When you’re small, you have to make the most of what you’ve got. I should know, I’m 5′ 6″ 🙂

61% of businesses didn’t even create a budget in 2018. Yet a small business has to tackle most of the same concerns as a large business and do it with less cash.

That means they need to take greater care to draw out the full potential of their budget. Marketing is one of the most direct links between a company’s budget and its ROI, so it makes sense to factor that into your strategy.

Below are 7 small business digital marketing strategies to help you maximise your budget.

1. Speculate to Accumulate

The reality of online marketing is that you will have to spend to make anything happen.

Paid ads are one of the most obvious ways to make some waves. Luckily, a little can go a long way on the internet. Even a single promoted ad on a social media platform could boost your customer numbers — which will have a snowball effect as word-of-mouth spreads further.

If you accept that you may need to pay for direct marketing, then you can figure out the best ways to allocate that budget. Looking to expand your Twitter footprint or crack a new audience on Facebook? Targeted ads can help you do both.

But the trick lies in making them part of an overall strategy. Every time you spend money on an ad, you should know exactly what the end goal is.

2. Get the Right Tools

If a job is too tough to do yourself, you use a tool. It’s as true in small business marketing as it is in anything else in life.

There’s a whole suite of tools you can use to maximise your marketing budget. There are tools to schedule emails and social media posts, tools to provide you with better feedback, and tools to analyse your own SEO — among many others.

Like all tools, their purpose is to help you market more efficiently. Used right, they can ensure you get the most mileage out of your budget.

3. Generate Strong Content

It’s much easier to marketing something than nothing. Even a snake oil salesman has to pretend they have something to offer.

That’s something to bear in mind when you’re marketing your small business. Marketing can only push you so far if you aren’t offering enough meat to chew on.

By ensuring your content game is on point, you give your marketing a solid foundation. You aren’t advertising for the sake of it — you have something to promote.

This is one reason many businesses load their site with content, from blogs to videos and how-to guides. These all give your customers something to engage with when they arrive at your site. Just remember to include a strong call-to-action (CTA).

4. Follow Up with Your Customers

When you’re a small business, you’ll often have a small but loyal following. One of the best ways to maximise your marketing budget is to roll out the red carpet for your core customers.

Follow up with your customers to get testimonials and reviews, or to promote new products by email newsletters and social media announcements. Returning customers can help you create a steady income stream and even drive word-of-mouth promotion for new products.

Try not to lose sight of old customers as you go on the hunt for new ones. Your returning customers could form the central, stable core of your marketing strategy.

5. Sort Your Social Media Strategy

Social media changed the game of marketing strategies for small business. While not exactly a level playing field, social media offers the chance for even small business to reach huge audiences. In some cases, they can do that without a penny spent.

If you’re not already on social media, you need to get involved. And if you are, you need to ensure you have a cohesive social media strategy.

A business shouldn’t get caught up in the general noise of social media. You aren’t using it to have a chat with strangers. It’s a vital part of your marketing strategy, so you should have your objectives in mind any time you create or share content.

Even when you’re not in marketing mode on social media, everything you do will establish a voice for your brand. Your brand’s voice plays a key role in attracting customers, so treat your social media output with care.

6. Make Friends Online

When you’re a small business, the problem you have lies in making enough noise.

The big brands consume the lion’s share of attention on the internet. Beneath them are the thousands and thousands of other companies vying for the attention. You could say it’s a miracle small businesses get noticed at all.

But it’s not hopeless. By joining forces, small businesses can multiply their reach and cement the legitimacy of their brand.

Consider forming a partnership with another business for mutual gain. You can promote each others’ marketing outreach, create content in collaboration, and provide each other with backlinks to boost your SEO.

7. Audit Your SEO

Without going into the deep dive, you can think of your SEO as the language spoken by search engines like Google. It’s how you put yourself on their map.

SEO is a dense topic, but it’s also full of easy wins. By tuning up even your basic SEO like your site’s URLs, keywords, and backlinks, you can boost your site’s visibility without blowing up your budget.

When you’re ready for a deeper SEO tune-up, you can dive into the deeper aspects of SEO. There are tools available to help you analyse your site’s performance, or you can work with a third party SEO expert to give your site a tune-up.

Making the Most of Your Budget with Small Business Marketing Strategies

These small business marketing strategies can help you make the most of your budget, ensuring you get the maximum bang for your buck. With some much competition out there, even implementing a few of these strategies could make all the difference.

Looking to boost your web presence? Get in touch with us today.

Written by:

Lee Jackson