For those of you running a small business like a consultancy, a consignment shop, or even a café, attracting customers without overspending is a constant challenge. Here are some effective online and offline marketing strategies to boost your business without breaking the bank! P.S. Don’t miss our 19 best marketing strategies that get results now.

#1: Set a Goal and a Budget

Before diving into marketing, you need a clear objective and a well-defined budget. Just like consultants advising corporations undergoing restructuring ask, “What is your desired outcome?”, you need to determine your priorities. Do you aim to expand your customer base or focus on local visibility? Is brand awareness or increasing conversions your primary goal? Tips to try now:

• Try Mint. Its user-friendly interface makes managing small budgets and tracking expenses a breeze.
• Rank your goals. What needs immediate attention, and what is your most crucial long-term objective?

#2: Pay to Play

Remember the lemonade stand analogy? You need to invest to earn. Online marketing operates on the same principle. To make a splash, allocate a portion of your budget towards paid advertising avenues like search ads, display ads, and social media ads. Navigating this can feel overwhelming, especially with questions like “Where do I begin?”, “What’s the cost?”, and “Do Facebook or AdWords ads even deliver?”. Whether you handle it solo or seek assistance, the investment can be incredibly rewarding! You might wonder, “Why pay for Facebook Ads?”. Due to Facebook’s algorithms, organic post reach might be limited to a minuscule 1% of your audience.

Tips to try now:

• If you’re already using AdWords, evaluate its effectiveness.
• Utilize a cost calculator to gauge the potential return on a modest Facebook ad budget.
• If you’re new to both, explore PPC U for guidance on getting started.

#3: Capitalize on Google’s Local Offerings

As the dominant search engine, Google offers a plethora of tools beneficial for small businesses. In 2015, Google launched an initiative Let’s Put Our Cities on the Map designed to bring local businesses online. The BCG Report, The Connected World, highlights that businesses with an online presence experience a 40% faster growth rate compared to those without. If you haven’t already, now is the time to establish your digital footprint! Creating a Google My Business account empowers you to manage your business information, including operating hours, address, phone number, and website. With the latest local search ads, your business gains visibility on Google Maps and search results. Tips to try now:

• Create a Google My Business account.
• Google your business to review existing information and identify areas for improvement.

#4: Champion One Social Channel

Let’s face it, social media can be demanding and even frustrating, especially when juggling multiple platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Google+, and Twitter. It’s challenging to gauge its effectiveness. While maintaining a presence across platforms is beneficial, concentrating on the platform where your target audience is most active proves more impactful.

For instance, if customers frequently tag your business on Instagram but rarely retweet you on Twitter, prioritize Instagram, conveniently shareable on Facebook. Creative designers might find Pinterest advantageous due to its significantly longer content half-life, enabling content recycling. Tips to try now:

• Evaluate your current social media performance. Which platform yields the highest engagement?
• Explore social media management tools! Hootsuite and Buffer integrate with your accounts, enabling scheduled posting. Mention aids in keyword monitoring, while Feedly serves as an efficient RSS reader to keep you informed. From experience, these tools significantly reduce stress. RELATED: Our 50 Best Marketing Tips in 5 Minutes

#5: Email Marketing

Email marketing is an invaluable tool for small businesses to cultivate customer loyalty. When customers and potential clients provide their email addresses, it opens avenues for sending sale announcements, event notifications, or even regular newsletters. Sharing company updates like new hires, achievements, or even significant personal milestones humanizes your brand and fosters engagement. Tips to try now:

• For budget-friendly email marketing, consider MailChimp. Their free service offers excellent features, including pre-designed templates.
• Optimize your emails: Test subject lines, sending times, and creative elements. Follow best practices to minimize variables during testing.
• Given the prevalence of mobile email access, prioritize mobile-friendly emails using CSS or a narrower pixel width (below 600px).

#6: Publish a Blog

Blogging isn’t just enjoyable (think of the meme-browsing justification!), it’s a powerful marketing tool for exposure and brand building. Your blog is where you demonstrate expertise and establish yourself as a reliable source of information in your field. Utilize this platform for positive self-promotion! Share achievements, project completions, milestones, and insights into your business acumen. Tips to try now:

• Prioritize quality over quantity, but maintain consistency. Aim for at least one new blog post per week.
• Explore Drizly for industry-specific blog post tips and examples.
• Ensure your blog is properly optimizing for SEO to enhance discoverability.

