In the world of small business marketing, budgets are often tight. However, that doesn't mean you can't make an impact within your limited resources. There are several low-cost strategies you can implement to strengthen your brand’s visibility and reach new customers. Which is why we’ve put together five cost-effective small business marketing strategies to help grow your business below.
This may seem like an obvious suggestion, however, according to the Clutch 2017 Small Business Social Media Survey, 24 percent of small businesses have zero social media presence. That’s just about one in four small business owners! Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer many free tools for small businesses to connect with their audiences. They also offer the option for personalized ad campaigns that can be set to run according to your specified budget and customized to reach your target audiences.
Consistently creating posts that showcase your products or services and provide useful information to your audience, you can build an online community for your brand while growing your following and increasing your reach. For a business offering yummy baked goods in Houston, Texas, for example, showcasing your seasonal menu, high-quality photos of your baked goods, behind the scenes of your baking process, and photos of smiling customers all helps to build your businesses credibility and attract local customers.
Local SEO is an incredibly important component for small businesses marketing. Optimizing your website for local searches can help your business show up when people in your area search for the services you offer. Be sure to claim and update your Google My Business profile, and include location-specific keywords like "Houston, Texas" in your content. Encouraging happy customers to leave descriptive reviews will work to naturally strengthen your pages search visibility overtime, as well.
According to a 2023 constant contact survey, 60% of respondents said that marketing emails influenced their purchasing decisions. We have found that email marketing is one of the most cost-effective ways to directly reach your customers. Building an email list allows you to stay in touch with your audience, inform them of new promotions, and share valuable content related to your brand. There are several affordable or free email marketing platforms that make it easy to send professional and brand conscious campaigns to your customers that will naturally encourage their engagement and loyalty.
Partnering with other small businesses local to yours can also help in reaching a broader audience. Whether you’re cross-promoting each other’s services or hosting joint events, collaborating with complementary businesses is a great way to share resources and gain new customers both in person and online.
Even in a digital world, printed materials like flyers, business cards, and brochures hold value. And as important as email marketing is, World Metrics 2024 Report found that print marketing generates 10% more responses than email marketing. The combination of these two resources utilized together make for great outcomes in growing brand awareness of your small business and increasing your conversion rates. At Triangle Printing and Marketing, located in Houston, TX, we offer affordable marketing and printing services both locally and nationwide.
Your small business can grow and thrive without breaking the bank. Reviewing these low-cost strategies and implementing what you can has the potential to make a big difference on the growth and overall brand awareness of your small businesses. And if you’re ready to get started but not sure where to start, we are here to help you with those important next steps.