Beyond Social Media: 6 Powerful Marketing Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs
There’s a marketing secret most business owners don’t know. In my 1:1 client work helping businesses run their marketing departments, I see it over and over:
For most businesses, social media brings in less than 1% of total revenue.
<1%!!
The first time I saw it, I thought it was a fluke. After all, “they” say “you just aren’t doing it right.”
But that’s not really the case.
The second time I saw it, it was definitely a red flag.
It makes sense, right? Social platforms are designed to keep you scrolling.
Unless you’re willing to invest in ads … that’s a different story. (Read: SEO vs. Paid Ads: Which Is Better for Growing Your Business?)
But organic posts? Crossing your fingers to go viral? Your chances aren’t great.
And when I learned this, that’s when I realized female entrepreneurs needed to know the truth about how much the average business is really making from social media based on what I was seeing on the back end of clients’ data.
Social media is fantastic for building rapport and delivering repeat touch points. It’s NOT great for converting paying customers. And that’s why I encourage women to make social media one piece of their marketing pie, but not their entire strategy.
So if you’re like most female entrepreneurs and you’re tired of relying on social media for your small business marketing, here’s what to do instead. Plus 5 other marketing tips for female owned small businesses.
Why Social Media Isn’t a Great Marketing Strategy
Relying on social media to market your business can feel like hoping your old toxic ex could suddenly get his ish together.
As small business owners, we know to position our message where our audience is already spending time (and if you don’t have your ideal client avatar, read 5 Essential Steps to Create a Marketing Plan that Turns Leads into Paying Customers).
We know our target audience is spending time on social media, yet so few businesses can translate social activity to actual sales. (In case you didn’t hear me, that’s because social is great for repeat touch points, not great for conversion.)
The algorithm feels elusive because it’s always changing. Everyone has someone they know who seemed to crack the code and gain thousands of followers seemingly overnight. So it feels alluring to think that could be us.
I’ve spent ten years helping small businesses market and here are five pieces of marketing wisdom I’ve seen work over and over to help small businesses get the word out about their business that work way better than social media does for most people.
Okay, so we’re clear that social media serves a specific purpose, but as they say, “it ain’t poppin’ for sales.” So before we cover what to do instead, let’s talk about marketing tips for small businesses.
Marketing Tips for Small Businesses
Here are a few core fundamentals I teach all of my clients.
Social media is one piece of the marketing pie - but it’s not the whole thing. Use social media to deliver repeat touch points, but don't put all your eggs in one basket.
Actual, real life relationships are the MOST important aspect of your marketing strategy. People, especially women, want to do business with people they trust. Nothing replaces being in the presence of and building relationships with people. Truly, the business of business is relationships.
Drive traffic to a space you own, i.e. your website or email list. Not the other way around. That means, take your social icons off your website or hide them in an inconspicuous space.
Understand how the buying cycle works - The buying cycle is the psychological process customers go through as they decide to buy. Four basic phases: Awareness, Consideration, Purchase, and Aftersale - lead your visitors through that process with calls to action, content, and marketing efforts specific to those four phases. It’s so important that I even outline this in How to Start a Business for Women: Step-by-Step Guide for Female Entrepreneurs.
Effective Marketing Strategies for Small Business Owners
So if social media really isn’t bae, let’s talk about alternative marketing strategies small business owners can explore to gain customers beyond just relying on social media:
#1 Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
I promise you, your audience is spending time with Google. Enhance your website's visibility in search engines — ground zero when your prospective customers are looking to buy. By optimizing your website's content and structure for search engine traffic and conversion, you can improve your ranking in search results. This can bring in organic traffic, making it a long-term investment for customer acquisition.
The main idea behind SEO is providing valuable answers for Google’s customers (who has over 80% of the search engine market share well over Bing and Yahoo). Google’s customers are searchers. Those searchers use the Google search engine to find answers. If you can create content that provides a great experience for Google’s customers. Your site is more likely to be recommended to Google’s customers, who are also your potential customers.
I always tell my clients: Create content around what your audience is already asking to Google. That’s how you create visibility.
There are a few things Google loves: fresh content, complete answers, sites that are simple to navigate, sites where visitors can interact (think watching videos, filling out a form, etc.).
