Marketing Advice: How to Market Your Business Outside of Social Media

Over Social Media? Here’s the Marketing Advice You Need For Your Business to Grow Without It.

If you’re a business owner and you’re thinking, “omg, I can’t even be bothered to post on social media anymore,” or if the state of the world is making you not want to market your business on social media, or maybe you love social media and you just want to build your business beyond it, this blog post is for you.

More and more people are really tired of social media. 

Mainly, because social media feels like a dumpster fire. 

At least to most business owners right now that seems to be the consensus.

I know for me personally, I am finding myself wanting to scroll less and less. Every time I get on social media it just feels so chaotic and not in a good way.

A Few Things to Clear Up Before We Dive In

First, I’m not anti-social media. 

I’m anti-picking marketing strategies willy-nilly.

It’s one thing to experiment and try new and different things. But it’s a whole other ball game to pick marketing strategies without doing any market research.

Second, social media can be amazing. 

Thanks to the power of social media, business owners have a way of marketing their business and connecting with potential clients and new people all over the world. This is especially important for small businesses because it’s a free marketing channel that can be really effective.

Personally, I really try to remind myself that social media can be a good tool and super helpful when used in a way that aligns with your overall business goals. 

The big thing to remember is not every business needs to spend thousands of dollars or hundreds of hours devoted to a social media strategy. If your clients aren’t on social media, or they don’t make buying decisions there, it does not have to be a huge part of your marketing strategy.

There are so many businesses out there that are absolutely thriving without social media!

Marketing Your Business Without Social Media Starts With Strategy

Before getting into the different marketing strategies you can use outside of social media, let’s talk about how to decide where to market. Because ultimately, when you’re deciding where to market your business, it should be based on data that shows you the most effective places to reach your target audience.

Now I want you to think about how you picked your current marketing strategy. 

What market research did you do to validate your current strategy? 

Are you marketing based on where you think your ideal clients are or where the data shows they are?

Before I share my marketing advice, I want to give you a few perspective shifts.

Because the human brain is not going to want to allocate resources — AKA time, money, and energy to something it doesn’t even believe will work. 

So if right now you believe,

“it’s impossible to market without social media, everyone is doing it.”

“my business will take a massive revenue hit if I’m not on social media.”

I can confidently tell you that you can have a super successful business that brings in clients consistently without relying on social media because I’ve done it and help my clients do the same.

My first business was a local cleaning company. I grew it to 6-figures with multiple locations without relying on social media.

With Money Rebel, I had a few clients that found me on social media but most of them did not come from me actively posting. I focused on the business foundations and building a business, not just a following, which were the key to long-term success.

I pinky promise it is possible to build a successful business without relying on social media.

I’ve helped so many of my clients build businesses that earn over $8,000 per month. They aren’t even on social media at all. One of my clients made $10,000 in one month for the first time in her life. Only 6 months after starting her local therapy practice and with ZERO social media marketing. 

It is possible!

Marketing Advice for your Small Business: How to Choose a Strategy That Works

When you’re deciding what marketing strategy to use, you NEED to consider your ideal client and do market research to get the data that shows you where to find and sell to your people.

It doesn’t matter if you use social media or not, if you are guessing at where to find your ideal clients or you’re building your marketing strategy based on trends or what random people tell you on the internet, it’s not going to be effective in the long run.

Sure you might get lucky and it just might happen to be that the random strategy Coach Sally gave in an Instagram post turned out to get you some clients, but I want you to be in the drivers seat of your success. 

Not leaving it to luck.

Getting intentional with how you use social media and how you create your other strategies in business will be a game changer. 

Ask yourself: How do you want to use social media for your business? 

Maybe you don’t like the way you’re currently using it.

Does it feel like you’re at the mercy of an algorithm? 

Do you hate feeling like the only way to get clients is to post and always be online? 

Maybe you just want to have a brand presence instead of using it as your main marketing channel. 

Perhaps you want to repurpose your podcast episodes or blog posts to social media to show your business is active and let that be enough.

