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Are you looking for the most effective way to promote your business online? Do you have a physical store? Maybe you have an online business? Do you have zero budget for marketing strategy? Maybe you’re wondering how you can best bootstrap and leverage some tools so that people find out about your product or service, without have to use a target ad?
Having your own business is exciting, but also costly, and you know that people need to know who you are and what you do if you expect to get any clients. Let’s explore 10 ways to effectively promote your business online with zero budget.
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1) SOCIAL MEDIA IS CRUCIAL
E-Marketing isn't just about sending emails and using Google AdWords. It's the same way Social media isn't just for the kids. It’s exactly what it sounds like, “social." You want pr? This is the best free way to do it in your market. Advertisement is free now. Your brand must be on social media.
With billions of users across many platforms, it’s a must and not a maybe. You need to be where your audience is. Digital marketing is everything. So, why not b2b marketing? Nowaydays, all ages and backgrounds are on Social Media - especially Facebook. So, you want to start getting involved in things such as, for a starter, a Facebook Business page. Social marketing is everything. Without a digital marketing strategy, you will end up nowhere.
For web marketing and online advertising, adding social media for your business increases your online real estate. It tells the relevant companies that you are a serious force to be reckoned with. Different platforms usually have different age groups associated, so you want to pay attention to that when thinking of your target customers. Start utilizing all social media platforms for your business, such as:
1) Facebook All ages
2) Instagram 18 - 49 mostly
3) Twitter 18 - 49 mostly
4) Linkedin 25 - 50 mostly - more for professional networking & blogging
5) TikTok 13 - 25 mostly - entertainment value & creative leverage for services
6) Pinterest 18 - 49 mostly - more popular with women - especially stay at home moms
7) Youtube 18 - 65 mostly - everyone is on and can be leveraged on any subject
2) USE INFOGRAPHICS
Infographics are visual images that relay information, data, or knowledge with an intention to present information that might be useful. You can use images, charts, or just text if you want. People's attention is everywhere nowadays, so infographics are a great way to get your message out quickly and effectively.
Once you create them, you simply share them on all your social media channels. Share them with your friends and encourage them to share it as well.
Not sure how to make infographics or where to make them? NO WORRIES. I got you. I highly recommend the following program, which makes it easy for everybody to make killer marketing infographics, even if you have no experience.
It's completely FREE to have an account. You can utilize free stock images to make infographics, logos, and all sorts of marketing tools. Some things you have to pay for, but much of it can be used for free. I have personally used Canva for years and highly recommend it. Content marketing is crucial.
3) SEO IS KING
Search engine optimization is critical for any business. Imagine having a storefront with no sign. Nobody would know who you are or what you do. The internet works the same way.
Search traffic is everything. That's why there are so many seo services out there nowadays. Experts, agencies, etc. So, you need to make sure you are registered in all the right places as a start. This allows search engines like Google to take you seriously and begin your SEO relationship.
SEO Starter
Create your website (free websites with Wix, GoDaddy, Wordpress, SquareSpace)
Register your website and domain with Google Search Console
Register your Google Business Profile
Add your website and details to other sites like Yelp, yellow pages, and Bing search engine.
More on SEO as you continue.
4) KEYWORDS
When people use search engines on their phone or desktop, Keywords help them find relevant results. Whether a local business, or online business, keywords target your audience based on what they’re searching for. You must do your market research to correctly target your specific demographic, and then based off of that, begin hand-selecting your best keywords and key phrases.
You want to use a browser extension called “keywords everywhere.” With this extension you can see the most popular keywords that are associated with a given topic, they will populate for you. So, if you want to know the most popular keywords around "Womens Shoes,"it will populate things like "women shoes us, womens shoes sale, asos, office shoes, womens sports shoes," etc. This shows you the most popular search phrases searched monthly. When you start to add these keywords into your website, blog, or social media channels, you can become relevant and drive traffic to your products & services.
5) START A BLOG
To develop trust, to be be seen as a source and an expert, it helps to start a blog. This is a good way to leverage customers who are already interested in what you offer. By writing blogs around a topic that your future customers are already interested in, they will come to you as a source of expertise. Within the blog you can add your offers and links to your products should they want to make a transaction . So, if you have a telecomms company for example, simple add a link offer in your blog such as "save money today with a business phone number," or "free setup costs when you join in the next 30 days."
