10 Free Ways to Attract New Customers to Your Small Business in 2025
Running a small business can feel like running a haunted house—you’ve put your heart, soul, and maybe even some blood (don’t worry, fake blood counts 🩸) into it, but you need fresh souls to walk through the door. Ads can cost a coffin full of cash, but the good news is you don’t need a giant budget to draw new customers into your crypt. With the right mix of consistency, creativity, and a sprinkle of spooky charm, you can grow your customer base for free. Here are 10 free strategies to enchant new customers in 2025.
1. Haunt Social Media Consistently
Think of social media as your graveyard stage. If you’re not showing up regularly, your audience will forget you exist faster than a ghost vanishing at sunrise. Choose 1–2 platforms where your ideal customers lurk (hint: TikTok is still the wild west of visibility, while Instagram is perfect for eye-candy vibes). Post consistently—not just sales pitches, but tutorials, behind-the-scenes chaos, memes, and those little “human” touches. Reply to comments, slide into DMs, and actually talk to people. Engagement is what raises your posts from the algorithmic grave.
2. Cast Shareable Content Spells
If you want your brand to spread, make content worth sharing. Shareable content is funny, relatable, or solves a quick problem. Think: memes that your niche will scream “omg me” at, infographics that break down something complicated, or quick tutorials your audience can save for later. Canva is your spellbook here—whip up graphics with your branding (grunge checkers, neon accents, spooky fonts) so when they spread, your vibe spreads with them.
3. Build Your Email Coven
Algorithms are tricksters—they’ll love you one day, ghost you the next. Your email list, though? That’s your coven. It’s direct access to your customers without any middleman. Start with a free tool like MailerLite or Mailchimp. Offer a freebie that fits your audience’s vibe—like a “Small Biz Spellbook: 10 Social Media Prompts” or a printable checklist. Promote it everywhere: your website, your socials, even on packaging inserts. Once they’re in your list, nurture them with spooky tips, exclusive discounts, or sneak peeks. This is where casual followers become lifelong customers.
4. Optimize Your Google Lair
If you have a physical location (or even if you ship locally), a free Google Business Profile is pure gold. Add photos, update your hours, respond to reviews—make your profile look alive, not like a tombstone in a forgotten cemetery. Positive reviews here not only boost your credibility but also push you higher in local search results, so when someone types “witchy gifts near me,” your biz shows up.
5. Partner With Other Witches
Collabs aren’t just cute—they’re wicked smart. Find another small biz whose audience overlaps with yours and team up. Host a joint giveaway where you both contribute prizes, do a shoutout swap, or even create a limited bundle together. This cross-pollination exposes you to a whole new crowd of ghouls who are already primed to love what you do.
6. Summon Reviews & Testimonials
Nothing is scarier than silence when a potential customer checks for proof. Reviews are your candles in the dark. Encourage happy customers to leave feedback on your site, Google, or socials. Then repurpose those reviews as graphics, quotes, or even reels. Social proof isn’t just a buzzword—it’s the spell that turns strangers into buyers.
7. Use Hashtags Like a Grimoire
Hashtags are magical keywords that summon your content to new eyeballs. In 2025, the trick is mixing broad tags (#shopsmall, #smallbusiness) with niche ones (#witchyshop, #gothdecor). Research 10–15 hashtags your audience actually follows. Keep a rotating list and update it every few months—because dead hashtags won’t raise your reach.
8. Give Free Value First
Want people to trust you? Teach them something. Drop a 60-second reel sharing a tip, offer a free mini-guide, or do a live Q&A. When you freely give value, people see you as an expert, not a salesperson. And when they’re ready to buy, guess who they’ll come to? (Yep—you, babe.)
9. Hang Out in Online Communities
Facebook groups, Discord servers, even Reddit threads—your people are already chatting somewhere. Show up there. Not to spam your links (you’ll get yeeted for that), but to genuinely help. Answer questions, give advice, and drop knowledge bombs. People will naturally get curious and check you out.
10. Encourage Ghoul-Generated Content
Your customers are your best hype squad. Ask them to share pics or vids of themselves using your product. Create a branded hashtag and repost their content. UGC (user-generated content) builds trust and gives you free, authentic marketing that feels way less salesy than your own promos.
Closing the Coffin
Attracting new customers doesn’t have to cost a dime. With consistency, creativity, and some spooky strategy, you can keep growing your coven for free. Start with 2–3 of these tactics, master them, then layer in more. Keep haunting the digital world, and soon the customers will come knocking at your door.