Marketing Outside of Social Media: Rethink What You Actually Want

Get curious about how you’re currently using social media, what you like and don’t like, and what you want to change. And then do the market research to help inform the new marketing strategy that you want to build for your business.

Because in the Money Rebel world, you are the captain of your ship. 

You make the rules, you decide where you want to go and what you want to do, and I’m here to help you get there. I’m your partner in crime (business), helping you navigate the business waters to find your own answers to some of these questions, then giving you the marketing advice and business strategy to make it happen.

In business, things don’t have to be all or nothing. 

It can be “both, and.” 

I can build a business that brings in most clients offline and use social media how I want.

You decide what feels good for you. 

Marketing Ideas for Your Business That Don’t Rely on Social Media

Creating the Online Foundations That Support Your Growth

Small disclaimer before you dive into these marketing tips. 

Please do not try to do every tip, all at once. 

Tips 1-5, I personally think every single business owner should implement in their business. But you are the boss of your business, only implement what feels aligned with what you want to do.

Tip #1: Create a Google Business Profile

This is a game changer. Every single business owner needs to have a Google Business Profile, formerly this was called Google My Business.

Google’s tagline for this product is “Turn people who find you on Google Search and Maps into new customers.”

If you serve local clients, this is a 100% must have. If you primarily serve clients online, you can and should still create an account.

Even as an online business owner, having a Google Business Profile helps create more visibility for your business, creates trust with potential clients, and is a way for you to get more leads.

Tip #2: Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Take the time to upload your logo, pictures, services, offers, ask past clients for reviews, and link your website. Don’t just create a profile with the bare minimum, take the time to optimize it.

Tip #3: Create a Website

All those people giving marketing advice on Social media, claiming you don’t need a website?

They’re making business harder than it needs to be and missing out on one of the most important assets for your business.

Creating a website for your business will be one of the BEST things you can do.

Your website does not need to be fancy.

You don’t have to spend $5,000 hiring a copywriter or graphic designer.

Start with a one-page website that gives your ideal client everything they need to make a purchasing decision. Include: what you do, the services you offer, your prices, why they should hire YOU, what makes you different/the best choice, reviews, and a way to contact you.

Wix and WordPress have free plans. If you buy a domain using Godaddy, which I recommend, then I do believe they give you a free one page website to use with that domain. 

Side note, you definitely need a custom domain. 

Please do not have a domain that says, “sallywebdesign.wix.com”

Get a real domain “sallywebdesign.com” because it creates trust with your audience. 

A few reasons why having a website over using social media alone is a smart marketing strategy: 

1. Because websites create trust with your customers. 
2. You own your website and domain unlike your social media account. 
3. Your website can be a 24/7 sales person for you, when you take the time to help drive traffic to it and make sure that it gives your customers the information they need. 

With social media you are stuck relying on an algorithm. 

Will that post you spent 2 hours making reach the number of people you want? Will instagram decide to show it to 5 people or 500? 

Who knows? 

But when you have a website, you can intentionally do things to increase your visibility.

Tip #4: Learn the Basics of SEO and Use Keywords

Spend an hour or two learning about SEO.

Find out what keywords you can use and put those on your website.

Having a one page website with some strategic SEO keywords will be a game changer for your business.

SEO is also one of those things that takes time. It takes about 6 months before you start to see traction. If you implement this week, expect to start seeing some traction by September. 

The great thing about SEO is that you don’t need to be an expert to get results.

Watch a free video or read some blog posts to understand the basics, then go to Google Keywords Planner which is free, and search for what keywords to use.

There are loads of other keyword tools out there but Google Keywords Planner is free and easy to get started.

Tip #5: Start Using Google Analytics

This free tool helps you understand how people are using your website. It gives you insight into where they come from, how long they stay, and what they’re interested in. It’s a smart way to fine-tune your strategy and boost your conversion rates.

Having Google Analytics for your site is a nonnegotiable it gives you important information to help you grow your business.

Data helps you make informed decisions and making informed decisions leads to better business results. 

Tip #6: Ask Past Clients to Leave You a Google Review

The more Google reviews you have the more likely someone will trust your brand. If you already have your Google Business Profile, this tip can be done in 10 minutes or less.

