How to market your business in 2020 for  FREE.

It is not a surprise that smaller businesses have to work harder to earn revenue when their resources to implement business strategies are on the lower end. Hence, the adoption of techniques that refrain from troubling the wallet while simultaneously providing the best customer outreach and reputation is the ideal strategy. Here are 5 free ways to reach out to customers:

1. Google My Business –GMB (Google Maps)

GMB is a free business listing on one of the biggest search engines on the internet, putting your business in front of many potential customers. The tool allows you to promote your Business Profile and business website on Google Search and Maps.

It   also gives potential clients easy access to your hours of operation, phone number, website and directions with a click of a button—all at no cost to you. Your free GMB profile gives customers an inside look at your business by giving insight into your busiest hours as well as review ratings. If you are just starting out or have a limited budget, every dollar counts, and having such a valuable resource for free can allow you to direct your resources elsewhere.

Business Website – Even though you may have a business website of your own, a Google My Business website complements your website by providing more visibility with Google Search and Google Maps. The free website builder pulls the information from your Business Profile to auto-generate a website. You can then choose a specific template design, add photos, and create updates to customize your website.

2. Social media platforms

Social media is a powerful way for businesses of all sizes to reach prospects and customers. It helps the business connect with your audience to build your brand, increase sales, and drive website traffic. This involves publishing great content on your social media profiles, listening to and engaging your followers, analyzing your results, and running social media advertisements.

Great marketing on social media can bring remarkable success to your business, creating devoted brand advocates and even driving leads and sales. To tackle larger competitors and their effects on the multiple available social platforms, you would require a few key steps that won’t let the wallet budge:

• Goals and objectives must be well-established along with a good outline of the target audience and the most suitable social platform
• Interact well with potential customers of targeted demography to portray oneself as an individual with good social and engagement skills
• Understanding the needs and problems of audiences and providing services that fulfill these needs at the right time is a great way to make your business seem appealing

3. Having a well optimized website

The online space is rapidly advancing and customer traffic is determined by the quality of web design. Is the website optimized for Google? Are all the features mobile responsive? Is the website visually appealing with easy-to-use features? Smaller businesses can manage basic optimization techniques such as keyword usage, easy-to-read URLs and quality content, free of cost along with aesthetic factors like page layout designs and website designs that are not overly done but fit well with the content.

Since small businesses are new in the domain, they may require expert guidance to ensure their competitors aren’t overshadowing their efforts.

4. Guest blogging

Business start-ups write for other known websites to establish a reputation and gain a considerable amount of visibility. The main intention of guest bloggers, especially those in newer businesses, is to invite more customer traffic, provide backlinks to authoritative websites thereby showing their value of credibility and to build better relationships with renowned industries as a support mechanism.

Small businesses require a minimal amount of guidance and by pairing up with experienced marketing teams, they are not only exposing themselves to their specific audience but are also learning new methods of thought leadership and market tactics.

5. Email marketing

The knowledge about email marketing is vast and its benefits to all marketers out there are well-known. It is hence important for budding businesses to note down the best email marketing methods to stand out from every business that is attempting to establish a sense of worth to their customers.

Emails can be utilized for sales, building relationships and brand

Despite this easily doable list of free marketing ideas, at times it becomes difficult for an early-stage company to invest in the existing resources for marketing as well. We are a results-driven digital marketing agency that helps small businesses thrive.