Before we go any further, did you know at Founding Females® we host an entire training dedicated to helping female entrepreneurs upskill around organic search and conversion strategy called the ✨ SEO Glow Up ✨?
The ✨ SEO Glow Up ✨ is a two-hour training followed by two full weeks of “walk alongside you” “hold your hand” support so you can ask every question your entrepreneur heart desires to get your website and online presence bangin’.
Click to find out when we’re hosting this SEO training designed especially for female entrepreneurs next!
Here are five tips for improving your site to drive more organic search traffic to your offerings.
Lead visitors where you want them to go with eye catching hyperlinked text and calls to action. Use buttons and hyperlinked text to lead visitors through the buying cycle through your site, always toward a conversion and never backward.
Aim for detailed, comprehensive content. That means use more words to paint a complete picture for the audience. Your offerings (sales pages or products) should provide an exhaustive idea of what it would be like to experience the benefits of your offering. Describe your offering in as many ways as you can.
Use the keywords and keywords phrases searchers are using. Don’t just write “Services,” write “Web Design and Branding Services.” Use specific keywords throughout your copy and place those keywords where Google looks for them: Page titles, hyperlinked text, body copy, alt tags, meta descriptions.
Earn backlinks. When sites link to yours, it provides credibility. Think of any opportunity for other sites to link to yours. For example, you could send a recently published blog post out to people in your industry who may share it with their audience. Or, if you’ve been interviewed on the news, see if they can link to your website in their write up. Backlinks hold a lot of weight in the Google algorithm, so the more sites that genuinely link to yours, the better!
Use video - Google loves video because people love video. Look for opportunities to add video on your site, like in your about page so visitors can get a more intimate feel for who you are as a person, or do a site walk through, or add videos talking through the concepts in your recent blog post.
#2 Content Marketing
Develop valuable, relevant content like blog posts, videos, or infographics that address your audience's needs and interests. Share this content across various platforms, including your website, email newsletters, and industry forums.
This can establish your expertise and attract potential customers.
Remember, your audience needs to hear your message multiple times to become familiar with the idea of buying from you. As small business owners, managing content is hard work.
So here’s a content tip: create one piece of long-form content (such as a 2000 word blog post, or a long video, etc.) then repurpose that content across multiple channels. Turn a blog post into a 3-part email series, a week’s worth of social media content, a YouTube video, and Google Business posts. Content helps position you as the authority on a topic. When your audience sees you as an expert on the topic, they’re more likely to purchase your offering.
#3 Referral Programs and Strategic Partnerships
There’s a reason why client testimonials are insanely powerful, especially for small businesses. Word-of-mouth referrals often lead to high-quality leads and loyal customers.
That’s because your customers hang out with other people who are like them. They have similar lifestyles. They live in similar (or the same) geographic locations. Their income is often similar, which means their buying power is likely similar.
Creating a system within your business to incentivize referrals can help drive more customers like the ones you’re already serving. When a Wordpress designer refers a customer to me for SEO and CRO services, I heap on the love by sending them a gift card and recognizing their generosity.
Why? Because it’s less expensive for me to reward the flow of existing incoming clients to incentive more behavior like that than it is for me to spend the same money on marketing campaigns.
We want to do business with people we trust. As people, we want to minimize risk, so we look for advice from people who have already faced a challenge like ours. Referral programs are about helping minimize the psychological risk prospective customers feel in trying your offering.
What to Know About Strategic Partnerships
Strategic partnerships span beyond a simple referral. Formal partnerships between business are more than a simple recommendation; they’re an agreement to support each other’s clients to a high standard. Compensation structure can vary, but the main idea is that both parties are compensated via referrals and both parties aim to secure and retain the valued client.
#4 Local Events and Partnerships
Participate in or sponsor local events, fairs, or workshops that align with your business. Partner with other local businesses for cross-promotions or joint events. Building a presence in your community can foster trust and attract nearby customers. There’s something special about small businesses paired with a local community.
Supporting a small business owner is way more rewarding than helping a big box store earn high profit margins because those small business owners live and work in our own community. Their kids go to the school down the street. Their families are paying taxes and pouring money back into the local economy. Companies and organizations teaming up to tap into a shared audience can be beneficial because local communities are so ready to rally around the people living and working inside of them.
