Low on Holiday Funds? 5 Ways to Get Seen Without Spending on Google Ads

Let’s be real, this holiday season has most small business owners tightening every screw on the budget. Between inventory costs, pop-up fees, and shipping chaos, Google Ads can start to feel like a luxury.

But visibility doesn’t always require ad spend. It requires strategy, consistency, and a willingness to get scrappy.

Here are five ways to boost your brand visibility this holiday season—no ad budget required, all rooted in what’s actually worked for me at Einnim Creative Studio in Oak Brook and across Chicagoland.

1. SEO Is Still the MVP (Especially for Local Small Businesses)

If you do nothing else this season—start here. Local SEO optimization is how your business gets found by nearby customers searching for exactly what you offer. It's that simple but also, the most important piece of the puzzle.

At a recent Einnim workshop, the event organizer told me, “Whoever does your SEO is doing a great job—that’s how we found you.”

That single sentence made every late-night keyword audit worth it. Because that moment wasn’t luck—it was strategy.

It was Soma Marketing’s work, paying off for both of my brands.

Start simple:

• Use local and seasonal keywords throughout your site (“holiday gifts in Oak Brook,” “Chicago small business candles,” “Illinois handmade gifts”).

• Keep your Google Business Profile updated with hours, photos, and descriptions that reflect your holiday offerings.

• Add internal links between pages so visitors—and Google—can easily navigate your site.

💡 Soma Tip: SEO is like cleaning your shop window. Keep it fresh, visible, and consistent.

If you’re not sure where to start, learn more about our organic visibility strategies for small businesses.

2. Use Your Email List to Reconnect With Local Customers

Email marketing is the lowest-cost, highest-return tool you have—and your audience is already there.

Plan a 3-part series that speaks to the season:

1. Kickoff: “Our holiday lineup is live—shop small, shop local.”

2. Midway Reminder: “Still searching for a Chicago gift idea? We’ve got you.”

3. Final Call: “Last day for delivery before the holidays—don’t panic.”

You don’t need to sound like a marketing department. You just need to sound human. The small businesses that win this season will be the ones who sound real.

💡 Soma Tip: Keep your tone conversational. One well-written, local email will outperform a dozen generic ones.

3. Repurpose, Don’t Reinvent (Your Best Content Already Works)

You don’t need to reinvent your brand every December—just refresh what’s already connecting.

Look at your top-performing posts or promotions from last year, and bring them back with a 2025 spin. At Einnim, we’ve done this with our “Monthly Promotions” —same visuals, new headline, updated local hashtags—and engagement doubled.

It’s proof that familiarity and trust outperform novelty.

💡 Soma Tip: Strong content doesn’t mean new content. It means intentional content. If you’d like help polishing your copy or keeping your voice consistent, check out Soma’s content writing services.

4. Partner With Another Local Business

Collaboration is literally free marketing. Partner with another small business that shares your audience but not your niche—like a wine bar and a candle studio, or a coffee shop and a handmade goods store.

Einnim has done cross-promos with Oak Park and Glen Ellyn studios, and every partnership brought in new, long-term customers who otherwise might’ve never found us.

💡 Soma Tip: Choose partnerships that make sense. The right local alignment does more for your visibility than any boosted post.

5. Get Local Press Coverage and Community Features

If you’re not pitching your story locally, you’re missing out. Media outlets, Chamber of Commerce newsletters, and “Shop Local Chicago” guides love small business features this time of year.

Send a quick pitch: a short intro, one great photo, and your story. Don’t overthink it. “Oak Brook candle maker brings wellness-focused gifts to local markets” is all it takes.

💡 Soma Tip: “Local” is SEO gold—use it in your copy, captions, and meta tags.

Full-Circle Moments + Why It Matters

When that Einnim event organizer said they found me through SEO, it hit me: this is exactly why I built Soma Marketing. Because every small business deserves to be seen—and the ones doing the best work are often the hardest to find.

I’ve been there: wondering if the next invoice clears before rent. Debating between new inventory or a new ad campaign. But I’ve also seen what happens when strategy and persistence finally click—and it’s worth every late night.

So if you’re tired of watching the algorithm favor big-box brands, here’s your reminder: You can still win this season.

You can still be found. You can still grow.

Let’s end the year strong—together. Get started with Soma Marketing and let’s make sure your business is the one people find when they search local.

Serving Chicagoland Small Businesses

Soma Marketing is based in Oak Brook, IL, supporting entrepreneurs across Chicago, Naperville, Elmhurst, and the western suburbs. If you’re ready to build organic visibility that drives real local traffic, let’s talk. Book Your Free Consultation Today →

Best,

Elita