Starting your own business is hard even with good funding, but going the bootstrap route can make marketing feel impossible. Between start-up costs and essential losses, you might find yourself struggling to get the word out and attract any customers. Don't worry, there are ways you can market your small business for free or for a low price that has a high impact.
These 4 bootstrap marketing techniques below are taken from the pros, designed to help you get your business off the ground without going over budget.
Build A Strong Website
The first thing you'll want to focus on though is building your website. This is hands-down the most important tool you will have in your marketing bag as a small business. The internet is where everyone goes to get information, compare products and services and find new companies. You can review this free guide on talking with an SEO consultant and how they can help you improve visibility in search engines. Other factors you will need to play close attention to are:
• Site navigation
• Content and copywriting
• Meta tags, title tags, alt tags, and meta descriptions
• Compressed but still high-quality images
• Service pages with calls to action
• On-site search engine optimization strategies
Start An Email Marketing List
What's the number one way bootstrap businesses can collect leads for next to no cost? Email lists are still thriving in 2021, and you can make yours a central tool for connecting with your business, building trust and developing authority in your niche. Brand recognition can take place directly from your recipients' inboxes. An email marketing service allows you to collect emails, track open rates and clickthroughs, read and respond to replies and more. Getting people to sign up for emails can be a challenge, though, so make sure you incentivize your site visitors. You could offer a freebie for download, send an exclusive discount code or offer intriguing tips through a weekly or monthly newsletter.
Start Posting On Social Media
Don't post some product pictures with a salesy caption and expect customers to roll in. Social media is a valuable tool that puts you in touch with not only your competitors' audience but your own as well. You can see what successful small businesses are already doing and learn from the pros for free. You can also start engaging with potential customers and bring value to your industry. Consider posting things like tips and tricks, inside information, behind-the-scenes images and videos and videos. You can drive traffic by crafting unique content for various platforms including TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram. You don't need to be on all of them, just choose the ones that are most relevant to your target audience.
Host A Giveaway On Websites, Social Media, or Mobile Apps
People love free stuff, and giveaways are a great way to build a following and gain shares, like’s and follow’s quickly. Make the entry process short and sweet: subscribe to your channel or follow your page, comment and tag one to three people who would also love the prize. Make sure that the product you gift isn't low budget and arrives on time. For an added touch, wrap it in some flashy packaging that includes your business card. These simple gestures go a long way in building a favorable brand image off-screen. People are also more likely to show off what they won if it's presented well.
Bootstrap Better Businesses
It's not easy bootstrapping your business and opting for the lean startup strategy. But if you market your bootstrapped business correctly, you can still compete and beat the competition.