Starting a new business or growing a small one is not easy!
Way before I have started learning anything about SEO or Digital Marketing, I thought getting more clicks on your website, getting more leads or customers requires a heck load of money.
I wanted to start a monthly subscription-based “Dog-Box” company here in Hungary, where I would sell boxes of treats, dog toys and donate 5% of the profit to Local Shelters.
I had the mission, the idea, but my competitors just simply had more money to spend on marketing, so I failed and trashed it all.
It is very likely as a small business owner, you have the same problem yourself.
You have a great service or product, but you can’t get through the surface of the water as the big guys, your competitors have more budget than you.
But don't worry, because today we are going to share 7 "outside the box" marketing growth hacks with you, that you can use to get more leads, customers, brand awareness and grow a successful business without breaking the bank.
Here are some of the Best, Affordable Small Business Marketing Ideas:
1.) Content Marketing - Start a Blog!
This is the most common tip that you see in articles like this.
Starting a blog on your website is a great way to grow your business with marketing, it should be the first step of every marketing strategy.
You can show more of your brand in your industry and reach potential customers who are in the research phase.
If you use the right keywords, these people reading your content, will be Your target audience.
They are looking for more information about something, which means they know about their problem, but are not aware of your solution.
Want to jump to the step-by-step guide?
For example, people who are searching for "how to deal with acne naturally", are looking for a solution that helps them with their acne.
You can write a great article about home remedies for acne and then include a call to action to your all-natural face cream!
It is true, that these potential customers might not be ready to buy yet, but people love great content. If you help them out and provide value, they will remember.
If you have a great lead magnet on your blog posts, a good amount of visitors will turn into leads, which you can utilize through email marketing.
They can also share that blog post with their friends on social media, which will result in even more clicks, visits, email signups and then sales!
You can also share your content on websites, like Reddit or LinkedIn. With that said, your content has to be exceptionally good and offer value to be able to pass through the noise.
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Writing great, SEO optimized content is a task in itself and the above is just a simplified process of it, but here are some steps you can follow to create good SEO optimized content:
Marketing Quick Card:
1.) Install "Surfer SEO Extension" in your browser.
2.) Search for something on Google that your customer would search for. Think of a pain, that keeps them up at night, like "why is my house not selling".
3.) Note down the keywords that pop up and their search volume too.
4.) Open the top three webpages (excluding ads), hit CTRL + F or (CMD + F on Mac) and look at how many times they are using these keywords or words and how long their content is.
5.) Write your blog post content and mimic these pages. Google already likes these pages, so try making the metrics as close (little bit more or less not a problem) possible.
If you would like to know how to write great blog posts, content that generates customers, pleases existing customers and is fun to read at the same time, join our Course Waiting list as we will have a full section on this topic!
2.) Video Marketing
Video marketing, Creating video content and uploading it to YouTube is a great way to get more customers and also a cheap one, so it is a good idea to have it as a part of your marketing strategy
If you are reading this, it is very likely you have a mobile device, a laptop or a desktop computer. Or you are a T-500 and connected to Skynet.
If any of those is true, it means you have everything you need to upload videos on YouTube and start video marketing.
There are generally two ways to create video content:
1.) Creating Visual Videos with a Software
2.) Recording yourself talking and Uploading that
Both can be just as good if you upload quality videos.
Want to jump to the step-by-step guide?
If you want potential customers to find your videos, you will have to optimize them, just like your blog posts.
YouTube, just like Google has its own search engine. These two are different, but there are several steps you can take to make sure your video is ranking at the top of the results.
Marketing Quick Card:
1.) Think of a video idea, this can be either an informational video or a video showcasing your product or service in a local area.
2.) Download VidIQ in your browser. This is a plugin that gives you keyword data.
3.) Think of what your potential customers could be searching for. This can be, "how to fix acne naturally" or "home renovation in Texas". Note down the keywords that you find good to target.
4.) Create your Video. You can use software like Adobe Spark, Animoto, FlyR or any free tool that works for you.
5.) When the video is done, make sure the name of the file you are going to be uploading contains your keywords.
6.) Right Click on the File, Properties and add more information in the Details section. Set the Title so it includes your keyword. The Rating should be five star. The Tags should be the keywords that you have found separated by a comma.
In the comments section, write a 200 word, short article, with including the keywords you have chosen. You will need this for the video description too later on.
7.) Create a YouTube channel, if you don't have one. Phone Verify it (Important!). Upload the video on YouTube.
8.) Set the Title and add the 200 words of description what you have written already to the description settings.
9.) In the tags section, add the keywords that you have found.
These are the most important steps you can take to optimize a video that you have uploaded on YouTube.
With that said, there are other things that YouTube takes into consideration when ranking your video.
These include:
- 1High Retention Views: This means that there are a lot of people, that are watching more than 90% of your video. Very important!
- 2Comments and Likes: If someone comments on your video, like and heart that comment and reply to it.
