Finding Affordable Marketing: A Guide for New Entrepreneurs

Essential Marketing Tactics for Entrepreneurs

As a business owner, I get cold-pitched various tactics every day. Just deleting the emails and LinkedIn messages feels like a daily chore. 

The reality is you don’t need to do everything you get pitched. In fact, you likely don’t need to do 90% of it. I’ve seen business owners experience significant impact from just effectively executing the essentials.

Wonder what those essentials are? Check out my guide on Minimum Viable Marketing.

In this guide, we’ll explore some of the essential tactics that most entrepreneurs will benefit from and that you can execute without a lot of cost.

Content Marketing

Content marketing is essential for young businesses looking to attract and engage their target audience on a budget. Here are some effective strategies to get you started:

Start a Blog

Creating a blog is one of the best ways to share valuable information with your audience and establish your expertise. Follow these steps:

• Identify Pain Points: Write informative articles that address common challenges and questions your target audience faces.
• Choose Platforms: Most entrepreneurs will host on their website using platforms like WordPress or Webflow. But some use secondary platforms like Medium, SubStack or LinkedIn to host their blog.
• Consistency: Post regularly to keep your audience engaged and returning for more.

Guest Blogging

Collaborating with established blogs in your niche can significantly boost your visibility and drive traffic to your site. Here’s how to do it:

• Research Blogs: Identify popular blogs in your industry that accept guest contributions.
• Pitch Your Ideas: Reach out with well-thought-out pitches that align with the blog’s content and audience.
• Provide Value: Write high-quality, informative posts that add value to the host blog’s readers while subtly promoting your own brand.

Repurpose Content

Maximize the reach and impact of your content by repurposing it into various formats. Here are a few ideas:

• Video Content: Turn blog posts into engaging videos and share them on platforms like YouTube or social media.
• Infographics: Convert complex articles into visually appealing infographics to make the information more digestible and shareable.
• Social Media Posts: Break down your blog content into bite-sized pieces for social media, driving traffic back to your blog.

Implementing these content marketing strategies will help you effectively attract and engage your target audience while staying within a limited budget.

You may be wondering, “Can I just have ChatGPT write all my content for me?” 

You can, but it will impact your ROI. 

Using AI can dramatically increase your writing speed, but I would like to think of it using the Pareto Principle. Leverage AI to write a first draft and then adapt about 20% to make the content personal and truly valuable to your ideal customer. 

Regurgitated AI content will not sustainably grow your business. However, high-quality content that helps people solve a real problem will pay long-term dividends.

Email Marketing

Email marketing is a powerful and cost-effective way to nurture relationships with potential clients and keep your current audience engaged. 

Here’s how you can make the most of it:

Build an Email List

An engaged email list is the foundation of effective email marketing. Here’s how to build one:

• Sign-Up Forms: Place sign-up forms prominently on your website to capture visitor information.
• Offer Incentives: Encourage visitors to join your list by offering incentives such as free eBooks, discounts, or exclusive content.

Regular Newsletters

Consistent communication keeps your audience informed and engaged. Follow these tips for effective newsletters:

• Frequency: Send newsletters weekly or bi-weekly to maintain regular contact without overwhelming your subscribers.
• Valuable Content: Your newsletters should include a mix of valuable content, updates, and special offers. Ensure they are informative and engaging.
• Tools: Utilize email marketing tools like Mailchimp or our Marketing OS to design, send, and track your newsletters effortlessly.

Personalize Messages

Personalization increases the relevance and impact of your emails. Here’s how to do it:

• Segment Your List: Divide your email list into segments based on user behavior and preferences.
• Targeted Messages: Send tailored messages to each segment to address their specific interests and needs. This could include personalized recommendations, birthday greetings, or follow-ups based on past interactions.
• Leverage Automation: Keeping up with email can be exhausting when launching or running a business. Automation can nurture and convert your leads while you sleep. That’s why our BrandPacks come with intentionally designed automations to help you grow your business.

Implementing these email marketing strategies can help you nurture leads effectively, build strong relationships, and drive conversions while staying within your budget.

Networking and Partnerships

Building solid connections through networking and partnerships can significantly boost your business's visibility and growth. Here’s how to leverage these strategies effectively:

Attend Local Events

Engaging with the local business community can open doors to new opportunities. Follow these steps:

• Find Events: Look for business meetups, workshops, and networking events in your area.
• Participate Actively: Make the most of these events by actively participating, engaging in conversations, and exchanging contact information.
• Follow-Up: After the event, follow up with the people you met to nurture these new relationships.

I’ve seen a lot of success through a local BNI chapter. It’s not cheap, but in my experience, it pays for itself. Chambers and industry-specific groups tend to be free or low-cost. 

Collaborate with Other Businesses

Partnering with complementary businesses can mutually benefit both parties. Here’s how to approach it:

• Identify Potential Partners: Look for businesses that complement yours and share a similar target audience.
• Propose Collaborations: Reach out with proposals for co-hosted webinars, joint promotions, or referral programs.
• Execute Joint Efforts: Work together on these initiatives to expand your reach and offer more value to your customers.

