If you’re like most startup entrepreneurs out there, chances are you’re not working with a large budget for growing your social media following. You may even have zero money to dedicate to this, often overlooked but necessary part of running your business. And yet, it’s getting harder and harder (if not impossible) for any business to function without a social media presence. So, how can startups afford to compete with a low or a non-existent budget? Don’t worry, here we’re breaking down some steps that you can take to grow your social media following without breaking the bank. Let’s dive right in. 

1. Curate Content For Others

We’re starting with this, because it’s important to keep a smart perspective when it comes to approaching social media on a budget. You should, of course, produce content of your own first and have plenty to offer your new or potential followers once you’ve attracted their attention. But to get their attention, you should make yourself useful to a larger brand that’s adjacent to your niche and has plenty of followers that would love your page. 

Make sure this is a business that’s in line with your target audience’s interests without being in any competition with your brand, then simply reach out to them and offer to provide original curated content once per week, or whatever basis makes sense for you. They’ll likely welcome the lifted pressure of having to supply all of their own content, and you get to promote your brand using their reach while establishing yourself as an expert in your field. 

2. Take Advantage Of Free Design Tools

Engaging images and video are essential to your social media success, but professional services can cost a lot of money. Instead, take advantage of the free design tools that give you plenty of creative power while being super easy to use. One such tool is Canva, which allows you to easily create and scale your images to suit any social media platform, which can otherwise be a real hassle. Another great tool is Visme, which is an all-in-one content creation platform. With tools like these, you’ll be able to put out quality eye-catching content without having to spend a penny. 


3. Use Free Stock Photos

Don’t have a creative design team to organize professional photoshoots?  Don’t worry, you’re not stuck with illegally stealing Google images – which can result in a lawsuit. Just make use of the many free stock image sites that give you access to beautiful, high-quality photos for free. Some great options include:

Just search the topic or direction you’re looking for and you’re likely to find an image to accompany just about any social media post. 

4. Get User Generated Content 

Without paid advertising, social media – especially Facebook – has an extremely low visibility rate when it comes to promotional content from business accounts. Even if you already have some followers, your organic content is only visible to a very small fraction of them and is most likely swallowed up in a sea of other content. But if you can promote user-generated content that points people back to your page, you’ll enjoy much higher visibility. Try a contest or a challenge that requires your audience to partake and create content of their own and have them tag your page. Not only does this engage with your followers, it also boosts your visibility without costing a thing. 

5. Go Live! 

Videos have been shown to drive the most engagements out of all types of content and you shouldn’t miss out on this opportunity due to a lack of funds. If you don’t have the budget for a professional video production, you can still use your smartphone to drive a high number of engagements for free. Simply go live and put a human face to your organization. It doesn’t have to be anything important or grandiose, just a Q&A or a video tour around your office is perfectly fine as well. 

6. Be Human & Helpful 

Nothing kills a social media presence like a dry, corporate façade. Don’t fall into the trap of speaking to your audience through one – be human and relatable. Your social media page should connect to people, not just try to sell them on a product or a service. In fact, strive to be helpful and bring genuine value to your viewers through the content you share on social media and you’ll see a natural increase in your following. When in doubt, listen to your followers and those of your competition. Social media should be more like a conversation than a one-way bombardment with content. 

We hope that these tips help get you the followers your new business needs without sacrificing your valuable budget. Remember to approach social media in a strategic way if you want to promote your content for free. Be useful both to other business accounts as well as your target audience, and you’ll start to see a natural rise in popularity and reach. Engage with your audience whenever possible and involve them in spreading your message; they, along with available free tools will get you the visibility you need while you grow your business and budget.