For many small businesses, having a separate budget for advertising may be difficult, if not impossible. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to spread the word about your business without spending the big bucks. Below are a few of our top tips and suggestions for advertising without spending a lot of money.
Utilize Facebook Groups
As this blog post explains, Facebook Groups can offer a prime audience for your business to advertise to – for example, if your town has a Facebook Group, it’s likely residents will want to know about local businesses like yours. As a bonus, promoting your business in Facebook Groups is free! All you have to do is follow the rules of each Group you join – some Groups don’t allow advertising, or only allow it on specific days.
Consider sponsoring a local event
While this suggestion isn’t free, you can usually find partial or full sponsorships for local events, like 5ks, seasonal festivals, or holiday celebrations, at a reasonable price. Sponsorships are a great way to gain credibility for your business while getting it in front of a local audience. As a bonus, sponsoring an event is a great thing to share on social media to also help promote the event, so you can gain some great social media content while you’re at it!
Contribute to a silent auction
Silent auctions are common at craft fairs, especially holiday fairs, and the organizations running them often look for donations from local businesses to contribute to their offerings. By putting together a basket of your products, a gift certificate for your services, or another offering representing your business, you can give back to the event while advertising your business to everyone browsing the silent auction!
Host a community event
Keep an eye out for local organizations that might need a business leader like you to serve as an expert in community events. Maybe you run a greenhouse, and there is a local community garden that would like someone to give a presentation on organic gardening. Or maybe you could give a presentation at a library or religious center that offers information about your area of expertise. These events are a great way to get your business out in front of the community, and may result in leads.
If you do have the budget, do targeted paid ads
Paid advertising on platforms like Facebook and Instagram can get expensive, but it can also be very effective because it can be targeted towards the specific audience that you think will become your best customers. This can mean that, if you do have the budget to spend on paid ads, you can get a good return on your investment. It is worth doing your research before you start investing in paid ads, as they can involve a delicate balance between not overspending and still getting a wide reach, but once you have that research under your belt, consider experimenting with them.
How do you advertise your small business on a budget? Let us know in the comments!
Wreath Writing & Marketing Services 