By attending local events and collaborating with other businesses, you can create valuable connections that help your business grow, all while keeping costs low.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Effective SEO is essential for making your business discoverable online. Here are some strategies to optimize your website and boost its search engine rankings:

Optimize Your Website

A well-optimized website enhances user experience and improves your search engine rankings. Follow these best practices:

• Mobile-Friendly: Ensure your website is responsive and functions well on mobile devices.
• Fast-Loading: Optimize images, use caching, and minimize code to improve loading speeds.
• Easy Navigation: Design a user-friendly layout with clear menus and intuitive navigation.
• Keyword Usage: Integrate relevant keywords into your content, meta descriptions, and image alt texts to improve search visibility.

Personally I’ve used a tool KeySearch for a few years because it is affordable but allows me to research, save and track keywords effectively. 

Create High-Quality Backlinks

Backlinks from reputable sites signal to search engines that your content is valuable. Here’s how to build them:

• Outreach to Influencers: Contact industry influencers and bloggers to ask them to link back to your site through mentions or features.
• Guest Posting: Write guest posts for authoritative blogs in your niche, including links back to your site.
• Content Collaborations: Collaborate with others on content projects, such as joint articles or research, that include backlinks to your site.

Implementing these SEO strategies will help increase your website's visibility, attract more visitors, and ultimately drive more conversions, all without incurring significant costs.

Be cautious about paying an SEO Expert. I’ve sat in on conference calls with many entrepreneurs and their experts to help unpack what is and, most often, what isn’t being done. Sadly, there is a lot of snake oil being sold here, and it makes me mad thinking about all the small business owners who have been taken advantage of.

Leverage Free Tools and Resources

Utilizing free tools and resources can help you execute high-quality marketing strategies without straining your budget. Here are some essential tools to consider:

Design Tools

Creating appealing visuals is critical to effective marketing. Here’s how to do it affordably:

• Canva: Use Canva, a user-friendly design tool, to create graphics and visuals for your marketing materials. It offers a wide range of templates for social media posts, presentations, infographics, and more. Even with its free version, you can produce professional-looking designs that enhance your brand’s visual appeal.

Analytics

Understanding your audience and measuring the performance of your marketing efforts is crucial for continuous improvement. Here’s how to leverage analytics:

• Google Analytics: Utilize Google Analytics to track your website traffic and gain insights into user behavior. This powerful tool helps you understand where your visitors are coming from, which pages they visit, and how long they stay. Use these insights to adjust your marketing strategies and optimize your website for better performance.
• Google Search Console: Use Google Search Console to monitor your website’s presence in Google search results. This tool provides valuable data on how often your site appears in searches, which keywords drive traffic, and any issues affecting your site’s visibility. By addressing these insights, you can improve your SEO and increase organic traffic.

By leveraging these free tools and resources, you can create high-quality marketing materials and make data-driven decisions to enhance your business growth, all while keeping costs down.

Introducing the BrandPack: Your All-in-One Marketing Solution

To make your marketing journey even smoother, we’ve put together the BrandPack—a comprehensive kit with everything you need to market your business right from the start.

Here’s the backstory.

A few months ago, I met Fernando. I asked him what he did, and he answered, “I’m starting a handyman business.” Together, we refined a one-liner: "We turn your endless weekend to-do lists into DONE lists, giving you back your Saturdays to enjoy life."

But Fernando needed more than a punchy one-liner; he needed a complete marketing package—strategy, website, email campaigns—the works, all on a start-up budget.

I knew Fernando wasn’t alone. 

As an entrepreneur myself, I know how overwhelming the multitude of tasks involved in starting a business can be. I knew there were so many other early-stage entrepreneurs who needed significant marketing but didn’t yet have the budget for it.

This challenge sparked an idea that I couldn't shake off: How can I offer massive value at a fraction of the cost?

And that’s how the idea of BrandPacks was born.

Why the BrandPack is Perfect for Entrepreneurs:

• Ready-to-Use Materials: Everything you need to market your business effectively right out of the gate.
• Cost-Effective: The BrandPack usually pays for itself with the first 1-2 customers, making it a smart investment.
• Scalable: As your business grows, you can always level up and expand your marketing efforts.

Leveraging a BrandPack means you don’t have to wait to have:

• A calendar full of bookings
• Lead converting offers
• Emails that sell
• Visibility to all your estimates and invoices
• Clarity about the next step for each lead and customer

By focusing on these essential, economical marketing tactics and leveraging the power of the BrandPack, you can effectively launch and grow your new business without a hefty budget. Start small, stay consistent, and watch your business thrive!

If you’re ready to get all the marketing you need in one pack, find the BrandPack that’s right for you. And if you’re interested in the BrandPack Pilot Program, schedule a BrandPack Pilot Program Interest Session.