Marketing Your Small Business on a Budget
“Even when you are marketing to your entire audience or customer base, you are still simply
speaking to a single human at any given time.”
– Ann Handley, marketing consultant
Is a limited budget preventing you from marketing your business? It doesn’t have to!
Investing your time, rather than dollars, in social media allows you to deliver a steady stream of effective marketing messages. If you’re new to social media, the sheer number of platforms may seem overwhelming. Here’s a high-level guide to using online marketing.
10 ways to market your business without breaking the bank
Social media allows you to speak directly to your audiences, but it’s important to remember it’s a conversation, whatever platform you choose to use. As you begin to post content, remember to respond to messages from your audience.
(1) Facebook profiles and groups You can use your personal profile, a professional profile and a business profile to reach a cross-section of audiences. A Facebook group allows you to talk directly to your customers and provide valuable, timely information about your products, services, sales and events.
(2) LinkedIN profiles Create a personal profile and a company page for your business. Write posts to share your expertise and build awareness of your career and business success stories. Groups allow you to share information with others who share your interests.
(3) YouTube videos Create videos that showcase what you offer and tell the story of the unique value your business provides. Also provide your users with how-to information that will help them use your products or services effectively.
(4) Instagram posts/stories Share visual content about your products, retail or shop environment, customer interactions.
(5) TikTok Depending on your market and the nature of your products or services, this avenue can be a great channel to build awareness of your business
(6) Email campaigns/blogs Your website blog can be a publishing platform where you have consistent, frequent messages about your business to reach people who check out your website. Sending messages to your email list is more targeted and direct – you reach people who have opted in to hear more about what you do.
(7) E-I-E-I-O I use this acronym to describe types of content that work for marketing your business. Write messages that educate, inform, entertain, inspire, and open a conversation.
(8) How to interact Social media isn’t a billboard! It’s a two-way conversation, and the less your social media presence feels automated, the more engaging it is. You can join in the conversation with other users by liking their posts or replying. When your customers express appreciation for your business, be sure to thank them.
(9) Potential barriers If you don’t know how to use a social media platform, just Google it! You’ll find many how-to videos on the internet.
Another way to learn is to observe how others are using social media, and adapt their technique to your business.
Shyness about being in the spotlight or appearing “on camera” can also hold back some people from leveraging social media marketing. If you haven’t done it before, just try it several times. With practice, you’ll be more comfortable. You don’t have to look or sound like professional on-camera talent – it’s your authenticity that gives you credibility.
Another obstacle is figuring out what to say. An editorial calendar with a rotation of types of messages can help you plan ahead of time and not feel pressured to come up with something every time you want to publish a message.
(10) Mindset shift If engaging with audiences has seemed like one of the chores you just never get around to, commit to getting started now and just have fun with it! Good luck!
If you would like to learn more about how this might apply to your business, let’s talk:
