Discussion: How do I market my business on a limited budget?

[MelanieDiehl]

Many small business owners are hesitant to develop a marketing plan from the get-go because they fear it will “break the bank.” Not necessarily! Here’s my top 3 favorite free and/or low-cost marketing options that you can put into practice to increase both awareness and growth for your business.

1. Digital Marketing. This one is obvious, but not to be overlooked! Websites are critical and reasonably affordable: domain names cost as little as $12/year and hosting can start around $10/month. Email marketing, the King of ROI, is the 2nd most valuable tool in your toolkit, and it’s super affordable, starting around $13/month. And of course there’s organic social media which incurs a different investment: your time.
   
   
2. Referral/Rewards Programs. Let’s face it: you work hard for your customers. And you want to keep them coming back for more. From bounce-back offers to birthday deals to referral rewards, there’s no better way to nurture your existing clients and customers. Not all rewards need to be monetary! They can absolutely be service-based.
   
   Here’s an example. My client Laura needed a new website, which we happily built. Almost immediately after the launch of her site, she referred me to another business owner who needed a website. To reward Laura, we increased her posting frequency by 25% for the next 3 months.
   
   
3. SuperFans aka Brand Ambassadors. You know these people. The ones who “like” everything you post on social media, even though they’ve never done business with you. Engage them. Go out of your way to thank them (a simple text or DM can do the trick!). When you’ve got something BIG you need help spreading the word with, reach out and let them know how much you appreciate them sharing your message. It’s the best kind of word-of-mouth marketing.

With these creative and cost-effective strategies, you can nurture customer loyalty, amplify your brand message, and watch your small business thrive.

Let's talk! What has your small business or organization to promote yourselves with a small budget?

[user0950]

Could you share some insights into how you identify these super users? Additionally, once identified, how do you nurture these relationships to ensure ongoing support and advocacy?

[Chris-S]

If you are a nonprofit, Google has a great program called AdGrants.  They offer up to ten thousand dollars per month of free search advertising. It's a great way to expand your marketing.