Low investment marketing tactics for small businesses

Figuring out what to do next, or even how to start marketing your business can be overwhelming. In this article I’ve put together some of the places I recommend putting in a little bit of your time, and how to keep up with best practices and controlling spending as you develop your skills.

Local SEO

SEO stands for “Search Engine Optimisation”, it encompasses anything that you can do to show up on search engines.

Nearly half of all searches (46%) have local intent, meaning people are actively looking for businesses nearby (Semrush). Even more importantly, 80% of mobile searches with local intent lead to a conversion, such as a call, visit, or purchase (SearchEngineWatch). This makes local SEO one of the most cost-effective ways to attract customers who are ready to take action.

You don’t need a website to show up in google searches, but there are a couple things that you need to do. While exact figures fluctuate, Google consistently holds the vast majority of the UK search engine market share. Statcounter often shows Google’s share above 90%, so Google is a good place to start your SEO efforts. Here are some things you can do:

• Google business profile - 83% of consumers use Google to find local business reviews (Local Consumer Review Survey, 2025). Encourage customers to leave reviews, you can also add these to your website. impact
• Online Listings and Directories - Directories account for 31% of first page local search results (Brightlocal, 2025). Making sure your business is listed on free platforms like Yelp, Bing, or local directories gives you a better chance of being seen by potential customers. You can find other relevant directories by searching for your services on google and choosing the top listings.
• Keep your profiles up-to-date to attract leads - Uploading photos, and regular updates is a good way to feed Google fresh content, and build your brand’s authority.

Content marketing

Content marketing can be a quick task with substantial returns, as long as you have a good strategy. It might feel slow to take effect at first, but as your engaged audience grows, you’ll be able to promote your products in ways that paid ads and other channels can’t replicate.

For small teams who don’t have the time to write blog posts, or the money to pay someone else to, I recommend creating social media content instead.

Set up your camera and tell a story or show part of your work process. Your content can teach something, entertain, or just show your personality. If you’re stuck, think of it like chatting to your hairdresser - the relationship is what keeps people coming back.

Some quick ideas could be:

• “A day in the life”
• Video customer testimonials
• FAQs about your product
• Talking about something you have a genuine interest in while showcasing your work (works best for personal brands)

As you build your content strategy, you could approach local businesses with strong content and suggest a joint campaign. This approach isn’t just for big brands.

Tips for saving time on your content marketing

• Stick to one platform - focus on growing on one platform, you can always copy the posts to other platforms, but you should focus on wherever you are willing to spend more time growing a community.
• Post consistently using scheduling tools - there are plenty of free options.
• Join niche groups or communities - Don’t repost your content, join the discussions and people will visit your page themselves.
• Repost and share content in your niche - you can add your own perspective on something, or even just share things that you think would be helpful for your audience.

Brand strategy

Your business has a name, maybe a logo, possibly even a colour pallet that you use. But how does your branding shine through when you talk to customers or do your day-to-day work?

Writing down how your brand should behave takes the guesswork out of marketing. Don’t worry about getting it perfect - your brand will evolve as you grow.

Branding might feel like a pointless exercise, but it helps you stay consistent - even when you’re doing everything yourself. That consistency builds trust. People learn to recognise your tone, values, and what to expect from you (Forbes).

To start:

• Give an example of a brand voice guide (e.g., “We speak in a friendly, expert tone. No jargon, always solution-focused.
• If you’re on your own don’t overcomplicate branding, instead start with simple guidelines and develop your brand as you grow.

Offer something for free

Offering something for free can be an effective way to attract new customers and build goodwill for your brand. You might not be able to give away your core product or service, but there are often creative ways to provide value without hitting your bottom line.

• Taster service - a quick consultation or trial version can build trust and interest.
• Referal or loyalty programmes - bring in new leads and encourage existing customers to advocate for your brand.
• Content marketing - as mentioned earlier, content is an amazing marketing tactic as it helps your audience and positions you as an expert in your field.

Networking or collaboration

It can be easy to assume that it is you vs. the world when running your own business, but the reality is that you are in the same boat as everyone else, so why not work together?

Building relationships with people in your niche online can be helpful, so don’t be too quick to dismiss a conversation online.

Read the following examples and think of a business that could benefit from your product:

• Can your products or services patch holes in another local business?
• Maybe you’re a baker and a local freelancer is trying to make their event more enticing, could you offer discounted baked goods?
• Maybe you offer car valeting services and a local office is looking to enhance their perks package.

Keep track of your progress

Once you’ve put time into building a strategy and trying out tactics, track what’s working. Otherwise, you’re guessing.

Set a few clear marketing goals. For example:

• increase local website traffic
• get more enquiries through your contact form
• get better engagement on your social posts.

Use simple tools like Google Analytics, Meta Business suite (For facebook and Instagram) or your sales stats to measure how your efforts are performing. Keep track of what’s improving and what’s flatlining. Don’t try to track everything. Focus on a handful of metrics that link directly to your goals.

Want a breakdown of how to track your marketing performance, what to measure, and which tools to use?

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