The Best Low Budget Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Small businesses frequently have a limited marketing budget to work with, which can make marketing your company difficult. The good news is that you can sell yourself to your consumers without spending any (or much) money. As a business owner, you most likely don’t have the time to study and find these free marketing ideas, so we did it for you. This blog post contains a plethora of free and low-cost options to market your business.

These tactics are completely free or require just a little amount of investment and do not necessitate a lot of resources or time (in the world where time is money).

1. Social Media Posting

Increasing social media interaction and creating an online community is a free approach to expand your small business while expressing your brand’s personality and gaining trust with your audience. Create company accounts on the major social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, and others. You can do this whenever you have a few minutes to spare. Alternatively, you can invest in apps that schedule posts for you, such as Buffer.

You can do the following:

• Promote your blog content in order to increase visitors to your website.
• Engage in direct discussion with followers to communicate your brand’s voice and increase engagement.
• Create polls and request feedback.
• Use extracts from longer types of content to produce short, informative blogs that are easy to read.

Whatever your motivation, make sure you are engaged and proactive on the social media profiles you build on a daily basis. Consider the terms consistency, community, collaboration, and dedication.

2. Tagging People (and Brands) On Social Media

Tagging your loyal customers, brand evangelists, or even nearby organisations and vendors on social media can help you widen your business’s organic reach to a new prospective audience, develop your following, and potentially gain additional clients. Encourage your followers to include your social media username or business location in their posts as well.

3. Create a Free Google My Business Account

A Google Business Profile, in particular, has become one of the most efficient free marketing tactics accessible for local businesses. This free listing allows your company to appear on Google Maps, Google Search’s local section, and the right-side Knowledge Panel for sponsored searches.

Example of a Google My Business profile listing (Source: https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/google-my-business)

However, in order for your Business Profile to appear higher on Google Maps or in local results, you need to optimise it, and in order to enhance it, you need to have verified ownership of it—this is done through your Google My Business account.

4. Email Marketing

Email marketing is one of the most cost-effective kinds of digital marketing, according to research, with an average ROI of $42 for every dollar spent. Furthermore, 81% of small firms utilise email marketing as their primary customer acquisition strategy.

Set up a lead capture form on your website, if you haven’t already, to attract email sign-ups. You may also increase the size of your subscriber list by executing Facebook advertising and referral marketing.

For companies with smaller lists, several software alternatives, like as MailChimp, are absolutely free. They also provide email design templates that you can simply fill out. Even if you need to pay for an email subscription, you should only have to pay about $9 per month to reach the audiences you require.

5. Join a Networking Group

Networking is essential, especially for digital entrepreneurs who do not have a real office or storefront to attract customers. You may join networking groups in most cities (free and paid memberships). Even if the members do not become customers, they may know someone who does.

6. Video Marketing

Most business owners believe they need to create Spielberg-quality videos to promote their companies, but in the age of social media and fast sharing, all you need is a smartphone. Use video marketing to broadcast live footage, behind-the-scenes looks at your company, and unique promos. Some social platforms don’t even require editing. Simply film and share.

Source:https://www.facebook.com/watch/live/?v=1251203358377582&ref=watch_permalink

7. Perfect Your Pitch

Your elevator pitch is, by definition, one or two phrases that precisely encapsulate what you do. In other words, it’s a high-level overview of your company in the time it takes to travel an elevator. It is critical for business owners to develop an effective elevator pitch. When you’re networking or meeting someone for the first time, you’ll appreciate having a concise way to communicate what you do, especially because most people’s attention spans are 90 seconds or less.

A good elevator pitch comprises of the following elements:

• emphasizes competitive advantage
• a solution to a problem
• includes social proof
• piques your audience’s interest

To start a good conversation at networking events, use your elevator pitch as an icebreaker.

8. Get Involved with Your Community and Volunteer

When most people think about marketing, they envision a large-scale nationwide effort. But, every now and then, you should think smaller and look at what’s going on in your neighbourhood.

Can you help fundraise for a 5K charity walk? Is there a charitable organisation or non-profit where you may volunteer? Could you create a block party in collaboration with other local businesses? Is it possible to print bookmarks and leave them at your local library?

Never undervalue the importance of giving back. Volunteering in your neighbourhood might help you network with other members of the community for a good cause. Furthermore, it may produce some free publicity for your firm, which may help to improve the image of your brand. Don’t be afraid to share about your volunteer activities on social media. Take images of yourself taking part in events and share them with your audience. It may, at the absolute least, inspire other business owners to boost their game.

9. Ask for Referrals

Referral marketing is, without a doubt, the most effective tool in your armoury. Furthermore, they are one of the most cost-saving marketing choices — a win-win situation!

According to research, referral leads convert 30% better than non-referral leads, have a 16% higher lifetime value, a 37% higher retention rate, and are four times more likely to refer other customers to you. Furthermore, studies show that 84% of consumers trust referrals from family or friends, making it the most important type of marketing.

Logically, this makes sense: would you be more willing to test a restaurant based on their claim to serve wonderful food, or on a friend or family member raving about their meal? Referrals are unquestionably more genuine and trustworthy than traditional marketing or advertising. While referrals might come naturally, you can speed up the process by asking your top clients to refer you to others.

10. Start a Podcast

Podcasting isn’t new in content marketing, but it’s experiencing a surge right now. According to studies, more than one in every five people listen to podcasts on a weekly basis, and the number is growing.

The most intriguing aspect of podcasts is not the information itself, but rather the individuals who listen. Podcast listeners have an annual income of $75,000 or more, a college degree or higher, and are business professionals as opposed to ordinary consumers. These statistics may have you seeing dollar signs, depending on your target audience!

Starting a podcast isn’t expensive; all you need is a microphone and hosting. However, that initial expenditure is an excellent method to raise awareness, demonstrate your expertise, and humanise your business. Invite other business owners and specialists to participate in your podcast so that they may market it to their own audience.

Final Thoughts

You may invest in your business and promote your brand without breaking the bank by utilising these low-cost marketing strategies. Then, as your company grows, reinvest in marketing methods that are most effective for your brand and deliver the best returns.

Check out our blog for more marketing ideas, business tips and educational articles.