Marketing at No Cost to You

December 1, 2021

Everyone needs to market, but not everyone has a big budget for it. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could do some marketing at no cost to you? Well you can! And social media is the way to do that. Each social media platform is important, and each has its own language. In this post, we’ll take a look at the Big Three—Facebook, Instagram, and Email. Though each platform is different, the same rule applies to all: Consistency is key.

(Quick Note: Some marketers consider Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to be the Big Three. While we do think it’s beneficial to register for a Twitter account under your business name to “claim your real estate,” we don’t ask people in our industry to focus on it. Twitter doesn’t convert well for sales. That said- you can always post duplicate content on it from Facebook, just to keep it active.)

Facebook

Facebook was built for community. This platform allows you to post photos, videos, and text statuses. You can also interact with others’ comments and posts.

Although some people use hashtags on Facebook, they aren’t something we recommend bothering with. Tagging and mentioning people can be a good strategy, though, as long as you know the person or business doesn’t mind.

People on Facebook tend to be looking for updates on business hours, sales, new products, and behind-the-scenes information. Picture and video posts get more recognition than text posts. Facebook wants to catch people’s attention with things that are visually appealing. To get an idea of what an active Facebook Business Page looks like, check out our page here.

Instagram

Instagram was built more for its aesthetic appeal. When Baby Boomers joined Facebook, Millennials shifted to Instagram. (Annie Beth popping in here to say, “Hey! What about Gen X?”)

This platform allows you to post photos and one-minute videos to your feed. Its Instagram TV feature enables you to share longer videos on their own or in a series format.

Hashtags are important here. They work as a search directory, allowing people who do not follow you to find posts they are interested in and perhaps discover and follow your page.

Instagram is a great place to share tutorials and plant information. You will want to share aesthetically pleasing images of your products, your team, and any sales or giveaways you are hosting on this platform.

Email

Email is the longest-standing of the Big Three platforms, and it allows businesses to have a different type of communication with their customers.

Through email, you can expand on information you want to share. You can also share multiple links to specific products, blog posts, social media pages, and really have a conversation with your customers. Email is more personal than any other social media platform.

Emails are very text-heavy, but including eye-catching photos and well-designed graphics can set your emails apart. Emails are a great place to share updates that affect your customers, to advertise deals, and to highlight new or classic products.

Your email list is your most valuable platform for two reasons:

Besides your website, it is the only platform you “own.” You have no control over Facebook or Instagram algorithms, but your email gets sent to every valid address on your list. (Unless it goes to spam- but we can talk about how to avoid that next week.)
Your email subscribers are your biggest fans. They didn’t just click a “follow” button. They had to actually give you their contact information.

If you are still emailing people by creating a “group” in your regular email server, now is the time to make a switch. You need to sign up for a free account with an email management service.

Some of our favorites for free or beginner accounts:

Mailchimp
AWeber
MailerLite

We hope these tips help! If you have any questions, feel free to pop on over to our Facebook page and send us a message. We’d be happy to send you more information on marketing at no cost to you!