Small businesses have small capital if any capital at all. You need to stretch your money for as long as you can.
Unfortunately, after filing all the paperwork, taking out a lease, buying equipment, and setting up the utilities you still have to do marketing. You look at your budget and there’s a big fat zero staring back at you.
Fortunately, in this day and age technology can provide you the free means to create awareness about your business. Yep, that’s right. Everyone loves free, especially us struggling entrepreneurs who don’t have the backing of a multi-millionaire venture capitalist.
Let’s lay the ground rules first. There are other options that you can do with minimal investment. This is not about those. We are talking about an investment of none as far as money is concerned. What you need is grit and elbow grease, lots.
Second, just because we are laying down 10 free marketing tactics doesn’t mean you have to do them all. As a small business owner, choose the right tactic for your business. If it works, double down on it. You don’t want to create six different social media accounts and not have the time to do any good work on them. Pick one and hunker down to work.
List of the best free marketing tactics for small businesses
1. Digital PR
What is it?
Digital PR uses online platforms to increase brand awareness and drive traffic to your website. It focuses on different metrics such as digital mentions and backlinks.
Digital PR uses a variety of tools to fulfill its role. People are familiar with writing and distributing newsworthy articles to media and blog sites. This is a mainstay in the Digital PR toolbox.
But there are also other tools in Digital PR that you can use such as guest blogging, content marketing, and vlogging. Much like its older sibling, Traditional PR, Digital PR is a strategy. This confuses people.
PR is not one single tactic. It is the blending of many communications and marketing tools combined to achieve one objective.
Why do it? –
First, because it is free. You can’t say that about other marketing strategies. Most business owners, with their drive, passion, and knowledge, can do Digital PR at the very minimum. You are your best PR person.
Second, it builds your brand for the long game. PR, whether traditional or digital, tells your story. You build an audience and get your customers engaged through a narrative that unrolls over several months and through several media.
Your customers will learn and have a chance to relate to your back story. People will begin to see more than just a logo but what you stand for.
Third, Digital PR has a low barrier of entry. With the right planning and research, you can be doing PR outreaches the following week. You don’t need special equipment or software. An Internet connection and laptop will allow you to do so much more.
PR is built on win-win relationships. You have newsworthy content. The media needs newsworthy content to attract readers. Readers learn about helpful content that solves their problems. Everyone gets what they want. Everybody wins.
Who should do it?
This is one of the best things about Digital PR, it is business-type agnostic. B2C, B2B, C2C, and C2B companies can use Digital PR.
Many industries use Digital PR to manage their reputation, raise awareness, and drive brand perception. Digital PR scales down or up, from mom-and-pop stores to global enterprises. The government uses Digital PR to engage with its constituents. Small businesses of all types should be using Digital PR.
2. Facebook marketing
What is it?
We all know what Facebook (FB) is. Everybody has a Facebook page.
But not everyone knows marketing on Facebook. Marketing on Facebook is done by using a Facebook page to connect, communicate and grow your customer community.
There are actions on FB such as likes, comments, and shares that allow brands to take on a persona to relate to their audience.
FB is built to make personal connections. Your FB page connects with thousands of FB profiles. FB pages are company pages while FB profiles are people. Get the picture?
Why do it?
Did we mention it is free? Any business can make a FB page. There is no cost involved aside from what you already have which is an internet connection and a PC.
You can manage it from anywhere since your FB page is in the cloud. You don’t need to install or update anything. Facebook does it for you. FB is built for mobile so you can also manage your FB page from your smartphone or tablet.
FB has very rich and deep targeting features which will allow you to connect with people who have an interest in your brand.
Who should do it?
FB is a playground for B2C and C2C businesses. The algorithm of FB which tracks interests and behaviors on various levels provides incredible insights that are valuable to marketers.
If you sell directly to consumers with fast-moving consumer goods then FB is a must for you. Retail, restaurants, services, transportation, and consumer goods do great on FB.
Businesses with a local presence will benefit a lot from Facebook’s ability to go hyperlocal in its targeting. Not wanting to miss out on the e-commerce trend, FB is putting more effort into its shop and marketplace features rather than an afterthought.
Its not that you won’t find success in FB as a B2B company but you may have to change goals from driving awareness and sales to using it to drive engagement with your employee and present customers.
3. LinkedIn marketing
What is it?
LinkedIn (LI) describes itself as the world’s largest professional network. The intent of people on LinkedIn is not to socialize like on Facebook. People are on LI to network with peers and other professionals. Brands are on LI to attract the best talent and get leads for their business.
Why do it?
Setting up an LI profile and business page is completely free. Aside from that, there are almost 700 million professional profiles and 30 million business pages in LI. All intent on networking.
This is why when you send an invite to connect with someone in Li, they usually respond.
