How to market my business without social media

The burning question on everyone’s lips, as social media becomes louder and more unpredictable.

Get out into your community

Being rurally based has its disadvantages for growing a business in terms of transport links, population density, and internet speeds. But it makes up ground in terms of community and word-of-mouth.

Could you sponsor a local sports team? Often, these opportunities are very reasonably priced, and with half the village watching the team every weekend, you’re going to get noticed.

Talk to everyone about your business. Your hairdresser, the Mums at playgroup, the people in your book group, drop it into conversation when you’re posting your Vinted parcels. Not in an eye-rolling, doesn’t she ever stop, kind of way, just general conversation. And never leave the house without a business card in your bag.

Word-of-mouth marketing does work, but this is where I have to say that I don’t recommend you burn down your social media accounts immediately. For as much as you dislike socials, when word-of-mouth does its job, and people look you up, you need to have at least a professional-looking page that directs people to the right place.

Rural show season

Agricultural shows, village fetes, game fairs, farmers markets all bring rural communities together. Could you sponsor a class in a competition with a small prize? Could you give a talk at a reception or lunch? If having your own stand is outside your budget, reach out to other small businesses to see if anyone would like to collaborate. This is a fantastic way to increase footfall, and you have someone to rely on when you nip for a sandwich and a look around.

Just being there isn’t enough though; you need to be intentional about making connections and having good conversations. Do not leave without jotting down contact names to follow up with in the days to come. My top tip is to provide a free kids activity - a sure-fire way to get to speak to parents for 10 minutes.

Get found online

When people Google you, what do they find? Your business Google profile is an essential piece of visibility; don’t let it let you down. This is where you can upload some images, your address and opening times, if relevant, and most importantly, customers can leave glowing Google Reviews!

Testimonials are such a vital part of building your reputation, and Google Reviews are the closest to ‘verified’ that you will get. Far more professional than screenshots of messages, and you can repurpose for emails, flyers, sales letters and more. You can add these to your social media profile to keep it up to date and sparkling, without having to think of new content.

In a world obsessed with social media, it's easy to let your website gather dust, but it should be one of your hardest-working team members. Do you know where you appear when someone searches for your services? Tools like Google Search Console and Answer the Public are worth getting to know, and bookmarking. Your ideal client, who is ready to buy, is googling a service you provide; make sure they land on you. Time invested in SEO over chasing algorithms is time well spent.

Email - trusted and reliable

Does your website have a prominent email sign-up box? Don’t leave it hidden in the footer as an afterthought.  Email marketing is still very powerful. It’s trusted, professional, easy to personalise, and average open rates are far higher than social media post reach. There are plenty of free platforms out there that handle GDPR compliance, privacy policies and instant unsubscribe for you. 

Email is great for repeat customers and referrals. I would take 200 email subscribers over 2000 Instagram followers any day of the week. You can build your email list in other ways - lead magnets, collaborations, hosting webinars and workshops and even including a sign-up in your business email signature. What are you waiting for?

You don't have to be everywhere to be visible. You just have to show up in the right places, for the right people, with the right message and do it consistently enough that your name becomes the one people reach for.

Rural business has always been built on trust, reputation and relationships. Word of mouth is powerful, but left to chance, it's unpredictable. That's exactly why I created The Rural Reputation Method. Intention, connection and visibility - a practical approach to building the conditions where referrals, recognition and trust grow consistently. Not by luck, but by design.

If you're ready to stop leaving your reputation to chance and start building something that works, let’s chat. You can book a free call here.