You know it’s going to take a marketing push to meet your sales goals this year. But your budget is tight and you’ll need to use your imagination to make it. Where to start?

For many business owners, marketing doesn’t come naturally. They lurch from one tactic to another without a clear idea whether the efforts are going to pay off in higher sales.

Normand Coulombe, BDC Business Consultant in marketing, has advised scores of small and medium-sized businesses on how to improve their marketing. He offered some time-tested, low-cost techniques to improve your marketing and help you reach your goals.

1. Conduct a survey

It’s critical to create a marketing plan before moving on to tactics. And the first step in developing a marketing plan is to understand who your target customers are and what they want from your company.

Coulombe suggests a good way gain a better understanding of your customers is to conduct a survey about your products or services. If you can’t afford to hire a research company, do it yourself by creating a short questionnaire and recruiting existing and prospective customers to participate.

2. Pamper your existing customers

Coulombe says it’s typically five times as expensive to make a sale to a new customer as it is to an existing one. So make sure you’re not neglecting the people who already know and trust you.

Coulombe suggests taking your best customers out to dinner or golf and using the opportunity to ask them about how to improve your business. You could also personally write to your top 10 customers to thank them and tell them they’re part of your new loyalty program or invite them to sneak preview of your latest product.

3. Commit to online marketing

The Internet provides you with an inexpensive 24-hour virtual storefront. You can build relationships with prospective customers by offering them high-quality content on your site such as blogs, how-to articles, videos and a newsletter.

Extend your reach by using social media. But Coulombe cautions: “If you’re not willing to devote six to eight hours a week of an employee’s time, you’re better off going with a simple, well-designed website.”

4. Use all your real estate

Your building and surrounding land or sidewalk are great places to put up signs and banners. And don’t forget to use your vehicles as moving billboards. But remember: your images and messages should focus on what you’re selling, not your company’s name.

5. Work at public relations

Coulombe says a media story about your company is 25 times more valuable than an advertisement because of the credibility it confers on your business. But in this era of media cutbacks, it’s harder than ever to attract journalists’ attention. Keep in mind that they’re looking for a compelling story to tell. So help them by letting them know about your innovative product, unusual customer contact or high-stakes gamble that paid off. And keep at it—building relationships with the media will pay off.

6. Turn employees into ambassadors

Your employees are part of the community and have all sorts of contacts that could help you. How about inviting employees and their extended families to a fun event at your business? You may find you get new word-of-mouth business or hear about a potential new business partner. At the very least, your team will come back to work on Monday feeling energized.

7. Give back

By sponsoring a hockey team or participating in a charity drive with a cheque and a collection jar in your lunch room or by the cash register, you’re not only doing your part for the community, but also generating goodwill with customers and prospects.

I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own image.

Duis dictum tristique lacus, id placerat dolor lobortis sed. In nulla lorem, accumsan sed mollis eu, dapibus non sapien. Curabitur eu adipiscing ipsum. Mauris ut dui turpis, vel iaculis est. Morbi molestie fermentum sem quis ultricies. Mauris ac lacinia sapien. Fusce ut enim libero, vitae venenatis arcu. Cras viverra, libero a fringilla gravida, dolor enim cursus turpis, id sodales sem justo sit amet lectus. Fusce ut arcu eu metus lacinia commodo. Proin cursus ornare turpis, et faucibus ipsum egestas ut. Maecenas aliquam suscipit ante non consectetur. Etiam quis metus a dolor vehicula scelerisque.

Nam elementum consequat bibendum. Suspendisse id semper odio. Sed nec leo vel ligula cursus aliquet a nec nulla. Sed eu nulla quam. Etiam quis est ut sapien volutpat vulputate. Cras in purus quis sapien aliquam viverra et volutpat ligula. Vestibulum condimentum ultricies pharetra. Etiam dapibus cursus ligula quis iaculis. Mauris pellentesque dui quis mi fermentum elementum sodales libero consequat. Duis eu elit et dui varius bibendum. Sed interdum nisl in ante sollicitudin id facilisis tortor ullamcorper. Etiam scelerisque leo vel elit venenatis nec condimentum ipsum molestie. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Sed quis nulla et nibh aliquam cursus vitae quis enim. Maecenas eget risus turpis.

I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own image.

Duis dictum tristique lacus, id placerat dolor lobortis sed. In nulla lorem, accumsan sed mollis eu, dapibus non sapien. Curabitur eu adipiscing ipsum. Mauris ut dui turpis, vel iaculis est. Morbi molestie fermentum sem quis ultricies. Mauris ac lacinia sapien. Fusce ut enim libero, vitae venenatis arcu. Cras viverra, libero a fringilla gravida, dolor enim cursus turpis, id sodales sem justo sit amet lectus. Fusce ut arcu eu metus lacinia commodo. Proin cursus ornare turpis, et faucibus ipsum egestas ut. Maecenas aliquam suscipit ante non consectetur. Etiam quis metus a dolor vehicula scelerisque.

Nam elementum consequat bibendum. Suspendisse id semper odio. Sed nec leo vel ligula cursus aliquet a nec nulla. Sed eu nulla quam. Etiam quis est ut sapien volutpat vulputate. Cras in purus quis sapien aliquam viverra et volutpat ligula. Vestibulum condimentum ultricies pharetra. Etiam dapibus cursus ligula quis iaculis. Mauris pellentesque dui quis mi fermentum elementum sodales libero consequat. Duis eu elit et dui varius bibendum. Sed interdum nisl in ante sollicitudin id facilisis tortor ullamcorper. Etiam scelerisque leo vel elit venenatis nec condimentum ipsum molestie. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Sed quis nulla et nibh aliquam cursus vitae quis enim. Maecenas eget risus turpis.

