Are you ready to get serious about getting your business’s name out there? Most business owners know they need to market their business, but more often than not find that it falls to the bottom of their budget and to-do list?
We recommend that you start thinking differently about what it means to market your business.
We have put together 5 out-of-the-box, and more importantly free, ways you can start gaining some attention.
1. Establish yourself as a thought leader – LinkedIn
LinkedIn is the largest professional network and is the perfect place to talk business. While the platform can help you connect with potential customers, it is a bit of a long game.
Set up a professional-looking profile with your business prominently mentioned and start by posting content relevant to your industry. This will not only establish you as an expert in your field but will help to draw attention to yourself and your business.
Linkedin like many other social media platforms is free, however, you can pay for a premium subscription which will enable you to see who views your profile, expand your reach and search more precisely for specific users.
2. Get media exposure – MyPressPortal
Many small businesses may not be aware that they can get some media exposure for their business. Submitting press releases about your business on platforms like MyPressPortal can increase your chances of being seen and mentioned by journalists and bloggers.
The press portal is free to use.
3. Generate buzz with competitions and giveaways – Google Forms
Giveaways and viral contests are great ways to not only get people talking about your brand but also to grow your email database and social media following.
Google Forms is the tool to use if you want a quick, easy and free way to create the forms for these giveaways and competitions. Google Forms can also be used for market research purposes like getting feedback on your products and services by using the survey and poll functionalities on the platform.
Google Forms is free if you have an existing Google account.
4. Use the power of email – MailChimp
Get your customers and potential customers’ email addresses and start communicating with them via email.
Mailchimp is a great tool for your email marketing campaigns. It allows you to communicate with your customers about your services, make announcements or offer specials. The platform also has extra features that allow you to create social media ad campaigns, manage social sharing and set up comparative reports.
Mailchimp is free if you have a database of less than 2000 recipients. If you go beyond 2000 recipients, want to customise some features for a smaller list or send more than 12,000 emails per month, the company charges $10 per month.
5. Create beautiful marketing materials – Canva
Ever wanted to create eye-catching presentations or banners to “wow” customers and clients? Canva allows small businesses to “stand out from the crowd on a budget”. They offer free templates to help design marketing materials. The platform also provides access to stock images, illustrations, icons and fonts.
Canva is free to use for basic features. If you want to make use of their paid media sources from the Canva Library, you pay a once-off fee which varies depending on the license you use. If you want to make use of other additional features like resizing designs or uploading your own brand’s designs, you would also pay a monthly or yearly subscription.
