How much money do you budget for marketing?

None?

I get it! I have a small (sometimes nonexistent) marketing budget too. Seriously!

In today’s online marketing world, your marketing doesn’t have to be expensive to be effective. Between online and traditional platforms, you can effectively market your business on a budget. Here’s how:

Have unforgettable customer service.

The most powerful form of marketing is word-of-mouth, and in order to receive raving reviews and recommendations from your clients, both your offering and customer service have to be outstanding.

You may have the best product or service in the world, but if you’re miserable to work with and your turn-around time is foreeeeeever, no one is going to want to recommend you.

Pretty obvious, right?

Here’s how to deliver outstanding customer service:

• Listen to your clients’ needs and feedback to ensure that the service you deliver meets what they’re looking for. If you sell a product, consider customer feedback when making improvements.

• Go above and beyond- without overstepping your boundaries. You don’t want to give everything for nothing, but sometimes even simple acts make a difference. Back when I welcomed guest instructors are my studio, if one of my web clients taught a class, I not only add the class to my website, I added it to theirs as well. It took me two minutes and the gesture was always well received.

• Write a thank you note. Handwritten is best, but expressing gratitude is not only good for your mentality, it allows clients to feel appreciated for choosing you. A thank you note also keeps you in their minds, making them more likely to work with and recommend you in the future.

If you’re a larger business, create a meaningful thank you email that also requests a review, whether on Facebook or Amazon.

Nail your website’s SEO.

Search engine optimization allows people to find your business when they search for related terms on Google. How it works is you incorporate relevant search terms (keywords) into your website copy and on the backend of your website (like meta descriptions), so that when someone types that keyword into Google, your website is likely to appear.

For example, when I was offering wedding photography, I made sure to have “wedding photographer Littleton, NH” scattered throughout my site. I booked over a dozed weddings that year without paid promotion! The majority of my clients found me through Google.

Click here to learn even more about SEO.

Elevate your e-newsletter.

Did you know that email marketing is more effective than social media? Yep!

People may not see your social media post, but they will receive your email. Whether they open it or not is up to them, but at least they see it!

In an e-mail newsletter, you have more space to connect with your audience and can include links to multiple offers.

To elevate your e-newsletter:

• Be consistent. Choose a frequency and stick to it. I send my e-newsletter once a week on Tuesdays, but even once a month or once a season is fine. The key is consistency. You can always increase the frequency later!

• Write a catchy subject line. Your subscribers are more likely to open an email with “Have no money for marketing? This will help!” than they are “How to Effectively Market on a Budget.”

To test your subject lines, use the Advanced Marketing Institute’s free Headline Analyzer tool.

• Connect and engage. You have more space in an email than you do a social media post to connect with your readers. Share personal anecdotes that relate to the topic of your email, and let your personality shine! You can also share multiple photos in an email (bonus if you include one of yourself!).

• Include calls-to-action. This is how people jump from the email to your website. Calls-to-action are links, and you can link to blog posts, pages on your website, products, etc. Here’s an example: Want to quit your job and work for yourself? Check out Self-Employed School, my signature online course!

Psst! If you’re looking for an e-newsletter software, I recommend Flodesk.

Collaborate with other small business owners.

Collaborations allow you to get in front of another business’ audience. Whether you teach a class with another business owner, or create a package deal with your services or products, all parties involved will be marketing the offer, getting it (and YOUR business) in front of more eyes. And when their customers get a taste of what you have to offer, they’ll likely look you up!

Rock your social media campaign.

Social media has been the top free marketing channel, and while I don’t believe we should put all of our eggs in the social media basket, it still has a purpose. Here’s how to rock your social:

• Choose your platforms strategically. You don’t have to be on every platform! Only post where your people are. For help choosing your platforms, click here.

• Post consistently. Yes, this again. I post 1-2 times a week in my Facebook/Instagram newsfeeds, and I post at least once every day on my Instagram Stories.

• Post a variety. Keep it interesting for people! Share product shots or you performing a service, photos of your team, behind-the-scenes, and how your product/service is being used. Quotes and testimonials are also excellent.

• Be on brand. Make sure your posts - especially graphics - follow your brand guide. Psst! I recommend Canva for social media post design. It’s a free, cloud-based design software.

Looking to learn even more about social media strategy, including what to post, how to get followers, and how to convert admirers into customers? Check-out my online mini courses, Facebook Facelift and Instagram Insight. (I also have a Create With Canva mini course!)

Become a PR wiz.

Public relations combines traditional and online marketing methods to skyrocket your business. Basically, publicity is getting your name and business mentioned in news articles, posts on industry websites, and even interviews on television and other shows.

So how do you get press? The easiest way is to write a press release for publication in your local newspaper. Yes, people still read newspapers! Be sure your promotion is news related, however, as newspapers won’t print press releases that are ad-sy in nature. Approved press release topics include opening a new business, receiving an award, and hosting an event.

Could you use some help? Module 7 of Self-Employed School covers press releases more in depth, including how to write one.

As for features in other publications, you can pitch guest posts to industry magazines or get featured by responding to requests in Help A Reporter Out (HARO).

Advertising is just one form of marketing. There are many free ways to effectively market your business!

P.S. Are you a new business owner? Watch this!

Just getting started in business and looking for a roadmap? Check out my free Begin Your Business online course. We’ll cover everything from pricing to forming an LLC, assembling your team to getting your first clients, and everything in between.

Been around the business block and looking to grow? My Self-Employed School online course provides a deep dive on topics including website SEO and design, e-newsletters, social media, public relations, and more. It all culminates in creating an easy and effective marketing strategy for your business.

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