8 Budget-Friendly Small Business Marketing Tips You Haven’t Tried

Updated by Kristin Vegh.

“If you build it, they will come.” Well… not always.

If you want to grow your business, you need to market it. But as small business owners, tight budgets can hold us back from launching big campaigns. When I started my freelance business, I knew great marketing would help me stand out from dozens of other writers in my area. I just didn’t have the budget to spend big bucks on small business marketing.

Fortunately, there were quick, simple things I could do to gain visibility, mostly online. I also took advantage of business partnerships and events. The end result was a successful business that still thrives today.

8 Small Business Marketing Ideas That Don’t Cost a Lot

Here are 8 marketing ideas that worked for me — and will give you the most “bang for your buck.”

1. Build your own website.

Whether you sell a product or a service, you need a website or you might be missing a huge opportunity. If you’ve ever wondered just how important a good website is to small business marketing, talk to a few small business owners.¹ Here are some key benefits of having a good online presence:

More people can find you – Think about your own experience for a minute. When you’re looking for a good hairstylist or the best place to find baby clothes, your first step is probably to grab your laptop or smartphone.

Without a website, people will have a hard time finding you. This is especially true if you don’t have a brick-and-mortar presence. And even if you’ve scored the best high-traffic location downtown, it’s only in one town. A website can bring in business from around the area, the country, and the world.

It does a lot of marketing heavy lifting – Along with providing contact information, you can use your website to host photo and video examples of your work. It also can be a place to share customer testimonials, press reviews, and other third-party comments.

A well-designed website can capture visitor information to help create more leads for you.

It builds your credibility – According to research, 75% of people² have judged a company’s credibility based on its website design. A poorly designed website could quickly send potential customers to one of your competitors.

It saves you time and money – Think about all the calls you get from people asking simple questions, such as when you open, if you provide a certain service, or if you carry a certain product.

With this information on your website, customers and prospects get what they need without taking you away from any of the many other tasks you have running your small business. It can also make for a better customer experience. They don’t have to wait while you search for information or return a call or email.

While you certainly work a lot of hours, your website is working 24/7. That makes it a great tool for posting updates and announcements. Offering a new service? Carrying a new product? Closing for the long weekend? Your website can keep your customers up to date.

Already have a website? You can use analytics to find new ways to take it to the next level. The good news is that many site builders make it easy to build a website at a low cost. They offer pre-designed templates that you can customize without knowing code.

If you’re interested in learning more about best practices, check out this useful article on what to do and not do on your small business website.

2. Blog like a pro.

Today people use search engines to find everything from hardware stores to accountants. That’s why you need to make sure your website appears in search results.

To help, try blogging. Make a list of your customers’ most common questions and concerns. Then write posts about those topics. Choose blog titles that mimic what your customers search for online.

For example, if you own a landscaping company, you could write the article, “How to permanently get rid of weeds.” If you’re a contractor, you could cover, “5 tips for living in your home during a renovation.”

Not a great writer or just not comfortable writing? I can relate to that. I do this professionally and I know it can be a little intimidating, especially when you’re staring at a blank screen.

One of the great things about blogging is that you don’t necessarily need to follow all the rules of formal writing. You should write for someone the way you would talk to them.

Start with something you know well and feel comfortable talking about, like those topics above. Then just write. Start with a sentence or two. Don’t analyze them. Just get some words down on paper or the screen. You’ll go back and fix them later.

You can do it. Even really good writers don’t always get it right the first time out. Ernest Hemingway wrote 47 different endings³ to A Farewell to Arms before choosing the one to include in the book.

3. Sign up for social media.

When we surveyed over a thousand solopreneurs, we found that as many as 47% don’t use social media to promote their businesses. If this sounds like you, it might be the time to rethink your strategy and give social media a try. These free media outlets let you promote your business and learn insights regarding customers. They’re also a great way to find out what’s happening in your field or area of business. And they provide an easy way to see what your competitors are doing.

First, find out where your customers congregate. Depending on what type of work you do, that might be Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, or TikTok (to name just a few). 

Second, you’ll want to think about what type of content you want to share. It could be short-form videos, user polls, behind-the-scenes pictures, or infographics. Or a combination of all of the above. Try to gear the content to your target audience — put yourself in their shoes. If you were them, what would you want to see?

