There are two things that most businesses have, but usually are in low supply. Time and money. Most startups and small businesses thrive by being able to do the most with limited amounts of both. This post will help your business grow through a few simple ideas that you can start planning and actively doing today. Let’s help your business thrive through marketing on a budget with these ideas and tools:
Utilize Email Marketing
Most small businesses we work with under-utilize this channel. You may think you get too much email, but the reason why so many people use it is because it works. The emails that don’t work are the brands that you fell out of favor with. You should be using email to announce new product arrivals, new services, new blog content, and anything that can remind that customer that gave you their email address (a ticket to their inbox that says, PLEASE CONTACT ME) a reason to be re-engaged with you, your brand, and your business. Our founder recently was a part of an article with more tips on utilizing email and three signs your business could benefit from an email newsletter.
The Tools: There are so many email tools out there these days. To capture emails on your website, we recommend SumoMe, JustUno, and Privy. SumoMe and JustUno also are Austin locals, which gives them a little hometown edge from me! Depending on your business type, we recommend Mailchimp as a fantastic, low-cost, all-around great email service provider, then Klaviyo is a favorite for eCommerce integrations based on the added automation functionalities they have developed. Want more on email marketing and tools, check out our founder’s marketing resource guide here.
Boost Your Social Media Presence
Social Media marketing can often be overwhelming. As a small business owner, you have employees to manage, accounting and books to balance, vendors and salespeople to speak with. I’m telling you to block out 5 minutes of your day to manage your social media and give it a boost. If you are a retail or restaurant type of brick & mortar business, why not take a picture of the food you’re turning out, a new display, or a product of the day to stay in front of your customers. Service-based industries can make it as easy as a tip of the day, a service that just got finished for a customer, or a unique problem you just solved. That will help you show your expertise as an accountant, a marketer, or a lawyer. If you have the time, a video can go a long way as well.
The Tools: If you want to make sure it goes out around the same time, use a tool like Hootsuite or Buffer to schedule the posts across multiple social media channels. Boom, you’re done! If you want to go pro with a video on social media, it takes a bit more time, but check out Adobe Spark.
Host Events, Classes, or Webinars
There are many different ways to make this happen depending on your business and it doesn’t always need to be full of huge fanfare, hoopla, and work behind the scenes. Are you a clothing boutique? Perhaps wine Wednesdays will help bring more clients through the door and turn shopping into a social event as your Wednesday evening gatherings grow through word of mouth. Restaurants and bars can create special cooking classes to showcase a chef’s expertise. If you are a bookkeeper, there are likely dozens of topics that your possible clients are dying to learn about over a local lunch gathering or webinar. The same goes for financial advisers wanting to market to new clients, there are so many questions and a 30-minute speed event can be just enough to help them with what they need and earn trust when something comes up down the line. It doesn’t always need to be a sales pitch, so don’t always think of an event needing to provide you the immediate return that day. Build a long-term relationship with your potential customer, it will pay off down the road.
The Tools: Your own retail store or brick and mortar location is your easy event space. Not enough room, or no physical offices? Check out local co-working spaces (sometimes they even provide free community event space), LiquidSpace for conference room rental, or if you want to go the webinar/remote route, check out WebinarJam for a low-cost, high-feature solution. Not quite sure if a Webinar is right for you yet, MeetingBurner gives you a free webinar for up to 10 guests.
Bonus: Make Sure Your Site Mobile-Friendly & Healthy
Why does your small business website need to be mobile-friendly? If you aren’t, your website won’t be found. If you want to make sure your site is up to speed, plug your website into the super, easy Google Mobile-Friendly Test. Are you ready for a free website audit? Click here.
