Admit it: you aren’t marketing as much as you need to. If the story you tell yourself is that marketing has to be time consuming and expensive to be effective, let’s put that idea to rest with these simple, low-cost marketing tactics to help you attract new customers and keep your business “top of mind.”
First, though, let’s talk about steps that will make make it easier to implement your plan:
- Focus on your goals—whether it’s attracting new clients, increasing repeat business, or building brand awareness—and choose one to two tactics that align with them. You can always add more tactics or communication channels later.
- Be strategic with your time and attention. Do not feel you need to use a specific tactic or be on a certain platform just because someone else had success there.
- Create a streamlined workflow. Batch tasks like planning or content creation, schedule social media posts in advance, and automate where possible.
- Determine how you will measure the success of each tactic, and put a recurring task on your calendar to review results (weekly, monthly, or quarterly).
- If this still feels like too much, delegate parts of it to a virtual assistant or another team member so you can stay visible without adding to your workload.
Now, review these simple tactics and build your plan. Let your creativity guide you to something that excites and inspires you—your audience will feel it.
1. Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Start simple: When people search for businesses like yours, make sure you show up. A Google Business Profile (GBP) helps you appear in local searches and makes it easy for potential customers to find your contact info, hours, and reviews. This is especially important if you have a location-dependent retail or service business.
2. Leverage Social Media, Selectively
You don’t have to be everywhere—just where your customers are. Choose one platform to master; do not feel you need to be everywhere if you do not have the bandwidth. Post helpful content, post it regularly, engage with comments, and use free tools like Canva to create eye-catching posts or Buffer to help you schedule posts.
3. Build Your Email List
Email marketing is (still) one of the highest-return marketing tools. Use it to build relationships and business will eventually follow. Share valuable content in a newsletter (like this one!), offer subscriber-exclusive discounts, or give behind-the-scenes updates—be authentic and let people get to know you and your business. Plus, unlike social media platforms, the contacts in your list are yours, and you don’t need to worry about whether an algorithm update is going to reduce your traffic.
4. Repurpose Your Best Content
Starting from scratch every time you work on your marketing is daunting, and a blank screen makes it easy to find something else on your to do list to focus on. Instead, take what’s already working and adapt it for different formats and platforms. Turn a newsletter into a series of social media posts, make a short video from a customer testimonial, or compile FAQs into a downloadable guide. You put time and effort into everything you do—make sure you get the full value from what you’ve already created!
5. Collaborate with Other Small Businesses
Who’s in your network? You can maximize your reach if you team up with a business to offer joint promotions, share social media shoutouts, or co-host an event. Be selective about who you partner with—make sure your products or services complement one another, and your potential partner aligns with your business’s values and reputation. Reaching an entirely new audience is a win-win for both of you.
6. Use Free PR Opportunities
Put your expertise on display. Building your public profile helps build credibility, reach new audiences, and grow your business. Pitch yourself as a guest on a podcast, contribute an article to a local publication, or respond to journalist requests on platforms like Help a Reporter Out (HARO). PR is all about visibility, and the more your business reaches the right audience the more it will grow.
7. Host a Free Workshop or Webinar
Offer a short, helpful session on something your audience cares about. This builds credibility and can attract new leads who find value in your expertise. Find your audiences through your existing networking channels and professional or business associations. Make the content useful and usable—an unexpected sales pitch will turn people off if they expected something educational.
Remember, it’s better to do one or two things well than do everything poorly—start with one or two ideas, observe the outcomes, and build from there. Consistency and repetition will build your business and help you flourish. Happy marketing!