How to promote your side hustle (even if you’re not a marketer)

If you’ve recently jumped into a new side hustle, you’re probably hoping to bring in a bit more income. To do that, you need to learn how to promote your side hustle. 

Even if you’re not a seasoned marketer, there are ways you can start promoting your new side hustle or creative business, finding new clients or customers, and bringing in a solid side income. 

Follow along with our guide below to start marketing your new side hustle like a pro. 

1. Tell family and friends

When you first venture out into a new side hustle, let those in your immediate network know. They might have their own connections they can hook you up with as some of your first clients or customers. 

For example, if you’re starting to offer piano lessons, your local friends and family members might know of a few people that are interested in learning or signing their kids up for lessons. If you’re writing and self-publishing a book, you can let friends and family know so they can support you if they’re interested in the genre you’re writing. Or, if you’re starting a YouTube channel or Instagram account, you can let people know so they can start following you. 

To tell your family and friends about your new venture, you can:

• Send a text or social media message announcing the news
• Share the news next time you see them in person
• Call people individually to see if they know anyone who may be interested

2. Share on your personal social media profiles

Let people in your personal network know about your new side hustle. Share a post on your personal Facebook or a story on your personal Instagram that lets people know what kind of new product or service you’re offering.

This can be a great way to find some of your first customers. You don’t want to be pushy and turn your personal social media profiles into a marketing platform—but a quick announcement and a link to your new website can be a great way to spread the word.

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3. Create a website

With that in mind, you will want to create a website. Don’t worry—this doesn’t have to be a complex, expensive endeavor where you need to learn website development overnight. There are a number of tools you can use to easily create your own side hustle website.

Some of these include:

• Squarespace for visually appealing, artsy websites
• Wix for basic, informational side hustle websites
• Teachable for side hustles selling online courses and digital downloads
• Shopify for online stores

Each of the above tools allows you to create a drag-and-drop website that requires zero web development skills. Find a template you love, customize it, and you’ve got yourself a website.

You’ll want to share all key information that your side hustle clients or customers would need to know—what you’re offering, how they can get it, how much it costs, etc. Then, you can also share your website URL easily online and with other people to further your reach.

Here’s a Squarespace template that provides a great example of what a basic website could look like for your side hustle. This example is for a soap-making business:

You could turn your website into an online store or you could simply let people know what it is you have to offer if they show up at any market you physically sell at.

4. Get business cards printed

Having business cards on hand that you can easily pass out anytime you mention your side hustle is another great way to spread the word. You can use a service like Moo or VistaPrint to quickly design and print your business cards at a reasonable price.

Here’s an example of what your business cards could look like:

Start with a template like the above options from Moo, add a relevant image or design to the back of your card, then include contact information to the front, like:

• Your name
• What you do/offer
• Email address
• Phone number
• Website URL
• Address/PO box, if applicable

You can then keep a stack of business cards on hand at all times so that you can hand one out if anyone you talk to seems interested in what you have to offer.

5. Create business social media profiles

Even if you’re not a marketer, it’s easy enough to create social media accounts for your new side hustle so that you can share photos and content about your business. You don’t need to create a profile on every available social media platform out there—that’s a quick road to overwhelm and burnout.

However, choosing 1-2 platforms to start on (i.e., Instagram and TikTok) can be a great way to build an even wider audience for your new side hustle. Start by sharing photos of what you do or make, interact with other creators or small business owners, and generate your own online audience.

6. Browse similar accounts to get content ideas

If you’re not sure how you should be using social media in order to promote your new side hustle (which is not an issue—after all, you’re new to this marketing thing), look at social media accounts of people who are offering similar products or services as you.

What kinds of content are they sharing? Can you do something similar with your own twist? Who do they follow? How can you emulate their success so you can grow your own business?

This is called a competitor analysis in the marketing world, and is a great way to understand how other businesses like yours are performing well. You don’t want to copy them, but drawing inspiration—and putting your own spin on it—is absolutely encouraged.

7. Use small business/side hustle-related sound bytes

Short-form video platforms like TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts allow you to use trending sound bytes in your own content. Many small business owners have created their own audio clips to help promote their businesses—and you can piggyback on those as well.

Here’s an example of a popular sound clip that many side hustlers or creative business owners use to show off their products on TikTok:

You can also simply browse the keyword “small business” to get ideas about what other sound clips people are using or content ideas they have that you can jump on.

8. Take photos and videos of your product/service

If you want to spread the word about your new side hustle, you have to showcase your work to help build trust and prove your expertise. The best way to do this is through photos and videos of your products or services so that you can share them on your website and social media sites.

9. Share in local Facebook groups

Are you in a local Facebook group? There are often Facebook groups specific to neighborhoods, towns, and even counties. Join a few so that you can share your side hustle with those who live nearby.

Search through the Facebook groups to see how others in your area tend to promote themselves. You’ll likely see a number of posts offering services like lawn care, babysitting, pet sitting, and more, so sharing your side hustle shouldn’t be a problem. Just make sure you read the group rules first.

10. Sell products on Facebook Marketplace

Creating products but don’t want to deal with shipping or building out an online store? Create listings on Facebook Marketplace so you can meet up with local buyers in order to sell your products.

11. Look for local markets and vendor events

Or, another great local option is to look around for local markets and vendor events. Farmer’s markets, block parties, festivals, and more are often looking for vendors to set up tents and sell their products to attract a bigger audience and keep them engaged at the event.

Start promoting your side hustle today

Ready to start making money through your new side hustle? Use these tactics to help. And if you’re creating a more informational side hustle, like an online course or digital templates, Teachable’s sales and marketing tools can be a great asset for any small business.