You don’t need a huge marketing budget to successfully promote your business. While larger companies may seem like they have the advantage, this isn’t always the case. There are many free marketing tools available, that work great as long as you’re willing to put in the time and effort.
The most significant free marketing tool out there is social media. These social platforms out here these days are the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for small businesses that don’t have a lot to work with.
Below are several free options for your small business, and how you can use them to your advantage.
Marketing Tools On Social Media
There is a ton of amazing marketing opportunities that social media platforms offer. Promoting your business on every social site out there probably won’t be necessary though. You want to find the social sites that your target audience is most active on.
You can do this by first creating personas for your target audience, and then using the targeting tools on your preferred social platforms. Facebook specifically has amazing tools that help you promote your brand to a very specific audience.
Here is a more in-depth overview of how to identify your target audience.
Be Everywhere Online
When you’re curious about a restaurant, movie theatre, or any business, what do you do? More than likely you hop straight onto Google to gauge if the business is going to be worth your time. You look at pictures of the food, or reviews of the business.
So when it comes to your online presence, it absolutely essential to stand out on the internet. Don’t worry though, this doesn’t mean you have to spend a bunch of money. Here are some online marketing tools that can help grow your business at no cost.
Your “Google My Business” Listing Is A Great Marketing Tool
When users Google your business, the first thing that pops up is your “Google My Business” listing. One may already exists for your business, but you may need to claim it or update it. “Google My Business” is a great marketing tool that costs absolutely nothing.
You can upload appealing photos, display opening and closing times, and contact info, including links to your website. This will give users easier access to your website, services, and products. Not to mention you can make your business look a lot more appealing, and professional.
Encourage Reviews
Having positive reviews associated with your website shows users they can trust your business. Potential consumers gain insight from real customers experiences with your business and staff.
Encouraging positive reviews is a great way to stand out online, take advantage of a free marketing opportunity, and they may not be as challenging to obtain as you think. The first way you can gain more reviews is simply by asking. If a customer had a great time interacting with your business, they more than likely won’t mind leaving a review.
You can also offer discounts or other deals to encourage reviews. For example, if you’re a restaurant you can offer 10% off of the meal if the customer leaves a positive review on your website.
Start a Blog
Starting a blog is another excellent way to market your business for free. If you implement organic SEO you can get your blog to the top spots in the search engine. Those top three spots are the most clicked on. If more people have access to your site, this means more potential customers. You can have a great website and blog, but it won’t make a difference if no one else can find it.
The best part, organic SEO is a completely free marketing tool. All you have to do is keyword research to find what your audience is searching for. Then, create high-quality content that’s informative, engaging, and will solve your audience’s pain points.
There are a lot of great free keyword research tools available, such as SemRush, and some for a low cost.
There Are Various Marketing Tools At Local Networking Events
Success oftentimes revolves around connections. It’s knowing someone who knows someone that can get you in. Local networking events are a great way to meet other people in your industry and connect with consumers interested in the industry.
You may not think this could be all that great for promoting your business, but word of mouth is powerful.
Contact Us!
If you don’t have the energy or time to take care of marketing responsibilities, we can tackle that for you at competitive prices. We offer various digital marketing services and our SEO professionals create amazing content and perform thorough research to accurately target your audience.
Contact us online, or give us a call at 727-531-7622 for more information on marketing for your business.