Startups encounter a variety of difficulties, but none is more dangerous or life-threatening than the battle to keep a steady cash flow. There is a wide range in this estimate, with some businesses being able to launch for as little as a few hundred dollars and others needing upwards of millions of dollars, according to the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA).

But keep in mind that these are only initial costs. Additionally, while working hard to acquire enough revenue to stay afloat, new businesses must pay thousands of dollars each month in team wages, office-leasing fees, raw materials, and other continuing operational costs.

Most business owners who find themselves in this difficult financial balancing act wind up skipping things they eventually come to see as unnecessary, including marketing and advertising. The bitter irony, however, is that ignoring marketing totally stunts a company’s expansion, leaving it with less money to take in and putting it under even tighter financial constraints.

It’s understandable why marketing is frequently cut because an estimated 80% of business owners have no understanding how to gauge the success of a marketing strategy.

But here’s the thing: Good marketing doesn’t always have to be expensive. There are several highly successful — and inexpensive — marketing methods you may utilise to aid in the expansion of your startup, however higher-budget ones may ultimately result in more exposure and consistency in their returns.

1. Referrals

Creating a system that enables your consumers to promote your business instead of you is one of the finest ways to market. Think about the fact that when a friend recommends a product to them, consumers are four times more likely to purchase it.

Despite the reviews in tech publications, we still put more faith in personal recommendations than anything else. Furthermore, starting a referral programme is inexpensive and, depending on how you set it up, may even be free. If you’re truly committed to this tactic, you could give your present clients a discount on their subscription fees in exchange for introducing a new customer, or you could offer a cash incentive. Just be sure to inform your clients (perhaps via one of the other methods)

2. Press releases and news features

People constantly read the news, so if you have something to report that is noteworthy, most news organisations will be happy to do it for you. Press releases are a low-cost approach to get your company’s name mentioned in well-known media and perhaps gain some inbound links in the process. Press releases can potentially be a free marketing tactic if you do all the legwork, including finding and emailing journalists.

To have a release distributed instead, you might spend a few hundred dollars to a company. Check out Help a Reporter Out (HARO) to offer advice to journalists who are waiting for it if all you’re interested in is getting yourself mentioned.

3. Content marketing

There are many different types of content marketing, but none call for a big investment. The most straightforward strategy is to run an on-site blog, publishing fresh content a few times a week that educates or amuses your visitors in some special and useful way.

Podcasts, infographics, and videos are all examples of content marketing. Reason? All of these content distribution channels have the potential to enhance your brand’s reputation, boost inbound traffic, and (as you’ll see) support the numerous additional techniques you choose from this list.

4. SEO

You might as well make an investment in enhancing your search engine optimization if you’re going to spend time generating articles for your content marketing effort (SEO).

New to SEO? Technically speaking, it could appear difficult, but if you put in the time and effort to read up on it, you can easily grasp the fundamentals. Then, you’ll modify your site to include those keywords. You’ll use internet tools like Moz’s Keyword Explorer to find pertinent keywords that could drive a lot of traffic to your site with little competition.

Additionally, you’ll need to make structural adjustments, regularly provide top-notch content, and draw links to your domain. Even though it takes a lot of work, doing it yourself will just cost you time, which is worthwhile given the significant long-term rewards.

5. Social media marketing

Although social media marketing is not something you should practise casually, it is something you can learn if you put in the necessary time and effort. Create profiles for your company on popular websites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to start. Fill out your profiles, then start distributing information that appeals to your target audience.

Make an effort to contact them, and be careful to maintain contact. Thousands of people could eventually become your audience, offering a steady supply of visitors to your website.

6. Email marketing

Email marketing is still one of the most affordable marketing tactics available, with some sites estimating a ROI of 400 percent or higher. You should be able to see a sizable return on any time or money you invest in it as long as you have a decent list (organically cultivated rather than bought) and a consistent yet unobtrusive stream of outbound email blasts.

7. PPC ads

Pay-per-click advertising can grow pricey if you’re focusing on top keywords with high traffic, but there are niches and platforms that are accommodating to even the most frugal startup entrepreneur. For instance, you can buy certain Facebook advertisements for as little as $1 per day, but if you want to see any real results, you’ll probably want to spend a little more.

8. Personal branding

Similar to corporate branding, personal branding also applies to you as an individual. You’ll market your skills and yourself on social media and potentially on a blog specifically for that purpose, gaining new fans and a different source of traffic and interest.

People tend to trust other people more than companies, so you’ll soon have a powerful, independent platform you can use to syndicate your material or draw in new leads — all without spending a penny.

9. Forums and groups

Don’t undervalue the influence of lurking in online groups and open forums. You may witness someone asking a question that you may answer (using your knowledge) or learn about a nearby event that you can utilise to advertise your company. You stand to gain more the more involved you are in your different communities, both your local area and your larger industry.

The best part is that joining these groups typically doesn’t cost anything, so you may take advantage of them with as little as a few hours of your time.

The lesson here? Don’t eliminate marketing from the mix if you’re having financial trouble with your company. Find innovative ways to gain recognition instead.

You’ll have greater leeway to invest in larger, more expensive tactics once you’ve built up a stronger stream of reliable income, or you can put more money into the top-performing experiments from your earlier trials.