Starting a business as a female entrepreneur can be tough, especially when it comes to securing funding. But don’t let that stop you from realizing your vision!

There are ways to gain traction without relying on outside funding. And once you have traction, investors will come knocking on your door.

Here are 5 effective marketing strategies for female entrepreneurs to help you build your brand and attract more customers:

1. Develop your personal brand

2. Make PR work for you

3. Get people talking with word-of-mouth marketing

4. Create a loyal community

5. Get creative with guerilla marketing

1. Develop your personal brand

Consumers prefer to do business with people, not companies. As a female founder, building a strong personal brand is essential to gaining trust and overcoming gender bias.

82% of people trust a company more when its top executives are active on social media. (CEO Hangout)

How to do it:

STEP 1: Profile

• Update your social media profile to reflect your brand mission and values.
• All CEOs and founders should have a professional LinkedIn profile.
• Make sure your cover image, profile photo, and headline make a great first impression.

STEP 2: Content

• Instead of bragging about your products or services, share valuable information that benefits your audience.
• Share your mission and the steps you’re taking to achieve it.
• Share the values and the principles you uphold in business.
• Share your successes, including company achievements, customer success stories, and employee success stories.

Successful personal branding is all about consistency. If you’re consistent in your message and image, people will begin to recognize you for your expertise and start seeking you out for advice and assistance. — Dan Schawbel

STEP 3: Connections

• Respond to comments to strengthen your connections with your audience.
• Leave meaningful comments on your peers’ or industry influencers’ posts.
• Schedule calls with supporters, peers, partners, and investors.

STEP 4: Expansion

• Take your personal brand beyond just social media.
• Be open to participating in podcasts.
• Seize public speaking opportunities.
• Contribute guest posts on industry blogs/publications.

2. Make PR work for you

Public relations can be a powerful tool for female entrepreneurs. Letting others talk about your business, especially an authority in your industry, can be a great way to build your brand and reach a wider audience.

PR is the art of telling a story so well, people want to hear it again and again. — Anonymous

How to do it:

STEP 1: Goals

• What do you hope to achieve through publicity?
• Consider building authority, becoming a thought leader, or getting your company known by a wider audience.

STEP 2: Publications

• Get to know the publications you want to target.
• Learn about their preferred topics and style.

STEP 3: Relationships

• Pitching to the right person is crucial.
• Follow journalists and make connections to build relationships.

STEP 4: Story

• Your business itself is NOT the story.
• Identify interesting angles or stories within your business, such as your origin story, customer success stories, business challenges, etc.

3. Get people talking with word-of-mouth marketing

Word-of-mouth marketing is one of the most effective ways to spread the word about your business and attract new customers. In fact, research shows that people trust recommendations from friends and family more than any other form of advertising.

92% of people trust recommendations from friends and family more than any other type of advertising. (Nielsen)

How to do it:

1. Reward referrals: Offer discounts or free products to customers who refer others to your business.
2. Start an affiliate program: Encourage customers to spread the word about your business by offering them rewards for doing so.
3. Launch a loyalty program: Reward frequent buyers and those who refer others to your business.
4. Offer exclusive deals: Give customers access to special promotions and early access to new products in exchange for word-of-mouth referrals.
5. Partner with micro-influencers: Find social media influencers with at least 10,000 followers in your industry and offer them compensation for promoting your business.

4. Create a loyal community

Having a dedicated and engaged community around your brand is critical in today’s digital world. To get the most out of your efforts, you must effectively utilize social media platforms and create content that speaks directly to your target audience.

How to do it:

STEP 1: Platform

• Choose the social media platform that works best for your business.
• Craft content specifically for your selected platform.
• Use hashtags to expand the reach of your brand and potentially reach audiences beyond those who already follow you.

STEP 2: Engagement

• Offer content that resonates with your target audience, such as expert interviews, customer product reviews, or educational information that showcases how your products solve a problem.
• Try different content formats, like written posts, videos, infographics, audio clips, and GIFs.
• Respond to comments and conduct polls to strengthen your connection with your followers and foster relationships among members of your community.
• Host regular live events, like online workshops or giveaways, to keep your audience excited about your brand.

STEP 3: Analytics

• Keep an eye on the analytics for each post (likes, comments, shares, etc.) and make changes if needed.
• This way, you can reach potential customers with maximum impact.

5. Get creative with guerilla marketing

As a female entrepreneur, you can tap into your creativity to reach your target audience with limited resources. Guerilla marketing is a great way to do just that.

Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. Host events and stunts to create media attention.

2. Partner with other businesses or organizations for mutual benefits.

3. Give away free samples, contests, or prizes to generate interest.

4. Use street teams to spread the word about your startup by handing out flyers, wearing branded t-shirts, and generating buzz in person.

5. Open a pop-up shop to showcase your products and services.

6. Crowdsource support by launching a crowdfunding campaign and reaching out to your network.

7. Run a social media contest to engage your followers and encourage them to share your brand with others.

8. Place attention-grabbing ads in unexpected locations, such as public restrooms, elevators, or on the back of receipts.

For further insights on guerilla marketing, check out the book, “Guerilla Marketing: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your Small Business” by Jay Conrad Levinson