5 Free or Low Cost Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Five Free or Low-Cost Marketing Ideas for Small Businesses

Ask any established business owner, starting a new business can be challenging. This is true, even if you have a great idea or product. The most common challenge is attracting customers. Even with amazing ideas and products you may not have many customers right away. Commonly, one of the last items budgeted for when starting out is money for marketing. If money for marketing is tight for your new company, here are five free and low-cost ways to help you market your small business:

Network At Community Events

One of the easiest ways to get start marketing your business is by visiting your local Chamber of Commerce events and take part in the conversations. Through the Chamber you may also learn about additional  local associations of professionals you can join and use to connect with. To get started we recommend striking up conversations with those people whom aren't direct competition. Ask how you can help them; chances are, they'll reciprocate. GET THE WORD OUT! There is nothing wrong with making an opportunity to tell people who you are and what you do. We highly recommend to take all available opportunities, even at your kids' activities, introduce yourself as "Sara Jones, owner of Sara's Salon and Spa," to get the word out.

Give Away Content on Your Blog

Creating a website doesn't take much time or talent. What makes a website valuable is the information you share on it, and ensuring that people find their way to it.  Make it a habit to post original and helpful content weekly. Make sure that the content you choose to write and share is  relevant to your customers, their interests, and their needs. Done right, you may start to find that you get clients via your blog. Be sure to promote your website by featuring the domain address on your business cards, receipts, proposals, email signature, social media profiles, etc.

Offer to Speak At Events

Establish your business and yourself as the expert in your field. We recommend you take every opportunity to get yourself and message out there. One of the best ways to do that is by engaging in public speaking. You don't need to be an A-list speaker to get speaking gigs, whether paid or unpaid. Examples of this are: As a tutor, you might offer to speak at a PTA meeting. A dentist might offer to do in-office field trips for preschools. A dietitian might go to a Girl or Boy Scouts meeting to talk about health.

Ask Customers to Give You Reviews

STRIVE TO GET POSITIVE REVIEWS! Having numerous good reviews, across multiple platforms give other potential customers social proof that you're the real deal. Kindly ask current and past customers to review your services on sites like Facebook, Angie's List, Yelp, LinkedIn, and Google. To encourage more reviews we recommend considering holding a monthly drawing for a discount or free gift to encourage reviews.

Visit with Potential Business Partners

Introduce yourself to fellow businesses in your area. Let's say you have a cleaning service. Real estate agents and moving companies are people who could refer clients to you. Take your flier or business cards, and a box of cookies, to them. Opening a restaurant? Take your some of your food to local businesses that surround you. The employees will love the gesture, and if the food is good, you have built in lunch traffic.  Introduce yourself and ask them to refer business to you whenever possible. Of course, offer to do the same for them.