7 Ways to Market a Small Business on a Limited Budget

As a small business owner, you are often faced with something of a conundrum. You need to get your business out there and introduce your product or service to new audiences but you lack the funds to do it.

But, do you? Not all marketing techniques require that you part with a ridiculous amount of cash. On the contrary, there are many ways to improve visibility of your business with a limited budget behind you. Here are seven ideas to get you started.

Start a Business Blog
A business blog can be an incredibly effective marketing technique for small businesses. It can drive website traffic, generate leads, and improve your authority in a particular niche. You can outsource your writing via various freelancing websites but you might also like to have a go yourself. Check out how to create great blog content over at Problogger.

Build an Email List
Businesses of all sizes should build and maintain an email list. Doing so provides a direct line of communication with past, present, and potential customers. Many email management services incur a monthly fee but small businesses with less than 2,000 subscribers can take advantage of the free email marketing service at MailChimp.

Shoot Educational Videos
Online video is increasingly described as being of the forefront of content marketing. In fact, according to Cisco, video will account for around 70% of consumer internet traffic in 2017. Professionally shot videos can make short work of a marketing budget but Wistia offers a useful tutorial explaining how to get great results with your iPhone.

Create Infographics
Statistics show that social media users like and share infographics three times more than any other type of content. In that respect, they are incredibly powerful marketing tools. Hiring a designer is not necessary when you can use infographic makers such as those found at Venngage without spending a penny.

List Your Business Online
Optimising your business for local search often proves to be a successful tactic for small businesses. Get started by listing your business with Google My Business. This ensures you can be found on the web, on maps, and across different devices. Additional free business listing services to consider include Bing Places for Business and MerchantCircle.

Be Personal
Of course, one of the most effective ways to market your small business is to market yourself. It will certainly pay to brush up on your networking skills (here’s how). Once you acquire the knack, endeavour to send handwritten holiday or thank you cards to clients, partners, and vendors. This keeps a personal connection between you and your connections.

Get Social
Maintaining active social media platforms should be a priority for small businesses. You shouldn’t take on more than you can comfortably manage but presences on Facebook and LinkedIn are a must. The latter is a great place to build your network, share your content, and promote your product or service.

Marketing for a small business while struggling with a limited budget might take a little time but a methodical and consistent approach can mean you reap the benefits in the future.