Small businesses on a budget typically don’t have large stockpiles of money to spend on marketing and advertising. Fortunately, there are plenty of budget-friendly ways to market your business! Here are some ideas to get you started.
Create your own infographics
Creating your own info-graphics for blog and social media posts is a great marketing strategy to get your brand and logo out there. Not tech-savvy but still want to stay budget-savvy? Offer to trade services with a business friend who has the skills. For example, you could trade a free haircut or a car detail in exchange for an info-graphic. Who says you have to be conventional?
Prioritize face-to-face interactions
Don’t just be another business owner behind a screen. If there’s a local networking event, show up; an opportunity to set up a booth, take it; a school in need of a field trip, offer a free tour of your business. Marketing is all about connecting with your audience, and sometimes that means just connecting with people in general. You can have a conversation with someone for free, and that’s about as budget-friendly as it gets! Don’t worry about targeting a specific audience when you’re interacting with them face-to-face. If you show up and demonstrate a desire to connect with each and every person you meet, your people will eventually find you.
Partner with complementary businesses
Find out how your business fits into the community and team up with other businesses that mesh with yours. For example, if you hear of a local yoga instructor without a studio to host classes, shut down your coffee shop a bit early one night a week and let them use the space. Small businesses need each other, and you never know when someone might return the favor!
Offer a referral discount
Word of mouth is so incredibly valuable, particularly for small businesses. So why not reward good press with a discount? For example, if you have a lawn service, you could let clients know they get a discount for referrals. This will not only get your name out there but also drum up business in small clusters instead of spread across town. Did someone dine at your restaurant because of a friend’s referral? Offer them free dessert and give the referring patron a coupon! Word will spread quickly that your restaurant does this, which in turn, should get you more business. One of your biggest marketing goals should be to keep the positive word-of-mouth going, like a chain reaction.