6 Steps to Advertise Your Business For Free
Most marketing experts recommend that businesses spend anywhere from 2 to 5 percent of their gross sales on advertising. But if you’re still growing your business, you might not have the budget for large ad campaigns, or you might be focusing your capital on other areas. Here’s how to take advantage of free ways to reach potential customers and advertise your business.
1. Start a Web presence
- Harness the power of the Internet to draw attention to your business.
- The Web is full of free outlets that can potentially reach hundreds of thousands of consumers.
- Set up a business email and make sure you have at least one logo that you can use consistently in your icons before you get started.
2. Use Twitter
- Setting up a Twitter account is free, and it allows you to interact with customers on an immediate and personal level.
- Nab a handle that’s as close to your business’ name as possible and tether your business email to the account.
- Use your logo as your avatar. Follow current customers, family members, friends and other businesses you admire or whose products your business uses.
- Promote your business in your tweets, but keep it fun, too – host giveaways or give shout outs to loyal customers.
- Give people a reason to follow your business. See Twitter for Business for more information.
3. Create a Facebook page
- Setting up a business page on Facebook is free, and allows you to interact with your customers and other businesses.
- Host giveaways limited to people who “like” your profile or share one of your posts, and offer special Facebook-only deals via messages to customers who follow your activity.
- Many businesses forgo creating their own website and simply list their Facebook pages as their business sites. See Facebook for Business for more information.
4. Get on Yelp
- Yelp is a website where consumers can review and recommend businesses.
- You can use your Yelp page to post information and special offers, as well as to gauge how well you’re serving your customers.
- Some business owners respond to bad reviews on Yelp by contacting the Yelp user directly or posting a reply offering to remedy the situation – this allows you to let potential customers know you take their concerns seriously. Learn more at Yelp for Business Owners.
5. Build your Google Places listing
- List your business on Google Places so that it will pop up on Google Maps searches, and so people can share reviews and rate your business.
- Make sure you have a Gmail account specific to your business, then start here. Yahoo! Local hosts a similar service.
6. Have a signature
- On every email you send out for your business, have a small 3-4 line signature at the bottom (add this in Settings). Include links to your business’ website, Facebook page, Twitter account or whatever other online presence you have.
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