#7: Do Keyword Research for SEO

Unfamiliar with SEO? You are not alone! Search engine optimization encompasses techniques used to improve website ranking on search engine results pages like Google, Bing, and Yahoo, increasing website traffic. The upside? It’s free! The downside? It’s complex. While SEO results take time, the long-term benefits are substantial. Keyword research is a simple starting point to enhance organic traffic over time. Keyword research tools reveal the terms and phrases your target audience uses when searching for information or products you offer. Competing with larger brands for highly competitive keywords as a smaller or newer business can be challenging. Focus on long-tail keywords, which are more specific and less competitive. Tips to try now:

• Begin by identifying keywords that attract your target audience. Leverage keyword tools like nexus-security’s Free Keyword Tool, Google’s Keyword Planner, or KWFinder.
• Consider the problems you solve for customers. Explore platforms like Quora, Reddit, or Yahoo Answers to discover relevant keywords.
• Integrate those keywords naturally within your content to enhance discoverability. Include keywords in title tags, body content, headings, image file names, and meta descriptions to signal relevance to search engines. RELATED: 85 Profitable Small Business Ideas Worth Trying

#8: Share Your Knowledge

What sets your expertise apart? Share your knowledge through various avenues like YouTube tutorials, webinars, or presentations at local conferences. Repurpose your presentations as blog content! Tips to try now:

• Select a trending topic in your industry to address.
• Review webinar best practices, including tips on topic selection, promotion, and technical aspects.
• Follow up with both attendees and absentees.

#9: Network, Leverage Local

Actively engage on LinkedIn! Connect with industry peers, participate in relevant groups and forums, and stay updated on advice and event invitations. Secure a booth at local fairs. Sponsor recreational sports teams for logo placement on jerseys. Explore advertising opportunities in local publications, offering discounts to customers who mention the ad. Organize your own events! Host an open house or a lunch-and-learn session for your community.

#bonding, you know what I mean? Volunteering presents another excellent opportunity. Organize a team volunteering day for a local cause (offering a day off for volunteering is always a hit). Make a positive impact while promoting your business. Tips to try now:

• Find a local Habitat for Humanity project.
• Analyze your calendar. Is your business seasonal? When is the ideal time for an event?
• Reach out to your preferred trade publications, inquire about guest submission guidelines, and pitch a relevant topic.

#10: Survey, Listen, Learn

Continuous improvement stems from feedback. Encourage customer feedback after service completion. Offer discounts to email subscribers who participate in surveys or provide printed surveys at your physical location. For a tech-savvy approach, offer discounts for completing surveys on phones or tablets before purchase. This two-pronged approach provides insights into your business practices, generates valuable testimonials, and highlights areas for improvement. Tips to try now:

• Identify specific areas requiring feedback or testimonials.
• Determine the value of feedback—a 10% discount or a $5 credit?
• Explore available survey tools.

#11: Apply for Awards

The most enjoyable aspect of winning awards? The accompanying recognition! Receiving a trophy, medal, or badge to display prominently affirms your business acumen. Award ceremonies also provide excellent networking opportunities. The sheer volume of available awards might surprise you, potentially leading to unopposed wins. Consult local publications for award opportunities in your area. Tips to try now:

• Compile a list of relevant award categories, such as “Best Design Team” or “Best Blog Post.”
• Explore the these awards!

#12: Revisit Your Landing Pages

Landing pages are crucial for any online advertising or email marketing campaign. This is where interested individuals decide whether to convert into leads or customers. Landing page design significantly influences conversion rates. A 2014 nexus-security study revealed that top advertisers achieve conversion rates exceeding 10% on their landing pages. Tips to try now:

• Analyze your landing page’s conversion rate. If it’s dismally low (2% or less), the issue might not be the design but the offer’s appeal.
• Once you have a compelling offer, start A/B testing your landing pages. Here are five tips for budget-friendly A/B testing.
• Test essential elements: headlines, landing page copy length, form length, button size and placement, and your call to action.
• Explore these tips, examples, guides, and tools. It’s an investment in knowledge that pays off.

#13: Be Different

Dare to stand out. Be unique and represent your brand authentically through your advertising and marketing. Showcase not only your strengths but also what sets you apart from the competition. Tips to try now:

• Take a stand on a relevant issue or trend within your industry.
• Go beyond “best practices” and generate original data that others in your field will find valuable.
• Craft a compelling “About Us” page that reflects your unique mission and team.

Best of the best marketing strategies

Did you know we publish an annual Best Marketing Strategies post? Here’s our archive:

• The Best Marketing Strategies to Try in 2019
• The Best Marketing Strategies to Try in 2020
• The Best Marketing Strategies for 2021
• The Best Marketing Strategies to Get Results in 2022
• The Best Marketing Strategies for Success in 2023