Low Cost, Feel Good Growth Hacks

One of the hardest parts of a start-up is funding. When you do win funds, they’re often put right back into the business or used toward the insane idea of paying yourself for your work. Having started a grassroots operation myself, I gained some insider tips on how to grow market space without spending a lot of money. In our heavily saturated digital age, many folks are diversifying their paid media tactics by using community-focused strategies that build and share their brand.

Get Involved

People tend to support those who they feel support them; it’s called a reciprocal relationship. Let your community know how much you value them by getting involved in local events or volunteer operations. If you don’t have a product to sell, consider the Adopt A Highway program, which offers a fantastic opportunity for you and your employees to demonstrate the value of cleaning up the neighborhood and shows you are willing to do creative and difficult work. It also gets you a highway sign that hundreds of people (or more) will pass each day.

Consider sponsoring events that align with your personal values or the values of your organization. If you donate to a local farmer’s market, event center, or even your local schools, they’ll often thank you publicly or put your company logo on their marketing materials. Sponsorships usually cost less than traditional advertising and show you are invested in your community, a message that will reach your future clientele.

Teachers Make An Impact

If your product is something that can benefit people or your community, consider reaching out to local libraries, nonprofits, and even universities for opportunities to educate and engage folks on the benefit of your business. These types of Q&A or teaching forums give consumers an opportunity to peek behind the curtain of business, get to know you as a person, and ask questions that may help them feel more comfortable taking the next step to becoming a paying customer.

For example, if your company provides future or financial planning, offer a free class at your local library or contact a community college about guest speaking in one of their finance or business classes.  If you are a crafts maker, collab with a local coffeeshop or arts space to teach a class on how to make your product. Sure, some folks may go home and continue learning or pumping out their own unique creations, but many times people just have fun learning from you then defer back to your company for future guidance or products.

Be Our Guest

Cue the classic Disney Beauty and the Beast song! With so many compelling and popular broadcasts, podcasts, blogs, and other forms of media already in existence, you don’t need to create your own venue to reach your target audience. Get in touch with your local public radio station and ask for the opportunity to share your story. Search up a few lifestyle or business blogs in your region and ask for the opportunity to contribute a guest post. Send press releases to your local news organizations. Tag influential and respectable people spreading the word about cool things in your area in your social media posts, they may be willing to host a discussion with you on their platform, boosting your business and reaching new audiences.

You never know where a relationship will go, so channel your inner yes (wo)man and embrace publicity. I never would have guessed that my presence as a local grassroots educator would lead to being approached by Colorado State University to act as a Guest Professor in their Fermentation Science program. At the age of just 25, I was being paid to help teach a college level course, which was pretty epic. As a business owner, it is crucial to project confidence and tenacity but also leadership and kindness. People notice when you care and get involved in your community - your next big opportunity may be just a volunteer session away.

Fun Fact: This post was inspired by a recent RadioLab episode that deferred their space to Our Common Nature, a new podcast discussing the benefits of real-world connection, specifically with music and nature. The podcast they shared took place in my home state’s neighboring state of West Virginia. RadioLab yielding their time for something interesting, new, and important to them reminded me the power of lending a hand up. Just more proof that supporting each other and sharing our stories are impactful ways to make a difference both with our brands and in the world.