How Do I Get My First Customers With No Marketing Budget? | Small Business Growth Tips 2026
Episode notes
How do I get my first customers with no marketing budget? If you're a new business, building trust can feel impossible when you don't have reviews, referrals, testimonials, or a track record. In this episode of Underestimated, Shawna Suckow shares creative ways small business owners can attract customers, build credibility, and generate buzz without spending a fortune on advertising. You'll hear real examples from a trade show startup, a roofer, a painter, a chiropractor, and beauty service providers who use experiences, stories, and social proof to stand out. If you're wondering how to get customers when nobody knows who you are yet, this episode is packed with ideas you can put to work immediately.
If you're a small business owner struggling with:
- getting your first customers
- building trust without reviews
- standing out from established competitors
- generating referrals and word of mouth
- creating marketing content people actually notice
- attracting customers without discounting
- growing a business with a limited marketing budget
this episode will help you rethink how you build credibility when you're starting from scratch.
You'll learn:
✔ How do I get customers when nobody knows my business yet?
✔ What can I do instead of spending money on advertising?
✔ How can I build trust before I have reviews?
✔ What types of experiences create word-of-mouth marketing?
✔ How do I turn customers into testimonials and referrals?
✔ Why do some businesses become memorable while others get ignored?
✔ What marketing assets should every new business be collecting?
✔ How can I stand out in a crowded local market?
Who This Episode Is For
This episode is for small business owners, entrepreneurs, and marketers who are trying to attract customers without a large advertising budget. It is especially relevant if you are launching a new business, entering a competitive market, struggling to gain visibility, or trying to build trust before you have an established reputation.
Episode page + full transcript: https://www.thebuyerinsider.com/podcast/episode-19
CONNECT WITH SHAWNA:
Subscribe: https://www.youtube.com/@ShawnaSuckow
Visit: https://www.thebuyerinsider.com
Newsletter: https://www.thebuyerinsider.com/newsletter
Free Small Business Marketing Resources: https://www.thebuyerinsider.com/vault
#SmallBusinessMarketing #MarketingStrategy #CustomerTrust #BuyerBehavior #EntrepreneurMarketing #SmallBusinessTips #Marketing2026 #BusinessGrowth #CustomerExperience #BrandTrust #DigitalMarketingStrategy #MarketingForSmallBusiness
Please like and subscribe to help Shawna reach more small business owners!
Subscribe to Shawna's Small Business Marketing Non-Snoozeletter, and get free marketing resources here: www.thebuyerinsider.com/vault