35 budget-friendly marketing ideas (including AI marketing tips)

Does the word “marketing” make you cringe as you picture your budget vanishing into thin air? It doesn’t have to be that way! Marketing for small and creative businesses can be cost-effective and even fun.

Big companies may have big budgets, but you don’t need one to compete. There are tons of free and inexpensive marketing ideas to promote your work—ways that won’t leave you broke.

This guide offers practical and cheap marketing ideas in six key areas, so let’s get started and explore them one by one.

Let’s face it: we don’t stand a chance in the online world anymore if we’re not using AI to our advantage. Marketing is no exception!

But don’t see it as a threat—AI is here to make your life easier. There are exciting AI-powered tools that’ll save us time in those tasks that have always had us wondering: Why is this so exhausting?

Save your sweat and boost your marketing strategy with the potential of AI. Here are five ways in which you can implement AI in marketing.

Tools like Rytr and Copy.ai will help you create captivating and effective copy for your social media posts, ads, blog headlines, emails, and any other written content.

Make sure to be clear in your prompt, provide an example of your brand’s voice, and there you go. You can either use the suggestions just as they are or work on them to craft a message that truly sounds like you. Ultimately, AI in copywriting is a tool, but you still get the lead in terms of creativity.

Focus groups can be expensive and not necessarily wide enough to cover all the clients who may be interested in your work.

If you’re looking for a solution that’s less expensive (and stressful), AI for market research is a life, time, and money saver. Tools like AnswerThePublic help you find out what people are looking for online, and you can use alternatives like Perplexity AI to get data-driven competitor scans.

How do you choose the right influencer to promote your work when there are so many of them? AI in influencer marketing is here to change the game.

Tools like Modash help you find and filter influencers that make sense with your brand values and overall vibe.

This marketing strategy is all about the content that attracts your audience: images, videos, podcasts, blog posts… you name it.

AI in content marketing is here to save you hours of production. You come up with the ideas, and the generative AI does the hard work for you. Tools like Envato’s ImageGen, VideoGen, MusicGen, and GraphicsGen can help you craft content that resonates with your brand and helps you catch the attention of potential clients.

Targeting the right customers is everything. The success of your marketing strategy pretty much depends on it reaching the people who will actually buy from you.

Don’t let all the effort you’ve put into your marketing strategy go to waste. Instead, use AI for customer segmentation. Tools like Mailchimp’s Predictive Segmentation and HubSpot’s free AI Insights help you group your contacts based on how likely they are to buy, stop engaging, or click on your content.

Content packaged in any way, shape, or form has been the top showcase for businesses for a while now. Especially when it comes to small and creative businesses, content marketing offers one of the best, easiest, and cheapest ways to capture the attention of potential clients.

There are so many ways in which content marketing can become your brand’s best friend. Let’s explore the most essential ones.

Blogging is one of the easiest ways of showcasing your expertise and getting new customers into your work. And it’s free or low-cost to start! All you need is a blogging platform, some time to write, and an understanding of your customers’ burning questions regarding the work you do and your industry.

Try lists containing actionable advice, step-by-step posts explaining industry secrets and best practices, or collections of the best resources that can save potential clients time and money.

Learn how to start a corporate blog for your business, or try a cool WordPress theme to start your blog with a great design.

Case studies are one of the best ways to showcase not only the sort of work you do for clients but also the results your work provides.

A case study doesn’t have to be a dry, boring white-paper type of report. If that doesn’t fit your industry or style, try writing a fun story about your collaboration with a client, or a story about how you handled a particularly difficult, big, or somehow problematic order from a client.

Make sure your case study narrative highlights how you solved your customer’s problems and the positive outcomes that other customers can expect from you in the future.

One of the most popular video marketing categories these days are how-to tutorials. People love to learn how to do things for themselves because it gives them a sense of accomplishment and of being creative.

Business owners, brand managers, and creatives can hesitate to create such videos. They may fear that if they show people how they do their work, no one will hire them. But that’s not true.

Some people may take the DIY approach seriously. Most, however, will come running to hire you once they try doing something themselves and appreciate how much work, effort, and talent that task requires. So set aside your fears, and hit record!

Color attracts the eye. And one of the best inexpensive marketing ideas for a brand is to use colorful infographics.

Infographics are not only fun and easy to read but also highly shareable, helping spread your work and wisdom to more people than you could reach on your own.

If you’re not very good with icons and graphics, worry not. You can easily create your own stunning infographics with an amazing infographic template, or try Envato’s GraphicsGen AI tool.

Engaging in content marketing doesn’t mean that you have to keep coming up with new material to publish every day or every week. Different people like to consume content in different ways. So why not recycle your old material?

Take an old blog post and turn it into an infographic, a recording, or a relevant how-to video tutorial that will appeal to a different segment of your audience and potential clients.

Here’s how to recycle your old material.

Publishing on your own blog will help you create deeper connections with your current audience. But if you want to attract new people to your work, consider publishing a post on a popular site related to your industry.

