Big companies invest a lot in marketing, knowing that no matter how valuable the solution they offer consumers may be or how talented their salespeople are, they won’t succeed if they can’t get the attention of prospective customers and clients. For small businesses, especially those that are just starting out, the same rationale holds true, but their marketing budgets are usually much tighter than those of larger corporations.
When a small-business owner is trying to save money, marketing and advertising are often the first cuts considered. However, with the number of free social media platforms and affordable tools to help track the results available today, small businesses can build and execute effective campaigns without a big marketing budget. Here, members of Forbes Agency Council share some creative ideas SMB owners can use to market their businesses for free.
Forbes Agency Council members share creative ways to market a small business for free.
Photos courtesy of the individual members.1. Do Good Business And Earn Word-Of-Mouth
As much as others will say “Google search” and “podcasts,” we should not forget the power of doing really good business, customer service, kindness and, ultimately, word-of-mouth. There is no better marketing—paid or otherwise—to develop brand affinity and connection than word-of-mouth from a great experience. It may seem trivial and even simple, but it’s the most powerful. - Kyle Duford, The Brand Leader
2. Have A Consistent Blog
A blog is a free resource that allows you to create shareable content that points to your company as the authoritative voice in your industry while improving organic SEO. While weekly blogging can take time, you can carefully craft keywords and topics that will also earn you higher rankings on search engines and provide new content to share on your social media profiles. - Durée Ross, Durée & Company, Inc.
3. Get Out Of The Office
Small-business growth is often relationship-based, and relationships can’t be nurtured sitting behind the counter or a computer. Get out into your community by attending events where you can put a face on the business, tell a compelling story, gather names, find common connections and ask for referrals. As Queen Elizabeth commented, “I have to be seen to be believed.” - Jim Heininger, Dixon|James & Rebranding Experts
4. Take Advantage Of Popular Trends
Why not take advantage of the latest social media craze to promote your new business? Taking up a TikTok trend can be an effective way if you’re looking for more engagement with potential customers and followers. Taking advantage of popular trends in the right communities will give small-business owners more opportunities than just posting random content. - Kamaljit Singh, AMZ One Step
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
5. Amplify Your Uniqueness While Capturing Brand Values
The best free marketing comes from amplifying what makes you unique and being able to express this in an interesting way while capturing your brand values. For example, if you sell pet products and are passionate about giving back to the community, you could partner with a local animal shelter to cross-promote each other and potentially develop a co-branded piece of merchandise. - April (Margulies) White, Trust Relations
Forbes Agency Council is an invitation-only community for executives in successful public relations, media strategy, creative and advertising agencies. Do I qualify?
6. Leverage Free Social Media Platforms
There is no greater free form of marketing than taking advantage of social media platforms. It is completely free to put out information about your business, products and services along with insights into you, your knowledge and experience in your industry. Social media also gives you the free ability to connect with others and build a community if you thoughtfully engage. - Tony Pec, Y Not You Media
7. Partner Up With A Complementary Business
I love this question, as when I started my company, I had zero budget and bootstrapped everything. One of the best ways to market for free is to find other business owners offering complementary services and possessing your ideal audience. Offer a free, joint masterclass or create an audio chat experience on Twitter or LinkedIn. Instagram Live is also an amazing vehicle to educate and entertain. - Nadya Rousseau, Alter New Media LLC
8. Utilize TikTok
TikTok is one of the only platforms where organic reach is still incredibly strong. Small businesses can, for example, create behind-the-scenes or product-review content and grow their brands without any investment. A lot of brands on TikTok also engage with their audiences by tagging customers in videos where they pack their specific order or by asking them what content they want to see next. - Anastasia Cecchetto, Ace Influencers
9. Answer FAQs Via YouTube Videos
Think of ten questions your potential customers are searching on Google. Record a video for each one using your mobile phone by repeating the question and following it up with a two- to three-minute answer. Upload the videos to your YouTube channel. The video title is the question; the video description is the answer. You will get views not only on YouTube but also on Google, as it embeds video directly in search results as well. - Michael Chagala, Rank Harvest SEO
10. Be Generous With Free Gifts And Samples
The secret to great, free marketing is sampling. Whether you offer a service or a product, be generous with your free gifts and samples. Show your interested prospects what you have to offer. If you’re confident in the service or product you offer, then you should have no problem letting people get a taste, because you know they’ll be back for more. This will promote word-of-mouth and organic growth! - Bryanne DeGoede, BLND Public Relations
11. Appear On A Podcast
As a medium, audio is engaging, accessible and popular. There’s a world of independent creators producing diverse content out there, so scout out podcasts featuring small businesses—and the humans behind them. Remember to consider their listeners, too. It’s the perfect way to authentically share your company story as part of an intimate conversation and gain brand exposure. - Samantha Reynolds, ECHO Storytelling Agency
12. Identify Influential Local Businesses On Instagram
Open Instagram and search your business’ location to check out both the “top” and most recent posts from your area. Check out the location map to see where the posts came from around you. See which posts are getting the most action and which bios have the best reach. Start direct messaging these influential locals with an offer of a free gift, coffee, lunch, or whatever your business provides. - Bernard May, National Positions
13. Share Your Story
If you share your story—whether it’s with a potential client, a media outlet or on social media—who you are as a human being will resonate with potential customers. People buy from people, not from companies. When you start becoming the face of your business, this is when you’re likely to improve your positioning in the market. - Adrian Falk, Believe Advertising & PR
14. Add Value In Every Interaction
This is a strategy I employ every day, and it is a very simple one: Add value in every interaction. When you add value, whether to a client or a prospect, you earn a reputation that people will talk about for you. They become your advocates and perpetuate your brand story for you. At the end of the day, word-of-mouth is still the best marketing that exists. - Hamish Anderson, Three Piece Marketing
15. Get A Verified Google Business Profile
This may seem very obvious, but I frequently find that SMB owners haven’t heard about it. A verified Google Business Profile may be one of the most powerful online tools for small businesses. It has been rebranded many times—from Google Business Page to Google My Business to Google Places—but it offers many features (posts, descriptions, photos, labels and more), and it is still completely free. - Frank Rojas, Qode Media Inc.
