Affordable Ways to Market Your Shop When You're Doing It All Yourself

Marketing your indie shop can feel like trying to juggle while riding a unicycle—especially when you're handling everything from product creation to customer service to bookkeeping. And when someone mentions "marketing budget," you might laugh (or cry) because every dollar is already spoken for.

Here's the thing: you don't need a massive budget or a marketing degree to get your products in front of the right people. Some of the most effective free advertising for small businesses comes from being scrappy, authentic, and consistent. We're talking about marketing ideas for small ecommerce shop owners who are doing it all themselves—real strategies that work even when you're starting from zero.

Ready to turn your hustle into genuine connections with people who'll love what you make? Let's dive into marketing tactics that fit your life and budget.

Start with the people you know

Your biggest cheerleaders are probably already in your corner—friends, family, past customers, and that neighbor who always compliments your work are your secret marketing weapon.

Don't be shy about asking for support. Most people genuinely want to help; they just need a little nudge and a friendly ask.

Make it easy for them by asking them to:

Send referrals: If you've ever bought from me, tell a friend who'd love it too
Share your posts on social media: Mind giving this a share?
Forward your newsletter to someone who might be interested: Found this helpful? Share it with a friend!

Word-of-mouth marketing is incredibly powerful and costs nothing for people to do. One genuine recommendation from a trusted friend or colleague carries more weight than dozens of paid ads or 5-star reviews.

Make the most of free tools

You don't need expensive software to create professional-looking content. Free tools can handle most of what you need:

Canva for graphics, social posts, and simple designs
Pinterest for long-term traffic and discovery
Later or Buffer for scheduling social posts
Google Analytics to understand your website traffic
Unsplash for free stock photos when needed

Pick two or three tools that make your life easier, not more complicated.

Show up where your customers already are

Online marketing is powerful, but in-person opportunities work as some of the most effective free advertising for small business owners. Local markets, craft fairs, pop-ups, and community events let you connect face-to-face with potential customers in ways that no Instagram post can replicate.

Even if you don't make a ton of sales at an event, you're building relationships that translate to online support, getting your brand in front of new eyes, networking with other vendors who might become collaborators, and creating authentic content for social media.

Look for events that align with your brand values. A maker of sustainable products might thrive at environmental fairs, while someone creating cute stationery could find their people at local zine fests or book fairs.

Don’t forget to set up your in-person checkout in your Big Cartel shop to connect your in-person sales with your online shop.

Picture this: you're packaging an order at 10 PM, and instead of just taping up the box, you snap a quick photo of your workspace mess and post it with "Late night small business vibes." That post gets more engagement than your perfectly styled product shots because people connect with the real moment.

That's the magic of an authentic social media marketing plan—you don't need perfect lighting or professional photography. Save that for your shop’s product photos. You need genuine moments that let people see the person behind the products. Pick one platform where your ideal customers hang out (and you actually enjoy using) and focus your energy there.

Your Build an email list (even if it's small)

Your social media followers belong to Instagram or TikTok, but your email list? That's yours. Email marketing tools, like Mailchimp, MailerLite, or Kit, make it easy to get started and typically offer a free plan to help you get started.

Forget the fancy, graphic-heavy templates—a simple, friendly email from you with your logo and brand colors is perfect.

To grow your list, offer something your audience wants:

Early access to new products
Behind-the-scenes updates
Exclusive discounts or surprise drops
Free digital downloads (more on this next)

No matter what size your email list is, those are people who have said, "Yes, I want to hear more from you." You’re not fighting with the algorithm to get your message in front of your subscribers. Instead, your email list becomes your direct line to people who are genuinely interested in what you’re creating. plan can be simple:

Share behind-the-scenes moments while you're creating
Show your products being used in real life
Talk about your inspiration or what you're working on next

The packaging photo, the coffee-stained sketchbook, the "finally finished this piece" celebration post—these moments build connections.

And here's the secret sauce: actually engage with your community. Reply to comments, join conversations, and support other creators. Social media works best when it's actually social.

Build an email list (even if it's small)

Forget the fancy, graphic-heavy templates—a simple, friendly email from you with your logo and brand colors is perfect.

