Marketing on a Budget
So you’re a small business owner with a big dream, but a limited marketing budget?
In this episode of BRB Building Your Brand, Stepf & Sky of SKC Creative dive into the world of marketing on a budget, specifically for small businesses. We all know marketing is crucial, but let's face it, budgets aren't always unlimited. There are tons of free and low-cost resources to step up your marketing game.
Embrace Social Media (Strategically!)
While we covered organic social media in detail in our previous episode, Stepf & Sky reiterate its importance in this episode as well. Emphasizing on choosing the right platforms for your target audience and maintaining consistency in posting. Remember, engagement is key! Respond to comments and messages to build relationships with your audience.
So, just how often should you be posting on each social media platform? Keep in mind that sometimes less is more. If you are just posting to post, and aren’t actually creating content that is engaging or gives a clear call to action, then you’re doing all that work for nothing. Plus, it can be annoying to your audience.
Here are Stepf & Sky’s recommendations for how often your small business should be posting:
They Say: 1-2 times per day
We Say: Depending upon the size of your audience, 2-5 posts per week and 2-7 stories per week
They Say:
2 feed posts per week and 3 stories per week on accounts with 10K or less followers
3 feed posts per week and 4 stories per week on accounts with 10K-100K followers
5 feed posts per week and 15 stories per week on accounts with 100K-500K followers
We Say: We actually agree with this one!
They Say: 2-5 times per week
We Say: We agree with this one as well!
According to LinkedIn: Companies that post weekly see a 2x lift in engagement with their content. And from experience, we find this to be true. But only aim for 4-5 times per week if the content is engaging. Otherwise 2-3 posts per week will still help you grow.
They Say: 1-2 times per day
We Say: This is probably pretty accurate. You need to post frequently to not get lost in the feed. But if that isn’t realistic, aim for 2-3 times per week.
TikTok
They Say: 4-8 times per day
We Say: Posting at least 1 time each day is great, because the algorithm tends to reward those who publish more. However, it’s not necessarily realistic, so we recommend starting at 2-4 times per week
YouTube
They Say:
At least 3 times per month for long form videos
At least 2-3 times per day for shorts
We Say:
At least 2-3 times per month for long form videos
At least 3 times per week for shorts
They Say: 4-5 times per week
We Say: At least 1 time per week
Google My Business
They Say: At least 1 time per week
We Say: At least 1-2 times per month
Hashtags: Don't Go Overboard
Using relevant hashtags can increase your reach. Stepf & Sky provide recommendations for the optimal number of hashtags on each platform to avoid overwhelming your audience.
So, how many hashtags should you be using? Keep in mind that these are recommendations, but do whatever works best for your brand.
Facebook: 2-3 (no more than 5)
Instagram: 3-5 seems to be the ideal range (IG has a limit of 30)
LinkedIn: Up to 3
Twitter: No more than 2
YouTube: 3-5 (YouTube has a limit of 15)
TikTok: 3-6
Pinterest: 3-4 (Pinterest has a limit of 20)
Go with a mix of broad and niche hashtags. For example, choose some hashtags that have over 500k posts with that tag and choose some closer to 10k posts.
Free Social Media Management Tools
Managing multiple social media accounts can be overwhelming. Luckily, there are free tools available to help you schedule posts in advance. Some options include Metricool, Hootsuite, Later, and Meta Business Suite.
Paid Ads: Start Small and Track Results
Paid advertising can be a powerful tool, even with a limited budget. Stepf & Sky recommend starting small on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, or Google Ads. Carefully track your results to see what works best for your business. Targeting your ideal customer with laser focus is crucial for maximizing the return on your ad spend.
Create and Repurpose
Engaging content is the lifeblood of your marketing strategy. Stepf & Sky suggest informative and entertaining content like blog posts, social media snippets, email campaigns, and videos. Answerthepublic.com is a free tool to help you discover what your audience is interested in. Don't reinvent the wheel! Repurpose your content across different platforms to maximize its reach.
Leverage User-Generated Content (UGC)
UGC is a powerful tool for building trust and brand loyalty. It's authentic, relatable, and fosters a sense of community. Encourage your customers to share their experiences with your brand and showcase their content.
Don't Underestimate Email Marketing
Building an email list is an excellent way to nurture leads and drive sales. Stepf & Sky recommend email marketing services with free plans like Mailchimp, Convertkit, HubSpot, MailerLite, and Sender. They also mention FloDesk as a user-friendly paid option with checkout features and analytics.
Free Tools & Resources
Several free resources are available to help you with your marketing efforts. Utilize Google My Business to improve local search ranking and drive traffic to your website. Canva helps you create visuals for social media and marketing materials. Take advantage of free webinars and online courses from platforms like HubSpot Academy or LinkedIn Learning to sharpen your marketing skills.
Be Patient, Be Consistent, Be Successful
Building a successful marketing strategy takes time and dedication. By incorporating these free and low-cost strategies, your small business can achieve its growth goals. Remember, patience and consistency are key!
Ready to Take the Next Step?
SKC Creative is here to help! Once you're ready to invest in additional marketing support, we are happy to be there to guide you.
Don't Forget to Follow & Subscribe!
Stay tuned for future episodes of BRB Building Your Brand by subscribing and following SKC Creative on social media. You can also follow this link for free and discounted marketing tools, downloadable content, and more!