- 3Video Embeds: Embed your video on as many sites as possible. If you have friends with websites, ask them to write an article on their website and embed your YouTube video. Only if the site is somewhat relevant though! Don't add your home remodeling video to a chocolate shop!
- 4Playlists: Once you have a lot of videos, add them to a playlist. Name the playlists according to your keyword. Make it natural! Ask your friends to make playlists of their own and add your videos too!
- 5Social Shares: Ask your friends to share your video on social media. This gives your video social signals and who knows, a friend of your friend might actually need your services!
3.) Live Chat on Your Website
Let's be honest, people love getting their questions answered right away. This trick can not only attract new customers it pleases existing customers too.
Having a live chat on your site helps with user experience, as you can deal with objections that potential customers might have.
Want to jump to the step-by-step guide?
Don't worry, you don't have to sit at your computer all day, answering customers. You have two options to to apply this hack.
You can write up answers to frequently asked questions and use a Live Chat software that uses AI to answer these questions on the go.
Or, you can hire an external company or hire a Virtual Assistant to handle the chat on your website.
Marketing Quick Card:
1.) Write up the most asked questions by your target audience and create an FAQ with answers.
2.) Choose a Live Chat Software. Some of the Best Options are:
- HubSpot Live Chat
- Podium WebChat
- Olark
- Pure Chat
- Chaport
- LiveChat
- Sendinblue
3.) Install the Live Chat Software on Your Website. Set it up and feed it the questions and answers you have written up.
4.) If you want a human at the other end of the chat, hire a Virtual Assistant on Upwork, Linkedin or SupportYourApp. Give him the set of questions and answers and ask them to study it and use it when talking with visitors.
4.) Deja Vu: Retarget Your Visitors
Ever had the feeling of someone watching you?
Maybe on Facebook, after you have visited an online store or tried looking for some product on Wish?
I always feel like, somebody's watchin' meee....
It is called Re-Targeting!
(Sorry for getting the song stuck in your head for the rest of the day!)
These websites have something installed, which is called Facebook Pixel.
This pixel allows those online stores or businesses to collect your data and re-target you with ads.
Now, this might sound a little bit creepy, but trust me, it works wonders.
Let's say you have a small online business and have people that put some products in their cart and leave!
You can re-target these people on Facebook and create specific ads for them, based on what pages they have visited on your website or what action they did/did not take.
For people that leave products in their cart, you can offer a 10% coupon if they check out! Or if you are a service-based small business and people haven't engaged, you can offer them a free consultation.
The best thing in all that is that because you are not advertising to new people, it is dirt cheap!
The only downside is it takes some time to gather enough data and people after the Facebook Pixel is installed.
5.) Create Infographics
Creating cool infographics (only if they are useful and filled with information) could be an essential part of your content marketing campaign, as they can not only bring in more visitors but can generate you links as well.
It is one of the best marketing tactics to use if you are just starting out, or would like to have some buzz around your brand.
You see, when people find interesting infographics, they share them. They share it on their blog, on social media platforms, which help you get closer to your target market.
It is very important though, to keep that infographic up to date, filled with interesting data.
For example, if you are a real estate agent and your target market are people who would like to sell their house, a great infographic filled with some statistics, about the Days on the Market in their certain area, could be very useful, interesting at the same time.
If you have experience in Graphics Design or feel creative, you can use services like Canva or Prezi, but we highly recommend outsourcing this one. Quality really matters, as this will be going around the internet!
6.) Use an Exit-Intent Popup
A great small business marketing tool that most small businesses don't use is an Exit Intent Pop-up.
I'm almost certain that you have encountered this, when visiting a website.
When a user tries to leave your website and wants to click on the X button on their browser tab, you can actually show them a pop-up that is only visible, when that condition is met.
This popup can offer a coupon or a lead magnet that requires a name and email address in exchange for the coupon or downloading the lead magnet.
Although not all of the people who are leaving your website are going to engage with that popup, but if you can capture 20% of the people that otherwise would have not interacted with you and add them to a mailing why wouldn't you do that?
Setting up an Exit-Intent Popup is actually pretty easy, all you need is a good offer and a plugin or an external solution, like OptinMonster.
If you use WordPress, the best plugin that is also easy to set up is the one from HubSpot. Their PopUp builder is very intuitive, so even if you don't have any coding skills, it will be pretty easy to set up.
If you are not using WordPress and have some basic HTML skills or have a developer, the best option is OptinMonster, as mentioned above. All you need to do is design your Popup in their builder and then embed a JavaScript code on your website.
These tools also work with most email marketing software, so if you would like them to feed data directly to your MailChimp account, you can do that too!
Some of these tools can be costly, but if it only brings you in one more quality lead or returning customer, isn't it worth the investment?
We think it is a great small business marketing idea.
7.) Local SEO - Google My Business
Optimizing your website, having local landing pages is a great way of getting more traffic, leads and customers, but what most small local business owners miss is an easier and quicker way of generating more leads, a free business marketing tool, Google My Business.
A Google My Business is a property where you can register your local business, get reviews, upload photos and updates, to be at the top for the local keywords your potential audience could be searching for.