I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own image.

Duis dictum tristique lacus, id placerat dolor lobortis sed. In nulla lorem, accumsan sed mollis eu, dapibus non sapien. Curabitur eu adipiscing ipsum. Mauris ut dui turpis, vel iaculis est. Morbi molestie fermentum sem quis ultricies. Mauris ac lacinia sapien. Fusce ut enim libero, vitae venenatis arcu. Cras viverra, libero a fringilla gravida, dolor enim cursus turpis, id sodales sem justo sit amet lectus. Fusce ut arcu eu metus lacinia commodo. Proin cursus ornare turpis, et faucibus ipsum egestas ut. Maecenas aliquam suscipit ante non consectetur. Etiam quis metus a dolor vehicula scelerisque.

Nam elementum consequat bibendum. Suspendisse id semper odio. Sed nec leo vel ligula cursus aliquet a nec nulla. Sed eu nulla quam. Etiam quis est ut sapien volutpat vulputate. Cras in purus quis sapien aliquam viverra et volutpat ligula. Vestibulum condimentum ultricies pharetra. Etiam dapibus cursus ligula quis iaculis. Mauris pellentesque dui quis mi fermentum elementum sodales libero consequat. Duis eu elit et dui varius bibendum. Sed interdum nisl in ante sollicitudin id facilisis tortor ullamcorper. Etiam scelerisque leo vel elit venenatis nec condimentum ipsum molestie. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Sed quis nulla et nibh aliquam cursus vitae quis enim. Maecenas eget risus turpis.

I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own image.

Duis dictum tristique lacus, id placerat dolor lobortis sed. In nulla lorem, accumsan sed mollis eu, dapibus non sapien. Curabitur eu adipiscing ipsum. Mauris ut dui turpis, vel iaculis est. Morbi molestie fermentum sem quis ultricies. Mauris ac lacinia sapien. Fusce ut enim libero, vitae venenatis arcu. Cras viverra, libero a fringilla gravida, dolor enim cursus turpis, id sodales sem justo sit amet lectus. Fusce ut arcu eu metus lacinia commodo. Proin cursus ornare turpis, et faucibus ipsum egestas ut. Maecenas aliquam suscipit ante non consectetur. Etiam quis metus a dolor vehicula scelerisque.

Nam elementum consequat bibendum. Suspendisse id semper odio. Sed nec leo vel ligula cursus aliquet a nec nulla. Sed eu nulla quam. Etiam quis est ut sapien volutpat vulputate. Cras in purus quis sapien aliquam viverra et volutpat ligula. Vestibulum condimentum ultricies pharetra. Etiam dapibus cursus ligula quis iaculis. Mauris pellentesque dui quis mi fermentum elementum sodales libero consequat. Duis eu elit et dui varius bibendum. Sed interdum nisl in ante sollicitudin id facilisis tortor ullamcorper. Etiam scelerisque leo vel elit venenatis nec condimentum ipsum molestie. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Sed quis nulla et nibh aliquam cursus vitae quis enim. Maecenas eget risus turpis.

I am so happy, my dear friend, so absorbed in the exquisite sense of mere tranquil existence, that I neglect my talents. I should be incapable of drawing a single stroke at the present moment; and yet I feel that I never was a greater artist than now.

When, while the lovely valley teems with vapour around me, and the meridian sun strikes the upper surface of the impenetrable foliage of my trees, and but a few stray gleams steal into the inner sanctuary, I throw myself down among the tall grass by the trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth, a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks, and grow familiar with the countless indescribable forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own image.

Duis dictum tristique lacus, id placerat dolor lobortis sed. In nulla lorem, accumsan sed mollis eu, dapibus non sapien. Curabitur eu adipiscing ipsum. Mauris ut dui turpis, vel iaculis est. Morbi molestie fermentum sem quis ultricies. Mauris ac lacinia sapien. Fusce ut enim libero, vitae venenatis arcu. Cras viverra, libero a fringilla gravida, dolor enim cursus turpis, id sodales sem justo sit amet lectus. Fusce ut arcu eu metus lacinia commodo. Proin cursus ornare turpis, et faucibus ipsum egestas ut. Maecenas aliquam suscipit ante non consectetur. Etiam quis metus a dolor vehicula scelerisque.

Nam elementum consequat bibendum. Suspendisse id semper odio. Sed nec leo vel ligula cursus aliquet a nec nulla. Sed eu nulla quam. Etiam quis est ut sapien volutpat vulputate. Cras in purus quis sapien aliquam viverra et volutpat ligula. Vestibulum condimentum ultricies pharetra. Etiam dapibus cursus ligula quis iaculis. Mauris pellentesque dui quis mi fermentum elementum sodales libero consequat. Duis eu elit et dui varius bibendum. Sed interdum nisl in ante sollicitudin id facilisis tortor ullamcorper. Etiam scelerisque leo vel elit venenatis nec condimentum ipsum molestie. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Sed quis nulla et nibh aliquam cursus vitae quis enim. Maecenas eget risus turpis.