15 DIY Marketing Ideas

by Laura Pilcher, MBA, Pilcher Creative Agency President & Founder

Are you struggling with a way to market your business? It is typical for startups and businesses in their first year or so to struggle with a marketing budget. There are many ways to get your business name out that are relatively low in cost and sometimes even completely free.

We’ve compiled a comprehensive list to help you get started:

1. Email marketing through Mailchimp.com

2. Get listed on Yelp, Google Places, Yahoo Small Business, and many other online directories.

3. Put your client testimonials on your website and social media pages.

4. Write a blog and ask others in your industry to share it.

5. Visit networking groups in your area and select one to be a permanent part of.

6. Reach out to online industry groups through LinkedIn and other social media sites.

7. Offer your services at low cost to nonprofits.

8. Google AdWords offers a small budget to help you get started with online advertising through Google.

9. Create a business page on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+. Consider having a Pinterest and Instagram account as well if it is relevant to your industry. Update your pages with new posts several times a day.

10. Offer incentives for referrals.

11. Start a blog for your business and blog every week.

12. Run a Facebook contest through woobox.com

13. Create a partnership with someone relevant to your industry that can send you referrals on a regular basis.

14. Write press releases and submit them through PRLog.org

15. Get creative with affiliate marketing on your website.