3 Free Marketing Channels Small Businesses Are Still Underusing

You do not need a bigger marketing budget to start creating more visibility, trust, and better conversations.

A lot of small business owners assume better marketing means spending more money.

More ads.

Another agency.

Another platform.

Another monthly subscription.

But there are still simple marketing channels available to almost every business that cost little more than your time and some consistency.

In this episode of Bomb Ideas, Chris Inman of I.D.E.A. Cleveland and Brian Butkowski of Bomb Image break down three of them:

Social media. Customer reviews. Blogging.

Why These Three?

None of these are magic.

And you do not necessarily need to start doing all three tomorrow.

The value comes from understanding the job each one can do for your business.

Social Media: Stay Visible and Start Conversations

Your customers and prospects are already spending time online.

The goal is not simply to post more.

Use social media to share useful ideas, answer questions, talk about conversations you're having with customers, and stay visible to the people you eventually want to do business with.

A simple photo, short video, observation or useful answer can become another touchpoint with someone who may not be ready to call you today.

Customer Reviews: Build Trust Before Someone Contacts You

Think about the last time you picked a restaurant, contractor or service provider.

There's a good chance you checked the reviews.

Your prospects do the same thing.

Reviews give potential customers proof that other people have trusted your company and had a good experience.

And one of the easiest ways to get more reviews is also one of the most overlooked:

Ask.

Add a review link to an invoice, follow-up email or customer communication and make it easy for happy customers to share their experience.

Blogging: Answer Questions Your Prospects Already Have

A blog does not need to be a 2,000-word essay.

Start with the questions customers ask you all the time.

If one customer is asking it, chances are other prospects are wondering the same thing.

Turn that answer into a short article.

Explain the problem.

Share what someone should know.

Help them make a better decision.

That content can continue educating prospects long after you publish it.

The Bigger Marketing Lesson

The point of this video isn't that every business needs social media, reviews and a weekly blog.

The bigger question is:

What do you need your marketing to do?

Help someone discover you?

Help them understand a problem?

Answer questions before a sales meeting?

Give them a reason to trust you?

The tactic should have a job.

When your marketing does that job well, the eventual sales conversation gets a lot easier.

Want Help Building a Marketing Strategy Around Better Conversations?

If you're doing marketing but aren't seeing enough inbound opportunities — or you're unsure how all your different marketing activities are supposed to work together — let's talk.

We'll look at what you're currently doing, where the gaps are, and what the next practical step should be.

[Schedule a Complimentary Marketing Strategy Session]