One of the primary struggles for any small business finances. This is especially true during the first year of business, but it doesn’t necessarily get easier. Small business owners just learn how to handle it.
To make more money and keep your business going, you need to market. However, it’s difficult to say what marketing is essential and what efforts will bring you back the most revenue.
There’s also the issue that while you may have a shoestring marketing budget, you’re a business owner, which means you don’t have a lot of time, either.
Let’s get creative with those limited resources.
1. Create An Authentic Brand
This is part of your marketing and still the first thing you should do. Make your brand consistent and easy to understand. The better you do this, the better mileage you’ll get out of the rest of your marketing efforts.
Know what your business is about. Are your customers coming to you because your business is fun? Dependable? Luxurious? Make sure your visuals and your copy signal these tones. If your brand is consistent, you’ll build up recognition with your audience.
Use tools like Canva to create templates for your social media posts.
2. Be Mindful, Consistent, and Engaged on Social Media
When you’re marketing on a budget with limited funds and time, it may be tempting to just throw anything you’ve got on social media.
Never do this.
Instead, create content that provides the kind of value you want your brand to be known for. By being more thoughtful, your posts will gain more attention.
When you’re considering the value of your post, consider what your social media presence is offering your following. Entertainment? A knowledgeable resource? Then give that in spades.
3. Create a Useful Website
Content creation is still a main way that small businesses market on a shoestring budget today. You can do this by creating content on social media and on your website. Use a blog to create a library that the search engines can use to send more people to your website.
Make sure that website is thoughtful with strong search engine optimization techniques, calls to action at the end of all your blog posts, and an easy to navigate website. If you can’t hire a web designer, you can still purchase a smart business theme and use a content management system like WordPress to create a quality website that loads fast and is easy to use.
4. Take Advantage of Video
Video content is one of the best ways to be authentic and engage your audience. On Instagram, use both the stories and reels features to create short videos that engage. On Facebook, you can create video posts or go Live. Let your audience know ahead of time when you plan on doing this.
5. Stay Consistent
Growing your small business marketing doesn’t happen overnight. Digital marketing builds over time. Set goals each month and check your analytics. You’ll be able to see what you did that grew your audience. In the following month, take what you’ve learned and use it to create content that matches what your audience has already shown you they like.
While you don’t have the advantage of a large marketing budget, you do know your customers. Keep getting to know them better and use what you know to set your brand apart and take your marketing to the next level.