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tiffany@tiffanycoxdesign.comHow can I advertise my small business for free?
3 . 20 . 2023
Small businesses often have limited budgets, which can make advertising seem like a daunting task. But the good news is that there are plenty of ways to promote your business for free, and even on a shoestring budget. Let’s explore some of the most effective ways to advertise your small business for free.
Social media is one of the most powerful tools for promoting your small business for free. Platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and LinkedIn offer businesses the opportunity to connect with potential customers and build their brand without spending any money.
To leverage social media effectively, start by creating business profiles on the platforms where your target audience is most active, if you’re not sure where that is check out our other blog post that dives deep into what platforms are right for your audience. Then, post regular updates about your products or services, share useful information related to your industry, and engage with your followers.
The key to effective social media is to make sure that when you post a promotion about your services you speak to the biggest problem or challenge your clients have and how your services are the solution they’ve been looking for. And don’t be afraid to tell your story and show YOU. People are more likely to connect to a face and a feeling rather than your company logo so don’t be shy and show a little bit of you in your posts!
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your website to rank higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). By optimizing your website for SEO, you can drive more traffic to your site and attract potential customers who are searching for products or services like yours.
To optimize your website for SEO, start by conducting keyword research to identify the terms and phrases that your target audience is using to search for businesses like yours. A great keyword research tool that’s 100% free is Google Keyword Planner but also use a little bit of psychology to identify those keywords. Put yourself into your client’s shoes and then create a spreadsheet of all the potential keywords you should hit in your content. Then, optimize your website’s content, meta tags, and images with these keywords. Remember it’s best to focus on only one topic per page so you may need to break up your content into separate pages so you can expand upon certain topics.
Lastly, it’s very important to track the results you’re getting from optimizing your website so you can improve your ranking over time. To do this easily and for free you will want to install Google Search Console to track your ranking progress.
Starting a blog can be a great way to build your brand, establish yourself as an expert in your industry, and drive traffic to your website. By creating high-quality content that provides value to your target audience, you can attract potential customers to your website and build a loyal following.
When starting a business blog, be sure to focus on topics that are relevant to your target audience and that showcase your expertise. Then, promote your blog posts on social media and other channels to attract readers and build your audience.
Make sure you post regularly, at least once per month to give your website an additional SEO boost!
Networking with other businesses and professionals can be an excellent way to promote your small business for free or low cost. By building relationships with other businesses and professionals, you can tap into their networks and potentially gain new customers, this is especially true for B2B businesses like coaches and consultants where relationships are KEY to building a solid business.
To network effectively, start by attending industry events, joining local business associations, and participating in online communities related to your industry. Then, be proactive about building relationships and finding ways to collaborate with other businesses and professionals.
Offering free samples or trials of your products or services can be an effective way to generate buzz and attract new customers. By giving potential customers a chance to try your products or services for free, you can build trust and establish a relationship with them.
To offer free samples or trials, consider running a promotion on your website or social media channels. You can also partner with other businesses or influencers in your industry to reach a wider audience. Remember that givers gain in this situation so make sure you offer to share a post about them with your audience if you partner on any promotions.
Online directories and review sites like Yelp, Google My Business, and TripAdvisor can be powerful tools for promoting your small business for free. By creating listings on these sites and encouraging satisfied customers to leave reviews, you can improve your online reputation and attract new customers.
To leverage online directories and review sites effectively, start by creating a business listing on the platforms where your target audience is most active. Then, encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews and respond promptly to any negative reviews to show that you take customer feedback seriously.
Not only does this help with your online credibility, but more positive online reviews will also help you rank higher on Google and other search engines.
Another easy way to keep top of mind and to advertise your small business for free is to leverage the customers you already have! Use free email marketing tools like Mailchimp to start to collect email addresses on your website. Then make sure to regularly send email newsletters with new products and services to keep your list updated on what’s new with your business. If you’re a retail business try to keep specials to a minimum, otherwise your list will become numb to any discounts you may offer and over time those won’t be as effective. For service based businesses, you can aim for no more than once/week on your blasts to keep consistent but not so much that you become intrusive.
Remember, unsubscribes are normal and it’s ok! Sometimes people don’t want to see your content anymore and that’s ok, you don’t want a list full of unengaged people anyway. Keep building your list with new people who are engaged in your content and your brand.
Promoting your small business for free can be a challenge and can take some extra time to get off the ground, but it’s not impossible. It can be a lot of work to do it all yourself so at a certain point you may want to delegate your blog or your social media marketing to a professional. Once you get to that point in your business, we’d love to be your go-to marketing agency! But in the meantime, we do have consulting services and a fantastic group training program to get you over some of the hurdles of getting started! Check those out here.
And if you’re ready to make the leap into hiring a professional agency to manage your marketing we’d love to chat! Schedule your no-obligation discovery call today here.