Don’t be afraid to get creative. When we asked Jef Lipiatt, owner of Bunker83, about his experience using social media to spread awareness of his brand, he said: “The growth has definitely been building faster since I’ve leaned into more experimental content. I think followers really enjoy the uniqueness and mystery involved.” Jef’s creative use of social media keeps followers engaged, while reaching a wider audience. 

Once you’ve created the social media content, you should promote your channels and keep engaging. Keep in mind, people want helpful content. Stay relevant and keep it a two-way conversation. If someone complains, respond with thoughtfulness and kindness.

What is it that you do anyway?

Nearly all social media sites provide space for you to include a short description of what your business does. Take advantage of this. It can help you stand out among businesses in general, and more importantly, among your competitors.

A popular term for this bit of information is an “elevator pitch.”⁴ This is a short prepared statement that you can use in print or when you talk with someone. It explains what your business does in a couple of clear, easy-to-understand sentences.

It’s worth spending some time on because you can use it in almost any marketing or sales situation — including the ones covered in this article. We can even help you create and polish your elevator pitch to inform and captivate.

4. Back yourself up with insurance.

Having the right insurance and using it in your marketing efforts can show customers, vendors, and lending institutions that you’re serious and committed regarding what you do.

Plus, business insurance can help protect all the growth being driven by your marketing. Not exactly the circle of life, but it’s still a mutually beneficial relationship.

A good business insurance plan usually includes general liability insurance, professional liability insurance, or both.

A brief explainer: General liability insurance can protect you from costs and claims associated with third-party damages and accidents, while professional liability insurance can cover the costs associated with being accused of negligence while performing your work.

At Simply Business, our goal is to connect small business owners with coverage options tailored to their needs. With our quote comparison tool, you can shop curated policy recommendations for your industry, shop pricing from our panel of trusted insurers, and choose the coverage that works best for you. All in just a few minutes. 

You can get a quote any time online. Or you can get expert advice from one of our licensed agents by giving us a call at 855-869-5183, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m. ET.

5. Send smart emails.

Email is still a great way to market your business. But you’ll need to think through how to make yours stand out in a customer’s inbox.

To break through the clutter:

• Create a helpful piece of content and promote it on your website and social media sites. Asking for an email before visitors can view the content is a great way to build your email list. Just make sure the content they get is worth it — like an e-book, fact sheet, or template — otherwise they may unsubscribe. 
• Build a list of prospective customers using low-cost email software. Make sure the people who download your content flow into this list.
• Create 3 to 5 emails that automatically get sent, based on how someone responds to your email. For example, if someone downloads your e-book, follow-up with more tips about the same topic. Then, if they open your second email, send a coupon or an introduction to your sales rep.
• Personalize your emails with your customers’ names. Keep them brief, creative, and useful. And don’t sell too hard too early.
• Finally, you know your customers best — send out emails during times they’re online and choose a frequency they’ll find helpful, not annoying. And test your emails on a mobile phone. Your email software should help.

Our guide to email strategy offers more details of how to successfully run an email campaign. Here are a few ways small business owners can use emails to boost their revenue:

Stay in touch with email.

If you have people visiting your website and (even better) if they’re willingly giving you their email address, you’ve got small business marketing gold.

While they may not be customers yet, sharing their email address shows they have an interest in what you have to offer. Using email can be a great way to turn their interest into additional business for you.

Keep them in the know.

Stay in touch with prospective customers by sharing information they can use. For instance, if you’re an accountant, you could send out regular emails with helpful tips, such as, “How to get your tax information ready,” or “Tax law changes that could affect you.”

Share special offers.

If you’re offering coupons, discounts, or other promotions for your small business, send them out to everyone on your email list. You can also encourage people to sign up for your email by making these offers exclusive to people on the list.

Email customers about new or additional services and products.

If you’re a landscaper who also does snow plowing in the winter, send an email to your lawn-cutting customers to let them know about snow plowing, and vice versa.

If you’re a barber who now offers services such as treatment for gray hair and professional shaves, letting your current clients know with an email can get more people in your chair.

It’s not as hard as you may think.

