5 low-cost marketing ideas for small business owners in Western Massachusetts

Every day you see clever viral ads and extravagant marketing campaigns all around you. As a creative entrepreneur or small business owner planning your own marketing material, it sometimes makes you feel like a street performer competing against a Broadway show. 

On top of this, there are so many marketing tools out there. But small business owners are often too busy to research them all. 

But what if we told you that the limelight could be yours without the Broadway budget and without getting stuck in the drama of comparing apps and tools?

As a small business ourselves, we have to constantly find innovative ways to market our business.

We’ve made a list of 5 powerful low-cost marketing strategies to help get your business in front of the right people. This list will help you start marketing your business the right way, without blowing your budget.

1. Make use of HARO or QWOTED.Com

Imagine if you could get people with influence and an audience to talk about your products or services for you, so it’s not just you spreading the word. You can make this happen using websites like HARO (Help A Reporter Out) and Qwoted.com.

These websites link you with journalists who need expert information for their articles. You can share your knowledge and, at the same time, subtly highlight your products or services.

When your advice gets included in an article, your business gets free exposure to the writer’s audience and a backlink, usually to a page of your choosing.  

It’s a win-win. The journalist gets useful input from you for their readers. You get exposure to a new audience AND a backlink, which is a boost for your SEO.

2. Share your expertise

When you’re starting out and still relatively unknown, one of the best ways to position yourself as an expert is to speak at workshops and conferences that appeal to your target audience- even if you don’t get paid.

Make sure you optimize the opportunity presented by an event like this by ensuring you get photos or videos of your presentation and that the organizers link to your website from theirs. 

One of the very first clients we got as Aritst Dynamix, was the Northampton-based Friday Action Group. This lead came through an online workshop that our founder Fungai spoke at.

Another way to position yourself as an expert is by joining in discussions on websites like Reddit, Quora, or Facebook groups where your future customers might be.

By offering helpful answers, you get to show what you know. At the same time, people get to know about your business.

By sharing your knowledge consistently over time, you get people aware of your knowledge and skills and attract people to your business. 

3. Join a Chamber of Commerce

Getting involved with a local chamber is a great way to increase the credibility of your business and get fresh opportunities for your venture. 

As Artist Dynamix, being part of the Amherst Area Chamber of Commerce has been a major boost for our business. It has enabled us to meet other entrepreneurs in the area, find new clients, and be taken more seriously as a new business.

The Chamber website has also given us great visibility through their website, newsletter, and events.

4. List your business on free online directories

Think of online directories as the digital version of the Yellow Pages. Platforms like Yelp, Tripadvisor, and Facebook Business Reviews will make your business more discoverable to potential customers.

List your business on these sites and make sure your contact information is accurate and consistent across all directories. Use high-quality photos to grab attention and make your business more interesting.

And don’t forget about reviews! Happy customers can play a big role in attracting new ones. Encourage them to leave positive reviews, providing potential customers with reassurance about your business’s quality.

In a nutshell, online directories can enhance your business’s visibility and credibility, so use them to your advantage!

5. Update your Google Business Profile

Imagine your Google Business Profile as your business’s lively billboard on the world’s go-to search engine. Regular updates not only help your business highlight in local search results but also make it easier for nearby potential customers to locate and connect with you.

Your profile is your space to share anything newsworthy – the latest company updates, promotional events, new product introductions, or changes in operating hours. In essence, it’s your dynamic digital storefront on Google – helping you actively engage with your audience.

We have a blog post that explains more about Google Business Profiles and a downloadable step-by-step guide that walks you through how to claim your profile, optimize it, keep it updated, and get the most exposure from it. 

Conclusion

In closing, it’s clear that being smart and creative can help you find ways to market your business without a massive budget. These low-cost strategies allow even the smallest businesses to reach more people, build trust, and grow.

If you would like to get your digital marketing strategy on track and start growing your business, click here to book a call with us, and let’s explore your options together.