When you’re running a start-up or SME, every euro counts. You may not have the deep pockets of a big corporation’s marketing department, but that doesn’t mean you can’t run effective marketing campaigns.

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In fact today, marketing on a shoestring budget is very possible, thanks to the many free or low-cost tools available, plus the wealth of knowledge available online.

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This blog post will discuss 10 proven marketing strategies that deliver results without breaking the bank.

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These tactics are especially useful for startups and SMEs who need to be scrappy and smart with their marketing spend.

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Why focus on low-budget strategies? Aside from the obvious (saving money), constraint can drive creativity.

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Some of the most impactful campaigns ever have been born out of clever ideas rather than big ad buys. And many consumers actually appreciate the authenticity and ingenuity that small businesses bring to their marketing, as opposed to highly polished big-budget ads.

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Additionally, small businesses have to be strategic: nearly half of small businesses spend under €10,000 per year on marketing (Business Dasher), so optimising that spend is crucial. The strategies below leverage mostly time and effort, with minimal monetary investment.

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They range from harnessing social media effectively, to content and community-building, to leveraging partnerships. Importantly, each tip is actionable – you can start implementing these ideas immediately after reading.

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1. Leverage Social Media Strategically and Consistently

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Social media is essentially free advertising if done right. The key is to choose the right platforms and post consistently with engaging content. You don’t need to be on every social network; pick the one or two where your target audience hangs out the most.

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For example:

• If you’re targeting young consumers (say 18-25), platforms like Instagram or TikTok might be best.
• For B2B or professional services, LinkedIn or Twitter could be more effective.
• Facebook still has broad reach across demographics, especially for local community engagement.
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Once you’ve chosen platforms, create a content calendar (Hubspot offer a great free content calendar template).

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Plan your posts at least a week or two ahead. Aim to post regularly – e.g., 3-4 times a week on Instagram, daily short updates on TikTok, etc., depending on platform norms.
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Consistency keeps you visible; an inconsistent presence can lose followers’ interest. But posting isn’t enough; engagement is the secret sauce.

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That means:

• Responding to comments, messages, and reviews promptly. Treat interactions like conversations – being responsive can build relationships. A customer who gets a quick friendly reply to a query on Facebook is more likely to trust you.
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• Commenting on and sharing others’ content (especially if it’s other businesses or influencers in your niche). This can increase your visibility. For instance, if you thoughtfully comment on a popular LinkedIn post relevant to your industry, others might notice your company.
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• Using relevant hashtags to increase reach. Research a bit: are there popular hashtags in your industry or local area (#MadeInIreland, #TechStartups, etc.)? Include a few in your posts to surface to new audiences.

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Creativity beats production value. You don’t need expensive graphic designers to make engaging social posts. Behind-the-scenes photos, quick smartphone videos, polls/questions, memes relevant to your field – these often outperform polished corporate graphics in engagement.

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Authenticity and personality go a long way. For example, a short video of you (the founder) unboxing your own product and talking about what it means to you can resonate more than a slick ad.

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Additionally, user-generated content is a free goldmine. Encourage your customers or followers to share photos using your product or at your business, and reshare that (with permission/credit). Not only does it provide you content, it acts as a testimonial.

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Finally, keep an eye on analytics (built-in on most platforms). See what types of posts get the most likes, shares, or comments, and do more of those. Social media algorithms also tend to reward content that generates engagement – meaning your reach can grow without paying for ads if you consistently hit the right notes.

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2. Share Your Expertise via Content Marketing & Blogging

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We touched on this in the SEO post, but it’s worth reiterating from a budget perspective: content marketing (blogging, video content, infographics, etc.) is one of the most cost-effective marketing strategies out there.

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It has an upfront time cost but can keep bringing in leads long after it’s published (evergreen content).

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As noted earlier, businesses that blog regularly can get significantly more traffic and leads (Business Dasher).