LI brings in the highest quality leads among all the social media platforms. It also brings in the most qualified job applicants if that is something that you are looking for.
If you can only choose to be on one social media platform as a business owner, pick LI. It is just unbeatable when it comes to bringing in highly qualified leads for your business.
Who should do it?
Everyone and every business should be on LI, especially if you are a B2B business. LI should be a vital part of the lead generation pipeline of every construction, consultancy, IT, telecoms, utility, energy, trucking, research, creative, marketing companies, and more.
B2C companies are better off focusing on Facebook.
4. Pinterest marketing
What is it?
Pinterest is a social media network that uses images to inspire people. The images are called pins which you group on boards. Boards are collections of images with a common theme. Each pin can be linked back to your website or other content. Unlike other social media networks geared for sharing snippets of our personal lives, Pinterest is aimed at inspiration, discovery, and learning. (Watch out for our in-depth article on Pinterest Marketing)
Why do it?
Aside from being free, there are a few interesting data on Pinterest. Do you know that it accounts for 65% of all social media purchases? People also spend 29% more on Pinterest than on any other social media site. Ten percent of Pinterest users earn US$125k or more annually. Many e-commerce businesses are finding success on Pinterest.
Pinterest reaches 85% of all women ages 24 to 65 in the United States. That’s more than Instagram, Snapchat, or Twitter. Pinterest’s large share of the female market is a big draw for marketers and businesses.
Who should do it?
Fashion, travel, and food businesses do great on Pinterest because of their natural appeal to women.
But that doesn’t mean other businesses cannot find success. Professional counselors, law firms, staffing services, personal trainers, financial advisors, and a lot more have found Pinterest to be great in driving leads that turn into customers.
5. Instagram marketing
What is it?
Instagram (IG) has about 1 billion users. It is one of the most popular platforms for online selling.
IG, like Pinterest, focuses on visual content.
Like Twitter, IG is intended for in-the-moment posts.
Instagram marketing makes use of the platform to promote your business through IG’s paid and organic features. For this article, we want to focus on the organic free ones.
Why do it?
Aside from its over 1 billion captive markets. Over 500 million IG stories are shared daily. IG users average about an hour of IG use every day. There are at least 25 million business profiles on IG.
Ninety percent of users follow at least one business page. IG is a mobile platform and because 80% of people use their mobile phones to shop, your business should be on IG.
IG is owned by Facebook. You can manage the two platforms using one dashboard. So if you already have an FB page, might as well be on IG for very little extra effort.
Who should do it?
If your business has high visual content for your products and services then IG is natural for you. Because of their high visual content, fast-moving consumer goods, food, travel, gadgets, video, and photography equipment will do good in IG.
Services can also do good on IG by posting work-related inspiration quotes, work photos, and tips.
6. Email marketing
What is it?
Email marketing is one of those things that have fallen under the radar due to news focusing more on the glamorous social media platforms. Email marketing is still very effective. It is one of the trump cards of many marketing gurus.
The idea behind email marketing is simple enough. You promote your products or services by sending emails to a group of people who have agreed to receive them. That is why email marketing has a very high rate of returns.
Why do it?
The rate of conversion of email marketing is the main reason. At 15.11% as of 2020, we are talking about sales conversions here, not leads or opt-ins. That’s very high. Email accounted for 19.8% of all transactions.
At the core of email marketing is the leads database. You can do whatever you want with this database because you own it. It’s your platform unlike social media networks like Facebook that change their algorithms which can make your traffic fall off the earth.
Well just make sure you do only what the people agreed to. Like sending them information that is relevant to their need. Marketing emails have high opening rates and conversion rates because people expect to receive them.
Who should do it?
Everyone, but especially if you are a B2B company. Emails are great at textual and visual narrative which is great for B2B companies.
Usually, these types of firms have products or services where the buyer goes through a journey before making the purchase decision. This is due to the costs involved and the probable impact on operations.
Consultancies, construction, technology, legal services, marketing agencies, HR, and accounting are doing well with email marketing.
7. Google My Busines
What is it?
Google My Business (GMB) is a free feature of Google that allows any business to be listed and located in Google Maps (GM). You can put a pin in your location in GM which will be visible to people looking for your business. Your business will also show up in organic local searches concerning your area. You can include details about your business, photos and visitors can also leave a review.
Why do it?
Three words. Local search visibility. If you search for pizza in your town, let’s say Orange County, Google will bring up all the pizza parlor’s around your location. You don’t even have to type the name of your town, just type pizza near me. Google will show a map like this one:
That’s prime digital real estate. Imagine the traffic that will come to your website which could turn into customers.
GMB is an effective and easy way for your business to be found online. Google algorithms greatly consider local search intent in its search results. Make sure that your GMB listing is optimized.
