The internet provides unlimited potential in terms of customer reach and opportunity, and while there is some online marketing that can be done for free, most effective strategies require a marketing budget.
My agencies focus on performance-based digital ad buys and influencer marketing — both of which require a sizeable monthly budget. While not for everyone, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to market a business online using a much smaller budget. I’m often asked for alternative options for those with a limited budget, and the number that’s thrown out more than any other is $500.
I spoke with ten business owners and asked them to share their best tip for marketing online with a $500 budget. If you are working with a small budget, use these ten strategies to help you get the most out of every marketing dollar at your disposal.
1. Launch a Facebook ads campaign.
“With Facebook ads, you know exactly where every dollar goes. You are able to place your offer in front of a very targeted audience and you see how much each dollar you spend brings back in. It can take some time to fully understand, but once you get a firm grip on how to optimize your ads you can scale your efforts.”
Simon Nowak, Founder of Cafe Credit
2. Hire a dedicated content writer.
“Updating your company’s blog gives your website visitors fresh content to engage with each time they visit, and also helps your business gain visibility in Google’s organic search results. It’s an important part of online marketing that requires a lot of time many business owners don’t have. Hire a freelancer to ghost-write your blog content — just make sure he or she is familiar with your niche and your SEO goals.”
Elizabeth Verdura, Founder of Sell Fast Fair Offer
3. Invest in your own SEO education and training.
“With a new website, search engine optimization is a high priority for me, but it can be very costly. There is a lot of great free information available online if you are willing to take the time to read it all, along with some courses and eBooks you can purchase that are fairly inexpensive. For me, self-education has several benefits aside from just the money savings.”
Marc Lewandowski, Founder of Artisan Movers
4. Hire influencers to promote your business.
“With a small monthly…