Marketing a small business can be tough. As the owner (sometimes accountant, maintenance staff, on-call person, and everything in between), you likely know what it feels like to be strapped for cash or in need of more time. Large enterprises have the benefit of being able to employee a full-time marketing staff, a luxury that may be beyond your current capabilities. That doesn’t mean that you’re left without any marketing tools at your disposal. On the contrary, small businesses can do a great deal to market themselves with a little extra effort, light investment, and a small dose of savviness.

Considerations for Marketing Your Small Business

Even though you may not be a seasoned marketer, no one knows your business better than you—which makes you uniquely positioned to advocate for more customers. Here’s a few things you should keep in mind when you’re thinking about marketing.

• Take a personalized approach: Small businesses can offer a more personalized experience to customers compared to large businesses. Emphasize your personal touch, customer service, and ability to cater to individual needs to increase loyalty and word-of-mouth referrals.
• Keep your focus on local: Take advantage of your local community. Small businesses can often have a stronger presence in their local area compared to larger corporations. Find ways to engage in sponsorships or partnerships to increase visibility and support within your community.
• Go for authenticity and transparency: Small businesses can leverage their authenticity and transparency to build trust with customers. Often, customers feel a sense of connection with businesses in their community. Leverage your ability to get in front of your audience and develop deeper relationships. Being genuine and transparent can set you apart from larger, more corporate competitors.
• Embrace flexible marketing strategies: Small businesses can be more flexible and creative with their marketing strategies. Experiment with different tactics, channels, and messaging to see what resonates best with your audience. Don’t be afraid to take risks and try unconventional approaches that larger businesses might shy away from.
• Focus on customer experience: Prioritize delivering an exceptional customer experience at every touchpoint. Small businesses can often provide more attentive service. Use customer feedback to continuously improve and apply to your marketing tactic.
• Lean into cost-effective marketing: There are cost-effective strategies that you can leverage, such as social media marketing, email campaigns, and content creation. You don’t have to break the bank to get your name out there.
• Embrace agility and adaptability: Small businesses can quickly adapt to changing market conditions and customer preferences. Where large companies sometimes have to go through weeks of internal approval, you can easily pivot to take advantage of timely opportunities. Being able to pivot your marketing strategies in response to evolving circumstances can give you a competitive edge.
• Show off your personality: Don’t be afraid to showcase your personality and communicate your brand’s values, mission, and unique selling proposition. Let your brand’s personality shine through in your marketing efforts, whether it’s through humor, sincerity, or creativity.
• When in doubt, hire a contractor: There are a ton of contractors that work specifically with small businesses to help them market their products or offerings. When all else fails, you may want to hire someone to help you with any critical needs.

How You Can Market Your Small Business

Now, to the action items—what do you actually need to do to market your small business? There are several low-cost things you can do.

• Build an email list: Many email providers such as MailChimp offer free versions for emails. Sending out a monthly promotion or newsletter can be helpful for keeping consumers involved.
• Run social media ads and share on your social pages: Social media is free to set up and allows you to showcase your offerings. Social media ads can also be done for a small investment. Small business owners can often use free tools (like Canva) to design simple ads for Facebook and other platforms.
• Stand up a simple website: Tools like Wix and Squarespace are user-friendly and easy beginner tools for those who can’t afford to pay someone for a complex site. Websites are a necessary validation tool and make it easier for people to find your business.
• Participate in local events or host your own: Small business owners generally rely on local-area customers. Taking part in local events that are industry specific or promotional can be beneficial. If you can’t find any, try hosting a workshop or webinar to get more attention.
• Offer referral incentives: Make loyal customers while letting them bring in new business for you. Give referral incentives to existing customers for their recommendations. This goes a long way with your current customers and is little work on your part.
• Claim your Google My Business: Claim and optimize your Google My Business listing to improve your local search visibility. Ensure that your business information, such as address, phone number, and hours of operation, is accurate and up to date.
  

Marketing your business doesn’t have to overwhelming. With these simple tips, you’ll go a long way towards earning more business.