Yes, you read the heading right! In this article, we’re going to tell you if it is possible to promote business for free. And for the spoilers, the answer is YES!
Online businesses are constantly thriving to stand out in the online market. However, there is a cut-throat competition in the eCommerce world. Given so, the quest to stand out in digital marketing becomes expensive. As a result, small businesses generally find themselves at a disadvantaged end.
Characteristically, small businesses set out with limited capital. Apparently, they don’t have too much to spare for marketing. Even at times, their marketing budget is next to nothing. Thus, small businesses find it difficult to market their brands. But that doesn’t mean marketing for such businesses is impossible. There are many cost-effective ways of marketing like affiliate marketing, blogging, and the likes.
And in fact—yes, I’m getting there—it is actually possible to promote your business for free. Wondering how? Read along to find out.
Ways to promote business for free
Create and/or optimize Google My Business account
Google My Business is apparently a top-ranked directory for businesses. The best part about having a Google My Business account is it’s absolutely free of cost. Having your business listed with Google helps your potential customers reach you. They will have access to your contact information and physical location. For this, all you have to do is claim your business on Google.
To optimize your Google My Business account, communicate your key services, and the problems you solve clearly. Capitalize on the visual aspect of your business by uploading relevant pictures and videos here. Encourage your happy customers to give you 5-star ratings and positive reviews so you can flex them on your page. Moreover, it is important to stay active and regularly keep your Google My Business Page up-to-date with new information.
Social media marketing
While most of the successful business players outsource social media marketing services, it is still possible to promote your business on social media without having to spend a single penny. To get the best out of social media platform for your marketing goals, here’s a list of things you can do-
- Join all the top social media websites like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, and Pinterest, to name a few.
- Create a business account for the firm.
- Join and lead relevant social media groups.
- Share quality content on your pages and groups.
- Be proactive on social media.
- Actively engage with your audience.
Answer questions
There are many internet platforms specially made for discussion. Joining discussion forums like Quora or Yahoo Answers can help you promote your business for free. All you have to do is find communities relevant to your business type and join discussions. These are the sort of internet platform where people usually go to find answers to their queries. Following are the ways you can use discussion forums-
- Join relevant discussion forums and communities
- Answer people’s questions and advertise your business along with it
- Instigate discussions that you think can benefit your business
- Advertising should be secondary and problem-solving should be the priority
Doing this will help your business gain more recognition and credibility. Moreover, this will help it come across as a leader in the industry.
YouTube marketing
Everyone loves watching good videos. There are over 2 billion YouTube users across the globe. This makes YouTube a great place for digital marketing. All you have to do is bring out your company’s creative side. In fact, there are many video maker applications you can use without any subscription charge. The best part is, you don’t have to be a pro at it. Video-making software applications have now become really easy to use that even boomers can make videos. And such apps are only becoming more and more user friendly. Once you have settled for a software tool of your choice, here is a list of things you can do to market on video discovery engine for free-
- Select a suitable video format for your business (like a tutorial, interview, talking head, etc.)
- Create interesting content
- Keep in short
- Prioritize your viewers’ interest, advertising should be secondary
- Reply to your comments
- Don’t forget to optimize for search engine—employ effective keywords in channel and video description
Conclusion
Digital marketing is crucial for every business. However, small start-ups generally struggle with a limited budget and are not able to spare much for marketing. But thankfully, there are some methods of business promotion that cost absolutely no money. By listing your company on Google My Business, doing social media marketing, joining discussion forums to answer questions, and by handling a channel on YouTube—you can market your business on the internet.
However, this is only beneficial initially for the short term. Marketing is a crucial function for every business and eventually requires monetary investment. For example, there are a few SEO remedies you could do for your business. However, if you are serious about your Google ranking and visibility, you will help to seek professional help from SEO Service agencies.
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