Sometimes, you have to roll up your sleeves and get scrappy when it comes to marketing your business. Grassroots marketing offers opportunities to reach your audience through inadvertent tactics that help you stand out amongst the noise. 

Grassroots marketing doesn’t necessarily have to cost you money, either. Typically, grassroots tactics involve direct contact with the consumer or reaching them through other people or affiliate businesses. But don’t let the low cost fool you. Grassroots marketing tactics can be very effective and can pack one heck of a punch when combined with digital marketing and other strategies.

Referral marketing

We all know there is no better marketing than word-of-mouth. The recommendations of others hold enormous weight in our psychology, which is why online customer reviews are so critical. Recommendations, or referrals, amplify your messaging, allowing you to reach more people—through voices they trust.

There are many ways you can utilize referral marketing to drive your sales and start reaping the rewards of customer endorsement. From encouraging shares on social media to working with ambassadors and providing incentives for customers who refer their friends, make it easy for your audience to spread the word. 

Invest in your staff

When you’re looking to grow organically, there is no better advocate for your business than your employees. Enthusiasm is contagious, and if your employees aren’t feeling it, neither will your customers. By investing in your staff’s development and engagement, you can improve the way your company operates—which eventually results in higher sales.

Thanks to the rising popularity of LinkedIn, individuals are now becoming more representative of the companies where they work than ever before. Encouraging engagement on social media sites like LinkedIn is another way to capitalize on your efforts toward staff development to your advantage. A company that treats its employees well also ingratiates itself to the general public, inspiring trust and connection.

Reach your customers through their inbox

As Google continues to change its algorithms and social media sites increase their restrictions to drive ad sales, there is one platform that never changes. Email. Straight to your consumer’s inbox, this essential marketing tool will likely never go out of style.

Email marketing gives you a chance to tell your company’s story the way you want. This tactic allows you to establish a direct line of communication, which can be personal, targeted, and designed to reach a small segment of core consumers. Email marketing proves that sometimes the simplest solution is the best one.

Keep the conversation going

We’ve already discovered how referrals can help boost your grassroots marketing efforts and why it’s essential to make it easy for consumers to spread word-of-mouth. You can help drive those referrals by encouraging your customers to keep the conversation going online.

There are various ways you can inspire loyalty and expand your messaging, but the simplest method is actively engaging with your customers through social media. Make sure your handle is accessible on all of your marketing assets so it’s easy to tag and share. Don’t be afraid to participate in the conversation about your brand on all of the major social media channels. 

You never know how well a clever response or a thoughtful reply can boost your followers, and it costs you nothing. Plus, engaging on social media gives you a chance to ensure your customers are satisfied with your business and resolve complaints.