5 (actually almost 10) Ways to Market Your Business for Free
When I sat down to make this list, and went through all of the ways I have marketed my businesses, for FREE, over the last twelve years, the list was far greater than just five. When you REALLY think about it, I mean, REALLY think about how to get the word out, you’d be surprised as to how your creative juices flow.
Clients and brands I work with are usually very surprised that you don’t need huge budgets and deep pockets to put together a successful marketing campaign. Truthfully, the ones with the most ROI and traction are those which are well thought out and executed vs. ones that require a giant pot of money.
Here are some of my favorite ways to market your business for free:
Leverage Your Community: I am referring to ALL of your communities. This includes the one which surrounds your brands and the one that surrounds YOU. Tap into BOTH of them to spread the word about your business. You’d be surprised—-these people are your biggest champions.
Collaborate with Others/Borrow Audiences: Think about all of the ways that you can utilize partners who share a similar audience but cater to them differently. When I started my first company, targeted at expectant women, I partnered with maternity stores, pre-natal workouts and other applicable business right from the start. Strategically we were able to help each other. You can't place a dollar amount on these types of collaborations.
Other ways to do this on social media and through digital? Do takeovers—-find accounts that want you to take over and also have people take over your account. GO LIVE with some of your partners, interesting guests and more. When you go live, Instagram shows it to your audience and theirs—-often bringing more traffic to your page. Also, do an email swap. Make sure it fits with your brand, but offer to share something of theirs in exchange for something of yours.
Create an incentive and ASK others to share it. It's really quite easy. Who doesn’t like a good deal? If your offer is compelling enough, your best customers will share it. Offer them the chance to use it and then ask them to share. All you have to do is ask. PRO TIP: when you post the incentive on social media, tag some of your best customers and partners with public accounts. You would be surprised as to how many people will simply share it.
Facebook Groups: Find a few that cater to your topic and audience. Don't go into the groups and shamelessly plug your business. But start answering questions and respond utilizing your expertise. Over time you will naturally be able to share the info about your business.
Blog and share content both on your website and others. Share your expertise with the world in order to build yourself up as the authority that you are! Start doing this on your own platform and share it on social. Find others who may benefit from your content and ask them if you can write for them as well. Don’t forget, they will likely share it and include your social links and where to find out.
Find local websites to list your retail location: Most cities have local listing pages. Find yours and make sure you list your physical location. You may also find directories in which to list your services. Don’t forget, this also helps for SEO and Google Search. Regardless of any small, local, third party directories, make sure you claim your Google Listing and your Yelp!
Podcast Guest: There are so many amazing podcasts out there—-finding shows within your realm of expertise is an incredible way to get in front of the right audience. Not only do you get to share yourself and your knowledge for 30-60 minutes, but you also will be in front of an audience of people who are showing up to hear you.
Email List: You will get more business conversions from email than any organic social media. Don’t forget—-the people on your list SIGNED UP to be there. It is important that you not only create a list but that you find creative ways to cultivate it and get people to sign up. When you have an email list, you have a direct line to their inbox. When I started my first company, there was no social media. BUT we had everyone’s email addresses when they registered for events. We followed up after every event with a survey—-people got used to a two-way communication with me in their inbox. Over time, we collected emails not only through events but also through social media partnerships, giveaways, and more. Eventually we had 120,000+ emails…making it a HUGE asset that I was able to include in the sale of my company.
Social Media: This goes without saying, but your business needs to have at least a couple social media accounts. Not only is it your platform for getting out your information, MOST people will go to your Instagram or LinkedIn FIRST before they go to your website. Look at these assets as your business card. Make sure that you have a plan to share there. Working your social media channels properly can put you in front of audiences and people you never knew existed. Depending on your business, you should look at: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Pinterest and TikTok. (There are more social media tips throughout my website.)
Just remember that this all really comes down to is one thing: YOU
You have something to say and something to share and it’s getting the word out about that.
I’ll be talking more about many of these and how they all work together in my Small Business Marketing Bootcamp this February. Check it out here or feel free to email me with any questions.
For more tips and tricks, make sure that you’re following me on Instagram and subscribe to the Dear FoundHer… podcast for more tips and tricks from some of the greatest female founders on Earth.
