The need for creative plus budget-friendly advertising ideas for small businesses arises with increasing U.S ad expenditure from 2015 to 2022. According to Statista, U.S. advertising spending in 2019 is 240.7 billion U.S. dollars, up from 223.7 billion recorded in 2018.
To keep up these costs to a minimum while increasing your small business revenue, it is important to get creative with your advertising. That’s why we have introduced the top 35 advertising ideas for small businesses.
So, have a tight budget and still want to generate maximum leads? Here is your solution!
Table of Contents
List of Budget-Friendly Advertising Ideas For Small Business
1. List Your Company on Google Business Profile
The Google search engine is the most popular platform to which people turn when looking for a local business. Having your business listed on Google Business Profile helps you reach and engage with local customers across Google search.
Add your company name, website, and hours to make your business found easily online. Google My Business indexes the content you provide for consistency across Google search and Maps. Also, you don’t have to pay for Google My Business Listing to remain active. It’s free to use!
2. Facebook and Google Ads: Companions For Enhancing Online Presence
Want to increase your business online presence with a limited budget? Google search ads and Facebook advertising are better platforms to capture leads. Both Facebook Ads and Google Ads reach billions of people every day.
Each of them has diverse targeting options and great ad placements to convert potential customers into clients. Overall, if you want to get more leads, sales, or conversions for your business, then both platforms are worth it.
3. Develop a Customer Referral Program
People get more influenced by any service or product when they are referred by a trusted friend. This is not just a saying but one of the best free local business advertising ideas given by Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook.
4. Ask Your Customer To Share Positive Reviews
It is a fact that most people’s buying decisions is depended on reviews of the business. Positive reviews will help you attract more customers. Therefore, the power of online reviews is massive as it helps build your online reputation. Ask your current customers to share their good experiences on social sites or other review sites.
Yelp, Amazon customer reviews, Angie’s list, TrustRadius, and much more are online review sites. It helps your business monitor its online reputation. Also, buyers can make an informed decision about any product or service.
5. Get Instant Exposure To Targeted Traffic With Guest Blogging
A recent survey by Michael A. Stelzner shows that “Blogging has the highest number of popularity, i.e., 38% among all other content advertising ideas for small business.”
Once the blog is ready, relevant traffic, backlinks, and organic visitors are things required to grow your business. Guest blogging is the answer to achieve all these. Various guest blogging sites allow you to submit your business articles or blogs. It is the best way to drive traffic to your website.
6. Answer or Ask Questions On Quora
The ultimate success of any small business depends on leads. This is because, without leads or sales, you will not get customers. And without organic conversions, no one pays and your business dies. Overall, you require leads to grow your business. Here, Quora is the best lead-generation platform.
Start by creating a compelling profile, following a relevant topic, asking your followers public questions, answer questions while showing your expertise while being helpful.
7. LinkedIn Marketing: Effective Source For Generating B2B Leads
If you are not using LinkedIn for your small business marketing, then you are missing something important. According to a recent study, 80% of B2B leads come from LinkedIn. Start marketing on LinkedIn by sending follow a request to your targeted audiences.
Promote content, join groups, and make your own group to advertise business services. This way you can reach to like-minded audiences. Overall, you can say that LinkedIn is the ultimate way to free online advertising for small businesses.
8. Reach to New Range of Audiences Through Podcasts
Podcasting is a way of building relationships with no interaction between the two individuals. It is the best way to reach your target audiences. Both audio and video podcasting are innovative forms of free local business advertising.
You can register for free on podcast hosting sites. Among all Podomatic is an excellent free hosting site for podcasting. Share your content with the world, and let your audiences hear your success stories through podcasting.
9. DIY Infographics: Best Innovative Promotional Idea
Anything that is visually appealing attracts the most. This is the universal truth. So, as with Infographics, you can attract your potential customers. Creating your own business infographic is one of the most powerful marketing tools.
Develop an eye-catching, easy-to-digest infographic that people love to share. As a result, it is also a way to drive up referral traffic and links. For a more professional look, you can also hire a designer or use free infographic-making online tools.
10. Increase Your Conversion Rate With Retargeting Ads
Retargeting Ads or Remarketing is the ultimate way to target customers at the right time and at the right place. This means that retargeting allows you to place a pixel on your visitors’ computer and show them ads related to the content that they are viewing.