Many websites have a blog option, so it depends on who you choose. Some of the most popular site building companies like Wix and Wordpress include blogs, so it's all included. If you simply want to just have a single blog, get started for free with medium, weebly, wordpress (also host just free blogs), and Google's blogger.
6) EMBRACE THE POWER OF VIDEO
We are very visual species, and especially in 2020, humans are engaging more with video online on the computer and on their phones. According to the latest stats from biteable, 82% of all online traffic will be from videos, 15 times higher than it was in 2019. Also, Youtube is the second most popular website after Google (more than 1 billion hours a video watched each day). 6 out of 10 people would rather watch online videos than TV. Also, 72% of people would rather learn about a service with video. With stats like these, it is essential for any business owner to take this to heart.
Everyone nowadays has a mobile phone. You don't need to be a professional presenter or an expert. Just start filming and start putting your content out there. You will learn what works as you go along. It's more important to get content up then for it all to be perfect.
7) REDDIT
If you're looking to expand your market outside of the more commonly used platforms, then you need to get on Reddit. Reddit currently has over 330 million active users. This is one of the most underrated sites. The average time that a user is on reddit is 2 minutes more than Facebook. Why? Because they go there for answers.
It's a very organized community which centers around various topics and interests. Everything from politics to mental health issues or losing weight. There are thousands of Reddit community threads. Simply search for losing weight. You'll find a free group thread where people are looking to find out from others about this specific topic. If you're a health expert, you can comment and gain followers and exposure. So, simply go there and start investigating topics around your field. Make sure to pay special attention to the community guidelines. You may have to be a bit clever about how you go about promoting yourself. Not all exposure is welcome, because they want to keep it personal. However, there are many clever ways to give insight while still being able to promote yourself. When you figure this out, you can gain quality followers.
8) QUORA
Quora is another site where people go for information. You will find the answers about just almost anything. From how many stitches in a football to how to bake a cake. When people ask for general questions and queries, Quora will pop up online a google search. Remember, this is internet marketing.
There are currently over half a millions topics. When people like your answer because it was helpful, they use "upvotes." It's basically a gold star for doing so well by being helpful. So, if you consider yourself an expert in something, start utilizing this. You can start leading customers to your website by answering their questions and showcasing your specific product or services. When you solve a problem, it creates trust. That is the marketing definition.
9) START A PODCAST
Podcasts are recorded audio. This audio can be leveraged on platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon music, Iheart Radio, Deezer, and many more sites.
Spotify alone in 2020 has 50 million users around the world. This is a platform that is increasingly getting larger, and will only continue to increase, so you want to get on it now. Remember that everyone has different ways that they absorb information. Podcasts are a new way for people to do that. You advertise during your podcast and will gain new traffic. Remember: If you want to survive in business; it's about being innovative and being where your audience is. You don't have to freak out. It's easy. I personally got started with buzzsprout.
Buzzsprout is free for 3 months while you get setup. All you need to do is simply record audio on your iphone, a USB microphone that can be plugged into your computer and recorded an Garageband, Audacity, or another free audio interface.
10) START AN ONLINE GROUP
Expanding your reach and increasing engagement to boost your revenue can be leveraged with online groups. Social media, video, and infographics are great to use, but many people prefer a poor mans VIP service with an "online group." More than 1 billion people around the world currently are a part of online groups.
One of the most popular and most effective for marketing strategy (and free) is Facebook groups. You first must create your Facebook business page. After you do that you simply scroll to the top right menu, click the downward facing arrow, select "create group," and that's it. Create a good name for your group in your industry, and your done. You can make it private or public. So, if you're a nutrition coach pushing weight loss, you can create your own group for potential customers to join and gain insight about you, your products, and services.
I hope you enjoyed these 10 free online marketing tips! If you did, please leave your comments below. All the best in your entrepreneur journey.
Lots of love.
Matt J.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Matt Jones is a professional musician turned writer and lifestyle entrepreneur who loves inspiring others to reach their full potential. He has traveled to over 40 different countries on all 7 continents. His personal mission is to create and inspire others around the world to be the best version of themselves. He believes in using this one special life for good and achieving happiness.
He is from Los Angeles, but is now based in greater London.