by Andrew Ferris on October 20, 2023
Introduction to Marketing on a Budget for Small Business
You already know. Your local Greenville Small Business is one of the best in the area for what you do. You believe in your products and you know its quality. But how do you get other people to know it? You know a bit about marketing, enough to be dangerous and you don’t think you can afford outside marketing help. What to do, what to do?
Well, first - marketing help is probably more accessible and will pay off better than you think. Second, there are plenty of things that you can do that won’t cost you any money nor much time. Here’s some ideas for marketing your business for next to nothing.
How confident are you in your own marketing abilities?
Not at all - It's like an episode of Nailed It over here!
Somewhat - I have my moments.
Pretty confident - I have success when I want to...
Very - I'm a regular Harvey Specter with marketing!
The Power of User-Generated Content (UGC)
User-Generated Content (UGC) is a strong way to build brand trust and engage with your audience. UGC can take a lot of different forms, but at its heart, your clients are promoting the brand for you. Product testimonials, reviews and how to videos are just a few ways this can get started.
Check out my article on UGC here for more in depth marketing expertise from Sirref Marketing.
Smart Content Ideation
Steal is such a strong word in this case, but yeah - steal ideas…I mean *ehem* be inspired. In marketing, we call it competitive review. I do competitive review at my big-name company job and I do it for all my clients. In its most basic form, one reviews what top-performers in your industry are doing and you do something similar. Obviously, you shouldn’t out-right plagiarize, because that is criminal intellectual theft. What you’re looking for is the concept behind what they’re doing and how they present an idea.
If you’re a beauty salon with the best customer service, but not performing as well as other brands, do a Google Search of salons near Greenville, NC. See how they present themselves and what they focus on. Then, in your own branded way and in your own voice, follow suit!
Lastly, there are TONS of free or inexpensive online resources: social media templates, email templates, brand strategy, etc. I really like HootSuite’s Blog for ideas, myself.
Focused and Concise Writing
Depending on your business type, it might make sense for you to create short-form content. Short form content is not quite a thousand-word essay, but a little more than a blurb on a Facebook post. Short-form content can make you stand out as an expert in your niche (hey, kind of like what I’m trying to do here). The purpose is multi-pronged: one, it creates brand trust as you establish yourself as an authority. Two, it will help you appear in search engine results (assuming you’ve also done some work with SEO). There are some other benefits as well and especially so if you like to write!
Sirref Marketing is your small business marketing expert in Greenville, NC! Sirref Marketing can help you with Search Engine Optimization.
Budget-Friendly Content Creation Tips
In the same vein, you can bolster yourself as an expert by giving tips. For a few years now, but especially in 2023, the social media content that performs the best is content that is resourceful to the target audience. You can build brand trust, identity and increase your social media engagement through content creation.
You can do this a few ways:
Share your expertise! You’ve been at it a while and you have insights - share it! You don’t have to share trade secrets, but remember that it’s your attitude and approach to your business that makes you stand out. Sharing tips will not “sell the farm”
In addition to UGC, you can collaborate with other brands to get more visibility and street cred.
If you’ve been making content for a while, it might be time to look back at old stuff and refresh it! Use a service like Canva to take an old post and turn it into a Reel (by the way, Reels are the best for growth on Instagram and Facebook right now). Yes, you can even take static posts and animate some of it to make it come alive (don’t forget to add trending audio).
Conclusion
There really are a lot of free ideas out there within your reach. Most small businesses don’t need a marketer (though they will definitely help!). You can do it yourself. It depends on what you’re going for and how robust you want your advertising to be. Still - it can be a lot.
Not sure where to start? Are you confident for certain things, but not as much in other aspects of marketing? Let’s talk! I do it all. I can develop a strategy specific to your business’ needs and create content. Sirref Marketing does email, SMS, brand identity and loyalty, social media, SEO, website design, analytics and more! AND - I want to stay in your price range.
Sirref Marketing exists to shine the spotlight on local bests until the known become renowned. I want to work with ENC business owners and help Greenville, NC and the surrounding areas grow in quality! Let’s connect!
🌐 Sources
hubspot.com - Marketing Without a Budget? Use These 10 Tactics (https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/marketing-without-budget)
aicontentfy.com - Content ideation on a budget: How to create quality content (https://aicontentfy.com/en/blog/content-ideation-on-budget-how-to-create-quality-content-without-breaking-bank)
medium.com - Focused and Concise Writing: How to Create a Powerful (https://medium.com/@TheWealthBlog/focused-and-concise-writing-how-to-create-a-powerful-short-form-article-d52390ef616c)
aicontentfy.com - Content ideation on a budget: How to create quality (https://aicontentfy.com/en/blog/content-ideation-on-budget-how-to-create-quality-content-without-breaking-bank)
twitter.com - 7 tricks to produce content on a budget - Twitter Business (https://business.twitter.com/en/blog/7-tricks-produce-content-on-a-budget.html)
writeme.ai - Short Form Content - A Quick Guide for Blooming (https://writeme.ai/blog/short-form-content-writing-guide/)
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