Small Business Marketing on a Budget

Kickstarting a small business is no easy task. Actually, taking an existing business to the next level is quite a feat, as well. One huge key to success is the ability to target your marketing to just the right audience. Finding that audience is the first step. But once you have that figured out, then you must make the big decision of how much to spend on your marketing. 

The options seem endless and somewhat overwhelming. The costs of marketing can skyrocket quickly. But they don’t have to. There are plenty of ways that you can market your small business on a budget.

The Social Proof Blog does a fantastic job of laying out 18 marketing tools that cost little to no money. The only thing you need is a little time (or maybe an assistant who can spend time on your marketing while you spend time with your clients.)

Here are my favorite no-cost marketing ideas from this post at the Social Proof Blog:

Gain followers by following.

The first step in the process of influencing an audience is having one. So you must have a way to increase your following. Twitter and Instagram are a great start. Or you can join relevant groups on Facebook or Linked In. Another tip for getting followers… actually meet some locals and share your expertise in local business groups. Check out Meetup.com.

Collect email addresses on your website.

Some have said that email is dead, but I love the quote from the Social Proof Blog.

“Compared to the barrage of content on social media, email is a tranquil oasis.”

This is oh so true for me. I can get easily overwhelmed by the sheer amount of information that I receive through social media. Subscribing lets me decide where I spend my time reading content as opposed to scrolling over content that is not exactly what I need.

Once you have permission to contact your audience, then you should. Some entrepreneurs are not sure what to do with their subscribers once they get them. The key is to offer value over self-promotion. What do you have or what do you know that will help your audience? Give them the answer to the question, “What’s in it for me?”

Use content marketing to your advantage.

Whether you are writing a blog, producing a podcast or creating infographics, you need to be producing original content that will benefit your audience. When you are giving your followers a steady stream of useful information, they will begin to use your expertise in a way that will lead to sales of your product or service.

If you need help getting started on any or all of these ideas, contact us at Tessera Virtual Business Solutions. We want to help you multiply your time by taking care of the details of your business so that you can spend days with your clients and evenings with your family.

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