So you've learned how to start a business, now it's time to promote it. Marketing your small business spreads the word about the incredible products you have to sell. No promotion equals slim chances of making money online any time soon.
But your customer’s attention is being pulled from pillar to post. Big brands with thousand-dollar marketing budgets drive the cost of advertising sky-high. Let’s not even get started on social media channels changing their algorithms to make it even harder for small businesses to reach the audiences they built.
It’s not all doom and gloom. You can stand out in the busiest of spaces. It just takes a little more creativity.
12 proven small business marketing ideas
Host a social media competition
Share user-generated content on social media
Produce video tutorials
Jump on trending topics
Partner with other small businesses
Give quirky product recommendations
Collect customer feedback
Enter local awards
Attend local events
Sell mystery boxes
Create content optimized for SEO
Sell gift cards
. Host a social media competition
To say social media platforms are oversaturated would be an understatement. Some 92% of companies will use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to reach their target audience by 2022.
Couple that with the fact Facebook only shows posts to 5.2% of a page’s followers and you’ll see why social media is a pain-staking way to market a small business.
Diversify your social media marketing strategy by hosting a competition. Science proves people love free stuff. So, give away something for free—such as a product bundle or trip to your HQ—in exchange for social media engagement. Have your followers like, comment, share, and tag a friend in the giveaway post to boost reach.
Loca Foods, for example, hosted an Instagram contest that gave away dips and desserts. Participants had to like the post, follow its Instagram profile, and tag a friend. Bonus entries were up for grabs if followers shared the post to their own story:
Granted, attractive social media competitions give away expensive products. But the marketing dollars you spend on hosting a giveaway don’t have to be extreme. You can make the prize as cheap or expensive as you want.
2. Share user-generated content on social media
Another smart way to use social media to market your small business is to use user-generated content (UGC)—something 79% of shoppers say highly impacts their purchasing decisions, likely because it’s less biased than branded content. They get to see someone in their shoes loving the product.
Incentivize existing customers to share photos, videos, and testimonials of them using your products. Do regular scans of your brand name or hashtag to see social media posts people have shared without being prompted.
The goal is to build a library of high-quality UGC that convinces on-the-fence social media followers to buy, like this example from Andie Swim. Its previous customer created a TikTok video, which Andie Swim reposted to Instagram.
(Just remember to ask permission from the original poster before sharing UGC to your own page.)
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So you've learned how to start a business, now it's time to promote it. Marketing your small business spreads the word about the incredible products you have to sell. No promotion equals slim chances of making money online any time soon.
But your customer’s attention is being pulled from pillar to post. Big brands with thousand-dollar marketing budgets drive the cost of advertising sky-high. Let’s not even get started on social media channels changing their algorithms to make it even harder for small businesses to reach the audiences they built.
It’s not all doom and gloom. You can stand out in the busiest of spaces. It just takes a little more creativity.
Start Your Business with Shopify
Try Shopify for free, and explore all the tools and services you need to start, run, and grow your business.
To get you started, this guide shares 17 creative marketing ideas we’ve seen from independent brands that are totally free (or very low cost) to replicate.
To say social media platforms are oversaturated would be an understatement. Some 92% of companies will use platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok to reach their target audience by 2022.
Couple that with the fact Facebook only shows posts to 5.2% of a page’s followers and you’ll see why social media is a pain-staking way to market a small business.
Diversify your social media marketing strategy by hosting a competition. Science proves people love free stuff. So, give away something for free—such as a product bundle or trip to your HQ—in exchange for social media engagement. Have your followers like, comment, share, and tag a friend in the giveaway post to boost reach.
Loca Foods, for example, hosted an Instagram contest that gave away dips and desserts. Participants had to like the post, follow its Instagram profile, and tag a friend. Bonus entries were up for grabs if followers shared the post to their own story:
Granted, attractive social media competitions give away expensive products. But the marketing dollars you spend on hosting a giveaway don’t have to be extreme. You can make the prize as cheap or expensive as you want.
2. Share user-generated content on social media
Another smart way to use social media to market your small business is to use user-generated content (UGC)—something 79% of shoppers say highly impacts their purchasing decisions, likely because it’s less biased than branded content. They get to see someone in their shoes loving the product.
Incentivize existing customers to share photos, videos, and testimonials of them using your products. Do regular scans of your brand name or hashtag to see social media posts people have shared without being prompted.
The goal is to build a library of high-quality UGC that convinces on-the-fence social media followers to buy, like this example from Andie Swim. Its previous customer created a TikTok video, which Andie Swim reposted to Instagram.
(Just remember to ask permission from the original poster before sharing UGC to your own page.)
3. Produce video tutorials
Continuing with the social media theme, video marketing reigns supreme on many platforms. Take a look at TikTok’s success. Its minute-long videos became so popular that Instagram, traditionally a photo-sharing app, launched its own version—Reels—off the back of it.
Use a free video app to produce content to market your own business on social media. That could be:
Reviews from happy customers
Behind-the-scenes of running your business
Video tutorials that show how to use your product
Livestreams co-hosted with influencers in your space
Dope Dog is one small business using this free marketing idea. Its founder, Erin Mastopietro, says, “We held Instagram live sessions with experts in our niche, during which audience members could ask questions, and we also conducted a small interview.
“As a result, we gained exposure to the audience of the expert and provided value to our followers
Social media is fueled by trends. Think about it: TikTok is credited for making songs go viral; artists see record-breaking streams when a dancing trend emerges. Everyone posts videos of themselves dancing to the same song.