To grow your list, offer something your audience wants:

Early access to new products
Behind-the-scenes updates
Exclusive discounts or surprise drops
Free digital downloads (more on this next)

Big Cartel, like many ecommerce platforms, offers integrations to MailerLite, Omnisend, Zapier, and other tools to connect your online shop with your email marketing platform.

Create a freebie or incentive that adds value

One of the best ways to advertise your small business for free is by offering a freebie or incentive to potential customers.

We’re not talking about heavily discounting your work or giving away costly products for free, but instead offering a taste of what you do. If you make jewelry, maybe it's a care guide for keeping pieces looking their best. If you're a zine creator, offer a free mini-zine as a sampler.

Think about what would genuinely help or delight your audience:

A mini printable that complements your main products
A downloadable guide related to your niche
Exclusive digital wallpapers or backgrounds
A checklist or template that saves them time

The key is to ensure that your freebie reflects your brand personality and gives people a reason to stay connected through your email list.

Collaborate with other creators

Rather than trying to reach everyone, think about partnering with another creator who already has your ideal audience’s attention. The indie maker community thrives on "community over competition," and collaboration is one of your most powerful marketing tools.

Don’t think of other creators as competition, but as potential partners. Look for makers whose audiences might also love your work—a jewelry designer and a tote bag maker serving the same aesthetic, or a zine publisher and a pin maker with aligned values.

Start simple:

Run joint giveaways where you each contribute a product
Create product bundles that make sense together
Do Instagram takeovers or story swaps
Cross-promote each other's launches

The magic happens when you find alignment in style and values, not direct competition.

List your products in roundups & gift guides

Getting featured in gift guides and product roundups can introduce your work to entirely new audiences—and it's often easier than you think.

Start small and local:

Search for "[your city] gift guide submissions"
Look for "[your niche] + gift guide submissions"
Follow small blogs and newsletters that feature indie makers
Reach out to local publications around holiday seasons

Keep your pitches short and genuine. Include high-quality product photos and explain why your product would be perfect for their audience. Create a simple spreadsheet to track where you've submitted and follow up appropriately.

Encourage (and reuse) customer love

Your happiest customers are your best marketing team. They create authentic social proof that money can't buy, and show real people using your products. These real stories from real people, known as user-generated content, go beyond reviews to build credibility and trust.

Make it easy for customers to share their love of your products by:

Including a handwritten thank-you note asking them to tag you in photos
Creating a unique hashtag for your brand
Asking satisfied customers if you can share their photos or testimonials
Encouraging unboxing videos or styling photos

Get discovered through Pinterest

Pinterest works differently from other social platforms. It's more like a visual search engine, making it perfect for product discovery—and you don't need a huge following to see results.

Create Pins for your products using simple Canva templates. Focus on:

Clear, bright product photos
Descriptive text overlays
Keywords in your pin descriptions
Lifestyle shots showing products in use

Pinterest traffic builds slowly but can be incredibly valuable long-term. Someone might save your Pin today and come back to buy months later.

If you want to take your Big Cartel shop one step further, you can integrate the Pinterest Tag to track user activity from your Pinterest Ads.

Experiment with small ad campaigns (when ready)

Once you've got a grasp on free advertising for small business and want to expand with what's already working, small paid campaigns can be a great next step. We're talking genuinely small, $5 to $10, to test the waters and see what happens.

Instagram and Pinterest ads are particularly effective for visual products. Start by promoting products that already perform well organically, target people with interests related to your niche, or create lookalike audiences based on your email list. If you sell at local markets, geographic targeting can work wonders too.

Treat these as experiments, not investments. Start tiny, track what actually drives sales (not just likes or clicks), and only scale up what's genuinely working. The goal isn't to spend more money—it's to spend smarter.

Start where you are, with what you have

The best ways to advertise your small business for free often come from being authentic, consistent, and genuinely connecting with your community.

You don't need to try every single one of these marketing ideas for small business. Pick one or two that feel manageable and commit to trying them consistently for a few months. Marketing is like building a muscle—it gets stronger with regular practice, but you don't have to start with heavy weights.

Remember, you're not just selling products; you're sharing your creativity with people who'll genuinely appreciate it. Stay true to what makes your work special, show up regularly, and trust that the right people will find you.

Written by Leanne Mitton