As a small business, you constantly look for ways to get more attention without breaking the bank. Luckily, you live in a digital era where it’s possible to capitalize on low-cost marketing channels that still result in a good return on investment.
In this article, read about five unique marketing channels for your small business that won’t break the bank. By strategically incorporating these marketing channels into your strategy, you can build a community, increase brand awareness, fulfill a key part of your brand audit checklist, and ultimately drive more sales.
1. Influencer Marketing
Influencer marketing is a social media strategy that involves leveraging the power of people in your industry who have an influence over an audience.
For example, your business might sell clothing targeted at people who go to the gym. In this case, you can work with fitness influencers on platforms like TikTok or Instagram to get the word out about your products. The reason this works is it’s likely that someone who creates content about fitness garnered a following that is predominantly full of those who are also passionate about fitness.
The most important part of working with influencers for your small business is picking the right influencers to work with. Be sure to take the following factors into consideration if you are looking for influencers to represent your brand:
- Niche: The influencer’s niche should line up with the niche of your brand.
- Platform: The influencer’s platform matters. Running an influencer campaign on TikTok versus YouTube garners different results.
- Audience Location: If your business is geographically constrained, be sure that the influencer has an audience located in the right place.
Finding influencers is sometimes tough. However, you can leverage the power of tools like an influencer marketplace to get the job done.
2. TikTok
Creating content on TikTok drives free impressions and conversions for your business unlike any other social media platform on the market right now. Due to the viral nature of the content on TikTok, simply posting videos every day can result in thousands of potential customers getting their eyes on your brand.
Another great thing about TikTok is the fact that it does not require a huge time commitment. This is great for those who are busy running a business full-time. TikTok, unlike Instagram, rewards organic-feeling content. This means you don’t have to spend hours editing your content so that it feels polished. Instead, just document the daily life inside of your business and share it with the world.
Here are some content ideas for small businesses starting with the marketing channel TikTok:
- How-to style content
- Product reviews
- Show yourself boxing orders
3. Affiliate Marketing
Though affiliate marketing has been around for a long time, it’s surprising how many businesses fail to incorporate some sort of affiliate program.
Affiliate marketing is when someone refers a buyer to your business, and you pay the person that referred them a set fee. The great thing about affiliate marketing is that you only pay for results.
For example, if you are a business that sells vegan snacks, you can create an affiliate program that encourages people to drive customers to your website in exchange for 10% of every sale.
4. SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most underrated methods of passively acquiring customers for your business. The main reason why SEO is often neglected as a marketing channel by businesses is that it takes a lot of time and consistency for things to start working.
When it comes to SEO, you want to optimize your website for search engines like Google. Also, you want to consistently post content to your website targeting keywords that bring in traffic to you.
Often, when on a company’s website, you will notice they have a blog. This is likely so they can write more content and rank on Google, therefore acquiring more customers when they show up in the search results.
5. Word of Mouth
Word of mouth seems like an obvious marketing channel for many, but it’s a tough one to crack. That being said, if you get word-of-mouth marketing to work for your business, you are sure to see some viral growth.
Word-of-mouth marketing is by far the most effective method of marketing. This is because it typically involves someone telling a friend or colleague about your product. Most people trust their friends and colleagues more than they trust branded ads on Facebook or TV. This results in people purchasing your products because they trust the judgment of a friend or colleague.
A great way to get word-of-mouth marketing started for your business is by simply incentivizing customers to spread the word about your business. This is as easy as slipping a note in their package asking them to spread the word if they enjoy your product. Or, if you want to get more aggressive you can offer something like a coupon code on their next order if they share your product on social media.
Wrapping Up
At the end of the day, marketing channels require dedication, consistency, and creativity. It is important to have a solid marketing plan and to be aware there is no single marketing channel that skyrockets sales overnight. However, each marketing channel mentioned in this list will compound over time if done right.
