Of course, there really is no substitute for getting a professional graphic designer and/or photographer to handle the creative side of producing your marketing materials. Doing it yourself will take up too much of your time and, unless this is your field of expertise, may not produce good enough results.
If, however, you need to produce creative work in order to promote your business but have a very limited or no budget to do so, you will need to explore some of the alternative methods at your disposal.
So what can you do too if you need to produce acceptable creative work on a budget? Here are some top tips:
Just because you can’t afford the latest cutting edge agency, it doesn’t mean you can’t hire professional designers, writers and creatives. Some agencies specialise in smaller campaigns and will be able to produce work within your budget. You can also hire on an individual basis. Look for agencies and freelancers in Yellow Pages, industry trade directories and the internet.
If you want photos of common themes, such as holiday scenes, restaurants or city centres, you can get them from a photo library. However, this can be expensive. Another option is to find a company in the relevant line of business. Contact their PR department and you’ll usually find that they’ll give you photos free, provided that you credit their client. Doublecheck, however, that they own the copyright on the pictures and have the right to give you this permission.
Search out photographers and designers just starting up in business. Thomson Directories and Yellow Pages can provide lists of new businesses by type and location. These people are often keen to build their reputation and portfolio and may work for a reduced rate.
This puts you in a strong position to negotiate favourable terms. In return, you could offer to credit them in your advert/brochure, and they can use this work to show other potential clients. You could even offer to add their contact details.
Study the ads in the press, especially the press outside your field, and read the most eye-catching adverts. Are there lessons you could learn about what ads work and what ads don’t in your target market? You cannot copy other creative offerings but you might be able to draw inspiration from other marketing campaigns and materials.
Manufacturers often have free promotional material you can personalise with your contact details. You may find that they will co-fund your publicity in return for a mention. It is therefore well worth contacting the product managers of your suppliers.
Consider sharing the cost of creative design with other local firms you don’t compete with. You can then each add your own details to the framework created. It is important that the designs you commission with other businesses are different for each of you. If all of your adverts look the same you will, at best, be associated with each other or, at worst, be seen as cheap. So add details to make your advert unique.
With most of these tips, bear in mind that you are cutting costs by taking risks and you’ll have to decide how much of a risk you want to take.