If you optimize your Google My Business profile well, you have the chance of ranking at the Top of Map Packs for your local areas and keywords, which can generate you more calls, website visits or people visiting your business.
For each local keywords, about 44% of the people click on the top listing in the map pack, so if your keywords, for example, "plumber new york" has 200 searches a month, it means it can potentially generate you 88 calls per month.
To get started with Google My Business, all you need to have is a physical location of your business.
Even if you are not an expert, Registering a Google My Business is very simple and we will walk you through it right now.
1.) Register your GMB
First, you will have to register your business on Google My Business. You can do that by clicking here.
Next, Google will ask you for your Business Name, Phone, Address and the Main Category of your business.
You can select from several categories, but pay attention to choosing the right one.
Google the keyword you want to be on top of Google for and check what Category your competitors are using.
You are not able to change that in the future without a hassle, so pay attention when choosing one!
Once you are done with all of the required steps, your business is now registered, but not verified. This means that your business will not yet appear on the map.
To verify your GMB, Google will send you a postcard with a PIN on it (Usually takes 1 or 2 weeks to arrive), which you will have to enter.
Sometimes you can verify your listing via a phone call or SMS, but it's very rare because of spammers abusing it.
2.) Optimize Your GMB
To reach your audience locally, it is not enough to simply register a Google My Business, you will have to optimize it too.
Even while your GMB is not yet verified, you can start setting it up properly and you can start optimizing it, but we recommend waiting until it is verified, since there are some sections, like local posts, that you cannot access as long as it is not verified.
Here are the things that you will have to optimize in order to be on top of the Map Pack:
Business Description: This is one of the most important things to set up. Your description has to explain what you do and why you do it, but at the same time, it needs to contain your keywords too. Try keeping it natural!
Local posts: Content, content and content. I bet you hear this a lot when you ask a digital marketer how to grow your site and it is true. Although local posts are much shorter, they are still useful and we recommend posting at least twice a week.
Structured Citations: A structured citation is a structured page, which contains your Name, Address, Phone (NAP) and your website address. This means you will have to list your business on sites like Yelp, Tripadvisor, Foursquare, etc.
Make sure your NAP is correct and exactly how it is on your GMB, because if you add the wrong name or address, it can cause issues when ranking.
You can find sites like that, on this page.
This is a great tool for Sharing some interesting tips, tricks in your industry or letting your audience know about your deals or special offers.
We have listed a lot of marketing ideas for small businesses and we really hope you have found some that you can apply in your small business.
Always remember to just simply take action.
None of these methods have to be set up perfectly for them to work and even if they are ugly, you are already doing more than most small business owners.
If you are interested in more tip collections, make sure you sign up to our newsletter.
8.) Get involved with your Local Chamber of Commerce
There a few different things that you can do in order to market your business through the local chamber of commerce. One thing is to attend events and mixers that the chamber hosts.
This will allow you to network with other business owners in your area, and it can also help you get your name out there.
You can also join committees or task forces that are related to the industry your business is in.
This will give you the opportunity to share your expertise with others, as well as learn more about what's happening in your industry. Additionally, be sure to promote your involvement with the chamber on your website and social media pages.
This will help attract new customers who might not have known about your business otherwise.
Frequently Asked Questions
Small Business Marketing isn't always hard and expensive. There are several ways (explained with "how-to" steps in our article) you can market your small business, like:
1.) Local Marketing: Setting up a Google My Business
2.) Video Marketing: Uploading Videos to YouTube and getting New Customers
3.) Content Marketing: Creating a Blog, Posting content Regularly, Sharing it on Social Media
4.) Live Chat: Answering Your Customers Questions Instantly
5.) Re-marketing: Retargeting your visitors with cheap advertising
No marketing is best for a small business. In order to get new customers, you will have to be active and do a little bit of each type of marketing.
For example, things like getting hold of your content marketing and video marketing from the start will ensure people know your brand. Getting a marketing plan together as soon as possible will help you find these opportunities.
Don't worry If you don't have a lot of money to pay for advertising, there are several inexpensive marketing ideas for small business that you can utilize, like content and video marketing that cost nothing, but your time.
Sharing your ideas or tips will make your business stand out.
Using social media websites like LinkedIn and sharing great content on those platforms with your industry can actually help you get started with lead generation without any costs.
Going to your local chamber of commerce and connecting with people, handing out your business card is also a great and cheap way of advertising your business!
There are so many creative ways to market your business without spending a dime!
Here are some clever marketing tactics:
Publishing Good Content, With Unique Ideas.
Marketing and Branding Your Products or Services with a Unique Aspect (Like Apple).
Social Media Marketing: Post Valuable Tips and Ideas Frequently on Your Business's Social Medias.
Raffle Marketing: Host a give away on your Social Media and ask people to share, like and comment under your post.
Direct Mail: Send some out of the box ideas to your potential target businesses. Once I sent out a little box, with a burnt note in it, which had a link printed on it. This lead to a landing page, with a special video I made for the CEO. It got his attention!