The retargeted ads show up after the individual leave your website and remind them to go back to your business site and hire that service or product. Here is a strategy that can help you save money and time on every retargeting campaign.
11. Native Online Ads to Attract Customer’s Attention
Native advertising is important and beneficial for both consumers and businesses. It is the part of sponsored content that has a similar look to non-sponsored content. The format of the native online ads varies from site to site.
It provides readers with a natural way to read content that interests them. This allows you to engage maximum potential customers. Therefore, go for native online ads as it is the best advertising ideas for small business.
12. Convert Potential Customers to Clients with Cold Calling
Since telephone usage has increased, cold calling becomes one of the most effective sales techniques. In this, a phone call is made to B2B customers to achieve sales. According to the survey, 55% of high-growth companies used cold calling as the main tactic to enhance their business growth.
You can get in touch with potential customers easily through direct communication, i.e., cold calling rather than email or using other outlets like advertisements. Overall, cold calling is essential to your company’s growth.
13. Blog Commenting: Ultimate Way to Market Your Business
Your business generates leads only if customers know about it. Online marketing is all about being seen. Blog commenting is a free local business advertising tactic in which you have to comment on other blogs. This will help you bring awareness to your local business.
Along with this, blog commenting increases traffic to your website while expanding your online presence and helps you build relationships with industry leaders. Before starting, it is important to go through the basic guideline of blog commenting to avoid mistakes.
14. Post on Reddit To Engage With Targeted Users
You will agree to the fact that small businesses do not get as many sales as larger companies do. So, if you are the one owning a start-up or small business, then it’s time to be creative in marketing tactics.
In, Reddit, the popular social media platform, can be a successful advertising idea for small businesses. The best is that tiny communities called “sub-Reddits” bring people and their interests together. Here, you can set up your company page and then target customers by publishing unique posts.
15. Generate Business Leads with Webinar marketing
Webinars are the new addition to budget-friendly marketing. It is a robust and flexible solution to educate many audiences. Webinar marketing is a modern take on traditional business seminars and lives video presentations to educate attendees.
There are free webinar platforms ezTalks Webinar, AnyMeeting, Mikogo, Join.me, and much more. Using these free tools through which you can conduct a webinar. You can attract genuinely interested candidates and generate high-quality leads for your business.
16. Achieve Your Small Business Goals with Cold Email Marketing
If you want to attract or gain B2B customers without spending a penny, then cold emailing is the answer. Please don’t get confused between cold calling and spam emails cold emailing. All are different.
Cold emailing doesn’t need prior permission from the contact. Your prospects can get back to you on their own time. There are various tools for cold emails in the market that help you generate leads.
17. Discover New Users Through StumbleUpon / MIX
StumbleUpon is now Mix. It helps you discover new web pages and an opportunity to connect with new users. According to a recent survey, a StumbleUpon / Mix is one of the best traffic-generating social media platforms This is because when the user likes a particular page, it is put on the top of the StumbleUpon Lineup.
Users on StumbleUpon are frequently searching for specific content. So, the chances of their reading your content and reaching you increase. Having unique content helps you continue a successful journey on StumbleUpon. Overall, to drive traffic for your business, start using StumbleUpon.
18. Uplift Your Small Business With Google Products
As we all know Google is a massive search engine, it has over 3.5 billion searches a day. Apart from that, Google provides many paid services and free online advertising for small business owners to manage and grow. Some of the best marketing tools by google are Google Search Console, Google Analytics, Google Adsense, Google Keyword Planner, Google Ads, Google My Business, and many more.
From tracking your website traffic or improving the website’s local SEO quality to online advertising campaigns google has the solution. Google has tools to help you in each phase of your business marketing. Currently, it is one of the most trending and free advertising ideas for small business owners.
19. Grab More Attention To Your Brand With YouTube Videos
YouTube has become the second-largest search engine in the US in the past few years (2nd to Google). Hence, making your brand presence on YouTube is the ultimate and cost-effective way for small business marketing.
Image Source: Wordstream
Creating videos does not require too many things, especially if you are staring at the video. You can create a short video explaining what your business is all about. As a 2nd option, you can create “how-to” videos. It will give you an opportunity to catch the client’s attention.
