How to do something with nothing (brand marketing edition)

Imagine you've been asked to build brand relevance with $0.

A few months ago, the Substack queen herself, Emily Sundberg, bluntly (and correctly) called out a well-known DTC brand: "I just opened their Instagram account for the first time since maybe, 2018? It looks so bad. I'm confused how a public company with so much clout and raised cash has such a poor social presence."

I've worked at said company, so I did what all overly opinionated marketers do and posted on LinkedIn, addressing businesses that only spend money on performance marketing (activities meant to generate revenue immediately). This seemed to resonate for one group with which I empathize deeply: Brand Marketers With No Resources™.

If you relate, hi, welcome; I'm happy you’re here. If not, let me set the scene: imagine you've been tasked with growing brand awareness on a zero-dollar budget, creating a tiered influencer program with no support, or, my personal favorite, making a TikTok go viral out of thin air. It's as hard as it sounds.

So, I've compiled my favorite actionable ideas to support brand and awareness initiatives with minimal to no budget. These tips will apply if you're in a generalist role and trying to supplement growth activations, work on organic social, or are a brand marketer. Like most parts of working at a startup, let this be yet another lesson in controlling your controllables.

The Instagram account Emily referenced. It’s giving PDP.

First, I'd suggest making a case for brand and organic marketing investment. (If anyone is interested, send me a note, and I can do a deep dive at a later date.) I will assume you've done this, but it didn't work.

Now what?

Before You Start:

Depending on your level with the organization, I recommend getting your direct manager's buy-in before moving forward with any of the ideas below. If I were you, I'd go to mine with the following:

1. A clear plan for what I want to test and why

2. KPIs to measure success

3. A rough timeline

4. Resources needed ($2,000? Support from a cross-functional partner?)

5. An estimated time commitment (i.e. 10 hours over the next two weeks)

Once you have their support, proceed with the following.

Ideas for Brand Marketers with No Resources™:

DIY Social Content

This might upset some of you, but you don't need a graphic designer, an agency, a copywriter, or a social media team to create engaging content. Sure, they help, but they're not 100% necessary. Go spend a few hours reading Rachel Karten and browsing the social feeds of some of your my favorite brands. Jot down ideas and get creating. Most often, the messier the content, the better.

• Memes: It's a cheap win, but if you find a way to organically integrate whatever your brand is selling while helping your audience feel seen, it's a win nonetheless.

• Team Content: Showcase your brand's unique working culture and team personalities by giving your audience a peek behind the scenes.

• Co-Branded Content: Identify a handful of non-competitive brands with great socials that speak to your audience. Reach out and ask if they'd be open to an organic collaboration post and share a few ideas. I fully support a bribe: offer to send their marketing team products from your brand as an extra incentive. (I've received free boots with this approach.)

Influencer Gifting

If you don't have money to pay influencers, I hope you have a great product. If you do, I'd spend some time building a thoughtful list of influencers for gifting outreach.

Look for creators with a small following, strong engagement, and genuine authenticity in their content. If they're being themselves, they're more likely to foster real community and belonging among their audience.

Draft personalized outreach for each. No, I don't mean simply inserting their name and IG handle into a template. Reference something unique and specific about their platform and tell them why you think they might want to try your brand. Lastly, figure out if there's something special you can offer them. First access to a new product? Can you let them pick what they want from your brand? Can you volunteer to also send your product to a friend of theirs as a gift? Maybe you host a giveaway for their audience? Get creative.

Co-Branded Events

Here is where I suggest you ride the coattails of brands with larger budgets.

An agency quoted $50k for this activation. My team made it happen for 1/5th of the cost.

Start to develop relationships with marketers at non-competitive brands with a similar audience. This can happen IRL via networking events, on social media, or even through a cold DM on LinkedIn. Keep your eyes peeled for pop-up events, community activations, or exclusive influencer activations. Reach out (always personalized) and share ideas about how your brand might add value. Do not make your outreach about your brand and goals; make it about them and what you can offer. Can you give your brand's product to the first 50 customers in line for a pop-up? Can you activate onsite at an influencer breakfast by providing a complimentary service to your product? What else?

On the other hand, if you have an idea for an event, think about what other brands might make sense for it. Sometimes, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts and will save you some $ along the way.

What did I miss? What have you tried that’s been impactful on the cheap?

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