When you’re first starting out in your business or side hustle, you have to do a lot with very few resources. Money is tight so how can you generate buzz without throwing your entire budget at it?
Embrace influencer marketing
This is one of the fastest-growing areas of marketing at the moment. Companies such as Unruly Agency run very sophisticated campaigns for a number of brands. But when you’re first starting out, then micro-influencers may be the way to go. Micros-influencers have small but engaged audiences and will often charge less or will work on a gifted basis. If you choose your micro-influencers well, you can see great results.
Reach out to your community
Even if your business is online, try leveraging your community to get things off the ground. Many people love to help out local businesses and you can get involved in local business networking groups and the wider business community.
Network
Networking, both in-person and virtual is a great way to get your name out there and get yourself known to the right people. Don’t make the mistake of using every networking event as a sales pitch, or you’ll find people will start avoiding you. Approach every networking opportunity as a chance to connect and interact with people. Obviously, if an obvious sales opportunity presents itself then you should take it.
Start a referral program
Ask your customers for referrals. People are usually very happy to recommend a product or service they are happy with so don’t feel nervous to ask. You can offer an incentive for a referral such as discounts or free products or you can start an official affiliate program on one of the major affiliate platforms.
Cross-promote with other businesses
There are a lot of other businesses in the same position as you. Help each other out by promoting each other’s businesses. You could cross-promote on social media or test out products or services and take part in a case study.
Guest on podcasts
There are a lot of great podcasts out there and they all need guests to feature on them. Contact some of the podcasts in your business niche and offer yourself as a guest. Think outside of the box too. You could talk on podcasts from your area, your former university or any subject matter that you could fall into. For example, your business could be selling men’s fashion but you could talk on podcasts about how to start a business, men’s health, or even an entertainment podcast discussing outfits
Create a single page speaker sheet that details you, your background, your business and any subjects you are qualified to speak on.
Key points
When you’re promoting your business, you need to use your resources wisely. When you’re first starting out and have no money then you need to get a little more creative. See this as a positive thing as learning to think on your feet is a great skill to have and will benefit you for the rest of your career.
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