Contents
Get A Website
The cost of getting a website is as low as the cost of team breakfast for a week. It is possible to get a domain for as low as 4,000Ugx (0.99$). Hosting will set you back anywhere about 20,000Ugx ($5) a month.
You can get a website designed by yourself or a friend using a platforms like WordPress which has a million styles and design for free.
Alternatively you can consider options like Wix for 16,900Ugx (4.5$) per month which comes with a Wix advert at the bottom or the more expensive SquareSpace for 45,000Ugx ($12) a month. The benefit with Wix and SquareSpace is you do not have to worry about setting up issues, they make it all very easy for you.
Total Cost = 17,300Ugx ($5.4)
Create A Blog
A blog does two things for you; It will help your potential clients and clients keep up with what you are working on and it will help with your visibility in the search engine. The more regularly you post, the more the search engines recognise that your website is “alive”. Your blog is business wall for all news and insights.
Total cost = Zero
Be Visible in Search;
If you have no understanding of SEO, get a freelance/expert to setup things for you. SEO is crucial for you startup. Without SEO your website is not going to be discovered. SEO is like having a signpost outside your office.
SEO Cost = 41,700Ugx ($11.12)
Make Use of Social Media
I am not going to get into the importance of social media and how affordable it is. If you have some knowledge of tools like Photoshop, this process will be easier. If you do not however, get Canva
It is a free version that you can start with and upgrade as your get better and revenues start coming in.
Write Press Releases
Ever wondered why corporate companies hold press conferences every other day? With you low budget, you will not be able to hold press conferences but you are able to write press releases that you can share with different news platforms. For a startup, you might not be able to get onto some of the big websites but you will be able to get on to the niche websites and other smaller ones.
What you need to keep in mind is that every website that posts your press release introduces you to its readers. Look at this way, the small websites get anywhere from 200 to 500 readers on an article. If you have your release posted by 4 of these websites, that is a potential of 2,000 connections.
Cost to get a release published = 50,000Ugx ($13)
You cost of reach per reader 100Ugx ($0.027)
Conclusion
You need to keep in mind that your success and visibility grow will greatly depend on how much work you put in. How great your website is, How engaging your social media posts are, How well your release is written and the quality of your blog posts.
All in all, your total monthly cost will be 109,000Ugx or $29
