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Find the Right Marketing Tactics for Your Small Business or Nonprofit

  • Writer: Megan Annis
    Megan Annis
  • Apr 3
  • 2 min read

Updated: Jun 12

Let's Talk About Your Marketing Mix

Happy April! How did the first three months of 2026 fly by so quickly?

 

This month we're talking about diversification. Just like with your investment portfolio, your marketing mix should be diversified. If you put all your eggs in one basket, you're leaving a lot of money on the table.

 

Two trite sayings in one sentence? Yep, but I mean it. If you spend all your marketing budget in one space, you're limiting your ability to reach new and existing customers.



One way to know whether your marketing efforts are successful is to ask your customers how they heard about you. It's a simple question but can tell you what actually is working and where to spend your marketing budget!

Ask this question

If you've never asked your customers how they found out about you, start doing so...RIGHT NOW! That level of intel is a game changer.

 

Let's say 50% of customers learned about you from social media, 40% from Google, and 5% from friends/family, and 5% from miscellaneous (i.e., radio ads, billboard, etc.). But if you're spending 75% of your budget on that miscellaneous bucket, you're throwing away precious money on something with minimal return!

 

I've seen many small businesses and nonprofits throw spaghetti against a wall (so to speak) just to see what sticks when it comes to their marketing. You've got to be strategic about where you spend your marketing dollars so you actually get a return on your investment.



Think you have to do all the things when it comes to marketing? Start small. Pivot if it's not working or add more budget if it's doing well.

Start small

Want to reach a new market or try a specific marketing tactic? Start small. You don't have to blow your budget testing something out.


I've worked with clients where we allocated $150 toward a one-month social media ad campaign to see how it performed. Once we saw the positive return, we added more to the budget and ran additional ads.


Crawl. Walk. Run.



You have to be strategic when it comes to your marketing. Having a diverse mix of marketing channels that make sense for your customer base is crucial. You can't tie everything up in one channel but you also do not want to spend money unnecessarily on marketing that just doesn't work.

Be strategic

Your marketing dollars shouldn't be tied up in just one medium because you'll only reach a very small segment of your potential customer base. Having a strategic mix of various marketing methods allows you to expand your reach. Whether it's a mix of digital ads, social media and direct mail or social media ads, local PR, and email, find what gives you the greatest return for your money.


Every business is unique, so where your customers learn about you is likely different than the business next door.


If you could use help in analyzing your current situation or need a fresh perspective on how to effectively market your business or nonprofit, book a free consultation call with us.



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