Everyone knows it is essential to market your small business if you want it to be successful. What everyone doesn’t know is there are many things you can do to market your business that are totally FREE. And that’s important when you are just starting out in business. Here are some essential tips to kickstart your business without breaking your budget:
- Leverage Social Media: Create profiles on 1-2 social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn and then post regular updates. Find the ones that your target audience is on, and ones that are a good fit for you. A key thing to remember here is that you don’t have to be on all of them! If you are only comfortable on facebook then stay there (or as they say “stay in your lane).” Sharing about your business or organization helps you to connect and engage with your audience. Share how your products or services helps people, how you solve problems. Respond to comments and ask questions. Do surveys and polls. And be authentic when you can. Pictures of real people doing real things always perform better than a sales graphic or stock image.
- Email Marketing: Build an email list of interested customers and send out newsletters or promotional offers. Go ahead and start with 10 addresses if that is all you have. I promise, it will grow with each sale, and each proposal you send out, and each networking event you attend. Hubspot is free and it’s a Hilltop favorite. I’m hearing great things about flodesk too.
- Google My Business: Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing. It’s a free tool that helps your business appear in local search results, complete with location, hours, reviews, and photos. You know you need to be there because you are checking there yourself for a local plumber or computer repair person! So go ahead and get listed because your customers will continue to go to your competitors until they know about you. Here’s how to get started: https://www.google.com/business/ Just follow the prompts.
- Content Marketing: Start a blog on your website and share informative, relevant content. This is not only a GOLDMINE for SEO but also positions your business as an industry authority. And it gives you a reason to post on Facebook or LinkedIn. When you say ‘check out the new article’ you are getting ✅ top of mind awareness ✅ for your audience again and again and reminding them about your service and how it solves their problem. After about 10 impressions, they are ready to take action!
- Online Reviews: Encourage your customers and clients to leave reviews on Google, Yelp, Facebook, or Trustpilot. Another great FREE way to market your business. Positive reviews can boost your online reputation and attract more customers. They show you as reliable and credible. They’re great for SEO when copied to your website and they help you move up on a Google My Business search. Don’t be shy – ask for them! If you don’t know how to ask, click here for a YouTube video that shows you how to get a custom link that makes it easy for them to give you a review, and **BONUS** a script on what to say when you ask them in the notes.
Marketing your small business doesn’t have to be hard and scary and expensive. By utilizing the FREE tools in front of you like social media, email marketing, and Google My Business, you can build on the foundation of your brand and attract new customers. So, roll up your sleeves, put these tips into action, and watch your business grow.
Oh and if you need help because you just cannot…. 😆 Hilltop is here for you.