For a low budget, focus on creating content that you can produce with existing resources:

• Start a blog on your website if you haven’t. Topics to write about include how-to guides, tips & tricks, answers to questions you often get from customers, industry insights, case studies of your own clients (with permission).
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• Repurpose content across formats: Write one blog post, then consider making a short video summarising it (or even a live stream), a series of social media posts pulling key tips from it, an infographic illustrating the main points (Canva is a great free tool to design simple infographics).
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• Guest posts / Contributed articles: As part of content marketing, not all content has to live on your site. Writing an article for someone else’s blog or a site like Medium can increase your brand’s reach.
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• Educational videos or webinars: Video content gets high engagement. You don’t need fancy equipment – a decent smartphone camera and mic can work. You could host a free webinar or live Q&A session about a topic of interest.
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• Storytelling and authenticity: In your content, don’t be afraid to share stories – how you started your business, challenges you overcame, success stories of customers. Storytelling is compelling and free.
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One of the beauties of content marketing is that it can attract customers organically via search or shares (which means you’re not paying for each lead). And it scales: one piece of content can be read by 100 or 100,000 people with no extra cost to you, unlike, say, paid ads where each view costs money.

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It does take time to build up a library of content and an audience, but consistency pays off. Remember the stat we cited: companies integrating consistent content have far higher success in marketing. As a startup or SME, even publishing something bi-weekly is a great start.

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Over a year, that’s 26 pieces of content that can keep working for you

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3. Utilise Email Marketing

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Email marketing remains one of the highest ROI marketing channels. Why? Because once someone is on your email list, you can reach out to them directly at very low cost (often fractions of a cent per email).

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It’s an owned audience – you’re not at the mercy of algorithm changes or ad costs. For a small business on a budget, email is a must-use.

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Steps to use email marketing effectively on the cheap:

• Build Your Email List: Start collecting emails of interested prospects and customers. This can be via a newsletter sign-up form on your website (offer a free resource or useful newsletter content to incentivize them), via sign-up sheets at physical events or your store (if applicable), or by offering something of value like an e-book or discount in exchange for an email (classic lead magnet approach).
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• Choose an Email Platform: There are many affordable email marketing services. Mailchimp, for example, has a free tier for small lists (up to a certain number of subscribers). Others like Brevo or MailerLite also have free or low-cost plans. Use these to manage your list and send professional-looking emails easily (they provide templates, scheduling, etc.).
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• Provide Value in Emails: Don’t just email when you want to sell something. Send a regular newsletter or tip.
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• Personalise and Segment: Personalisation can be as simple as using the person’s name in the greeting. Many email tools let you do that easily. Segmentation means dividing your list into groups to send more targeted emails.
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• Automate Drip Campaigns: This sounds fancy, but with email software it’s easy. Set up a series of welcome emails for new subscribers.
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• After that, they just fall into your regular newsletter list. This kind of email sequence warms up a prospect without you manually doing anything each time – it’s all automated once set.
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• Ask for Referrals or Social Shares: Occasionally, you can use email to amplify other cheap strategies. You could email your subscribers asking them to follow your new social media page, or to refer a friend to your service (perhaps in exchange for a discount or entry into a raffle).

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One thing to watch: avoid spamming or over-emailing. Quality over quantity. It’s better that subscribers look forward to your monthly email of really good tips than dread yet another daily sales pitch. The latter will cause unsubscribes or them ignoring you.

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Given that many email tools are free up to a certain point, you can likely manage at no cost until your list grows (which at that stage, the business you get from it should outweigh the small cost). With a good strategy, email marketing can yield conversions at a far lower cost than paid advertising.

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4. Tap into Local Marketing and Google My Business

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If your startup or SME has a local presence (even if it’s just that you operate in a certain city), local marketing is a budget-friendly way to attract nearby customers.

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We discussed Local SEO in the previous blog post, which is part of this, but let’s broaden into overall local marketing tactics:

• Google My Business (Google Business Profile): Ensure you have claimed your profile as mentioned. It’s free and makes you visible on Google Maps and local search. To leverage it fully, post updates on your Google profile (yes, you can post like on social media there – maybe highlight a new product or an upcoming event or a special offer).
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• Local Online Groups: Join community groups on Facebook or Nextdoor (a neighborhood social network) or local subreddits. Engage genuinely – don’t just advertise. If someone asks “Can anyone recommend a good [service you provide]?”, you or a happy customer can chime in.
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• Local Events and Meetups: Look for events where you can have a presence at low cost. This could be community fairs, farmers markets, or industry meetups. Sometimes just a small booth or sponsorship in-kind (like providing something in exchange for mention) can get you visibility.
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• Guerrilla Marketing Tactics: These are unconventional, low-cost tactics to get attention. Maybe you could create eye-catching flyers or stickers and post them around town (check local regulations though). Or chalk your business hashtag on a sidewalk during an event (with permission).
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• Cross-Promotion with Other Local Businesses: Team up with other small businesses in your area that target a similar demographic but aren’t direct competitors. You can swap flyer space at each other’s locations, feature each other in newsletters, or do a joint promotion.
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• Local PR: Local newspapers or radio often love covering stories about new businesses or interesting initiatives in the community. Write a press release or just directly contact a local journalist with your story.

