11 small business advertising ideas for 2022

Posted Oct 18, 2022

I spent years working with small restaurants and local businesses to help them grow—and, honestly, very few of them needed a huge advertising budget to drive business. Sure, you could invest thousands in paid ads, hire a top-tier advertising agency, and work with influencers to promote your brand. But you don't have to: there are plenty of free or low-cost advertising options that will attract website traffic and in-person visits.

Technically, advertising refers to paid marketing—think newspaper or Google Ads. But other marketing strategies—the ones you don't have to pay for—can be just as effective. So before dropping 5K on Facebook ads, try these 11 free or low-cost ad ideas for small businesses.