It doesn’t have to be the new year, spring or the start of the holiday season to boost your marketing. There are always peaks and valleys when it comes to business and what we do between the peaks is what will make a difference in our bottom line.

As a small business owner, sometimes the marketing budget is slim if not non-existent after we’ve paid our employees, our suppliers, the landlord, sundry expenses and maybe ourselves. But you need to do something now, right? It’s a catch-22 … you need business to create revenue for marketing but you need marketing to generate revenue.

Here are a baker’s dozen of no to lo-cost actions that you can do right now to ‘raise some dough’.

1. Start a blog

A blog is very simple to set up and maintain, it requires very little technical knowledge. If you talk to people about your business, you can write a blog. It’s a great way to connect with potential customers by sharing your expert knowledge which can generate followers and inquiries. and it costs you zip, nada, zero.

2. Repurpose/recycle your published content.

If you already have a blog, you’ve already done the work so don’t reinvent the wheel. Take that blog post and turn it into short podcast. Create an infographic using Canva. (it’s free!) Curate a number of posts and create an ebook that you can use as a signup bonus or promote through an email campaign. It’s ok to mash-up and re-purpose your existing content. I’m betting dollars to donuts that  there are a number of people who haven’t see your previous content, and if they have, they probably won’t remember it so it’ll be 100% new content.

3. List your business on Google Local

Create a free business profile for your storefront or service area. Personalize your profile with photos, offers, posts, and more. Encourage your customers to leave reviews on your page, it will help improve your ranking.

4. Join Twitter

It’ easy and only takes a few minutes to set up a Twitter account. Make sure your profile is complete and start joining discussions to build up a network of followers interested in you, your products and your services.

5. Create an email signature

It’s amazing how many business owners have just their name and a logo at the bottom of their emails. List your company name, telephone number and email address. If you include your website and social media links, people will click them.  (oh yes they will!)

6. Ask for/Use testimonials

It doesn’t matter what your business is, ask for testimonials and use them! When asking for testimonials, explain exactly what you need from them. If you want a quote about the amount of time your product saves, ask for that. Ask for permission to use their full name and company position.

7. Exchange web links with other business

Seek out other reputable businesses that are complimentary to yours. Approach them and offer to link to their website if they do the same for you. This is called ‘backlinking’ and is one of the most powerful SEO tools you can use.

8. Write and submit original articles

Write expert articles about your industry, service product and submit them to sites such as Articlesbase and ezinearticles. You will be able to link back to your own website from each article which will help drive traffic to your site as well as providing backlinks.

9. Get your business listed in online Directories

List your company details on websites such as Yelp! or hotfrog.  Check here for more places to list.

10. Find out when local newspapers or advertising magazines go to print and contact them.

Most advertising issues have spare advertising space at print deadline. Make them an offer for the spare space, you can often get greatly reduced rates as they would rather generate revenue from that space than fill it with an article or leave it blank. 

11. You have business cards – use them!

 If you don’t, get some printed and be different!  Get your cards professionally designed and add coloured foils, or have them die cut… get creative! Now get them out and about. Have them with you at all times. Leave them on counters, on a bus, a coffee shop bulletin board … anywhere they will get noticed.

12. Host information webinars

Everybody’s on zoom these days! Webinars are a no/lo-cost way to promote your services, product or business by providing helpful information to interested potential customers.

And the Baker’s Dozen #13. Create an email database and start sending monthly newsletters or ‘Tip of the Week’.

Companies like Constant Contact make it easy to design a professional newsletter template and build a database. Sending group emails from your computer won’t give you the metrics to find out how well your emails did to reach people nor do they have the capabilities to capture emails. My Daily Espressos go out through Constant Contact and my open rate is awesome!

Now Go Get  Connected!

An award-winning Leader, Entrepreneur and Business Development Consultant, Cathy teaches entrepreneurs how to increase their influence; build their business and stay sane while doing it. She helps you to let go of limiting beliefs to “Stand Up, Stand Out & Step Forward” for business success. Named one of the Top Ten Mentors by StartUp Canada, Cathy is recognized across the country for her expertise on “All Things Small Biz”. She is the Founder of The Connected Woman Association, author of numerous books and articles specifically the internationally known “Daily Espressos- Your Read it and Delete it Kickstart to Your Day”, and is a networking maven. (whew!) 

For information on upcoming workshops, business coaching or to engage Cathy as a Keynote speaker at your next event, visit www.cathykuzel.com