How To Effectively Market Yourself On A Budget
Let’s be honest, regardless of what industry you’re in, how long you’ve been doing what you do, or how many people are on your team. . . marketing is hard! And while there are, of course, different tactics that can help, sometimes it really does come down to how much money you can throw towards your strategy.
But, what if you just don’t have the funds?
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to effectively market yourself on a budget. Here are some tips that I’ve learned and used as a small business owner and freelancer (aka one-woman show) over the past decade to build my company, my reputation, and my long-term growth. Chances are, they’ll work for you, too, as long as you’re committed to the (slow but worthwhile!) process.
1. Build A Robust Digital Persona & Profile
If people can find you, search you, and engage with you online, then you’re well on your way to a natural, long-term growth strategy. Why? Because honestly, your digital profile will speak for itself, especially if you build something that’s worth bragging about.
Start by creating a website (if you haven’t already) and use it to showcase your client reviews, products and services, and testimonials. You don’t necessarily have to sell from your site; you just need to curate a space where people can learn. . .
What you do and why you do it
What value you bring to them/their business
The more clients and projects you take on, the more robust this profile will be. You can also use it to link out to things you’ve created (for example if you’re a writer you can link to other sites/articles you’ve written like I do in this Writing Portfolio page).
2. Block Time & Batch Create
I can’t preach these two things enough: time block & batch create.
Blocking time means setting aside a chunk of your time to dedicate to a single task, for example, video creation, blog writing, social media caption writing, or graphics development. When you streamline your time and hyper-focus on a single task, you’re not only better able to concentrate, but you’ll actually become more efficient with your process and dedicate time (evenly, regularly, or easily) to different facets of your business.
This is especially useful when you’re trying to effectively market yourself on a budget. Rather than jumping from task to task, you can lean into one area at a time and develop a more consistent, long-term, and forward-moving strategy.
3. Invest In Your Video Media
Video media is one of the most powerful areas of advertisement, especially in today’s social climate. Take advantage of video media by prioritizing it—for socials, for your website, and for your in-house marketing.
Where you can, create your own video. (You don’t have to be an expert to do this, by the way!) When you can, put your money towards a high-quality videographer. Although this is, of course, an investment, videography is probably one of the most (if not the most) useful asset to your business. Video will create a visual for your audience and clients so that they can really see what you do and why you do it.
4. Strengthen Your Social Media Presence
Social media is honestly another digital portfolio, but rather than solely showcasing client reviews, testimonials, or content, you can create graphics/videos, etc. where the message speaks for itself!
For example, rather than creating a write-up of an upcoming camp or class you’re hosting, you can post pictures of a previous event to showcase how fun it was and get people excited about it.
Social media is another great way to story tell and share bits and pieces of the behind-the-scenes, which creates an authentic connection between you and your audience.
5. Create Cross-Industry Collaborations
Collaborations are key if you’re trying to market yourself on a budget. While it’s valuable to collaborate with others in your industry (for example two yoga teachers coming together for a retreat), it’s also infinitely valuable to partner with people outside of your expertise in order to create a more meaningful partnership.
For example, I did this recently with a summer camp, where I hosted the learning, arts/crafts, and indoor/outdoor play in the morning, and my co-host put on the gymnastics and cheer portion in the afternoon.
This was valuable because rather than competing for time (my camp was 9 AM-12 PM and hers was 11 AM-3 PM) we were able to combine and use our resources, network, and interest to create something beautiful and better—together.
6. Get Back To The Basics Of Advertising
Finally, if you’re trying to market yourself on a budget, don’t neglect the power of word-of-mouth advertisement. While paid ads, sponsored posts, and digital marketing are incredibly helpful, there’s something to be said for people sharing about what you do with others in their circles.
Here are a few ideas to help you get back to the basics of advertising:
Have previous attendees of an event share about what they loved for a discount on future services and/or offer future session(s) for free for those who have attended previously.
Offer a referral incentive for every new person a client brings in.
Create an affiliate program to bring in new audiences.
Ask for testimonials or reviews on social profiles (Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.)
And finally, put out paper advertisements where you can!
Honestly, marketing is tough. I’d be lying if I said it was easy. . . but, it’s possible to create a robust strategy (and successful business!) even when you’re marketing on a budget. From hyper focusing to investing in the right areas, with a few changes you can quickly get yourself on a positive trajectory—now, and for the long-term.
Marisa Donnelly is the Founder & CEO of Be A Light Collective, a creative marketplace, online community, and writing/editing services company with a mission of reshaping what traditional education looks like through a relationship-based learning lens.
To learn more about authenticity, you can follow Marisa’s blog (where she writes about it often!) or subscribe to The VulnerABILITY Podcast, a series dedicated to authentic conversations about what matters and how we can actionably move towards better versions of ourselves.
Connect with the author Marisa Donnelly: Website | LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
