10 Ways To Get Free Publicity For Your Business
A good marketing strategy is essential for any company. It doesn't matter what you do, or what the size of your business is. Good ideas help but they are not enough to succeed. You have to make them known.
Here are 10 ways to get free publicity for your business.
How to get free advertising?
It is not necessary to invest large amounts of money in advertising. The Internet is full of free resources to promote your product or service. All you need is to know different ways of free advertising, a little time and, yes, be patient, since we may need time to start seeing the results. The following tips by URated Digital Marketing Agency experts will help you to get free publicity to promote your business.
1. Your business needs a website
To advertise your business on the internet, you need to create a website. You may have a physical store and want to direct your customers there. However, your potential customers will want to see a sample of your products before coming to your store and buying.
Also, make sure that you generate enough security and trust so that your potential clients become real clients. You must earn their trust so that they do not see you as a complete stranger but as a friendly company with which, little by little, invisible bonds of mutual trust is created.
On the internet, you do not have the possibility to talk face to face with your customers, so you need a website to do it for you. Trust is not earned by exposing the products or services you sell, but rather it is earned little by little through different actions that you can use on your website:
Explain who you are and what the history of your business is.
- Use testimonials from your satisfied customers.
- Guarantees you offer and return policy.
- Demonstrations of your product or service.
- Photos of your company and workers.
- Contact page with a form, phone and location.
2. Make sure you appear in search engines
Now you have a website, you have worked hard to get it up and running but you still don't see results. It is normal. You have to make it known, make sure it appears in the most important search engines: Google and Bing, fundamentally (Bing merged with Yahoo a few years ago, so everything you do in this search engine will also appear in Yahoo). We recommend that you start with Google, since it is by far the most used search engine in our country.
Both search engines have services where you can register the location of your business so that it appears in the search results. Logically, it is a free registration. But it is not instantaneous, since these companies will want to verify that your business is real and for this they will use various methods: telephone confirmation, sending a code by regular mail, etc.
Google: to appear in Google results as a local business you must sign up for Google My Business. It is a very simple procedure, you will only have to follow the steps indicated by the system and wait for the confirmation code that will be sent to you by ordinary mail.
Bing: It's pretty similar. Sign in to Bing Places and follow the steps.
3. Register in the most famous directories
A good idea to promote a business is to register in business directories. There are many of them, but we recommend that you do it only in those that have some recognition. The reference website is Yellow Pages, but there are many more.
You can also use classified ad pages like Mil Ads to put up free advertising.
4. Start blogging
A fundamental tool of your website should be the blog. Remember that a website is more or less static, it does not change much. But in a blog you can talk about whatever you want, you just have to relate it to your business, of course. Write interesting content for your clients with certain periodicity and spread it. You will increase your confidence and more people will begin to know you.
5. Use social networks
Social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram will help you promote your company. Everyone is on social media; you just have to find out where your potential customers are. You can open profiles on as many social networks as you want, just remember to update them regularly. Having a profile is useless, if we do not publish constantly.
Facebook is generalist and the social network with the most users is North America. Sure you can find customers.
Twitter is very good for researching new consumer trends, interacting with your customers and publicizing your products or services.
Google+ is essential to improve the positioning of our website. The more active you are on this social network, the more likely it is that Google will consider you important and show your website to more users.
Pinterest is a social network especially dedicated to crafts, fashion and interior design.
Instagram is a great showcase to promote your products and reach a wide audience.
6. Post videos on YouTube
YouTube is another great social network dedicated to videos. If you have the option to create fun and useful videos for your audience, do not forget to open a channel on YouTube. However, if you are not going to publish more or less regularly, you can use the Facebook video tool.
7. Participate in forums
There are many forums; there are general ones, like Yahoo Answers, and specialized ones. On these platforms the management writes questions and other users can answer. You do not have to be an expert on the subject but it helps. In addition, the more you participate, the more authority you will have and the community will better accept your suggestions. So now you know, get into the forums and be part of them.
Forum Cars is another of the greats. Although if you don't have an account, it's a bit difficult to get in, as you'll have to get an invite.
8. Publish ads
Ally yourself with other companies that are not your competition. You will be able to exchange advertising, write an article on your blog with links to your website and even jointly advertise some products or services. To do this, you must contact the administrator of the website and propose an exchange that may interest you.
9. Send press releases
The media are another of the tools we have to advertise our company. There are especially attractive times to send press releases. During the summer, the flow of information slows down and the media are eager to fill their pages, so take advantage of the situation.
Forget that preconceived idea that the media only talks about big companies. That has long since ceased to be true. If you have something valuable to communicate such as an event you have created, a successful contest or a sponsorship, write a press release to send it to the newspapers. But don't send it to a generic email address. Also, there are now tons of go-to bloggers who can have even more impact than traditional media. Do a search for those related to your profession and contact them.
10. The power of word of mouth
Who better than a satisfied customer to advertise you? You will only have to do your job and worry that all clients receive personalized treatment and attention. Now there are multiple websites where people, as consumers, can give our opinion about companies, products or services.