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Marketing ideas for small businesses

If you’re just starting out, you’re unlikely to have the biggest budget to put behind your marketing campaign. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to market your business without having to spend a fortune.

1. Use SEO tools to optimise your business website

Your business website is an important tool in helping to promote your business. Many people will use your website to find out more about your business and what it offers. This makes it essential to ensure your website is optimised so that it ranks higher on search engines, helping more customers to find it.

To get started, you need to carry out extensive keyword research (keywords are the words individuals type into a search engine to find something). You can use to help you find the words you think your customers will enter and that you want to target. You then need to sprinkle these keywords throughout the content on your website – although be wary about overusing them as this can work against you.

Yoast SEO and Google Analytics are additional tools you can use to optimise your website.

2. Create regular online content

Posting regular content on your website is an easy and free way to promote your business. A good place to start is by creating an ‘About Us’ page that explains how your business came about, how it’s growing, and what your goals are. 

You could also create a company blog, including useful tips and guides for your customers. This will help to highlight your industry expertise and build trust with your audience. It can also be worth including any important news or updates about how your business is growing. Be sure to read through your posts carefully (or get someone else to) to check for spelling errors or factual mistakes. 

3. Think about email marketing

As well as creating online content, you might want to consider email marketing. However, you must comply with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) when collecting customers’ contact details. 

With email marketing, you can send out regular newsletters to keep your customers engaged with your business. These newsletters can include links to your latest blog posts, but you can also use them to inform customers of sales or important product updates. 

Many email marketing tools let you track the number of people who have opened or clicked on your emails, giving you an indication of how engaged your audience is.

4. Build your social media presence

Social media is a cheap but effective way to market your business. Choose the platforms best suited to your audience. 

An easy place to start is to create a Facebook profile for your business. You can use this to show potential customers what your business offers, post updates about your business, and post photos of the work you’ve done.

Other options to consider include Instagram and TikTok. Instagram is useful if you want to showcase your products using images, while TikTok might be better if you want to attract a younger audience. On the other hand, LinkedIn could be more suitable if you want to advertise professional services. 

It’s best to be regular and consistent when you post social media content. Many platforms have free analytics so you can track your social media activity against your marketing goals.

5. Create videos

Similarly, you could use YouTube or TikTok to host short ‘how-to’ videos, explain what your business does, or demonstrate some of your products. It’s easy to create content using a smartphone and this could help attract a wider audience – one that doesn’t engage well with written content, for example. 

Again, you can use analytics to help monitor how well your videos are performing.

6. Use online review platforms

Encourage existing customers to leave reviews about their experiences with your business. This can be done on your Facebook page, but you can also set up accounts on Feefo, Trustpilot, Google and TripAdvisor, for example. 

Positive reviews can help encourage other customers to use your services, while negative reviews can give you important feedback and show you where improvements need to be made. 

7. Start a customer loyalty programme

Loyalty programmes encourage repeat purchases and brand loyalty. Setting up a loyalty scheme doesn’t need to be expensive either. For example, if your business has a physical premise, you could use stamp cards and offer a discount once a customer has gained a certain number of stamps. Alternatively, customers could earn points as they spend and get a discount once they’ve gained a specified number of points.

8. Partner with another business 

If you can find a local business that complements yours and isn’t a direct competitor, it can make sense to team up so you both access a larger customer base. For example, if you’re a painter and decorator, you could team up with a local builder and ask them to send customers your way. In return, you could advertise the builder’s services.   

9. Get networking

Networking is an important way to build contacts and potentially meet new clients and customers. Attending local events will enable you to get to know your local community and get your name out there. Make sure you have business cards ready to hand out to people. 

You could also consider sponsoring a local event or contributing to local charities to show public support and improve your brand visibility. 

10. Pay for local advertising

Finally, you might want to think about paying for local advertising. Options to consider include advertising on local radio or newspapers. You could also print flyers to hand out at local events or post on billboards at the local library or in shops and cafes. 

If your business involves a lot of driving, you might want to pay for a vehicle branding wrap to increase brand awareness and help attract new customers in your area.

Whichever option you choose, it’s important to think about your target audience and get the messaging right. And don’t forget to include your contact details on every form of marketing you use.