6 Cost-Effective Ways to Promote Your Small Business

Last Updated: 

August 8, 2024

Want to get your name in front of new customers on a limited budget? Are you looking for low-cost ways to promote your company?

What are the best ways to promote your company without breaking the bank? Promoting a business is no easy task, but we have compiled a list of ideas to help you advertise your company, whether you have been in business for years or are just getting started,with maximum effect and at the lowest possible cost.

Key Takeaways on Promoting Your Small Business in a Cost-Effective Way:

  1. Develop an Optimised Website: It's crucial to have a clean, uncluttered website and spend time on search engine optimisation (SEO) to make your business more discoverable. Services like Wix or WordPress can help you set up your site affordably.
  2. Be Active on Social Media: Establish a presence on social media platforms that are popular with your target demographic. Regular updates can engage existing customers and attract new ones.
  3. Host Events: Hosting events such as workshops, conferences, or networking events can effectively promote your business and leave a memorable impression on attendees. Consider investing in promotional items and business cards for distribution.
  4. Use Email Marketing: Use an email service, such as Mailchimp, to send newsletters or promotional offers to prospective customers. Make sure to obtain their permission to comply with data protection laws. A freebie or exclusive offer can help grow your subscriber base.
  5. Distribute Press Releases: If there are newsworthy developments in your company, create press releases to distribute to local media outlets and online platforms. Include links to your website and social media accounts, and consider adding high-quality photos to increase the likelihood of publication.
  6. Leverage Referrals: Solicit referrals from friends, acquaintances, former employers, non-profit organisations, and other businesses that may have customers in need of your services.
Discover Real-World Success Stories

1. Make sure you have a website - and optimise it

Setting up a website is an absolute key element in promoting your business. If you can't afford to hire a professional to build your website, go with a service like Wix or WordPress which all provide tools and templates to make the job much easier.

Make sure that your website is clean, clear, and uncluttered, without pop-ups and ads to distract your visitors and make them click away. It is also important to spend some time making sure your website is geared up for search engine optimisation, otherwise known as SEO. Many people feel more comfortable with leaving this task to a professional, but if you are on a tight budget, you may need to look at it yourself. It is easier than it sounds; essentially, it is using things like keywords to help your website rank highly on search engines. There are plenty of free or low-cost tools to help you with this.

2. Have a visible presence on social media

As well as a website, a presence on social media is essential these days for any business. It is a great way to reach new customers and keep your existing ones up to date with new developments and information. Do not try to stretch yourself too thin, though. You do not need to be active all day, every day on all of the social media platforms. Look at your target audience and think about where they may hang out - older people tend to be found on Facebook, where the younger market are on TikTok and Snapchat. Focus on the ones that are most popular with your demographic.

3. Host an event

Hosting various types of events, such as workshops, panels, conferences, speaker series, and networking events, is one of the most effective ways to promote your business. By doing so, you will gain the trust of business leaders while also providing customer value.

Given that your company's name will be affiliated with the event when you host it, you can market and promote your company to your attendees without being too obvious about it. The greater the event you put on, the more people will remember your company.

If your budget will stretch far enough, invest in some promotional marketing items - pens, tote bags, key rings and so on, so when people use them, they are instantly reminded of your business. Hand out your business cards too - The Foil Printing Co has a great range.

4. Email list

Have you subscribed to an email service? There are some, such as Mailchimp,that offer a free service if you have a relatively small amount of subscribers, which is idea to begin with.Send a monthly newsletter and/or promotional offers to your prospective customers.

Before sending an email to someone, make sure you get their permission so that you do not break any data protection or privacy laws. To jumpstart the email list, offer a freebie to a list of people you know are interested in your emails, such as a free eBook, gift or exclusive offers.

If you would like to send a cold email campaign to either the existing subscribers or leads individually, make sure to track campaign performance such as email opens and clicks. You can use a free mail merge service like Mailtrack.

5. Press releases

Is there anything special about your company? Are you releasing a new and exciting product or offering a new service? Then make it known. Determine which audiences are most likely to be interested in your product or service, and then distribute press releases to local newspapers, magazines, radio stations, and television stations. If you're unsure where to start, consider using some of the Best newswires for sending out a PR. Make sure to post the press releases on more than one online press release platform, and do not forget to include links to your website and social media platforms. Make sure that you include some high-quality photos with your press release - you will find them more likely to be published."

6. Referrals

One of the simplest ways to increase your business leads is to solicit assistance from people you know. Contact friends, acquaintances, former employers, non-profit organisations, schools and colleges, and even other businesses that may have customers who require your services. Explain that you are in business and ask if they can use your services or if they can recommend people who need what you sell.

People Also Like to Read...