Running a small business often means wearing many hats, and marketing can feel like one of the heaviest. If you're looking to make an impact without breaking the bank (or without the 68-hour weeks you’re putting in right now), you're in the right place. Today, we’re sharing some of the best tried and true marketing strategies for small businesses, so that you can decide what you want to try (and what you may want to leave behind). 

If you’ve been struggling to get off the hamster wheel of social media content (or simply just want to diversify so that you don’t have to stress over algorithm changes), you’re in the right place.

We’re covering:

• Word-of-mouth marketing
• Content marketing
• Email marketing
• Social media marketing
• Loyalty programs

Word-of-Mouth Marketing

Nothing beats a personal recommendation. When customers talk positively about your business, it carries weight. And while some of this is out of your control, there are some things you can do as a business to encourage people to spread the word.

Incentivize Referrals: Simply asking your customers to recommend you is often enough, but there are other ways to encourage your happy customers to spread the word. Consider offering incentives for referrals, like a commission or finder’s fee if someone they recommend hires you. It's a small investment that can pay off big (over and over again). Especially when the person they refer hires you more than once!

Start an Affiliate Program: If you want to take word-of-mouth marketing more seriously, take it a step further with an affiliate program. We love affiliates because it can feel like having a team of marketers working on commission and promoting your business to their networks, with very little risk for you as the business owner. You can read our guide for starting an affiliate program for your small business here. 

Content Marketing

According to the Content Marketing Institute, “Content marketing is a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience—and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”

TL;DR: Content marketing is when you create content to drive sales.

Here’s what this could look like: start with a blog where you share thoughts and advice related to your industry. Then, expand your reach (and make your content work harder for you) by sharing the same content on platforms like Pinterest—and YouTube, if you’re up to it! 

What this does, is it gets new eyes on your business because people are searching on these platforms every single day. 

Each platform has its strengths - use them to your advantage. Good content drives traffic, generates leads, and builds lasting relationships with customers. After all, haven’t you ever found yourself in a YouTube rabbit hole after watching one really great video? Or maybe you’re going to read more of our blogs after this one?

Another advantage to content marketing is that once the content is created, it continues working for you long after you hit publish. If you’ve been burnt out on the 24-hour social media cycle, switching to creating more long-form content can be a great way to get some sustainability back in your marketing plan.

Email Marketing

It’s been said that email marketing has a potential ROI of $42 for every dollar spent, and as small business owners, we know that’s pretty well as good as it gets.

Email marketing has stood the test of time as one of the most reliable and effective marketing strategies for small businesses. Unlike the ever-changing algorithms of social media platforms (and new features that nobody asked for), email allows you to simply communicate with the people who have opted in to hear from you. Whether you’re announcing a new product, sharing a blog post, or simply keeping your customers up-to-date on all the behind-the-scenes, email marketing offers a direct line to your audience that’s both personal and professional.

To get the most out of your email marketing efforts, here are a few basic strategies to try.  First, build a quality email list by offering something valuable, like a discount or a free resource, to get people to sign up. Plus, make sure your subject lines are catchy and grab attention so people actually open your emails. Lastly, don’t forget to provide value—whether it’s useful tips, exclusive offers, or interesting stories—so your audience looks forward to hearing from you.

Some of our favorite email marketing tools for small businesses are: Flodesk, BDOW!, and Interact. Some of these links are affiliate links—but we love/use these platforms ourselves. Plus you’ll get a discount!

Social Media Marketing

Whether you're a fan or not, the power of social media marketing can't be ignored. While it might be the newest tried and true marketing strategy on the list, it’s proven to be one of the best ways to reach a wide audience (especially for teams with limited budgets!). Plus, you have a ton of options (from OGs like Facebook or Instagram to something new like Threads). For more on this, here are our thoughts on why social media is so important for small business owners.

And don’t forget - social media marketing doesn’t just mean focusing on organic strategies. If you love the idea of connecting with your people on social media (but don’t want to pump out 5 reels a week or whatever else the algorithm is demanding nowadays), you can always invest in paid social traffic to see results in a different way. And, yes—you can run your own social media ads.

Loyalty Programs

Lastly, loyalty programs are tried and true marketing strategies because they show appreciation for repeat customers while encouraging future purchases. By designing a program that offers meaningful rewards, whether that be discounts, free products, or early access to new releases, businesses can turn casual customers into raving fans. Here are some more tips for how to create a loyalty program for your small business.

Streamline Your Marketing Strategy with Enji

If you're feeling overwhelmed by all of the options out there to market your small business, we want to remind you that you can use a tool like Enji to help create a customized marketing strategy. In just a few minutes after signing up, you get a tailored plan based on your business goals, audience, and resources (time and money!). We will also give you the tools you need to help implement your strategy, including a scheduler, calendar, and an AI copywriter. Start your free trial now!