Are you struggling to find ways to promote your business? Maybe your budget is tight and you can’t afford to spend any more money marketing, but you still need to get the word out about your service or product. Relax, there’s hope. Here are seven totally free ways to promote your business…all of which you can do starting right now.
1. Have fun with blogs.
Blogs are easy to set up, cost next to nothing (you just need an Internet connection) and let you write anything you want, such as product features and benefits, events and customer reviews.
If you place a blog on an existing sale site, you can improve your web ranking (because of the keyword-rich content), which will encourage customers to regularly visit the site for updates. They can also help you connect to your market (especially if you have a popular columnist) and answer questions posted by users. You can get started easily at www.blogger.com.
2. Announce it on craigslist.
Craigslist is a centralized database that’s one of the most successful forms of free classifieds, getting 5 billion hits each month. It has 10 million registered members and has won several Web awards.
Event postings are free, though you may have to pay for job openings. A section called “Gigs” lets you post low-cost and unpaid jobs and internships for free. You can find it at www.craigslist.org.
3. Take advantage of Web directories.
Unlike search engines, which usually group websites according to keywords, Web directories create their own categories and subcategories (like “women’s health” or “insurance”). Each category carries links; hopefully your website will be one of them.
One advantage of a Web directory is that it serves niche market segments, so you’ll probably get the kind of customers or readers that matter to you. You can also attract readers who may never have thought of doing a Web search on you.
For example, if you’re promoting specialty diving tours, posting it in a category called “unique honeymoon destinations” can pique the interest of couples who otherwise would’ve just gone to Hawaii.
Many people feel that being included in Web directories is more credible than ad banners, since the links pass through an editorial board that chooses the most interesting sites. You can submit your site for approval, or bid or pay to be included in the list at www.dmoz.org.
4. Share the love with joint ventures.
By partnering with a company that shares your market and is aligned with your brand image, you take advantage of each other’s promotional efforts. This is called a joint venture and can include co-visibility on each other’s websites, dividing the cost of an event or forming a public relations campaign (for example, a cereal company sponsors a free breakfast program for kids, providing food in exchange for the right to use the photos in a public relations package).
The important thing to remember about joint ventures is that all agreements must be properly documented, including how to divide the cost and what commitments the two companies have to each other. Discover 7 Joint Ventures has some ideas you might not have thought about at www.terrydean.org.
5. Write online articles.
When people log on to the Internet, they don’t think, “Oh, I want to look at an ad now.” They want valid content, and online articles provide that. You can use them to improve your Web ranking and to draw readers to your site.
First, use keywords so search engine spiders give you a good ranking—but don’t do “keyword spamming.” This is when you do little more than flood text with key words so the sentences are nothing more than gibberish. Readers will quickly go to another website and never return if you do that. Make sure you give enough valid information to keep them reading once they’ve found you.
For some good exposure, you can submit articles at www.iSnare.com.
6. Use word of mouth.
A good product will publicize itself. That’s because happy customers will rave about it to friends, and their objective opinion (after all, what do they have to gain for recommending it?) will work better than any celebrity endorsement.
On the Web, word of mouth happens on forums, blogs and e-groups, where people give informal consumer reviews. You can initiate it by “seeding” the product to opinion makers or people who have considerable influence over a target market (or at least belong to it). Giving away free samples is still cheaper than paying for ads.
Another strategy is to infiltrate forums. Enlist writers or marketers to infiltrate discussion groups to gush about your product, promote your event or praise your customer service. One of the most popular online discussion groups is at groups.yahoo.com.
7. Say it loud with press releases.
Press releases build credibility better than advertising. People want to read the information once it’s published because it’s passed the scrutiny of a magazine, newspaper or Web editor.
You can submit press releases to just about any publication, but the editor is free to reject it or may even ignore it altogether. To get their attention, make sure the article is coherent, grammatically correct, concise and, most important, suits the readership and tone of the publication.
Don’t send mass, generic releases—tailor them to fit each magazine, newspaper or website you’re sending it to. You should also provide research, interviews or quotes that are relevant and unique. Ask yourself: Is this newsworthy? Will the readers be interested?” If the answer is “yes”, the editor will publish it. The site I find most effective for sending press releases is www.prweb.com.