20. Hold Maximum Visitors With a Creative & Informative Website
Website is one of the important factors in local marketing ideas. Most people make mistakes by focusing more on images, color, and graphics. Yes, the website design is important but the conversion-driven website is equally important. Make sure your website home page has a proper Headline, Social proof, Call-to-Action, Contact Information, and attractive visual content.
For instance:
Clean N Fresh displays their phone number in the navigation bar. They have also included a relevant, clear headline, locations they serve, and call-to-action relevant to the carpet cleaning. So, make sure you encourage visitors to take the actions you want!
21. Drive More Leads With SEO Techniques
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) offers several advantages for small business owners. SEO is a small business necessity, it will help you create a better, faster, and user-friendly website for users. SEO has been widely accepted as a significant element of a successful business. A website with good on-page SEO factors has a higher chance of ranking in Google searches.
SEO is not only about search engines but the user interactions. When your users are happy, the search engine is happy as well. This will improve user experience and this creates short-term and long-term benefits. This is one of the most common advertising ideas for small businesses. Try it today!
22. Leverage Your Brand With an Email Campaign
The bar chart above clearly shows that email marketing can drive even more conversions if a coupon code is included in the email content.
Email marketing is considered the cornerstone of digital marketing. Additionally, one of the ideal advertising ideas for small businesses. You need to learn the best ways to get new people engaged with your business, as well as to maintain relationships with your existing clients.
Here you have to send promotions to clients using email services. Make your client sign up for updates by offering coupons/discounts, Zero shipping charges, or other incentives. There are many more creative marketing ideas to extract visitors’ email ids. Once the person subscribes to your email list, you’ll have a great chance to display your authority and reliability by offering valuable content using email.
23. Reach More Clients Using Print Media Services
Whilst most of the business has jumped to online local marketing ideas, but print media still exists, and in some niches, it still thrives. As we all know print media popularity has reduced in the past few years, hence, pricing for ad placement also goes down. Still, it is among one the best advertising for small businesses.
Print media comprises various things such as flyers, local newspapers, magazines, billboards, and many more. This is the ultimate opportunity for small business owners to reach each client at affordable prices. It is one of the best local marketing ideas. Try this today to grow your business!
24. Identify Your USP (Unique Selling Point) To Win The Marketing Game
USP is nothing but the “Unique selling proposition”. It is a factor that makes your product stand out of the crowd, for instance, the “best quality carpet cleaning at the lowest cost in Cape Coral”, “100% allergen removal cleaning” or “IICRC” certified trainers for carpet cleaning.
A USP is something that your competitors don’t have. Hence, identifying your USP can turn out one of the successful advertising ideas for small businesses. So make sure you have some USP which can make people get attracted to your brand.
25. A Savvy Social Network For Your Brand
70% of the U.S. population has a profile on at least one social networking site. Many people look for services on social sites, if they don’t find you, they will look for your competitors. “Competitors” that are already present on social media channels. You can create an organic audience of engaged followers just by creating the content they are looking for.
For instance, you can post DIY tips, methods, the tip of the day, and much more free online advertising for small businesses, that pay nothing! The process and strategy may vary from platform to platform. Therefore, before you start with social media marketing, learn how to use social media for small businesses.
26. Get Connected To People With Facebook & Instagram Live Streaming
“Go Live” is an excellent feature provided by Facebook and Instagram. Live streaming is the ultimate way to get connected with your audience. This will not only allow you to advertise your product or service using live sessionss but also gain trust and build stronger client relationships.
Moreover, through Facebook and Instagram live you can do Q&A sessions, free giveaway contests, or you can show live working sessions. For instance, you can go live during the carpet cleaning service job.
27. Identify Local & Industry Influencers
Influencer Marketing can be a stepping stone to a small business. In fact, it has become one of the most preferred advertising ideas for small businesses in the last 2 years. To implement this idea, you need to get in touch with a local industry influencer.
The influencer will have a sizeable audience in order to promote your product and services. Through this, a message will be spread in the market regarding your product or services. Moreover, this will make people draw attention to a brand or the product offered by a company.
28. Vehicle Wraps
Wraps on vehicles are one of the proven but usually overlooked tactics. This is an extremely memorable way to spread the message about your business. They can be applied to various types of vehicles (even on your business vehicles). It is one of the wonderful advertising ideas for small business owners.
