Tips for marketing a business on a budget.

Updated June 2026

Marketing a business is challenging, especially if you are just starting out or are a small business on a tight budget. But with the right strategies and tactics, you can promote your business and connect with potential customers without spending a fortune. Attracting customers doesn't necessarily require costly advertising campaigns or huge marketing investments. Here are some proven tips to reach your target audience and increase your brand's visibility without straining your finances.

Sponsor a local event or festival.

Sponsorships are a great way to get your name out there, generate positive community sentiment, and increase sales. And since there are plenty of sponsorship opportunities throughout the year, this strategy can be just as effective for marketing a small business with limited means as it is for large corporations.

If you're looking for ways to market your business on a budget, consider sponsoring local events or festivals that align with the services or products you offer. Whether it’s a local baseball team, a new festival in town, or even your favorite charity, sponsoring an event will help you build relationships with your community while generating leads and exposure. Consider offering products or services at a discount to event attendees, or donating money to the cause. This will not only raise awareness of your brand but also help build a strong bond with people in your community.

In addition to sponsoring events, partnering with other local businesses or non-profits can be a powerful way to reach new customers and generate leads. By collaborating on events or promotions, you can tap into each other's audiences and gain exposure through social media and other marketing channels.

‍Reach out to regional media outlets.

Leverage the news by reaching out to regional media outlets for a story about your business

Tapping into the media is an effective way to get your business in front of a wider audience without spending a dime. This strategy can generate valuable publicity and establish yourself as a thought leader in your industry.

To find media outlets nearby, start by checking out your city's or state's website. You'll likely find a list of local newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations there. If you can't find the information you need, utilize AI search engines or search Google.

Once you've identified some potential media outlets, it's time to reach out to reporters or editors. Before you do, make sure you have something newsworthy to share. This could be a recent milestone your business has achieved, a new product or service you're launching, or an event you're hosting that's relevant to your community.

When you contact reporters, be clear and concise in your pitch. Provide some background information about your business and what makes you unique. If possible, provide some statistics or figures that demonstrate your success or growth. And be sure to highlight why your story is relevant to their audience and why they should care.

Remember that reporters are busy and receive countless pitches every day. To increase your chances of getting coverage, make sure your pitch is timely, interesting, and relevant. And don't be afraid to follow up if you don't hear back initially.

Leverage digital advertising.

Digital advertising on Google and social media platforms like Facebook are inexpensive yet highly effective ways to reach potential customers. These platforms offer a range of paid advertising options to help you target your ideal audience, increase your online visibility, and drive more traffic to your website.

To get started with digital advertising, create an account on Google Ads or Facebook Ads Manager and set up your first ad campaign. These platforms offer a range of targeting options that let you reach specific demographics, interests, and behaviors, making it easier to reach the right people with your message.

When creating your ad campaigns, use attention-grabbing headlines, compelling visuals, and clear calls to action to encourage people to click through to your website. It's also important to track your results and analyze your data to see what's working and what's not, so you can optimize your campaigns over time for better performance.

Distribute coupons, create a loyalty program, and reward referrals.

Coupons, loyalty programs, and referrals are proven tactics that incentivize repeat business, reward loyal customers, and gain new business. By offering discounts, free items, and other special promotions, you can encourage customers to come back and shop with you and bring their friends!.

One way to use coupons is to offer exclusive discounts and promotions on social media channels like Facebook and Twitter. These platforms allow businesses to reach a large audience quickly and cost-effectively, making them ideal tools for promoting special deals and driving traffic to their websites or stores.

Another strategy is to offer coupons for free items or discounts on future purchases to customers who make a certain number of purchases or reach a certain spending threshold. This can help build customer loyalty and incentivize customers to spend more money with your business over time.

Loyalty programs are an effective way to reward regular customers and encourage repeat business. These programs typically offer rewards points or discounts for every purchase, which can be redeemed for free items or future discounts. By offering these rewards, you can create a sense of value and appreciation among your customer base and encourage them to continue shopping with your business.

Once you build a base of regular customers, they can be a great source of new business. Referral programs encourage your existing customers to tell their friends, family, and colleagues about your products and services and reward them with discounts or other incentives when their contacts make a purchase.    

Engage customers with newsletters or email campaigns.

Email marketing is a great, budget-friendly way to build relationships with your customers. With a little creativity and effort, you can use email campaigns to keep your customers engaged and informed while also driving sales and building your brand.

To get started, you'll need to build an email list of customers who have opted in to receive your emails. This can be done through a sign-up form on your website, in-store promotions or events, or other channels. Leverage pop-ups from tools such as Constant Contact or MailChimp to collect email addresses on your website.

Once you have your email list, you can start sending out regular newsletters or promotional emails.

When creating your emails, make sure they're visually appealing and easy to read. You can use a template or design your own, but make sure it's consistent with your brand and includes your logo and other branding elements. Keep your content relevant and engaging, with a mix of promotional and informative content. Offer exclusive deals or promotions to your email subscribers to incentivize them to stay on your list.

To improve the effectiveness of your email campaigns, segment your email list by demographics or purchase behavior. This will allow you to send targeted messages to specific customer groups, increasing the likelihood of engagement and conversion.

Leverage external talent.

If your organization has projects that need attention and limited capacity to take them on, student talent can help move them forward. Riipen’s online platform connects employers with students through their academic institutions, making it easy to post projects and match with learners who have the skills to support your business remotely. These students are motivated, capable, and eager to gain real-world experience while contributing fresh ideas and meaningful work.

For employers in Canada, Riipen also offers programs such as FuturePath and Level UP, funded in part by the Government of Canada’s Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative. These programs help partially subsidize projects, making it easier and more affordable to collaborate with student talent while advancing important work in your organization.

That’s the route Amie Reiman, Founder and CEO of HIP United, took. She hired intern Gabriele Altomare to help her startup company leverage Instagram. Gabriele created a social media content calendar, wrote Instagram captions and Instagram reels, and developed an understanding of the Instagram algorithm to boost posts and attract the desired audience. The initiative was successful.“I couldn’t have grown my business quite as quickly or as efficiently as I have if it hadn’t been for Riipen and Level UP,” Amie shared.    

The strategies and tactics discussed above can help small businesses connect with potential customers, build positive relationships with the community, and generate sales without breaking the bank. And there are many other ways to market a business on a budget, so you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars or hours on expensive marketing campaigns to see results. By leveraging your resources wisely and thinking outside the box, you can get creative with your marketing plan and see results quickly.

If you are a startup, a solopreneur with ambitious plans, or a small business owner with a desire for growth, who could benefit from intern assistance, schedule a call to learn how Riipen can connect you with talented students who can help you reach your goals. .  

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About the author:

Jennifer Lussier is a bilingual Content Marketing Specialist based in Montreal, QC. With a multidisciplinary background and a desire to accomplish more for the betterment of society, she joined Riipen in 2019 as an Academic Account Manager and has since migrated to the marketing team as it is more closely aligned with her interests and expertise.

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