Search the name of a company that interests you, followed by the words “contributor” or “guest blogging” to find out how you can submit an article that will be read by thousands of new people.

Email marketing is a low-cost marketing idea for all kinds of brands, from the smallest to the largest. It’s the best way to reach potential and returning customers in a systematic way that builds relationships and leads to sales. If you’re getting started, make sure to learn all about email marketing first.

If you’re already familiar with the basics, let’s jump right into some top-notch email marketing ideas.

Not every email you send to your list has to be a direct marketing email. In fact, it’s better if the majority of your emails aren’t selling emails. Send your audience helpful content (such as the pieces you’ll create for your content marketing above) that will keep them excited about your work and engaged with your brand.

Make sure that the email has your branding imprinted all over it. That way, your business stays at the top of their mind as they read your awesome tips and advice. If you don’t have a standard email template yet, try out one of these popular email marketing templates that will help you establish yourself as an authority and highlight your brand.

If you need expert guidance in choosing the right template for your brand, check out the best email templates for your next campaign. Or learn more about how AI in branding can take your content to another level.

Email marketing is great for creating hype around your new products and services. People on your email list have already shown an interest in what you have to offer just by subscribing to it.

Try testing out new services, packages, or ideas with your list, or even giving your subscribers special pre-order rights. This will help you create hype around your product and spread the word!

Here are six tips to create effective email marketing campaigns.

Another way to reward people on your list is by offering exclusive deals and special upsells on your regular offers. When people feel they have the chance to get something special that no one else has access to, they’re more likely to buy.

You can also advertise these exclusive orders to your social media following or website readers as an incentive to get them on your email list. That way, you’re not only keeping your list happy but also growing it at the same time!

Not all of your email subscribers would have been following you when you published a topic originally. And not everyone will have read that popular post, or compelling series, the first time around.

Your marketing newsletter is a great way of referring to the best material in your archive, reintroducing it in a fresh context, and directing your newsletter readers to find the answers they need from your material!

As your business grows, you’ll find the need to add more products or services to your repertoire, as well as retire older ones that may no longer fit your strategy. But you should always alert your subscribers before taking something off the market.

Create a marketing email campaign that lets your readers know about the changes you’re planning, offering people one last chance to buy that product. Scarcity is one of the most powerful factors in sales, and you may be surprised at how many last-minute orders you get from an email or two you send to your list!

Social media has become one of the most powerful ways to reach your ideal audience.

When you add some social media to the mix of your small business marketing plan, you’re more likely to see a significant increase in your sales.

The Meta apps have become some of the most powerful ad-targeting engines that ever existed. And the best part is that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to reach your audience.

Unlike TV spots or billboard signs, Meta and Facebook advertising can cost you as little as $1 a day! Create campaigns to promote your most popular pieces of content (such as blog posts, videos, or infographics) to your ideal audience (which you can define by age, location, interests, and a gazillion other ways).

You can boost your results and customize your targeting affordably. For more info on this, check out our social media marketing guide.

With the plethora of social networks available nowadays, it’s impossible to be everywhere at once. And you shouldn’t. You should focus your efforts on the social media platforms where most of your audience hangs out.

But you can’t just be “present” there. You have to be active. Share messages, respond to comments, and like other people’s content and comments.

For a polished, professional presence on social media that makes your brand stand out from the competition, check out easy-to-use social media templates on Envato.

Most social media platforms now let you boost or promote your content to more users. When a piece of content you share resonates deeply with your regular audience, consider spending some of your marketing budget on promoting it to a larger audience that’s likely to find it appealing.

Promoting popular posts can provide a huge return on your investment as they attract a bigger audience, leading to more sales. A few flagship content pieces can drive a large percentage of your marketing results.

Online contests can help you increase your audience and attract potential customers. When people enter a contest or giveaway, they’re showing interest in the products or services they stand to win. And even if they don’t win the free prize, many people are likely to come back and buy from you once they become familiar with your business and brand.

And the best part? There are currently many free and low-cost apps that will help you quickly and easily set up a contest online. Simply do a search for contest apps on the platform that interests you most, and you’re ready to get going!

The web may be the main landscape for many businesses, but the local market will always remain a valuable resource. When you learn how to tap into the free and low-cost marketing potential of your local scene, you’ll be able to build a stronger brand both offline and online.

Business cards may be the oldest tool in a business’s arsenal, but when done right, they can also be an effective tool. Instead of the boring old business cards that large corporations tend to issue, try doing something more creative and fun that makes your brand immediately stand out to anyone who lays eyes on your card.

For inspiration on creating fun and unique business cards, check out the following articles:

There’s no better way to get your name out there, show your expertise, and make new contacts than by hosting a free event or class for your community. Find an education center or organization that may be interested in holding a class on your area of expertise.

You can also set up an online channel to offer a masterclass or webinar, like YouTube or Zoom.

As much fun as online contests may be, local contests can be even more effective as they use the familiarity within your community to spread the word. Find a local contest and offer one of your branded products or service packages as a prize for the winners.

If you can’t find any contests running in your community, consider creating your own by contacting a few other local business owners and asking them to participate for a chance to promote their businesses to new local customers.