Make full and effective use of the 750 characters allowed to you in the description. Use your keywords wisely. Make it as locally relevant as possible. Finally, ask your customers to submit a review. This signals to Google that your business is active, resulting in an even higher ranking for your business in search results.
Who should do it?
Any business can be in GMB, even those that are only operating virtually such as e-commerce sites.
8. YouTube channel
What is it?
YouTube marketing makes use of videos on the platform to drive sales or traffic to your website. This means you have to start a YT channel and grow your subscribers. You can put links to your website or products under the video in the description section.
Why do it?
YT is the second biggest search engine and website in the world. It has 1 billion registered subscribers. Over 1 billion hours of YT are being watched daily. In one day! YT reaches more 18-49-year-olds on mobile than any other TV or cable network. People from anywhere in the world just love watching videos. That’s where your audience is and that’s where you should be.
Videos are now easier to make than ever. There are a lot of online tools that will help you create animations or stitch together stock footage. There are also voice-over software that turn your script into a human voice. You don’t even have to show your face if you don’t want to,
Who should do it?
Video is for everyone. If a picture paints a thousand words then how much more can a video tell? That’s why we all consume video. Video can make the most complex concept and foreign ideas relatable. You should be doing videos. It takes commitment to launch and maintain a YT channel, but video has a very long shelf life. Videos uploaded on YOUTUBE more than 10 years ago continue to rack up views and drive awareness.
9. Content Marketing
What is it?
Content marketing is not marketing your business. Let me explain before you click away. Content Marketing is about being the trusted source of information that solves your target customer’s problems.
This is not about you. It’s about putting your customer needs at the center of all your marketing communications.
Doing Content Marketing means creating and distributing videos, blogs, infographics, publications, research, and resources.
Speaking engagements and events can be a form of content marketing. The information you share through whatever means must help solve problems relevant to the people you want to become customers.
When these people search the Internet for solutions to their problems, search engines will push you to the top because your content can help solve the searcher’s problems.
Why do it?
Content Marketing is nothing new but the concept has gained new traction with the power of the Internet. Digital technology has unparalleled distribution and discoverability for content. Content that your company should be publishing online.
Content Marketing is a long-term solution to creating sustained awareness. People change and their needs vary over time. Your customer today will not be your customer tomorrow. However, your online content will continue to draw in people who need your product for many years to come.
A side benefit of sustainability is the trust that your audience develops for your brand. By continually and consistently sharing information that solves their problems, your audience begins to see you with expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (EAT). Google’s AI prioritizes sites with EAT. This is why only sites that have established their EAT over some time show up on the search engine results page (SERP).
EAT greatly levels up your SEO thanks to Content Marketing. Everything starts with driving traffic to your website. Content Marketing is inherently SEO-friendly. Some successful companies don’t worry about SEO anymore. They just do great content and great SEO follows.
Increased traffic means increased leads. These are people with high search intent. By answering their questions in a free and helpful way, you can lead them to a landing page where they can opt-in to get more relevant information in the future.
Who should do it?
Just like YouTube Marketing, Content Marketing takes commitment. B2B and B2C companies should take Content Marketing as one of their paths to sustained growth.
10. Referral program
What is it?
A referral program or affiliate program allows people, ideally your customers, to refer sales or clients to your business with the benefit of an incentive. The reward is usually cash but could be discounts, rebates, gift checks, and premium items.
Referral programs come at no cost to you because you can balance the reward with the cost of marketing your business. You outsource the marketing to affiliates who will drive traffic to your business. These advocates only get rewarded if their referral makes a purchase.
Why do it?
A referral program takes the costs and burden of marketing off your hands and into your affiliates. A lot of people do affiliate marketing full-time or as a business.
Referral programs use the power of word-of-mouth. When people want to buy something they ask the people they trust, their friends and family. When they go online, they often look for people they can trust before making a buy. If this person is your affiliate, then the affiliate can earn from the purchase of the people they drive to your site.
A Nielsen study reveals that 92% of consumers trust recommendations from friends and family above all other forms of advertising. Nearly 95% also read online reviews before making a purchase.
Who should do it?
Referral programs should be done by companies that have a great product or service. Products that people will be proud of and gladly refer to their friends. Companies that retail products or license software over the Internet should have a referral program in place.
Conclusion
Like I said above, you don’t have to do all of these free marketing tactics. These are all very hands-on. Focus on one, maybe two, at most that you can do consistently and enjoy.
Free doesn’t mean easy. There will be a learning curve, you will make mistakes, and there will be dog days when you have to slog through by your lonesome self to get this done. Be patient and keep learning, and persist in improving.
As a business owner, the main marketer should be you. The results will follow soon enough.