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5. Encourage and Reward Referrals

Word-of-mouth is arguably the most powerful marketing for small businesses – and it’s free (or very low-cost if you incentivize it). Referral marketing means getting your existing customers to bring you new customers, often through some reward.

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Ways to stimulate referrals:

• Formal Referral Program: Set up a program where you give something to customers for each person they refer who becomes a client. This could be a discount on their next purchase, a free month of service, a gift card, or even cash if appropriate.
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• Referral Links or Codes: If you do business online, providing customers with a unique referral link or code makes it easier to track and reward. There are many referral program plugins and tools (some free) that integrate with websites and e-commerce systems.
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• Simply Ask for Referrals: Sometimes, it’s as straightforward as asking your happy customers if they know anyone else who could benefit from your service. You’d be surprised how many are willing but just didn’t think of it.
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• Social Sharing = Referrals: Encourage customers to share about you on their social networks. For instance, after someone purchases, you might send an email: “Thank you for your purchase! We’re a small business and would love if you shared your experience.
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• Excellent Customer Experience: This is more indirect, but by focusing on delivering a wow experience, you naturally generate positive word-of-mouth. If you consistently go above and beyond, customers will talk.
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• Case Study or Referral Request in Newsletter: If you have a newsletter for customers, occasionally include a friendly nudge like “Know someone who could benefit from [what you do]? Forward them this email or introduce us – we’d greatly appreciate it!” Sometimes just planting the thought leads to referrals.

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Tracking referrals helps so you can reward properly and also see how much new business is coming via this channel (often a lot if you nurture it). Even without a formal program, make it a habit to ask satisfied customers if they know anyone else or to encourage them to spread the word.

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Most people are happy to help out a business they like, especially a local or small one, because it also makes them look good (they gave a good recommendation to a friend).

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6. Partner with Complementary Businesses or Influencers

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Partnerships can dramatically expand your reach at little to no cost.

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The idea is to find complementary businesses or influencers who target a similar audience but are not competitors, and collaborate in a way that you both gain exposure to each other’s audience.

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Some approaches:

• Co-marketing with a Complementary Business: Identify businesses that offer products or services that go well with yours. If you’re a wedding photographer, partnering with a wedding florist or a caterer makes sense. If you’re a software developer, partnering with a UX designer or a hardware provider might fit.
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• The partnership should be equitable and beneficial to both parties’ customers. It often provides more value to the customer too (one-stop solutions), making it attractive all around.
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• Influencer Marketing on a Budget: Big influencers (celebrities, mega-followers) charge big money. But micro-influencers (people with smaller, but dedicated followings, say 1k-20k followers) can be more accessible. And often, they have higher engagement rates in their niche.
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• Affiliate Programs: This is somewhat in between referral and influencer marketing. You can set up an affiliate program where bloggers or smaller influencers earn a commission for any sales they drive via a special link. This way, you only pay when a sale is made – a true performance-based cost.
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• Community and Cross-promotional Networks: Sometimes businesses form informal networks to support each other’s marketing.
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• Feature Partners on Your Platforms: A great way to initiate partnerships is to first give. Feature a complementary business or influencer in your content: maybe interview them for your blog or podcast. They will likely share that content since they’re in it, which drives their audience to you. It’s a subtle way of reaching more people.

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Partnerships essentially allow you to “borrow” someone else’s audience that they’ve built, at little cost. And vice versa for them. It’s leveraging synergy: 1 + 1 can equal 3 in marketing reach if done well. Just ensure any partnership is aligned in brand and quality – you want to impress the new audience, not have them turned off.

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7. Optimise Your Website for Conversions (CRO) – Make Every Visit Count

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Driving traffic is one side of the coin; converting that traffic into leads or customers is the other. You don’t want to spend effort getting visitors only for them to leave without taking action.

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‍Conversion Rate Optimisation (CRO) involves making tweaks to your website to encourage visitors to do what you want (sign up, buy, contact, etc.).

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Often, this is low-cost (just changes in text, layout, etc.) but can significantly improve results from existing traffic, effectively giving you more bang for your buck on all other marketing.

