7 Underutilized Small Business Marketing Ideas

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Most of us are familiar with the basics of marketing your small business online. You have social media marketing, search engine optimization, and paid ads in various forms and formats.

However, many small business owners find themselves facing tough competition and unsympathetic algorithms on social media and search engines. As a result, their results are less than stellar, and they need to think outside the proverbial box.

Hopefully this list will help some small business owners to get ahead.

7 Underutilized small business marketing ideas:

1. Create a referral program:

This one is not do-able for everyone. In many instances, it is impossible to track the results of individual referrers, especially when you sell low ticket items – unless you run an e-commerce store.

(there are plugins and add-ons available that facilitate tracking referrals for most e-com platforms)

But, if you sell a smaller range of products or services, starting your own referral program may just turn your marketing around.

When you compensate people for bringing you clients or customers, you make the profit first, and pay the marketing costs afterwards – which is perfect for cash-strapped businesses.

Fair enough, it is not as predictable as doing your own organic or paid marketing, but there is no up front costs. The only thing you have to ensure is that your affiliates don’t use exaggerated or false promises to lure buyers.

2. Go live:

Live video streaming is the new way to build credibility. Shorter videos can be faked using AI, but longer videos are harder to fake convincingly.

You can simply be a guest on a podcast, or do your own live stream. You can hold a “workshop” where you teach people things. You can – unless it is risky for your profession – do an “ask me anything” live session.

Showing up in public let’s people know you are real, and not just someone trying to operate “under the radar”. It allows you to showcase your expertise, answer common questions, and clarify misconceptions.

3. Collaborate with related but non-competing businesses:

There are numerous ways to collaborate with other businesses which do not compete with you, but in fact compliments yours. Think about the person making wedding dresses, who collaborates with a photographer. Or the mechanic who collaborates with a workshop that fits tires, shocks and exhaust systems.

You can collaborate by simply referring customers or clients to each other, or by doing the odd ad exchange on social media, or you can collaborate in doing a fundraiser for a local cause.

You could even have an agreement with other business owners to be compensated for business they send your way, if you are unable to send them enough business in return.

4. Run a loyalty rewards program:

This model has been proven to work across different industries and business models. A client or customer receives a loyalty reward in return for repeated spending at your business.

The concept is old, but it works. Most of us have some or other rewards card in our wallets. But you don’t need to have loyalty cards with magnetic readers and software in order to do it either.

Back in 1997, a restaurant owner I know tried to increase his lunchtime trade. He started talking to his customers who came there from business lunches, and made them an offer:

For every ten meals with three or more people at the table, the participant could bring their family for a free meal, with a few drinks included.

Back then, the owner simply wrote everything down in a book.

The corporate lunches were tax-deductible, which, combined with the free family meals, meant that participants scored both ways.

Within a month, his lunch time trade exploded.

5. Hold a contest:

This one can be applied across a wide range of industries. And not every prize has to be huge.

In fact, if you work with B2B clients, you can even offer your expertise as a prize.

A number of years ago, a grilled chicken take away shop held a competition. The prize wasn’t huge – they just offered a few family meals.

However, the contest was one for kids’ drawings, divided into different age groups. Drawings were displayed on the shop walls for everyone to see.

Today, you can share photos or scans of those drawings on social media. The parents and families of those kids will share their pics, and you can reach a solid number of people in a very short time. And as long as the details of the competition and your business are included in every drawing post you put out, every share has the potential to bring people back to you.

The aim is to do something which will encourage people to share it on social media.

6. B2B and high ticket outreach with a personal video:

This is aimed at businesses selling high ticket items, and services. Think in terms of selling new vehicles, business services, or anything that has a lifetime customer value of more than say, $500 – or anything which warrants a face to face meeting.

When you want to book an appointment with a prospective client or customer, don’t just send an email, DM or a Whatsapp. record a short, personalized video clip in which you tell them who you are, and what benefit you would like to share with them.

The mere fact that you took the time to create and send a video, especially in a day and age where more and more people use automated messaging, will let you stand out from the rest, and improve response rates.

7. Start a Tiktok shop:

If you are located in the US, UK and one of a few eastern countries, you are eligible to start a Tiktok shop. But, you may ask, what is so wonderful about having a Tiktok shop?

Well, on Tiktok you can offer commissions to anyone that promotes your products. Content creators on the platform link your products to new, related videos they create, which sends potential buyers to your Tiktok shop.

When you sell something, they are paid a commission. There is no cost for setting up a Tiktok shop, so just like the case of your own referral program, you only pay after a sale has been made.

Aside from the time you put into it, there is no risk in terms of advertising costs.