How To Support Small Businesses for Free

I’m sure you have a friend or two who are a part of a band, a photographer, a designer, a tattoo artist, a writer, a baker, a small business owner, a cake decorator, a makeup artist, YouTube influencer, etc., who you frequently see posting their work on social media or on their website, right? Chances are these people are either full-time artists making a living off what they do or they’re pushing to get themselves there. Many artists you see online are freelancers and the food on their table comes from the money they make from their skills because this is their only source of income. That being said, they need all the support they can get in order to keep their business afloat.

Maybe you don’t have extra money to buy some of their work or services and that’s okay! You don’t have to have a ton of money to be able to support your friends. Much too often I see people get discouraged because they feel like their lack of ability to support the artist monetarily means that they can’t do anything else to support them. We’re here to put that theory to rest because that couldn’t be more wrong. There are tons of ways to support people without paying a dime and that's what we’re here to teach you.

Interact With Their Posts on Social Media

I can’t stress enough how important it is to follow your artist friends on social media. If you don’t follow them, you’ll never see their posts. All of the likes, comments, and shares matter more than you think because it helps push their content to more and more people. Not only do you help build their reputability, but you make it more likely for a lead to become a customer or client. Following your favorite businesses on social media and engaging with their posts helps boost their status or rank.

Make sure you’re following us on social media so you can stay up-to-date with us!

Next time you see that business post some of their work, share it on your own social media account, give it a like, and leave a comment! By reacting to and sharing their work, you not only put that post in front of more eyes, but you are giving the artist the potential to gain new followers, customers, or clients. For the artists that work by commission, the more people that see their art, the better their chance of getting hired by a potential client. Sometimes the exposure and audience are the first step in the right direction to help them reach their goals. If you want to go beyond sharing their content, promote it yourself. All you have to do is track down a link and share it on your social media platforms. If you add a creative blurb to it, it will seem less like spam and more people will click on it.

If you have purchased a product or received a service from someone, take a photo and tag the artist thanking them by showing off the product. Social media thrives from images and posts are more likely to get attention if there is an image attached. If you like what you received, chances are you’ll want to document it anyway. I think that's how social media works, right? A simple tag will allow “fans” of the artist to see actual photos of the work from real customers and that builds so much credibility. Think about it like this: Have you ever searched through reviews for more photos of something before you bought it? Chances are you have and that’s exactly what you’re doing here. You’re enabling people to make their decision based on the photo you, the customer, have provided.

Provide Word of Mouth and Reviews

Have you ever worked directly with a freelance artist/small business before? Maybe you’ve gotten custom t-shirts for a birthday party or maybe you had a designer create a logo for you. If this sounds familiar, then just know that your word of mouth is so valuable. People are more likely to make decisions based on what friends and family have to say about a product, service, or in this case, an artist or small business. Share your experiences with the people around you so (hopefully) they’ll consider using this artist/business in the future. If you liked the work or product they provided, scream and shout your opinion from the rooftop of the tallest building around you! Or just post about them on social media, but don’t forget to tag them!

These are our Facebook reviews. This 5/5 rating will help other people decide whether or not to trust us as a small business. Thanks for your thoughts!

Social media is getting more and more powerful and a lot more businesses have started using it to help them market their work. Not only that, but it helps others find solutions to their problems with a quick search and a little research. We always see posts where people are looking for recommendations for this or for that. If you see one of these posts, tag your friends in them! If the artist/business you worked with does have a social media presence, write a review on their page. Writing a review on their social media platform helps others learn what it’s like working with them without having to dig deep to find it. It not only helps them look better but high ratings and reviews also are a common decision-making piece.

Provide Thoughts and Criticism

By providing honest (and kind) criticism, good or bad, you are giving the artist the opportunity to grow. A good artist will take your words into consideration and learn from them. Maybe they see something you don’t see and new eyes can help point out mistakes. Nobody is perfect and artists will be the first to tell you that.

If there is something special you’d like to see them create, tell them. If there is something you see they could improve on, tell them. Help them out. If there’s an event going on that you think they could advertise at, tell them. No matter what it may be, use your words and communicate with them. Your words are more powerful than you think. After all, you may be their target audience, and hearing thoughts and opinions from you may be a game-changer for them.

Share Their Business Cards

Almost everything we do in business today is digital, but business cards are the one thing that probably won’t be replaced by digital means any time soon. They are the most effective direct marketing tools we could offer and they are the first impression of your brand. People will remember business cards because they’ll have them in their hands rather than on a screen in front of their faces. Never underestimate the power of a nice business card.

Stack of (old) Sage & Oak business cards on a lacy tablecloth.

If an artist has business cards, ask for a few to pass out to your friends and family or even to put up in local shops. You never know how far one little piece of paper can get someone.

Business cards are pretty relevant in our lives. We have lots of them lying around our shop so if you would like some to pass along, just let us know! We’d love to give you some. If you order something from us or purchase something in-store, we’ll give you a nice little thank you card with some business cards in the packaging. After all, business cards are super effective and they help us get our name out there.

Side note: If you’ve received business cards from us lately/if you do, you might notice the old logo on there. We have a pile of old business cards we’d like to use first to prevent less waste. We know it’s confusing. New ones are coming.

Stop By Their Shop

A nice picture of the outside of our shop. We’re located to the right of Un Mundo Cafe.

If your small business friends have a physical location, stop by and see it! We’re not saying you have to be there from open to close every day they’re open, just stop by every so often and check it out. You don’t have to go out of your way to do so, but if you’re ever in the area, make sure you show your support. You don’t have to buy anything, of course, but let them know how proud of them you are and how great they’re doing. We promise it’ll make their day.

If you don’t live close and can’t make it to their shop, that’s okay! You can share their posts on social media to help others become aware of their small business. Remember by sharing their posts, you’re putting their small business in front of more eyes. This could lead to more clients/customers and that’s likely their goal.

Offer Words of Encouragement

This is probably one of the most overlooked support tactics when referring to artists because you wouldn’t think they’d need it. All artists are always confident in their work. Just kidding, that is so far from the truth. As a freelance designer, I can tell you in complete honesty that I get discouraged in my work more often than I’d like to admit. It’s hard seeing your favorite piece of work to date not get noticed by anyone and seeing someone else get more clients than you. The same goes for our products. We can create the cutest pair of earrings but sometimes we don’t feel like anyone will like them.

It can be daunting for an artist to start their own business or even feel “ready” to share their work in such competitive fields. Artists can spend hour after hour on their work but without proper support, it can almost seem demoralizing after a while. By simply telling artists how much you enjoy their work can really make a world of difference. After all, it costs nothing to be kind. If they post something you like, even if you can’t purchase it, let them know how cool you think it is! You never know how much your kind words can help small business owners feel more confident in their products.

Of course, there are so many more ways to support your small business friends without having to break the bank than what we have listed. Remember, if you want to help them but aren’t sure how to, just ask them. Most likely you will find that there is something simple you could do that could go a long way. Just ask!

Do you have anything else to add to our list? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!

Also as a special thank you for reading this blog, take 10% off your next order with promo code: “BLOG10”!