Your Google Business Profile gives you a direct review link to share. Spend 5 to 10 minutes this week asking past clients to leave you a review.

If you want to to take things a step further, consider setting up an automatic email or text reminder that gets sent to clients asking them for a review.

Out of all the marketing advice in this blog post, tip #6 is easy to cross of your to-do list and will make a huge impact.

Tip #7: Use Online Platforms Like Fiverr or Upwork

Depending on your industry, platforms like Fiverr or Upwork could be another source of leads. They take a small fee but if your audience is already using them to find services like yours, it might be worth it. Do your own research and decide what makes sense for your goals.

Marketing Advice to Reach Clients Without Social Media

Tip #8: Attend or Host Networking Events

Grow your network and community by getting in the room and meeting people. Either in-person or online.

Networking helps grow your community and expand your reach. You can use sites like Meetup, Eventbrite, or your local Chamber of Commerce to find events.

If you are an introvert or strongly dislike networking, I know this might sound like your own personal hell to think about doing something like this. But I encourage you to find groups that resonate with you. There are probably networking groups online specifically for introverts.

If you sell digital products, these sites can be great to promote your digital products and get new leads. I’ll be experimenting with my own MeetUp funnel in the near future to sell my digital templates. 

One of the greatest things about networking events is that you could find your next bff, business partner, or client. You really don’t know what will happen.

So many successful businesses get a lot of their clientele from referrals. Networking and meeting new people, getting your business out there; gives you more opportunities for referrals to happen. 

If you don’t like any of the existing networking events, create your own!

Tip #9: Create a Referral Program

People love recommending things they trust.

Humans love helping other humans.

Think of the last time you were chatting with someone and they needed your help with something.

Maybe they were saying how they needed to find a new hair stylist. You felt so happy because you know just the person! You helped solve their problem. 

The psychology of referral programs works on several different levels.

People trust their friends, family, and people they know, so if they are recommending your services to new people; they will already be more likely to trust you because the social proof is there from someone they know. 

My clients used to refer so many people to my cleaning company that I eventually created a referral program because it was such a large piece of business. Inside of Money Rebel, referrals are also a common way new clients find me. 

If potential clients know people already love your business and hire you, the more likely they are to do it themselves. 

According to an article on Finances Online, it’s estimated that “92% of consumers around the world say they trust recommendations from friends and family, above all other forms of advertising.”

Think about how many times you ask for recommendations from people you trust or when people ask you for recommendations. 

How can you use this to help more people hire you and find your business?

Creating a referral program is a great way to do it.

When you care about your clients, are great at what you do, and have an intentional client experience, most clients will happily share your services with others without ever expecting anything in return. 

That’s what happens when you prioritize quality. A referral program is a cherry on top, an incentive to help people spread the word about a company they love.

Tip #10: Do Regular Market Research

This is one of the most skipped steps in business and one of the most important.

Market research helps you understand your audience and create marketing strategies that actually work. This is a non-negotiable and it’s marketing advice that will make a noticeable difference in your business.

Get better at doing market research and knowing how to actually use it in your business. I already mentioned this at the beginning but one of the best things you can do is to regularly do market research.

This is something so many people skip and it’s also one of the things that make or break businesses. It’s literally one of the top 3 reasons businesses fail. 

In order to have effective marketing that brings in the right clients consistently, you need to identify your target audience based on your market research and create your marketing strategy around both of them. 

What you do offline and with your overall marketing strategy, helps your online marketing efforts.

But in order for these to work, you have to have your foundational pieces covered.

That’s why market research, which allows you to know what your target audience is doing, wanting, needing, and what your competitors are doing, is vital.

Tip #11: Try Forums Like Reddit, Quora, and Discord

Experiment with using online forums as part of your marketing strategy. It’s an innovative way to grow your brand recognition and potentially get clients. Odds are, your target audience is asking questions on Reddit that you can be the one to help answer and then drive them somewhere to learn more from you. This could be your website, blog, podcast, etc.

On these forums, you can find real-time questions your target audience is asking. Try searching Reddit with a question your ideal client would Google. Answer those questions, provide value, and drive traffic back to your website, podcast, or blog.

