Small Business Marketing Tip: No (or Low) Money Advertising.
- Beth Mayhew
- Dec 15, 2020
- 2 min read
Updated: 5 days ago
As small businesses, we face the hurdle of competing with corporations whose marketing dollars triple what we make in a year. Yet, the goal of advertising is the same no matter how much money you spend on it; to get noticed, get customers and keep growing the business.
Free or low budget advertising ideas are out there for small businesses to take advantage of. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Email is a great way to market, it's highly effective and free to get started if you chose a platform like Mailchimp, Constant Contact, or even HubSpot. Use your own social media profile to start driving signups, then start sending a regular email to your audience. Make it personal, so you start to build rapport with your subscribers.
Social Media
Social media a great way to advertise your small business because there are zero barriers to entry and your reach is unlimited. To be successful, you simply need to be authentic and take the time to interact with your followers.
User-Generated Content
When your audience interacts with your product or service via a picture on Facebook or Instagram; or a review posted to YouTube, you now have an even stronger, authentic voice added to your brand. This is user-generated content, and it can easily turn clicks into buyers.
Giveaway Something for Free
Offering a free product or service with a larger purchase can motivate customers to contact you directly, ask for more details, and ultimately take the final step and purchase.
Thought Leadership
Thought leaders provide expert advice through speaking, writing articles, blogging, podcasts/webcasts, and more. If you’re an expert at what you do and can share tips, tricks, suggestions, or recommendations, it’s time to share your knowledge and show that you’re a thought leader in your industry.
Partnerships
Working with non-competitive partners is a great way to promote your business. Look for a company or organization that complements your business and counter-promote each other for a win-win.
Networking
Networking is a powerful tool and a great channel for free advertising. It’s important to connect authentically. Not everyone is a good customer for you. Get to know others who you admire and share your values and they'll be your best referral sources.
Current Connections
Ask satisfied customers to refer you to others or post a positive review online. Reach out to partners to see about joint promotions to dip into each other's customer bases. If you're part of a local chamber or industry association, ask if they will share what’s new at your company to their social media audience and email lists.
Word of Mouth
Many customers rely on online reviews, so it’s important to have a strong and positive online presence. Make sure you promote your social media sites and encourage customers to write online reviews; utilize your e-newsletters by including links to your social media sites; and include a link to your social media sites in your email signature. It’s also important to actively engage and monitor your social media channels. If someone is upset you want to take care of it right away.
