There are many online tools and ways to promote your business without breaking the bank. Here are some of the best suggestions for new businesses looking to start or expand their online presence.
Social media
Social media platforms are free to use to promote your business and strengthen your brand online. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat remain the most popular platforms but there are many others to use as well. Social posts are a great way to show other sides of your business and build more personal relationships with your customers. Using a number of social platforms and linking these together with your website will also help improve your SEO.
Blogs
Blogs and news posts are another free way of promoting your business. You may be able to write these yourself or for businesses that are time-limited it can be cost effective to outsource this work to a freelance content writer. If your blogs are relevant and interesting then they can be distributed digitally to help drive customer traffic to you website. Guest blogs from industry influencers are also a great way to get exposure for your business.
Email is one of the best ways to reach your customers directly. A well written, engaging email can immediately attract customers to your website and instantly generate enquiries. Platforms like MailChimp and Constant Contact offer low-cost packages for small businesses and make it easy to manage your contacts, campaigns and reports. Well managed email programmes can help build trust with customers and deliver targeted, specific messages.
Guest blogs from industry influencers are also a great way to get exposure for your business
Google Ads
Google Ads can be a relatively low cost way to promote online and can help position your business at the top of Google searches to specific audiences. Plan a campaign based on demographics with relevant keywords and high levels of interaction can be achieved. Google Ads allow businesses to set a budget to keep costs under control and offer a variety of options.
Pay Per Click Advertising
Pay Per Click advertising can be simply explained as businesses paying a set price every time their online advert is clicked. The pricing usually depends on ‘keywords’ and can vary depending on the popularity of your business industry or product. With most platforms providing in depth analytics reports it is easy to evaluate how your PPC advertising is performing.
Promoted Posts
Promoting a post on social media platforms is a low cost way to get seen by people outside of your network. Set a budget to keep costs under control and choose who sees your post based on specific demographics such as age, location and interests. For little investment businesses can see large returns in engagement.
Google Business
Registering your business with Google is free. It means that Google can verify your business and show your business details to people searching online. Potential customers will be able to see information such as your business name, logo, address, location, contact details, opening hours and customer reviews. Becoming a Google verified business will also show your location on Google Maps.
Reviews
Research say’s 80% of customers check online reviews before making a purchase from a business. Engaging with a review platform such as Trust Pilot can be low cost and highly influential. Verified, user reviews help build to build trust and inform decisions. Well managed review programmes can help reduce the impact of any negative online feedback a business receives.
