Starting a new small business is no easy feat, especially when you are working on a less-than-ideal budget. From production to employees, there's hardly any time or money to invest in marketing. However, great marketing does not need to cost a fortune in order to grow your business, and there are plenty of ways to promote without spending a single dollar. In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the easiest ways to launch a successful frugal marketing campaign.
Take Advantage of Free Domains to Start Out
It's no secret that a website is crucial to growing your business. If you aren't in the market for buying your own domain, then utilize one of the free domains that popular CMS sites like WordPress and Squarespace provide. While these domains may have longer links and not as many features as a fully-registered domain, everybody has to start somewhere. Once your business grows, you can pour more resources into acquiring the domain name you want.
Once you have a free domain, get to work building a website to reflect your brand and product. Add photos, animations, contact info, and plenty of social media links to connect your audience to your brand.
Create With Canva
It's easy to think that you need tons of experience to create high-quality social media content. With a free Canva membership, your worries about what to post will be put to rest. Canva gives you access to hundreds of free templates you can customize, download, and use wherever you want. With so much free content to use, you don't have to spend money on freelancers or designers, at least in the early days of your business.
Keep an Active Social Media Presence
In addition to your website, any up-and-coming business must have a solid social media presence. Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and even LinkedIn are all free to use to your heart's content. Use Canva to make content and schedule it ahead in Facebook's Creator Studio. While it may take time to get used to, having a large online footprint doesn't need to cost you an arm and a leg.
Utilize Free SEO Plugins on Your Site
With around 900,000 domains being registered every week, it's important that you work to make your site stand out. One of the best ways to get organic clicks is by ranking higher on Google. Download and utilize CMS extensions like Yoast and SEMRush to help map keywords and boost your site's popularity. While having a top-notch SEO implementation may take more than a few keywords, free plugins are a great way to get started.
Collaborate in Your Community
If you are proud of your product, then sharing it with others is one of the most important things you can do. Visit local small businesses in your area and make connections. Many cafes and boutiques are willing to display products of local vendors for a small fee, or even for free in some instances. Building connections in your community will always serve you and your business well, so research places around you that may be willing to promote your product.
Without a doubt, there are countless ways to promote your product and business without an extensive and pricey advertising campaign. Get involved in your community, connect with people through social media, and utilize free SEO plugins to grow your business. Frugal marketing may take more time, but it will take a ton of strain out of your wallet.