Side hustles are the name of the game in 2024 – with economic uncertainty as prevalent as ever, it pays to have multiple sources of income.
With so many people competing for customers, it can seem impossible to stand out. How can you make the most of whatever spare time you have, and grow your business?
In this article, we’ll talk about seven key marketing strategies you can implement with limited time and money to help get your side hustle off the ground and in front of more potential customers.
1. Word of Mouth
Word of mouth advertising is one of the most powerful ways to efficiently drive growth – and the best part is that it’s free! But how can you control whether or not your customers talk to other people about your services?
There are a few ways you, as a business, can encourage this.
First, sending follow-up emails after completing an order (or partnership, etc…) reminding customers to leave a review can help increase your brand perception in the eyes of potential clients, and raise your value in their eyes.
You can also include a way for clients to share your brand on social media. This can lead to increased exposure, and subsequently, more business.
Second, ask for referrals! Don’t be afraid to tap into your networks, and ask people to ask around. Chances are, you’ll find people interested in what you have to offer.
Word of mouth advertising is exponential, meaning that the more customers you get, the more they’ll talk to their friends, family, etc…, and the more new customers you’ll receive.
2. Flyers or Print Ads
Flyers or print ads are a great way to boost broad exposure. They’re relatively easy, and free (save the cost of paper and ink), and can be particularly powerful for side businesses that rely on a more local clientele.
Make sure to include your business name, services offered, and contact info. You also want to cater the design of the flier to your ideal customer, with the goal of catching their attention. Remember, your goal is to separate yourself from the competition.
For example, if your side hustle is baking wedding cakes, you can customize the design of your fliers to be wedding themed, or to use more traditional wedding colors.
With fliers, the name of the game is exposure. Even if people aren’t actively looking for what you’re offering, if they need your services in the future, you’ll be first on their mind.
3. Cold Outreach
Cold outreach, while more time consuming than some other efforts on this list, is well worth it if done right.
It can be scary to attempt, particularly when first starting out. How do you find the right people to contact? What do you say? What if no one responds? As intimidating as it is, if you plan, do your research, and put in the work, it can pay off big time.
There are tons of ways to go about cold outreach, and your strategy will likely vary depending on your type of business. For example, if you clean houses locally, you might make cold calls to people in the area. If you do web page development, you may contact local businesses who need more online presence.
Whatever your strategy, it is important to remember that cold outreach is essentially a numbers game. You may be rejected 10 times, or 20 times, or 100 times, but eventually something will work out, and you’ll have one more client than when you started.
4. Build a Website
In 2024, the world is increasingly an online one. Businesses that don’t have any sort of web presence miss out on a huge pool of potential customers.
By building a website, you gain access to these potential customers through the power of the internet. People from all over the world can find you. People who find you can become paying customers.
Not only that, but building a website allows you to curate your brand image with incredible precision. This is an excellent place for brand personality to shine; customers are more likely to take action with brands they can relate to.
Having a website gives you access to huge numbers of people. It allows you to brand yourself, and provides another way to stand apart from the crowds.
5. Paid Advertising
Paid advertising is powerful, but best approached with caution. Particularly in the earlier stages of your side hustle, it can sap your budget and will if done improperly.
However, if done right, paid advertising offers you the opportunity to get your services in front of the people most likely to be looking for them. Different kinds of paid advertising, such as paid search advertising, social media ads, and display advertising can be used.
With paid advertising, it is important to have a plan, and to start slowly. This allows you to experiment, calibrate, and stick with the things that work for your business while shedding the things that don’t, without wasting your money.
6. Discount Offerings
While not likely to gain you exposure, offering discounts is a great way to reel in customers who might otherwise be on the edge, leading to more conversions and paying customers.
This method is particularly powerful for those side hustles that involve return customers, or recurring monetization.
Offering your products or services at a discount is a proven psychological way to inject some urgency into the situation. If your customer feels like they’ll miss out if they wait, they will be more likely to take action immediately.
Additionally, customers are more likely to be satisfied with the experience they had with you if they feel like they’re getting a good deal.
In all, offering discounts to potential customers has a plethora of benefits, and is worth implementing in your overall marketing plan.
7. Build a Social Presence
Like building a website, building a presence on social media allows you to tap into the vast pool of internet users, and offers a unique way of establishing brand image and personality.
It can also be a great way to keep customers updated about any changes you’re making, new products you’re offering, or special deals going on.
You can also use social platforms to interact with customers; remember, people are more likely to be loyal to brands they relate to. Using social media can be a great way to humanize yourself, and remind your audience that you’re a person too.
Tips For Success
As with any marketing strategy, it can take time to see results. Testing and optimization are critical to any sort of success, and can help you gain a better understanding of what works and what doesn’t for your hustle.
Any time you spend on marketing is an investment, and should be treated as such. When certain efforts don’t work out, remember that it was a test, something you can learn from, not a blatant waste of time.
Marketing your side hustle can be daunting; however, it’s crucial for any sort of growth. By using the tactics above, you can take it to the next level.