There’s a wide range of email marketing software that can make email more productive and easier to use. Many programs can help with nearly every part of a good email campaign:

• Email templates
• Managing contact lists
• Scheduling and sending emails
• Tracking if emails were open and read 

6. Talk with the news.

To gain visibility on TV without the cost of an ad, talk to a reporter.⁵ If your story gets covered, you might see your business’s name online, in the paper, or in an industry magazine. 

Here are a few tips on pitching your small business:

Have something to talk about – Present an idea that’s topical or relevant, like whether a deck or a patio is a better choice for your home. Make it a topic where you have special expertise or can offer some unique insight.

Find out who to talk to – Look for media that focuses on your topic. Is there someone at a local TV station that does home improvement stories? That would be a good contact for your deck vs. patio pitch.

You can look beyond TV and radio, as well. Consider independent journalists, social media influencers, and podcasts. These tend to be more targeted to specific audiences, so you may have better success pitching your idea.

Know who you’re pitching to – Find out what journalist covers your topic and check out some of their stories to get a better sense of their style and what they look for in a story. This will also help you avoid pitching an idea they’ve already used. Then, adapt your pitch to fit.

7. Partner with businesses.

They say there is strength in numbers, and it’s true. Business partnerships are cost-effective and can quickly bring in new customers. As a freelance writer, I’ve partnered with marketing consultants and graphic designers. It’s a win-win. My clients enjoy it — and my business continues to grow.

If you’re an interior designer, partner with a contractor. If you’re a financial advisor, work with an accountant to offer advice after the tax season. And if you’re a massage therapist, try promoting a coupon at a hair salon. The options are endless.

You may want to consider expanding partnership ideas to include local charities or non-profit groups. For example, are there ways to offer a discount or a free service as a prize in a benefit raffle?

8. Participate in an event.

Event marketing doesn’t have to involve expensive trade shows. You can get visibility at a local charity race or by sponsoring a youth recreation league. Bonus: You’ll support your community too. Want to stay online? Host a webinar and promote it via social media.

Also look for events in your area, such local town days and other celebrations where you can meet your neighbors and introduce them to your business. You’ll not only be gaining a valuable opportunity to show what you can do, you’ll also be building goodwill in your community, which can go a long way toward building future business.

Jef appreciates in-person events. Not only can he build positive word-of-mouth by making connections — he can also do so by creating interest in his products. “I am almost always wearing company-branded merchandise (T-shirt, hat, or both). This has worked well in sparking curiosity among lots of people, and it is a natural way to discuss the business and brand.”

Wondering how to get started? Check out our guide to promoting your business locally for tips on finding and engaging in community events. 

The Secret to Small Business Marketing

By now, we’ve covered a variety of ways you can market your small business for little or no money. If you haven’t done any marketing before, it can seem a bit overwhelming to launch and manage all those marketing tools.

Here’s some good news, and the first secret: Start small. Pick one marketing idea that you feel comfortable with. It could be as simple as a monthly or quarterly email. Brainstorm some topics (you can even see what your competitors are doing for inspiration). Pick a few send dates and get the email ready.

Congratulations, you now have a marketing plan.

Once you get comfortable with emails, think about doing something else, like a blog or a local event.

Here’s secret number 2: Stick with your marketing plan. If you dedicate just a few hours a week to blogging and social media, you’ll quickly see results. And if you truly don’t have the time, find a talented marketing intern to help. If you start today, you could see new business right away. And that’s worth it!

References:

1. https://www.score.org/blog/12-reasons-why-small-businesses-need-website?gclid=CjwKCAjw3_KIBhA2EiwAaAAligyf2E_-Kd4s7t7Nimf4DJZ8kyvCl4DHFFwLRmqiEBcb50H3PmoDkxoCb5kQAvD_BwE ↩︎
2. https://odiconsulting.com/why-75-of-people-judge-your-business-by-its-online-presence/ ↩︎
3. https://www.npr.org/2012/07/22/156991302/new-edition-includes-39-different-farewells-to-arms ↩︎
4. https://www.mindtools.com/aofwxxv/crafting-an-elevator-pitch ↩︎
5. https://prowly.com/magazine/how-to-get-media-coverage/ ↩︎