Image Source: My Cleaner
As per research in the USA, “Individual vehicle ads generate between 30,000-70,000 daily vehicle impressions” Still you think are vehicle wraps a good investment for small businesses? The 3 major benefits you can get through vehicle wraps are higher visibility, local targeting, and brand consistency.
29. Claim Your Business Listing
Brand awareness is very important to have a successful business. Especially for small business that often has to compete with larger organizations and multi-location stores. Hence, a local listing can be a great contributor to your online presence.
Listing allows you to promote your product or services you are offering. You can focus on a specific city, town, or state, in fact, you can target a specific audience as well. So make sure your business is on every top listing directory. Additionally, getting your business on listing sites, social sites, review sites, and search engines and keeping it updated is also good for SEO (Search Engine Optimization).
30. Grow Contacts and Business at Industry Events
Being a business owner, it is very important to attend an industry event, especially if you are a small business owner. Industry events and conferences are an open opportunity to take your small business to the next level. The concept behind such events is to bring different business minds together for better growth. It’s also a way to network with-minded people new B2B contacts.
Moreover, these events also have seminars designed to improve your skills in sales, social media, advertising, and many other ways how to advertise your business for free. So, make sure you do not miss a single industry event organized in your community or city.
31. Participate in Regional Business Awards
There are many industries running award ceremonies. You can apply online when you meet their criteria. When different organizations award your business with these accolades, you get more exposure over the internet. The awarding bodies will often share your information on their own site and social media. This will give you more exposure to the new audience.
Additionally, you may also find certain organizations within your community. They give awards to businesses or business owners that are successful or contribute to the community in some way. Websites such as Angi and BBB (Better Business Bureau) also offer certain awards for businesses that give importance to customers and quality services.
32. Create A Brand Image Using Guerilla Marketing
Guerrilla marketing is one of the well-known creative marketing ideas. It mostly plays on the element of surprise. It aims to advertise products or services in public spaces using creative ideas to drive public attention. The best thing about guerrilla marketing is that it is cost-effective.
There are many types of guerilla marketing, but the most common are outdoor Guerrilla Marketing, Indoor Guerrilla Marketing, Event Ambush Guerrilla Marketing, Experiential Guerrilla Marketing, and many more. If you have a creative mind, such local marketing ideas can bring lots of leads to your small business.
33. Create a Parade Float For Brand Exposure
It is one of the best and most free local business advertising campaigns. Parade Floats are the best and most creative way to stand out in a parade. Whether your product is local or international, parade displays are one-of-a-kind ways for your promotional efforts will stand out over your competitors.
Image Source: Adage
The best part is, during the parade event there will be children and adults attending the event. Each eyeball will get amazed by watching the huge float or inflatable balloons branding your product whether it’s a drink or a candy. Additionally, lots of bells, whistles, and confetti will capture all audiences. Eventually, distributing pamphlets will be the closing deal.
34. Broadcast Your Brand Using Local TV Channels
Want to drive maximum local leads? The TV commercial is the ultimate option for you. Forget about the national networks and focus on local networks. Local business owners should target local news and cable channels. They have a solution for your business. The majority of people watch local channels and local news, this creates a chance for visibility.
The more your brand reflects on the screen the more chance of setting the brand in their mind. Additionally, you can also give ads in local theaters before the movie starts or in intervals. This is the best advertising for a small business if you are planning to target people locally.
35. Sign Up for Help a Reporter Out (HARO)
Do you want a free press? Then you should be on HARO (Help a Reporter Out). it is a great PR tool that you need to add in your local marketing idea campaign.
HARO is an open platform for reporters looking for a story to help to submit response requests, and for industry leaders and a specialist to respond. If you consider your business the best in your industry, make sure to be on HARO. it is a great quick, and one of the best free marketing ideas for small businesses that want to be placed in the news. Grab your FREE PR opportunity now, by using HARO!
Wrapping Up
How to market your small business online? How to get maximum sales without breaking the budget? Above mentioned advertising ideas for small business is the answer to all your questions. Start your small business journey with these budget-friendly marketing strategies. Share with us your current marketing scenario, and we will help you with all your business development needs.
