You may not have much money to spend on marketing in the early stages of your business, but that doesn’t mean you can’t get your brand noticed. Your business requires customers to survive and grow. You must promote your business to gain customers. Choosing between a flyer, a brochure, a postcard, or a local newspaper ad used to be simple. However, in today’s digital world, the possibilities are limitless—you just have to know where to look for them.
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Take advantage of online business directories.
Registering your business with Google My Business is one way to market it. It is a free tool that allows you to create a listing for your company so that you can easily find it in Google searches and make it visible on Google Maps. Businesses can do so by completing an online registration form and a simple verification process. Upload informative posters via poster-making platforms like PosterMyWall’s online poster maker to engage and attract more customers.
One of the most popular online business directories is Yelp. You can sign up for a free Yelp account to promote your business and interact with customers. Customers can also leave ratings, reviews, and pictures of their interactions with your company, which can help boost sales.
Yahoo! also has a large business database called “Yahoo! Local”. It’s free and well worth the few minutes it takes to set up. Microsoft’s Bing offers a similar service that is simple to use.
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Concentrate on search engine optimization
A potential customer can use Google to find the business or service they want by entering the city’s name or area. The more information you have about your company, the more likely you are to rank and be discovered by that potential customer. Make it simple for people to find and contact you.
Optimizing your company’s website for search engines is essential so customers can easily find you. In the age of constant Googling, SEO cannot be overstated. It increases website traffic and gives you authority in your field. You can read a book or find resources online to learn how to market your business with SEO to ensure your site is optimized for search engine performance.
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Consider launching a direct mail campaign
Direct mail is a much less expensive way to reach customers than it may appear. Spending less money on mailing lists and professional targeting can offset the cost of stamps. You can frequently target prime demographics by looking at neighborhoods that match your target audience’s demographics. Use an online poster maker to make creative emails; you will find millions of free poster templates.
With all the emails you send daily, it’s a shame you’re not utilizing the promotional potential of your email signature. It can also use your email signature to publicize a sale, contest, event, or even a new blog post. Include a link to your company’s website on your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages.
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Use social media as a marketing tool
Social media is now an essential component of almost all marketing strategies. Fortunately, most social media platforms and posts are free — even for businesses. While many platforms allow you to advertise, you can still post or tweet for free if you’re on a tight budget.
Choose the platforms that best suit your target audience. Then, using the free poster maker, create and share links, photos, videos, or text posts about your company, product launches, or any other event you want to publicize.
For most businesses, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn are good places to start. They all have large user bases and allow you to share video, text, photo, and link-based posts.
- Utilize LinkedIn as a networking tool to connect with people who share your interests
- Follow industry leaders and interact with their posts
- Post relevant content that professionally represents your business
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Have a responsive website
Mobile searches are one of the most common ways for local customers to find and view information about your company. It’s also become an important factor in SEO, as more traffic than ever comes from smartphones and other mobile devices.
If you haven’t yet optimized your company’s website, you should. It could do wonders for your local marketing. Those who use mobile search are already in your neighborhood and looking for local businesses to support. Making sure your website looks good on iPhones and smartphones could instantly boost your business.
Think globally, advertise locally
You can do a lot to optimize your digital properties for a local audience at little or no cost to your business. The best places to begin are creating an optimized and localized website, optimizing your social media pages, and claiming your Google My Business listing.
After that, spend some time engaging your local audience online and in person. Respond to reviews and organize community-based events to boost your visibility and strengthen the bond between your brand and its audience.
Whether you run a business that relies heavily on local engagement or simply want to improve your local marketing, these strategies are simple, inexpensive, and effective.
