One of the hardest parts about starting a business is getting the word out. There are so many options for how you can go about marketing that they may seem overwhelming at times. Do you try them all? Which ones are the most effective? How do you know your decision is going to be the right one?

Small businesses face an even bigger problem: cash flow. You’re going to want to maximize the dollars in your budget and not waste anything, especially in the early days.

So what are some ways you can go about marketing your small business without breaking the bank?

Social Media

First and foremost, we have to start with social media. Social media is king for so many things: uploading photos, selling items, communication and much more. It’s also becoming a huge influence in the business world.

Creating a Facebook or Instagram page is completely free and relatively painless. It takes a few clicks, uploading a couple of photos and filling out your business’ information and voila! You’re finished.

Promoting your business via Facebook or other social media pages is much cheaper than traditional advertising as well. You’ll be saving money while reaching hundreds if not thousands in your area.

Local Media

Speaking of your area, another great way to promote your business (while providing a newspaper clipping for your parents) is to have the local radio, magazine or newspaper come out and do a story on your business.

Local media outlets are always looking for stories and opening up a small business in the area, while not national news, is still a story for your city or town.

It’s better than taking out at advertisement in the paper and you’ll get to feel like a real star as well!

A Newsletter

Direct email campaigns take time to assemble but are incredibly easy and cost-effective when it comes to distribution. You won’t have to waste time licking stamps either.

Newsletters let you connect with current and potential clients. You can inform them of new products, different services, sales or promotions. You’ll just have to decide if you want your newsletter to be weekly, monthly or some kind of combination. Whatever you do, just make sure you’re being consistent.

Register Yourself Online

Think about the last time you wanted to know something. What did you do? You went to Google and searched for whatever it was.

Making sure you’re going to pop-up on Google is a must for any small business that wants to get noticed. You’ll have to create a Google My Business account and register your business. From here, you’ll be able to provide store hours, respond to customer questions and reply to online reviews.

If people can’t find your business quickly, they’re likely to simply skip over it.

Attend Events

In any city, there are plenty of networking events, lunches and conventions that you can attend. There, don’t be afraid to introduce yourself to people and get to know those around you. Everyone there is looking to do the same thing, so it’s not going to be the end of the world if you are handing out your card to as many people as possible.

It’s a way to get your name out there and see if you can partner up with any other businesses. Speaking of partnering up…

Promotions

There are all kinds of promotions out there. You can cross-promote with some businesses. It can be as easy as leaving your information in their shops and them leaving their information in your shop.

You can do certain promotions for customers that come in or special sales as well. There is always the idea of partnering with a local influencer for an endorsement. Be sure and spread all the information about your business and activities to your social media pages as well.

If you’re able, you can choose to sponsor a local youth sports team. It’s a surefire way to show that you’re involved in and supportive of the local community. Paying for jerseys isn’t going to cost a fortune and you’ll even get to hang up the team photo at the end of the year.