Marketing for small business is challenging – especially when you’re short on budget, time, and experience. Effective local marketing tactics don’t have to be expensive though. Here are some high-impact, low-cost marketing ideas for local businesses.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile
Everyone knows that Google Business Profile can make or break local business. Not only do you need to fill it out in full, but you also need to keep up with reviews. Try a few of these ideas to optimize GBP –
- Add keyword rich business descriptions but don’t stuff it with keywords. Start with keywords like primary service + location and then work your way out to different synonyms and terms your customer might use to find you in search
- Google loves reviews – ask your happy customers to rate you. Not only is your total star rating important (anything under 4.5 is a problem) but also focus on volume and velocity. Volume and recency matter just as much as the star count, helping you drive better rankings in local packs.
- Post weekly Google Updates just like you would on Facebook or other social media. Proactive companies will improve engagement signals that Google uses for rankings
- Keep your photos fresh and geo-tag them. Google will read the metadata on the image which could help with local ranking signals
Partner with Other Local Businesses
Local businesses should love other local business – it’s tough being a small business owner so find like-minded companies to cross-promote via social, email, and other channels. Local business partnership ideas include –
- Offer joint discounts or bundle deals. For example, a company selling homemade cookies might partner with a food truck to sell their items. In return, the cookie company might offer discounts and promote their cookies at the food trucks next location.
- Run a joint giveaway with comparable businesses via social media and email. This idea lets you split the cost of the giveaway while reaching customers who need your products or services.
- Share your space. If you own a local coffee shop, host an event where a local bakery can have a tasting of their goods. Free samples are great for the coffee shop and the local bakery gets a low cost venue to get their name out.
Repurpose Reviews and Testimonials
Build trust across all your marketing channels by using your 5-star reviews everywhere. It’s no secret that prospective customers want to see how great you are before they try the business so make sure to show greatness everywhere.
- Put a placard at your POS showing one or two great reviews (and encourage customers to leave new reviews). Better yet, create a “Wall of Love” in your store where customers can see how you’ve impacted the community
- Pictures speak a thousand words but videos speak a million. Find loyal customers who are willing to take their written reviews onto the big screen with short clips for Instagram Reels, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts.
You don’t need a big budget to make an impact. Test one or two of these ideas each month and measure the overall lift in sales, social engagement, and micro-conversions to see if you build brand and sales affordably. Like a good diet, consistency is king – results take time, but they’ll come if you keep showing up.
These free marketing ideas for local small businesses are proven to drive growth without draining your budget. Start small, stay consistent, and give your community a reason to keep supporting your small business. Want faster results? Try Robert Drumm’s Custom Local Advertising Plans to grow your business with a strategy tailored to your market.