Just getting started on your entrepreneurial journey? Don’t have the budget for a crack team of media strategists and marketers? Don’t stress! In this crazy digital age we live in, marketing doesn’t have to be a big budget extravaganza. In fact, you can do a hell of a lot of promoting without spending a penny.
‘But Emma,’ I hear you say, ‘why would you tell us how to market ourselves for free when you could be making sweet dollar off our marketing needs?’
Because, my friends, I know how hard it can be when you’re first starting out. When you don’t have enough money for a slice of pizza, let alone a marketing budget. As much as I’d love to have you on-board and making some marketing magic with me – I’d hate to see you go hungry as a result. Pizza is the priority here pals.
So, these are the things you can do without a penny to your name (don’t sweat it, we’ve all been there).
1. Get Personal
I probably don’t need to tell you that social media is a godsend for free marketing that packs a punch. But are you making the most of it? In order for social media marketing to be effective, you need to have a strategy. Posting now and again with an emoji for a caption just won’t cut it. Put yourself out there and talk about the difficult stuff. When someone reads your captions, you want them to think – ‘wow, it’s like they’re inside of my head’. Speak directly to your ideal client and make a connection with them on a personal level.
2. Get People Talking
Word of mouth marketing isn’t going anywhere. As much as we wish they did, people just aren’t wired to trust brands. Brands are money-grabbing miscreants who will squeeze us for all we’re worth. People trust people.
So when your friend or fave blogger mentions a bomb new product, you click on that affiliate link faster than you can say ‘take my money’. Make it your mission to foster this kind of conversation about YOUR brand. The goal is to get people talking about you and recommending you to their followers or friends.
Ask clients for testimonials and put those babies everywhere, not just that random testimonials page on your site. I’m talking facebook posts, Instagram stories, emails – the whole shebang.
3. Free Resources
Everyone likes free stuff, right? I mean, you’re sitting here right now, soaking up this free info like a sponge. When something’s free, you can bet that it’ll be getting some attention.
Create free content and resources for your ideal clients or customers. Let them know that you’re there to serve them. High quality, free content not only helps people to find your business but also allows them to trust you. It’s clear you know what you’re talking about and that you have their best interests at heart.
4. Engage
Remember what I said about people trusting people? Engaging with others online is the perfect way to remind everyone that your business isn’t a machine – it’s a moving, grooving person of its own. It’s got its own personality – which is why top-notch copy is so important, by the way, but let’s save that for another day.
When you engage with people online, you give them a chance to become attached to this personality – a chance to think, ‘hey, they’re pretty cool – I like them’. Before you know it you’ve got yourself a new bezzie mate, who’ll be cheering you on as you go.
5. Pinterest & Youtube
Pinterest and Youtube aren’t just social media sites- they’re search engines. They’re the places we go to when we’re on the hunt for something specific. Being active on these platforms is the perfect way to attract your ideal clients because they’re already out there searching for you! You just have to be there, ready and waiting for them to click that search button.
You don’t necessarily need a presence on both platforms. In fact, I’d always recommend doing one well, rather than two half-heartedly. And it’ll depend on your business as to which will be the better option for you. But make sure that at least one of them is included in your online marketing strategy, in order to find the people that already want what you’re selling. No conversion necessary.
