As new brokers flood the market, the actual cost of enlisting clients grows, because more has to be spent to attract them as you seek to stand out in a crowded field.

Don’t panic yet, though. There are still a few tried-and-true ways to get clients into your stable. Here are a few tips on how to do that without spending big money on marketing:

Tell your story differently through a more creative campaign. 

Find out what is hot in the industry as clients are shopping for brokers. Then, tailor your message accordingly. Get help if you need to on how to do this. Watch for trending subjects, phrases and slogans. Think about what makes you unique, what makes you stand out. A better message will lead to more clients–perhaps not an explosion of business–but it can jump start your growth.

Spend your marketing money wisely by widening your stream. 

Look around for new channels via which you can tell your story. These could include premium financial sites, PPC, SEO, social marketing, TV, print, video marketing, FX-related sites and a number of other options. Have you tried all of the above? If not, dip a toe into the water and see what kind of return you get. Look into niche marketing firms to get up to speed on how to best spend your advertising budget.

Tighten up your operational efficiency.

Tighten up your operational efficiency by keeping good track of the channels and media that produce the most return for your investment. Get access to solid data that will show where your message is being read and heard, and where it is being ignored. Test your landing pages on the Web and find out how many automated emails produce leads, for instance. Don’t invest in marketing efforts that you can’t track carefully, and cut ruthlessly those that do not lead to clients.

Stand out by differentiating your offering from others. This takes a lot of thought. 

You might need to spend a half-day away from the grind to figure out how to best do this. One wise way to break into the brokers’ market is to zero in on a particular subgroup of clients and convince them that you are the best broker for them, that you specialize in meeting particular needs that they have. That could be any sort of subgroup, from those who only want to trade in a given currency or two, or those who are retired, or live in Germany, etc. It can be very helpful to try and carve out a slice of the market well, rather than trying to make a big splash in an already huge pool. No matter how much you believe in yourself, it’s going to be awhile before you take on the major players. Let them remain the generalists; you develop a brand or two or three and tailor your pitch to one or a few subgroups. Allow your marketing research to shape your product offering and always act as if you understand that the entire consuming world is breaking into smaller and smaller pieces, because it is, in ALL industries. That should give you hope.