Starting a small business and the marketing budget is pretty much zero after sinking everything into the build. Google Ads was costing $70 a week with absolutely zero measurable returns - no conversions, not even meaningful clicks. I'm now planning to hand out flyers at local wedding venues with referral incentives for the venue itself. Before I print a batch, I'd appreciate some feedback on the concept.
From my experience fixing GA4 setups, I've seen how easy it is to burn cash on Google Ads when targeting and conversion paths aren't dialled in. That $70/week could be better spent on something with guaranteed local reach. For the flyer approach, I'd recommend using unique codes or dedicated landing pages to track referrals properly.
Has anyone here successfully used venue partnerships for a wedding-adjacent business? From the numbers I've seen, referrals from trusted vendors tend to convert at a much higher rate than cold clicks - often 3-5x better in the early stages. Keen to hear what's worked for others on a tight budget.