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Here are low-cost ways to improve conversions:

• Clear Call-to-Actions (CTAs): Every page on your site should have a clear next step for the visitor. If it’s a product page, a big “Add to Cart” or “Buy Now”. If it’s a service page, a prominent “Request a Free Quote” or “Book a Consultation” button.
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• Simplify Forms: If you have a contact or sign-up form, only ask for essential information. Long forms can scare people off. For example, if your newsletter sign-up asks for name, email, phone, address, company, etc., people will abandon.
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• Add Social Proof: People are more likely to act if they see that others trust and use your business. Include testimonials on key pages (“Jane Doe, CEO of X, increased her sales by 50% with our help”). If you have great reviews on Google or Yelp, showcase a few on your site.
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• Ensure Mobile-Friendliness: We mentioned this in SEO, but it’s critical for conversions too. If a user has to pinch and zoom or things break on mobile, they will leave without converting. Test your entire sign-up or purchase flow on a mobile device.
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• Fast Load Times: Also previously mentioned, but it bears repeating – a 1-second delay in page load can significantly reduce conversions. People are impatient. Use free tools (like Google PageSpeed or GTmetrix) to identify slow elements and fix them.
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• Use Analytics to Refine: Look at your analytics to see where people drop off. If many visitors leave on a certain page, analyse why. Is the content not what they expected? Is there no obvious CTA there? Or is something possibly wrong (like a broken link or confusing info)?
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• A/B Testing Small Changes: If you have a decent amount of traffic, you can do simple A/B tests (some tools have free tiers, or you can manually test by alternating changes weekly). For instance, test two versions of your homepage headline to see which gets people to click “Contact” more.
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By optimising conversions, you’re essentially improving the ROI of all your marketing efforts. For example, if your website conversion rate from visitor to inquiry goes from 2% to 4% through these tweaks, then effectively your marketing is twice as effective – you double the leads with the same spend.

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It’s one of the highest leverage things to do, and mostly just requires careful thought and maybe some web editing (no big ad budgets needed).

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8. Take Advantage of Free Listings and Marketplaces

There are many places online where you can list your business or products for free, giving you extra visibility without cost. Especially for SMEs, these can bring in customers who are searching in those specific channels.

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Some examples:

• Business Directories: Yelp, Yellow Pages, TripAdvisor (if relevant), Angie’s List, etc. Many of these allow free listings. Claim your profile and make sure it’s filled out with accurate info, pictures, and what you offer.
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• Marketplace Websites: If you sell products, consider also listing on places like Facebook Marketplace, Craigslist, Gumtree (UK/IE), or niche marketplaces (Etsy for handmade goods, for instance).
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• Google Shopping Feed: If you run an e-commerce, you can submit your product feed to Google Merchant Center, which powers the Google Shopping results. Getting on Google Shopping (the product carousel that shows up in search) can be free (Google has free listings alongside paid ads now). This can increase your products’ exposure on searches.
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• LinkedIn (for B2B): For B2B startups or freelancers, having a strong LinkedIn profile (both personal and company page) is important. It’s free and essentially a listing of your business in the professional world.
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• Industry-specific Platforms: Almost every industry has some kind of platform or forum. E.g., for app developers, listing on Product Hunt can be huge (and free). For creatives, Behance or Dribbble showcases portfolios.
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• Free Press Release Sites: If you have news, there are free PR distribution websites. They may not have the reach of premium ones, but sometimes they still get picked up or at least give you a bit of SEO presence.
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• Awards/Competitions: Apply for local business awards or startup competitions. Many are free to enter and even if you become a finalist, you get publicity. Winning or even being shortlisted gives you something to brag about in marketing and often comes with media coverage. Plus, award sites list participants (backlinks!).

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Listing your business in more places increases the chances of serendipity – someone stumbles upon you somewhere. It also aids SEO, as many listings link back to your site, creating those citations and backlinks that help with search ranking (just ensure consistency in your NAP and descriptions, as mentioned).

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9. Use Free or Cheap Online Advertising Credits

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While paid advertising is, by definition, not free, many platforms offer free credits or coupons for new advertisers. Also, you can do highly targeted, low-budget campaigns on platforms to test the waters without spending much.

