You have this amazing idea for a new start-up business.

You go through all of the important steps and procedures to make your business a viable, legitimate entity. You start by developing your products or services to meet the needs of the niche market that you are aiming your product to. Then you register the business with the state you will be operating in so that you will have a business license, you register with the city you will be operating in for tax purposes and then you apply for your Federal tax ID.

You continue on by opening your business banking account, building your website, and hiring any additional staff that you may need. Congratulations, you went through all of the necessary steps to open up your small business. You have this exciting, grand opening; however, afterwards, you hear “crickets”.

With all the building and development you missed the key to your whole business: Marketing. Marketing is a key step in building a small business. As no one knows who you are just quite yet, you need marketing to help bolster sales of your products or services.

If you don’t have a client base, then how do you generate revenue to build and sustain your budding business? That is why Amazon brand marketing is so important. Marketing will help you reach your potential customers, thus giving your business the chance to flourish.

Below are 8 ways to market your small business on a budget.

1. Collaborate and cross-promote with other small businesses. The key to collaborating and cross promoting is to make sure that your products or services are not within direct competition with each other. So when someone is looking for a product or service that you know the other small business offers, you can refer the customer over.
2. Network! There is nothing like good, old fashion networking. Get out in the trenches by attending any networking event, brunch, fundraising or community event that will help bring your brand awareness.
3. Email marketing. Email marketing is one of the fastest ways to directly reach a large group of people. You can share a variety of content including special offers, blogs, and other updates to drive customers to your website. There are apps such as Mailchimp that you can use that send out emails blast that does not cost. Making this a cost-effective way to market.
4. Social media marketing. In recent years, social media marketing has been when of the biggest forms of marketing for small businesses. Social media has transformed small businesses into household names when done correctly. With the addition of analytics and promoting, social media marketing can be a great tool.
5. Ask for referrals. You do not want to just come out and ask for a referral. You can do it by offering an incentive such as refer someone and receive 30% percent off. That way the customer feels they are gaining something in the exchange.
6. Internet marketing. Utilize pay-per-click advertising on sites such as StumbleUpon or Google Ads. This will help you reach markets that are not local while being budget friendly.
7. Buy one, get one free or free samples. In conjunction with your email marketing, you can offer incentives to drive would be customers to your website. The average person cannot turn down what they perceive as a deal.
8. Attach your business with a charity. When you attach your business to a worthy cause, it can sway individuals who may have originally shopped with your competitor to shop with you. Attaching yourself to a charity will make you relatable and will make the audience feel like they’re buying to make a change.

Factoring in a marketing budget is the top priority when creating your business plan. You can start a business; however, the hard part is sustaining it.