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Whether you\u2019re figuring out how to schedule employees<\/a>, trying to effectively\u00a0manage your inventory<\/a>, or\u00a0applying for a business loan<\/a>, there\u2019s a lot to deal with. On top of everything, you need to attract customers. Marketing is essential to the success of your business, but with all of the unexpected costs that can pop up while you get up and running, chances are your marketing budget isn\u2019t as robust as it might be.<\/p>\n The good news is that there are a lot of things you can do to attract customers that won\u2019t break the bank. Here are 5 cost-effective ways to market your business on a shoestring budget.<\/p>\n Word-of-mouth marketing has probably existed since people started exchanging currency for goods and services, but these days, most of the talking is done on the internet. Online reviews are more important to small businesses than ever before: a recent report found that\u00a094% of online shoppers avoided visiting a business based on a negative online review<\/a>. Positive reviews, naturally, have an opposite effect on potential customers. With every positive online review your business receives, you\u2019ll become more easily searchable and higher ranked on Google, which will establish your business as a trustworthy brand. Trust is key when it comes to influencing customer decisions \u2014\u00a092% of Canadians say they would prefer to buy from a company they trust, even if the price is slightly higher<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cAs a customer myself, I always look at online reviews, so of course I expect my clients will do the same,\u201d said Vanessa Cristello, owner and operator of\u00a0VC Grooms<\/a>, a pet grooming company in the Greater Toronto Area. \u201cAs so many of my clients find me via Google, I find online reviews to be truly valuable to the growth of my business.\u201d<\/p>\n Alex Somers, who owns\u00a0Studio 22 Aesthetics<\/a>, a waxing salon in Hamilton, ON, incorporates requesting online reviews into her regular customer service practices. \u201cAfter an appointment, I always check in with clients to see how they are doing, and make sure they haven\u2019t experienced any unusual irritation as a result of their treatment,\u201d said Somers. \u201cIf they have had a positive experience I gently ask them to give Studio 22 an online review. There\u2019s no pressure, I\u2019m not pushy about it, and my clients are usually glad to do so.\u201d<\/p>\n Email marketing that turns occasionals into regulars.<\/p>\n Canada loves its social media \u2014 as of January 2022,\u00a0the number of Canadian social network users stood at a record 31.8 million<\/a>. That\u2019s a whole lot of people that could be eyeing your company\u2019s Instagram for their next online purchase.<\/p>\n The beauty of using social media to market your business is that it\u2019s an easy way to showcase your brand and connect with current and potential customers, at no cost. A few things to keep in mind as you set up your social media presence:<\/p>\n Choose the platform that best suits your audience. If your brand is very visual (like a hair salon), you\u2019re better off engaging on Instagram or Tik Tok, and you probably don\u2019t need a LinkedIn profile. Attempting to have a presence on every platform will spread you too thin and take away from your efforts to target the right audience.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re aggressively trying to sell products in every post, you\u2019re probably going to lose followers. The key to keeping your audience engaged is posting a variety of content on your social platform. Somers connects with her followers by posting about new products and services, but she also posts before and after shots of treatments, inspirational quotes, and educational content about what to expect when getting waxed. She also uses her platform to showcase her business\u2019 values. \u201cI\u2019m passionate about inclusivity, and I want my followers to know that Studio 22 is a place where all individuals can feel welcome and comfortable in a judgment-free environment,\u201d said Somers. \u201cIt\u2019s important for me that my\u00a0social media<\/a>\u00a0content reflects my commitment to inclusivity.\u201d<\/p>\n If you receive a particularly positive review online, why not show it off in a social post? Existing customers probably won\u2019t go searching for your Google or Yelp reviews, but they might scroll across the good review while looking at their Instagram feed. If the author of the review consents, you could even tag them and ask them to repost the review in a story. The more eyeballs that view your content, the better!<\/p>\n A great way to bring in new business is to offer incentives for client referrals. For example, you could offer a 10% discount on a customer\u2019s next visit if they refer a friend to your business. Another way to encourage repeat customers is to create a loyalty program that offers a free product or service after a certain amount of visits \u2014 think \u201cbuy 10 ice cream cones, get the 11th free!\u201d This tried-and-true marketing strategy is a classic for a reason: customers who enrol in a\u00a0Square Loyalty<\/a>\u00a0rewards program are twice as likely to be repeat customers and spend 37% more.<\/p>\n Getting involved in your community can be a rewarding and profitable way to market your business on a small budget. Networking with fellow business owners, joining your local Business Improvement Area (ZAC<\/a>) and attending neighbourhood festivals and events can be great ways to explore potential partnerships. Engaging with your neighbours (and potential customers) can give you the opportunity to find out their needs and wants, and whether your business can help address them. You may consider sponsoring a local charity event, which could be worth the cost incurred: you will likely have your logo displayed on promotional materials and you could deduct any sponsorship expenses on next year\u2019s taxes.<\/p>\n It\u2019s common knowledge that small businesses were hit hard during the last two years, but if there\u2019s a silver lining to the struggles faced by small businesses owners during the COVID-19 pandemic, it\u2019s that more than ever there are a lot of free resources out there to help entrepreneurs grow and learn.<\/p>\n Digital Main Street<\/a>\u00a0offers programs that help businesses grow through the adoption of digital tools and technology. Both Cristello and Somers are graduates of Digital Main Street\u2019s\u00a0shopHERE<\/a>\u00a0powered by Google program, which creates online stores for independent small businesses and artists at no cost. \u201cWhen I first heard about shopHERE, I was a bit skeptical. It was hard to believe it was free,\u201d said Cristello. \u201cI\u2019m so glad I looked into it. I\u2019m pretty tech-savvy, but I really needed a process to help get me started with my website. Stacey, my advisor, was fantastic.\u201d<\/p>\n Somers said would recommend the shopHERE program to any business owner who needs help getting started with their website. \u201cIt\u2019s a great, free program that will help you grow your business. Why wouldn\u2019t you take advantage?\u201d<\/p>\n1. Ask your customers for testimonials<\/h2>\n
Get Started with Square Marketing<\/h5>\n
2. Maintain a consistent social media presence<\/h2>\n
You don\u2019t need to be on every social media platform<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Mix up the content you post to keep your audience engaged<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Share those testimonials<\/strong><\/h4>\n
3. Offer incentives for client referrals and reward loyal customers<\/h2>\n
4. Connect with your community<\/h2>\n
5. Take advantage of free resources that can help you grow your business<\/h2>\n