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• Google Ads Credits: Google often offers a deal like “Spend €25, get €100 credit” for new ad accounts. If you’ve never used Google Ads, taking advantage of this can allow you to run a search campaign effectively for €125 worth while only paying €25.
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• Facebook/Instagram Promo Credits: Similarly, Facebook has been known to give out €10-€50 ad credits for new advertisers or to boost a post. Keep an eye on your Facebook Ads account or emails from them.
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• Other Platforms: Occasionally, platforms like Twitter, LinkedIn, Bing, or Yelp also have coupons to lure advertisers. For example, Bing Ads (Microsoft Advertising) sometimes has similar offers to Google since they’re less used. If your demographic might use Bing (some older or more professional segments do), it could be worth a shot with a free credit.
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• Low Daily Budgets: Even without credits, you can experiment with as little as €5 a day on Facebook or Google. That’s about €150 a month. If you target carefully (e.g., only your town, specific times of day, specific demographics), that small budget can go a long way. Always start with small tests, see if it yields inquiries or sales, and then decide if it’s worth scaling up.
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• Retargeting (cheap and effective): One of the best uses of a small ad budget is retargeting – showing ads to people who have already visited your site or engaged with your social media. These people are familiar with you, so they’re more likely to convert than cold audiences.
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• Track and Refine: If you do use any paid advertising, even with free credits, track what happens (most platforms have conversion tracking). That way you can see if your €0 (or very low budget) experiment yielded sign-ups or sales. If so, it might justify allocating a bit more budget there. If not, you learned without spending much, and can pivot to other strategies.

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By carefully using these promos and budget strategies, you can get the taste of paid advertising’s benefits without a significant spend – essentially getting some extra marketing for free or nearly free.

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10. Engage in Online Communities & Forums

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Sometimes the best way to market is to help people in the right communities.

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By being active where your potential customers ask questions, you build a reputation and often end up getting business referrals from it, all at the cost of your time.

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• Forums and Q&A Sites: Find forums related to your industry or your customers’ interests. For example, if you run a gardening business, a forum like GardenWeb or subreddits like r/gardening are places people ask for advice. By answering questions thoughtfully (and mentioning your expertise or linking to a helpful article on your site when appropriate), you become known.
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• Facebook Groups/LinkedIn Groups: Join groups that your target audience might be in. If you sell baby products, join parenting groups. If you offer startup consulting, join entrepreneur groups. Contribute to discussions. When someone posts “I’m struggling with X,” you can give a quick tip or solution. Many groups discourage self-promotion, but if you’re genuinely helping and only occasionally say “If you need more help, feel free to message me,” it’s usually fine.
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• Your Own Community: Consider starting a community around your niche if one doesn’t exist, perhaps a Facebook Group or Slack community. For example, a local fitness coach could start a “Healthy Living [CityName]”
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• Answer as the Expert in HARO/Forums: We mentioned HARO (Help a Reporter Out) earlier as a PR tool, but even on platforms like Reddit, there are “Ask Me Anything (AMA)” threads you could do if you have a compelling story or expertise.
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• Be Genuine and Give Value First: The overarching principle – don’t join communities just to spam links. People hate that and it’ll likely get you banned. Instead, focus on being genuinely helpful. Over time, this builds goodwill and a reputation. As we know, people like to do business with those they know, like, and trust.

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Conclusion: Making the Most of a Modest Marketing Budget

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Having a limited budget is actually a blessing in disguise for many startups and SMEs – it forces you to be innovative, targeted, and to truly connect with customers.

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The strategies above demonstrate that with creativity and consistent effort, you can achieve a lot without spending a lot. In summary:

• Focus on organic growth and virality through content, social media, referrals, and partnerships.
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• Use free tools and platforms available – from Google My Business to email marketing services.
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• Make sure your website and customer experience are optimised to convert the increased attention you’ll be getting (so none of your efforts are wasted).
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• Track what works and what doesn’t, so you can double down on the effective tactics and drop the duds, ensuring every bit of effort yields maximum return.

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Importantly, these low-budget strategies often build a strong foundation for long-term success. You’re not just buying short-term visibility; you’re cultivating genuine relationships, community goodwill, and organic presence that will continue to pay dividends.

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As your business grows and you eventually have more funds to allocate to marketing, the groundwork you’ve laid with these tactics will amplify those paid efforts. You’ll have a loyal customer base to advocate for you, a robust online footprint, and the agility in marketing that many big firms envy.

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So, roll up your sleeves and start applying these tactics. Marketing can be one of the most fun and rewarding parts of growing your business – especially when you see the results rolling in from something as simple as a clever social post or a heartfelt customer referral.