How do you uncover trending topics before your small business’ social media content gets lumped in with the others jumping on trends? Spot them before the crowd does by:
Partake Foods, for example, posted this tweet that replicated Spotify Unwrapped—the music platform’s annual round-up of music a user listened to throughout the year. Only in this case, Partake Foods switched most-listened-to music out in favor of top products:
5. Partner with other small businesses
Here’s a great marketing idea if you’re working with zero budget: collaborate with other small businesses whose target market overlaps with yours (provided the products you sell don’t compete against theirs).
Let’s say you had an online store selling handmade crockery. Partner with another small business owner that sold handmade vases and lean on each other’s audience and run a co-marketing campaign, such as:
Co-hosting a webinar
Giving discounts to each other’s email list
Shouting each other out on social media
Becoming a guest on each other’s podcasts
Going halves on fees to host a pop-up shop
The beauty of co-marketing is not only that you support fellow small business owners, but you get to tap into an existing audience for free, unlike the influencer marketing route—many of whom charge to publish sponsored posts.
6. Give quirky product recommendations
Shoppers have various things running through their mind when they’re visiting a new ecommerce store. At the forefront are questions like: How do I know this is the right product for me?
Take the pain out of comparing new products with quirky recommendations. These don’t require hours of time to go into product development. Just go beyond “you viewed this, so you might be interested in this” categories that grab people’s attention.
Digital consultant Kayleigh TƶyrƤ recommends product recommendation lists for:
People who already have everything
Gifts you may keep for yourself instead
Things you don't need, but may want
Kayleigh adds that with clever copy to increase sales, new businesses can “up- and cross-sell in a more fun way.”
7. Collect customer feedback
Existing customers are your best friends. They’re the people who have seen your existing digital marketing strategy and purchased off the back of it. Use them as your starting point when developing new marketing ideas.
Use Shopify Apps like Post Purchase NPS Survey to send a customer feedback survey to anyone who purchases through your online store. Ask what they liked about your product, how they discovered you, and the trigger that caused them to buy.
Use those insights to fill your social media profiles, landing pages, and product descriptions with customer testimonials.
Package Free, for example, has a highlight reel of customer reviews on its product pages. Anyone debating whether to trust the retailer is instantly reassured, undoubtedly improving the ecommerce site’s conversion rate:
Being voted the “best” product in your industry is a surefire way to build credibility and attract attention. Stephen Light, CMO and co-owner of Nolah Mattress, explains that “awards offer businesses a solid shot of authority, which is one of the keys to successful marketing; you want your audience to know that you offer the best of the best.
“Regardless of your niche, there are countless awards and accolades offered that you can find with just a little digging.”
Here’s a starting point for your award submission research:
Whichever awards you enter to win, Stephen says, “It’s a cost-effective boost of credibility and publicity that can make a big difference with very little investment. Displaying them proudly on your website can encourage conversions.”
9. Attend local events
It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking all of your marketing tactics need to be online. Granted, building an online presence is crucial. But get away from the computer and meet potential customers in the flesh by attending local offline events, such as:
Check with your local council, many of which have a list of events to support small businesses in the area. Sites like Meetup and Eventbrite also round up business events in your local city.
Can’t find any? Host your own. Find a free space to host an event (like the public library), bring your inventory along, and hand out flyers to build brand awareness. Just remember to use Shopify's free business card maker to design your business cards and take them with you. Anyone interested in your products but not ready to buy can have information to visit your website later.
10. Sell mystery boxes
Got a bunch of slow-moving products? Sell them as part of a mystery box—something Kaleigh Moore did for her jewelry business: “Fill it with slow-moving products and promote them as a surprise, offering at an affordable price point.”
Mystery boxes induce the fear of missing out, a phenomenon that causes 60% of people to make reactive purchases.
You shift slow-moving inventory and create space for more popular (and profitable) inventory.
Zac’s Sweet Shop is another ecommerce retailer that offers mystery boxes. Shoppers not only get the chance to try a variety of products at a low price, but the brand has a way to shift slow-moving or soon-to-expire food products inside each mystery box.
11. Create content optimized for SEO
Sometimes, the most effective online marketing ideas are the simplest. They just take a longer time to come to fruition. But lay the groundwork early and you’ll set yourself up for success later down the line.
That’s especially true with search engine optimization (SEO), the process of optimizing your online store. You’ll appear in search results when people are actively searching for information or entertainment, or to solve a pain point.
Tie SEO in with a content marketing strategy to get your small business off the ground. Write a blog post that targets low-volume keywords with a direct tie-in with your products. Go after those with minimal competition to set yourself up for success.
Here are some simple content marketing ideas to get you started:
Solve a pain point your audience is experiencing
Write a guest post for a popular publication in your niche
Tell the story of your existing customers to help new shoppers themselves in their shoes
“The secret is really putting out great content. And putting out great content means a lot of different things, but to me, what I think it means is putting out content that’s relevant to your audience that people really want to read, and understanding how to monetize that content.”
12. Sell themed gift cards
Gift cards improve cash flow. You get the money upfront without immediately needing to fork out fees to produce or ship the product to a customer.
Offer them through your online store and prioritize marketing them in peak gift-giving seasons, such as:
Mother’s or Father’s Day
Black Friday and Cyber Monday
Christmas
Starbucks, for example, sells gift cards year-round. But the retailer keeps an ear to the ground and creates customized gift card designs based on trending topics. Lyrics from Taylor Swift’s new song appeared on a Starbucks gift card just four days after it was released.
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