7 Surefire Free Ways to Make Your Business Stand Out
Since small businesses usually don’t have a huge budget for marketing their products or services, they need to take the creative route. Fortunately, there are enough platforms out there that allow entrepreneurs to generate great results while marketing their business for free.
Create a powerful website: A powerful online presence can be a great equalizer for small businesses vis-à-vis larger competition. But, you need to build a highly professional site that will draw in viewers and convert them into paying customers.
Incorporate SEO in your online presence: Considering the overwhelming popularity of Googling, it is important to ensure Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your business website. A simple online search will guide you to sites that will help you incorporate this into the creation of your site and all the content that you put on it.
Get on to listing services: Listing your business on the big listing services (Google Places, Yahoo! Local, and Microsoft Bing) as well as local listing companies will make your company easier to find.
Embrace social media: Invest your time in optimizing your presence on social media. Use Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn to connect directly with your target audience. Using other social media forms can always enhance your presence on the information highway. One of the best ways to garner positive publicity is to ask satisfied customers to share their experience on social media sites. Increase the reach of your social media posts by using the currently trending hashtags.
E-mail newsletters: Collect customer e-mail addresses and send out newsletters that include information, promotions and updates. Ensure that you are in constant touch with your loyal clientele. Show them your appreciation and get valuable feedback from them.
Begin a blog: Start a blog that will connect you directly to your customers. Remember to update it frequently and put out relevant, interesting information. Writing guest posts on blogs that have large readerships will help you reach out to a broader audience and effectively establish your company brand. You can create useful video guides or a video blog to establish yourself as an expert in your field of business.
Go local: Don’t forget to focus on the local community while you chalk out your marketing strategy. This will personalize the brand and get you better results within the community. Donate your products and services for community projects; do it not just for business promotion, but also for your personal growth. Use local press and community bulletin boards to publicize your free educational seminars or classes in your area of expertise.
