5 Non Social Media Marketing Strategies That Work
It's no secret that the typical small business owner's go-to marketing strategy is social media. Social media is free, easy to use, and offers creatives the chance to get in front of their ideal client almost instantly. While it's a powerful tool for marketing, social media isn't for everyone. In fact, it may even be intimidating or too time consuming for some.
What if I told you that there are effective ways to market your business without relying on social media platforms? Friend, it's true! Non social media marketing strategies exist, and they can be just as impactful, if not more, in reaching your ideal client—no pesky algorithm required. Let's explore 5 non social media marketing strategies that you can implement in your own business.
Can you run a business without social media?
I know what you might be thinking...how on earth can you run a successful business without having a strong social media presence? First, consider your goals. Do you only need 4 high-paying clients each month to get booked out? If your answer is yes, then you don't necessarily need to get in front of thousands of people daily on social media.
Take the early days of Bud to Bloom Marketing for example. Since I could only manage a handful of clients each month, I didn't even have social media for my own business until a few years in. My clients came from primarily referrals, with a few Facebook group clients mixed in. It wasn't until I focused on community building and scaling that I created my social media accounts.
The short answer is yes, you can run a business without social media. It comes down to being consistent and selecting marketing strategies that work for you and align with your ideal client. You may or may not reach as many people as you could on social media, but the quality of your leads may be higher. This is why it's so important to track your efforts and metrics month-to-month, so you recognize what's working and what isn't.
Non Social Media Marketing Strategies
1. Blogging and SEO (Search Engine Optimization)
Blogging is a wonderful way to showcase your knowledge, provide value for your community in a digestible manner, and improve your SEO, aka, how you rank on search engines like Google.
By consistently creating high-quality, relevant content that addresses your audience's pain points and interests, you can attract organic traffic to your website. You can also link within blog posts to your freebies and offers, which helps grow your email list and boost sales.
Blogging and SEO go hand-in-hand. Pair your blogging efforts with SEO strategies such as keyword research, on-page optimization, and link building to boost your rankings on search engines. This means more organic traffic straight to your website! If you'd like to learn more about SEO from an expert, my friend Maggie from Hilltop Help has tons of free value on her Instagram. Click here to follow her!
2. Pinterest Marketing
Pinterest is not a social media platform; it's a search engine. If you've ever used Pinterest before, you know you type in keywords into the search field and browse through visually appealing pins on the topic. With over 400 million monthly active users, Pinterest offers massive potential for businesses to showcase their products or services.
One key feature of Pinterest is it actually WANTS users to leave the site. The goal of Pinterest is for users to discover what they're looking for, and click off to that website to learn more. By harnessing the power of Pinterest marketing, you'll drive your ideal clients straight to your website.
Create eye-catching graphics and optimize your pin descriptions with relevant keywords to get your content found. You can pin anything with a URL—Instagram posts, TikToks, products or services, lead magnets, and my favorite, blog posts.
3. In-person Networking and Community Events
Don't underestimate the power of good, old-fashioned networking! In this digital world, it's easy to forget that connecting with others face-to-face is still so important. There may be a local chamber of commerce or coworking space you could join. Perhaps there's already an entrepreneur meet-up in your town, or you could create your own!
Attending in-person events is a powerful way to establish meaningful connections that could turn into friendships, paid opportunities, or collaborations. Most importantly, connecting with other small business owners in person will help you to feel less alone.
4. Word of Mouth and Referrals
Do your clients and customers love working with you? Of course they do! Word of mouth is powerful. Think about it, before purchasing something, do you read the reviews? If a friend tells you about a product they just bought that they love, are you more likely to buy it? That's because as humans, we trust what others have to say.
Encourage satisfied customers to spread the word about your business. Provide some sort of incentive for the referral—money off their next month of services, a gift card to a local coffee shop, etc. This gets your most loyal customers involved, and it allows you to reward that loyalty. Building a strong reputation via word of mouth and referrals can significantly impact your business's success.
5. Podcast and Media Pitching
Do you love to speak? Podcast pitching may be the best route for you! Podcasts have become incredibly popular over the past few years, and they provide a unique marketing opportunity for business owners. They allow you to turn cold leads into hot leads quickly by providing free value. You're able to get in front of other people's audiences easily and serve them.
If you don't want to start your own podcast, pitching yourself as a guest on podcasts that your ideal clients tune into is a powerful way to expand your reach and establish credibility within your industry. In your pitch, focus on the value that you can provide the host's audience. At the end of the episode, hosts typically allow you to promote yourself. If you need any help with starting your own podcast or pitching to other shows, give my friend Elisa from ZealCast Studios a follow here!
How to Start Marketing without Social Media
Are you feeling lit up about these non social media marketing strategies? It's my hope that you feel empowered to market your business and expanded your knowledge on what marketing really means, because it surely isn't just social media.
By implementing one or more of these non social media marketing strategies, you can effectively market your business without relying on social media (or the algorithm). The key is to understand your ideal client, choose the right avenue(s) for you, and consistently deliver value.
Feeling like you need some additional support in developing your marketing strategy? Click here to book a 60-minute strategy session with me, and we can dive into it together!