The key here is to position your message where your ideal audience is spending time. If you sponsor golf outings, but your ideal client doesn’t play golf, you’re going to miss the mark. Your marketing dollars won’t be used in a way that will deliver a return on your investment.
That’s why it’s imperative that you know exactly who you’re selling to so you develop partnerships with local events and organizations who are also positioned in front of your ideal audience. Here are two simple steps to figuring out your ideal client as a female entrepreneur.
#5 Email Marketing
Honestly this should be #1 on the list. Email marketing is certainly not dead. There are two major reasons I love email marketing. First, you get to deliver repeat touch points on your own schedule. Second, you own your email list and growing it becomes a more and more valuable asset as you build a business you could sell someday.
Create a mailing list by offering valuable content or exclusive deals in exchange for email subscriptions. Use targeted and personalized email campaigns to nurture leads, keep in touch with customers, and promote new products or services.
The key here is to actually do it. I understand it can be overwhelming to know where to start. “Done is better than perfect,” as my friend Leann likes to say. Start with sending one newsletter per month. Once you develop a consistent cadence, move to two emails per month. Then aim to develop your first welcome automation. Small baby steps at a time. The crucial piece is that you actually do it, no matter how small your list in the beginning.
Another tip - Don’t just show up in their inbox when you need to sell something. We’ve all unsubscribed from lists we had no idea how we got on in the first place because we hadn’t heard from them in ages. Keep your audience warm and ready to buy by delivering valuable content in your audience’s inbox regularly. Choose a consistent schedule and stick to it.
Don’t forget - you don’t have to create new content for every email. Use content you’re already creating for other purposes.
One more tip - create a balance between nurturing content and sales content. The right balance for your audience depends on your previous relationship with them, your offering’s price point, etc. There’s no exact science to it.
One company might be able to be more salesy while another company might find it advantageous to sell only 25% of the time. You won’t know until you get into a good groove by doing it consistently.
#6 Google Business Profile
Nope. This one isn’t dead either, but it is evolving. This is the most underrated marketing tool I’ve found. Google is your well connected friend who everyone goes to for advice. Including what company to use for services like yours.
Nurture that baby. Use Google products (Google Search Console, YouTube, Google Business Profile) at every opportunity. Like I said, Google has amassed over 80+ of the search engine market share so of course Google wants to recommend people who are using it’s own products.
That’s one of the reasons why they position Google Business listings so prominently in the search engine results. Their goal is to create a smooth, seamless experience for searchers. One of the ways they do that is via Google Business listings which give searchers quick access to information.
So how do you leverage this powerful tool? Use their post and event features. Direct your clients there to leave Google reviews. Update your profile often. Add your Facebook events here too.
When I work with new businesses setting up their online presence, we nurture the Google Business listing by posting and adding events for at least 30 days. We direct customers to leave reviews (and respond to them promptly). This can make a massive difference in your business, especially if you’re focused on serving a local audience.
Want a printable list? Download 25 Ways to Market Your Business Aside from Social Media below.
Conclusion to Beyond Social Media: 6 Powerful Marketing Strategies for Female Entrepreneurs
As a small business owner, you don't have to rely on social media for your business to be successful. These alternatives can work hand-in-hand with social media or as standalone strategies, helping you diversify your customer acquisition channels and reach a broader audience.
About Founding Females®
The mission of Founding Females® is to help women build thriving businesses. We create safe spaces for women to share business challenges and receive peer support.
In addition, Founding Females® offers an online female business mastermind, a how-to guidebook for female entrepreneurs called Dream, Build, Grow: A Female’s Step-by-Step Guide for How to Start a Business, and in-person events, like an annual women’s business conference and local Founding Females® Meet Ups.
Founding Females® was founded by small business educator, Francie Hinrichsen. She believes anyone with a dream on their heart can pull up a seat to change the world through entrepreneurship. Click to learn more about working with Francie.
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Feeling stuck in the social media marketing grind? You’re not alone. While social media has its place, it’s not the only way to grow your small business. In this blog, we’re diving into six powerful marketing strategies that female entrepreneurs can use to attract customers, increase visibility, and build a sustainable business—without being handcuffed to the algorithm. Click to read more!