When I was on a client call the other day, I was telling her about reddit while we were doing market research. We wanted to find out what her ideal client was actually searching for when looking for her services.

A search result popped up showing us that someone had asked for “Classical vocal coach recommendations in New York”.

So not only is it likely your ideal clients are trying to get answers on Reddit they might even be looking for recommendations. 

This is something that you could implement in as little as 10 minutes. Here’s an example of what this could look like.

I want you to think of a question that your ideal client might be searching for on Google. Then I want you to search that exact question in Reddit and see what comes up.

For example, for my ideal client they might be searching “how to price my services”. I’ll type that exact question into the search bar on Reddit or Quora and then spend 10-15 minutes answering any questions that are relevant and recent.

Tip #12: Marketing Advice That Goes Offline (a.k.a. OG Strategies)

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different marketing strategies.

Embrace OG marketing.

I’m talking about radio ads, newspaper ads, sponsor events in your community or other communities, get a fun decal for your car, get a couple sweatshirts made with your business name, put up flyers in local traffic spots.

Again, please don’t do all of these willy-nilly.

These are just some more ways to reach potential customers.

For example, let’s say your primary ideal client is moms, a great way to get your business out there is to sponsor your local high school or elementary school sports.

You could donate to local nonprofits with the various events they put on.

Yes, these strategies will involve a monetary investment but it might not be as expensive as you think and will align your company values with different causes. 

If your audience is local, traditional marketing could help you get in front of them and create trust in a way that online social media posts just can’t.

Even if you serve clients mainly online, this is still a strategy you can explore.

Bonus Tip: Create Long-Form Marketing Content Like Blogs, Podcasts, or Newsletters

Having a blog, podcast, newsletter, Youtube or email marketing strategy for your business can be a great way to market your business, without having the bulk of your content creation be for social media.

Your social media post may get traction for a day or a week. But your long form content is something you have more control over and lives forever essentially.

Blogging is especially good for SEO and brand recognition.

Yes, you still need to drive traffic to these places but it gives you more options when it comes to your marketing strategies.

Instead of having Instagram be your main driver of sales, you can social media to promote your long-form content. Then drive traffic to the long-form content and let that marketing channel build trust and do the heavy lifting for you. 

Please remember, these things take time and I’m not encouraging you to do every single one of these.

Deciding to add a podcast, youtube channel, or blog to your marketing strategies is a big time commitment. But an excellent way to grow your business without relying on social media marketing.

Final Thoughts: Building a Business Beyond Social Media

There you have it, 12+ tips and marketing advice you can use that don’t require you to rely on social media.  

Whether you’re looking for a new marketing strategy, or you’re ready to ditch social media altogether, these ideas can help you stay visible and attract clients in a way that feels good to you.

Even if social media still plays a role in your business, having other strategies in place gives you more freedom, confidence, and sustainability.

If you want help figuring out how to market your business outside of social media, that is exactly what my one-time strategy sessions can be used for.

It’s a 75-minute call where we can do some market research and create a strategic approach to growing your business without relying on social media. Click here to schedule your strategy session.

One Final Piece of Marketing Advice

Right now the importance of building trust with your customers is at an all time high.

This means getting more reviews, social proof, and testimonials from past and current clients. Having transparent pricing and showing people that your company exists outside of social media, are all important parts of creating trust. 

I really believe the businesses that do well in 2025 and for years to come will be the ones focusing on building that trust. 

Action Steps:

I encourage you to pick one to two things on this list you can get started on this week. Please remember that before implementing any of these marketing tips, make sure you are doing market research.

You know I talk about market research a lot.

It’s a hill I will die on because it is a skill and part of business that is essential to long-term success. 

Which is exactly why I’m so excited to announce that in April, I’m hosting a live market research event to help business owners like you learn how to do market research and have fun doing it.

You’ll learn how to create data-driven strategies so you can actually get the results you want. It’ll be part training, part co-working, and fully collaborative. Click here to join the waitlist.

Thanks so much for reading! If this post gave you some good ideas or encouragement, I’d love to hear from you or have you share it with a friend.