How to advertise your small business for free
Introduction
If you're starting, your budget may be tight. That's why getting creative with how you advertise your business is essential. There are plenty of ways to promote your small business for free, it just takes some creativity and know-how. Here are the best practices for small businesses to promote themselves online.
Write in Online Forums or Blogs.
You can use blogs and online forums to give your business an online presence and build trust with potential customers. A blog is a great way to let your personality shine through and attract people interested in what you have to say.
You can write answers that pertain to your business on platforms like Quora or Reddit.
Think of it this way: if someone's looking for information about something they're interested in, they're going to Google it or check out popular sources like Quora or Reddit before doing anything else. If they see a post from your business, chances are good that they'll visit your site (and keep coming back).
Create a Facebook page.
Facebook is the most popular social media platform and is an excellent place to promote your business. You can use Facebook to connect with your customers, find new customers, and even find employees.
When you create a Facebook page for your small business, you'll be able to:
- Post updates about your products or services.
- Offer discounts or coupons.
- Promote events or sales.
Claim your local listings on Google, Yelp, and Bing.
Claim your business listing on Google, Yelp, and Bing. If you're advertising on Facebook and Instagram, make sure you also claim your local listings on Google, Yelp, and Bing.
This is an easy step to forget when you're busy growing a business. Still, it's something that can have a significant impact on the success of your advertising efforts. By claiming these local listings for your small business, you can show up in search results when potential customers search for businesses in the area around where they live.
Google Business Profile: Claiming your business listing is free! All you need is an updated phone number, email address, and basic information about what kind of services or products you offer.
Use Instagram to showcase your products.
Instagram is a visual platform, so it's perfect for showing off your products. If you have an e-commerce store and want to showcase your wares, Instagram is the place to do it.
Instagram has over 1 billion active users, and more than half use the app daily. So if you want to reach a large audience of potential customers, Instagram can help!
Create an Instagram account and connect it to your business website or e-commerce store to get started. Then post photos of your products that are high quality and show what sets them apart. You can also try posting pictures of yourself, your team, or your location. This will all help create engagement.
Create a contact list for email marketing.
You may not be familiar with the concept of email marketing. But, it's simply using a contact list to send promotional emails to your customers and prospects. These emails usually contain a discount code or special offer for a specific time. You can set up an email marketing service on top of your regular email account (like Gmail) or use an external service such as MailChimp.
The other important part of this strategy is maintaining an updated list of people interested in receiving offers from your business. This will ensure that you don't waste money on promotions to people who are not interested in what you're selling. It also keeps you from getting flagged by spam filters!
Build buzz for your business by being active on Twitter.
Be authentic. If you're not a natural at social media, don't try to be something you're not. You'll come across as fake, and your followers will see right through it.
Be consistent. Make sure that the content on your business's social media pages is updated regularly. Ideally, every day or at least once per week—and always use the same profile photo and header image so people know whom they are connecting online. This consistency will help build trust among new followers and keep them engaged with your content. Customers know that they can rely on getting updates from your company.
Be engaging. People won't follow someone unless they find them interesting—so make sure yours is! One way small business owners can do this is by sharing stories about experiences involving others within their industry. Another way would involve finding unique stories from others outside your industry that aren't necessarily industry specific. But these stories could still provide valuable insight into how products work/what services are often needed by customers seeking them out today.
Creating a web presence for your business is cheap with a website generator.
A website generator is the easiest option for building your first online presence if you're starting. These services allow you to create a professional site without needing web development skills. With a few clicks, you can generate a small business website and add text, photos, and other content to create something that looks great on any device. You'll be able to get started right away with little fuss! Most good website generators also come with customer support if you run into any issues or have questions about how to use the features of your new site.
The best part? Website builders are cheap! They'll even help keep your pages fast, which is vital to Google. Your simple, professional small business website will load fast if you use a website generator like Mighty Sites.
Conclusion
We're not going to lie: marketing your small business can be tricky. But with these tips, you should be well on your way to building a solid web presence for your company. Remember, it all starts with a good website builder—and we have just the one for you!