When it comes to marketing your small business, where every dollar counts, it can feel a bit like throwing your money into a giant black hole, never to be seen again. However, it doesn’t have to be. 

Small business owners today have never had greater access to cost-effective and trackable marketing tools. The question is, where to start?

Below, we’ve gathered five great ways you can go about marketing your small business, no matter your budget, from five experts in the field.

Also, be sure to check out our previous article on Easy Local Business Marketing Ideas to Boost Sales.

#1: Marketing Your Small Business With Email

Victoria Treyger shares “There’s a reason email marketing ranks high on our list of recommendations for small businesses and startups: It works. Regardless of industry or organizational size, marketers across the board point to email marketing as the tactic that produces their highest return on marketing dollars invested. ExactTarget.com’s 50 Email Marketing Tips and Stats for 2014 reported that marketers received an average return on investment of $44.25 for every $1 spent on email marketing.

Not only is it effective, it’s also desired. In study after study, consumers regularly say that email is their preferred channel for brand communications. According to MarketingProfs.com, a study suggests that for nearly one-third of all consumers, email is the communication channel they prefer when it comes to marketing.”

Read More: 6 Ways to Market Your Small Business for Less Than $100 

#2: Socialize on Social Media

Chris Dunn says, “According to the Pew Research Center Report of Social Media Usage: 2005-2015, nearly two-thirds of American adults use social media now. This is a near tenfold increase within the last decade.

Popular social media channels include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Reddit, LinkedIn, Google Plus and Snapchat. Each of these social media platforms are unique in its own right and require unique ways of engagement. Rather than try to master it all at once, choose a few you like and try to master those first.”

Read More: 8 Powerful Ways to Market Your Business on a Limited Budget.

#3: Create Compelling Content

Megan Marrs shares, “I don’t think I even need to say this, but it’d be neglectful not to mention the importance of kick-ass content. If you can create it yourself, all the better (isn’t free always better?). Even if writing isn’t your strong point, you shouldn’t have too much trouble getting someone on your team to crank out some articles for your blog. Try top 10 lists, tip collections, best practices for your industry, etc.”

Read More: 22 Low-Budget Marketing Ideas For Small Businesses

#4: Write Guest Posts

Ian Blair says: “Guest posting is one of the most effective ways to promote your brand online.

Guest posting is where you can write an article for another website that they then publish and promote to their audience.

While guest posting will rarely drive any significant amount of actual traffic, it can be very valuable for a number of reasons:

1. Establish yourself and your brand as an authority in the space of marketing your small business
2. Get backlinks to your website from popular, high-ranking websites
3. Get your brand directly in front of your targets when marketing your small business
4. Network with influencers in your niche (potential joint venture partners)
5. Link to people who will then link to you in their own guest posts”

Read More: How To Promote Your Business: 20 Proven Strategies

#5: Marketing Your Small Business Will Create Buzz

Susan Solovic shares, “I started my corporate career in the field of public relations and the business has changed significantly because of technology.

Today, by marketing your small business you can accomplish a lot without hiring a professional firm. Subscribe to Help a Reporter Out. You can respond to reporters’ queries that are looking for story ideas and resources. Some are small media opportunities, but others are major media outlets that use this service too.”

Read More: 10 Ways to Market Your Small Business on a Shoestring Budget.

Also: How to Generate More Leads from 7 Marketing Tactics You’re Already Doing

As you can see, marketing your small business doesn’t have to be daunting. The tools you need are more accessible than ever, and with these tips (along with a little creativity), you can build an effective strategy for your business.

QUESTION: Have another Tip (or question) for marketing your small business? Share with us in the comments below!

P.S. If you want to see the best results from implementing these expert tips, it’s important that you first know who who your ideal customer is, where they are, and what they will buy. Instead of using a spreadsheet, be sure to Download our FREE Customer Avatar Template Worksheet to get clear on exactly who you’re selling to.