Local marketing isn’t just about reaching more clients but also about creating relationships with other business owners in your area.

It’s not all about your LinkedIn profile—although, of course, LinkedIn is still a great way to connect with other industry professionals!

The other local business owners and creative professionals from your niche of work can help you grow your business:

Free consultations are a great way to get your name out in the community and grow your brand. Of course, you don’t want free consultations to take up all your working hours. Instead, think of strategic ways you can offer free consultations either to well-networked individuals or businesses in your community.

These can be online via Zoom or Google Meet, and you can set up an appointment calendar on your website so that it’s easier for your clients to reach you.

A wide reach isn’t always a good thing when it’s not hitting the right people.

While you want to expand the horizon for your brand with social media marketing, you also want to hone it down to your ideal audience that’s most likely to buy from you. And the way to do that is through SEO marketing.

Here are a few search-based, cheap marketing ideas.

When writing new articles on your blog, you want the topic to appeal to your readers and to attract new interested readers as well. To achieve that, you need to identify the keywords that your audience uses to search for your content (or content similar to yours) on the web.

What words are they using? What questions are they asking? Do some keyword research and make sure to incorporate that language into your blog posts.

Important as keywords are for helping search engines find and categorize your blog posts, you should be careful not to overstuff your posts with keywords. Search engines are becoming more sophisticated in their “reading” of the web by the day, and they’ve learned to shun keyword-stuffed content that lacks real “meat” and advice.

Stuffing your content with a specific keyword in an attempt to get attention from search engines will only result in having that content penalized and sent to the last page of search results.

The best way to write is by writing for humans, not search engines. Armed with a burning question from your audience as discussed in the content marketing sections, and equipped with the right keywords that will help your content rank as useful. Write the rest of your post in your unique voice, making it as simple and clear for your audience as possible.

If you’re not sure how to write blog posts, emails, or any other of your marketing material in a voice that’s uniquely yours, learn more about finding your brand voice and tone.

Setting your brand guidelines can also help clarify this process.

Titles may be the most important and yet most neglected aspect of blog posts and other online content. As important as it is to use strong and relevant keywords in the body of your content, it is doubly important to use those keywords in the headline—search engines weigh headlines quite heavily.

What’s more, human readers decide whether they want to read something or not based on the headline alone. Headlines may only be a few words long, but the best ones can take as much time to craft as the entirety of the body text.

When considering a topic for a new piece of content, focus on going deep on one aspect of that topic, rather than covering a wide range of related issues.

The more spread out your keywords are in a post, the harder it will be for your content to rank high in search engines. The more focused they are on a particular area, the easier it will be for new readers to discover them.

A strong network offers one of the most effective ways of boosting your marketing efforts. And the best part is that networking comes at a minimal cost.

As long as you turn your personal charm on before entering the room and have a genuine desire to make connections, you’ll move in the right direction.

The best way to get new clients is also the oldest way to get new clients: word of mouth.

No advertising or marketing trick can work better in persuading new customers of your credibility and authority than your current happy customers. And the best way to help boost word of mouth is through a customer referral program.

Offer happy customers a discount for referring their friends to you and give the friends a small discount too—for added incentive to give your business a try. If each of your happy customers brings one friend in, then—boom!—you’ve just doubled your clients.

Pro tip: To start your referral program, you can use dedicated tools, like ReferralCandy, which help automate the setup and tracking process.

Joining the trending topics online and participating in the conversation is a great way of reaching new people. Keep an eye on social media to stay up to date with what people are talking about. Choose those topics where you can share your expertise.

But be careful! Avoid promoting yourself as such (or spamming the conversation!). Rather, answer questions and be helpful to others as a way to build your name and reputation as an expert in your field. Let the quality of your comments speak for your brand.

Attending conferences can help your marketing efforts in two ways:

Simply talking to others at a conference (whether they turn out to be future customers or future business partners) makes for some of the best marketing you can do for your brand.

Marketing doesn’t have to be a one-business show. You can greatly bolster your marketing efforts by joining powers with other professionals in fields complementary to yours to create giveaways or special offers that can help both your audiences.

Think of how a web designer and coder could team up. Or a copywriter and marketer could work together. Or how your local business can work with the business down the street.

When each of the partners in the joint venture announces the offer to their audience, you get a free advertisement to an audience that’s far larger than yours and well primed to buy from someone they trust and follow as regular subscribers.

The primary goal of any business is of course to make money, but most of us have a greater and purpose in doing the work we do in the world. By feeding that purpose we can help promote the business we’ve built and our deeper purpose.

When you support a cause either by participating as a sponsor in an event or offering your services pro bono, you’re in turn getting free publicity for your work with an audience that cares for the same cause and values that you do.

If you’re not sure what the values and purpose of your business are, make sure you read our guide on core brand values.

Which of these ideas are you already using to market your work? And which are you excited to implement next?

Envato has all the elements you need to complete your marketing plan. Check it out today! Find every type of asset for any type of creative project, with a full stack of AI tools included too.