6 ways to promote your small business on low-budget

Video editing & Graphic Design for flat 345$/month | GRADEXI

Getting customers and initial traction is hard. Every entrepreneur knows it. When you are just starting out...not generating consistent revenue to afford paid advertising can feel hopeless.

But don't worry, there are ways to promote your business money-free or on a low-budget.

Now, Lets have a look at ways to promote your business on a low budget.

1. Blog
   Write your company blog! This is an amazing way to establish trust with your customers. I cant stress it enough...You need to create valuable content for your target audience. Not only it helps with organic SEO but you are positioning your company as a mentor for your customers in your industry. By creating valuable content which helps your customers solving their problems you are establishing a trust with them. If you solve some of their small problems there is a high chance of them purchasing your service or product because you have already helped them. That means they already know you are knowledgeable and therefore able to solve their bigger problems.

Some of the ways to create content are:
Your blog, Helping people on forums, Youtube, Sharing your content on Facebook, Linkedin, Online communities and groups.

1. Instructional videos
   Another great way to provide value for your customers is to create instructional videos for them. Videos are better way of educating your customers and establishing trust because they are more personal than written text. Viewers also retain 95% of a message when they watch it in a video compared to 10% when reading it in text. While creating professional video can be expensive there is no need for you to invest huge amounts of money in equipment. Nowadays all you need is your modern smartphone, inexpensive microphone , nice clean background and obviously your knowledge! Give it a go and see for yourself.

2. Participate in platforms like Reddit & Indiehackers

These platforms can be a powerful tool if you know how to use them. They consist of very-tech savvy people that love hearing advice based on personal stories of entrepreneurs. People on reddit hate if you just come to promote your business. You need to be helpful to others first and then you can even promote yourself a little bit. It doesn't matter whether you have business generating 10k a month or you have just launched. Even process of launching can be helpful for people. So, do not think you got nothing to share with other entrepreneurs.
To be able to succeed on Reddit you should post in extreme niches. That way people can relate to your stories and you can be helpful to them. This way you can establish yourself on a platform and get your first or new customers.

1. Affiliate marketing

Affiliate marketing is a great way to get many leads to your website without having to pay anything upfront. Try to contact established influencers in your and similar industries and offer them commission for every converted lead coming from their website. What is great on affiliate marketing is that usually influencers have engaged audience which trusts them. It is easier to sell people your product when somebody else is saying great things about it rather than you saying that your product is amazing.

1. Start attending networking events

It is amazing to sell services or products from the comfort of your office or home but to get initial traction you first need to take actions that dont scale. Networking events are great for acquiring valuable contacts. Moreover, it is one of the best way to establish trust in person and acquire new customers especially when you are in B2B business. Go there and try to meet as many entrepreneurs as possible. Have a quick chat with them, introduce yourself , tell them what business you do and leave them your business card. Beside the fact that you can get new customers you never know who can help you in the long run!

1. Do an online contest

When you are on very tight budget it might be hard to give out something for free but it doesn't have to be too expensive to spark an interest of people. If you are selling service you can give it out for free. That way you only invest your time and no money. Moreover, the benefit of getting new leads and potential clients is surely worth the price.
To set up an online contest you can use platform like Rafflecopter They make it super easy to set up a contest and put an entry form of contest on your website.

At GRADEXI, we created 2 products for small businesses on low budget who want to promote themselves.
We offer unlimited video ads & graphic design for one flat rate of 345 $/ month .
check it out here www.gradexi.com

I hope this article has given you some good tips to promote your business on very-low budget.

All the best!
Marek, Gradexi