E-Commerce Seller Financing   •   January 18, 2021

Small e-commerce businesses have tight budgets to work with. During the times of recession, funds can be even tighter and every cent matters. Luckily, there are free and low-budget marketing ideas that e-commerce businesses can apply.

Some of these ideas can deliver fast results, others may require some elbow grease. So, it’s best to take advantage of at least a few of them to increase your chances of success.

Free and Low-Budget Marketing Ideas for E-commerce Businesses

1. Build a Community on Social Media

Social media can be extremely powerful for small e-commerce businesses. However, you need to put in some effort for social media to work for you. And you also need to be consistent as one of the most common social media marketing mistakes is using social media platforms sporadically.

However, if you are willing to regularly spend time posting and engaging on social media, you can not only increase your engagement and exposure but also build an online community that loves your brand.

Keep an eye on tags and mentions and acknowledge users who have done so. You can later use this user-generated content on your own feed. Just don’t forget to ask permission first and tag people in posts.

2. Use Hashtags

Many associate hashtags with Instagram or Twitter. However, hashtags are also used on platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn. Hashtags can increase your e-commerce business’s reach and exposure organically, attracting new potential buyers for free.

Keep in mind that how many hashtags you should use differs per platform. Instagram allows up to 30, but it’s best to use only 1-2 on Facebook and Twitter, and 3-5 on LinkedIn. Therefore, you will benefit from doing some research and choosing the best hashtags for your business.

Don’t only use high-traffic hashtags that have millions of posts. Include longer and more specific hashtags that are less popular. They will make sure that your posts show to a very specific audience that is going to be more interested in what you have to offer. Your competition will also be much smaller.

3. Optimize Your Website and Product Descriptions for SEO.

SEO or search engine optimization is one of the best free or low-budget marketing ideas to organically attract potential customers. Research keywords that are relevant to your business using free tools like Google Keyword Planner or paid tools like Moz or SEMRush.

Then, integrate them into your product descriptions, website pages, and blog posts. Don’t forget to add internal links to relevant product pages and blog posts which will help search engines to properly index your website.

4. Develop an E-mail Marketing Plan

Investing some time and effort into e-mail marketing is one of the most advantageous free and low-budget marketing ideas for e-commerce businesses. E-mail marketing allows you to connect with existing and past customers who already bought your products.

Craft a freebie or set up a discount code that you can offer new subscribers in exchange for their e-mail. It will allow you to collect the e-mails of those who haven’t yet bought from you.

Build relationships with existing e-mail subscribers by sending them regular newsletters with relevant blog posts, promotions, and updates. Don’t forget to add a call to action inviting your subscribers to buy from you.

5. Share Useful Blog Content and Videos

With a wealth of information online, internet users often seek answers to their questions and solutions to their problems. So, why not offer such content to them for questions and problems that are relevant to your store?

There is lots of different content that you can develop. These can be lists or how-to articles or videos, tutorials, information-rich infographics, and more.

Don’t be hesitant to give away valuable information for free. Not everyone who will consume your information will buy from you, but there will be people who will develop trust for your brand and become your loyal customers and supporters.

Just like any free or organic strategies, this will take time. So, be patient and keep developing content, always keeping your ideal buyers’ interests and needs in mind.

Conclusion

If you can’t wait and need immediate results or would like to supplement your free and low-budget marketing ideas with some that require payment, consider paid advertising. You’ll be able to place your products directly in front of those ready to buy them.

If you need additional finances for any of your marketing efforts, consider E-commerce Seller Financing. We help e-commerce business owners like you to secure extra funding in a simple and straightforward way. We do not require credit checks, lots of paperwork, or lengthy waiting times as well as offer simple terms and no hidden fees.