4 Innovative Ideas For Bootstrap Marketing Your Business

innovative ideas bootstrap marketing small business frugal advertising

Being a small business owner isn't all sunshine and rainbows. Not all the time, anyway. 

The reality of owning a startup is that your funds are going to be tight for a while. It takes time and no small amount of effort to establish a solid business. 

In the meantime, however, you must find ways to get the word out about your brand and market your products or services. But how can you do that effectively without a large budget? 

Have you ever heard of bootstrap marketing? It's a colloquial way of saying DIY / free advertising and we're here to show you how. Keep reading for our top small business marketing tips. 

1. Improve Your SEO 

Search engine optimization is one of the most important components of driving online traffic to your website. SEO is the coding used by search engines to find relevant content online. When a consumer uses keywords to search for products, services, or information, SEO is what determines which websites come up in the search results pages. 

You can also use SEO for more specific purposes, like expanding your online business to reach international audiences. However, there are certain legalities you must abide by when conducting international sales. Find out more about business immigration before investing your time and money. 

You can boost your bootstrapped website SEO by: 

• Filling your website with relevant content 
• Registering your business on Google My Business 
• Getting backlinks from other businesses and blogs 
• Using internal links and external links throughout your pages 
• Optimizing your website speed and usability 
• Using multiple forms of media with embedded SEO coding 
• And more search engine optimization strategies

There are tons of in-depth articles online that have tutorials on DIY SEO coding. Take advantage of all the free information out there on search engine optimization. 

2. Write Articles For Your Blog 

One of the best things you can do for your bootstrap business marketing is to write your own content. After all, who knows your products, services, and business better than you? 

Creating valuable content for your website is essential for content marketing. Give consumers what they want, such as: 

• Advice 
• Tips 
• Tutorials 
• DIY instructions 
• Engaging content 

Additionally, remember that being a good business owner means being a problem solver. Your blog should be an extension of your products and services, as well as a way of promoting your brand. 

3. Manage Your Social Media Presence 

Did you know that at least 72% of Americans use social media? That's a huge portion of the market. As such, you need to get your business on at least one social media platform. 

These are great platforms for bootstrap marketing. Use social media to define your audience, expand your brand awareness, and promote your products and services. We recommend starting on Facebook and progressing to other apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube.

On social media, you can engage with consumers and drive traffic back to your website. Post regular content designed to engage and inform. The more engaged your audience is, the more you will be able to increase your influence. 

4. Design A Referral Program 

Finally, create a system designed to get your current customers advertising for you. This would be a simple referral program that rewards people for bringing new customers to your business. 

For example, a gym could offer reduced membership fees for each new person a member gets to sign up. A retail store could give participating customers a code they can hand out to their friends and family members. For each sale made with the code, the referring customer receives a discount off of future purchases. 

Looking For More Bootstrap Marketing Tips? 

Our blog was created to help small business owners thrive in a competitive market. We understand the hurdles you're up against as a bootstrapped business and have written countless articles designed to make your life easier. 

Whether you're looking for more bootstrap marketing advice or financial management skills, we've got you covered. Check out some of our other articles on frugal marketing and affordable advertising before you go.

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