• Start With a Plan
  • The Eight Types

This page covers eight types of marketing a small business can run itself: paid search ads, local search, content, social media, email, referrals and reviews, promotions and discounts, and phone outreach. Each section says what the strategy involves, the US rule that applies where there is one, and which guide on this site covers it in full. Pick one or two you can keep up every week, then measure each against what it costs.

Billed publishes this page. US rules are quoted from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), and planning guidance from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), with each source's date shown where it's quoted. The worked example uses sample figures.

Start With a Plan

The SBA's marketing and sales guidance (In the US, checked October 31, 2026) says: "Your marketing plan turns your strategy into action." The sections it lists include target market, competitive advantage, marketing and sales goals, and budget, and it asks you to "Plan to compare your marketing and sales costs to the revenue it generates."

The same page notes: "The federal government regulates advertising and labeling for a number of consumer products, so make sure your advertising is legally compliant." The sections below quote the FTC where a federal rule applies to that strategy.

The Eight Types

1. Paid Search Ads (PPC)

With PPC, a search engine charges you for each click on your ad, and an auction decides where the ad appears. Start with what is PPC for how the auction works, then benefits of PPC for small business for budgets. If your customers are businesses, see the role of PPC in B2B marketing.

2. Local Search

Local search marketing means keeping your business details accurate wherever people look for services in your area. Fill in your business details where local searches look for them, keep your hours and service area current, and ask customers for reviews. See local SEO for small business and how to create a Google Business Profile.

3. Content Marketing

You publish answers to the questions your customers ask before they buy, such as guides, checklists or short videos, and link them to the service they relate to. See content marketing for small business.

4. Social Media

Choose one platform where your customers already spend time, post on a schedule you can keep, and reply to comments and messages. See social media marketing for small business, which also covers disclosing paid and staff posts.

5. Email Marketing

You send news, offers or reminders to people who asked to hear from you. In the US, the FTC's CAN-SPAM compliance guide (August 2023, edited January 2024) says: "You must honor a recipient’s opt-out request within 10 business days." It also says: "The law makes no exception for business-to-business email." See email marketing for small business for the full list of requirements.

6. Referrals and Reviews

You ask happy customers to recommend you or to describe their experience in public. If you reward people for reviews, the FTC's Endorsement Guides questions and answers (In the US, June 2023) say: "Endorsements must reflect the honest opinions or experiences of the endorser." They also explain that tying a discount to a positive review "may motivate people to give a positive review for reasons unrelated to their honest opinion about your product." So reward the review, not the rating. See how to create a referral program and how to collect customer testimonials.

7. Promotions and Discounts

A promotion is a time-limited offer, such as a discount or a coupon. The SBA's marketing plan section asks you to "Explain your pricing strategy and how you’ll use promotions." Write down each offer's terms, start date and end date before you announce it, and count the people who used it. Billed's invoice software page says: "Give a client a discount on an invoice, or create coupons."

8. Phone Outreach

Calling people to sell is telemarketing, and in the US the FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule guide (checked October 31, 2026) explains the rules for telemarketing calls. It says: "It is a TSR violation to make any covered calls without having accessed the Registry." It also says: "The prohibition on calls to numbers on the Registry does not apply to business-to-business calls or calls to consumers from or on behalf of charities." Before you call consumers, ask a lawyer which rules cover your calls.

Worked Example: Comparing Three Strategies (Sample Figures)

These are sample figures for a fictional home cleaning business over one quarter, invented for this example.

  • Paid search: $600.00 spent, 12 new customers, so $600.00 ÷ 12 = $50.00 per customer
  • Referral reward: a $25.00 credit for each referred customer who books; 8 booked, so 8 × $25.00 = $200.00 spent, or $25.00 per customer
  • Email to past customers: $90.00 for the email service, 5 repeat bookings, so $90.00 ÷ 5 = $18.00 per booking
  • All three: $600.00 + $200.00 + $90.00 = $890.00 for 25 bookings, so $890.00 ÷ 25 = $35.60 per booking
  • Revenue: 25 bookings at an average of $120.00 = $3,000.00

Comparing cost per booking shows where each dollar went furthest in this sample. Repeat the comparison each quarter, as the SBA suggests when it asks you to compare marketing costs with revenue. Use your own figures; these are only an illustration.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many marketing strategies should a small business start with?

There's no official number. Start with one or two you can keep up every week, and add another once you can measure what the first one brings in.

Which US rule applies to marketing email?

The CAN-SPAM Act, which the FTC enforces. Its compliance guide says: "The law makes no exception for business-to-business email."

Can I call businesses whose numbers are on the Do Not Call Registry?

The FTC's Telemarketing Sales Rule guide says the Registry prohibition "does not apply to business-to-business calls". It also says calls to business lines that ask employees to buy for their own use "are not business-to-business solicitations and are not exempt from the TSR."

How do I know which strategy is working?

Track the cost and the revenue for each strategy separately. The SBA says: "Plan to compare your marketing and sales costs to the revenue it generates."

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