How to Market Your Business Online on a Shoestring Budget

June 14, 2017

You don’t need a huge budget to market your small business effectively.

By Maureen McCabe

As a small business, it can be difficult to determine how to market your business effectively, particularly when you don’t have a large budget. With multiple online options to boost your brand, it is much easier for business owners to promote their products and services than it was 15 or 20 years ago. The key to being successful is knowing which methods work the best. This way you can get the most out of your shoestring budget without it becoming a serious drain on your time.

If you have been wondering how to market your business, the following are six effective actions you can do to increase your visibility:

1. Content

Your website needs to have great content to draw in more traffic. When designing a website, most people focus on the structure and navigation, and spend little time on the content. The writing is often riddled with grammatical errors, repetitive sentences, and very little valuable information for your visitors.

Make the time to create high-quality content. You can hire a company to write it or you can do it yourself. Ensure whatever you post on your site is proofread by another person. Read this witty blog to understand why proofreading is like waterproofing your house. Well-written content along with great images always create a great first impression that will help you turn website visitors into sales leads.

2. Blogs That Resonate

Blogs are an important part to your overall marketing strategy as you can leverage trending topics and terms without having to completely reinvent your website. You do not need to post every day. Typically, twice monthly is sufficient to keep your website fresh and encourage visitors to return. And, by sharing it on social media, you will engage more people to visit your website.

3. Videos That Instruct

Marketing videos are a great way to both drive traffic to your website and to let people see that you are an expert in your field. If your business sells products, demonstrate how they can be used in everyday situations. If you offer services to clients, create a video of tips that your audience can put into action right away.

For example, if you provide a service that helps people downsize their homes, share five tips to prepare for moving into a new house. A simple video starring you, your colleagues, or your customers can create an emotional connection with viewers and showcase your business at the same time.

4. Social Media That Works for You

There are many social media networks out there and it can be difficult to know where you should dedicate your time. As maintaining your social media profiles can be a substantial time investment, you need to be prepared to post content multiple times per week.

Instead of trying to focus on all of the major sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, and Google+, choose just one or two that suit your business best. Consider where your target audience is most active and focus on posting content and engaging with the community on only those social networks.

5. Data Research

The internet has made it easy to conduct research. When your workload slows or you have a couple of hours, you can use the time to find the latest statistics and numbers, and post summaries as well as details about these studies. Knowing how to market your business is being able to understand why it matters. Staying up to date with industry-wide studies and statistics are one of the best ways to demonstrate to clients why your business is relevant and that you stay current with trends in your industry.

6. Customer Referrals

Word-of-mouth is a low-hanging fruit you can use to attract new quality customers. If you have a referral program, promote it to help keep your business top of mind for when a customer’s friend, family member, or business colleague needs products or services.

If you have questions or would like assistance creating a marketing plan that suits your budget, contact the McCabe Marketing team today!

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