If you’re considering establishing a startup business, you’ll need to create a ‘brand’ surrounding your business’s beliefs and translate that into one unique, eye-catching logo. Branding is essential because it leaves a memorable impression on consumers and allows them to see what they can expect from your business. It’s a way of separating yourself from your competitors and establishing your mark in your sector.
But if you already have your logo in the works or established with the help of brand design services, it’s time for you to promote your brand. Although hiring the best marketers can be tempting, they cost money—and a lot of it.
Fortunately, there are numerous marketing platforms that you can use that don’t cost a dime, saving you money and expanding your reach.
Here are some ways to promote your business for free.
Take Advantage of Local Business Listings
Registering your business with local business listings such as Google My Business and Yelp allows your firm to be found more easily by consumers whenever searching for services or products on Google searches. Plus, it shows your physical business’s exact location. All you need to do is fill out a form, register, and get your business verified through phone calls or snail mails.
Create a Facebook Business Page
Facebook is the largest social media platform in the world, having over two billion monthly active users. It’s a great place to start promoting your business at no cost. Take advantage of the network, create a Facebook business page, and promote your products or services to increase brand awareness and help people recognize your brand easily. It’s also wise to join business groups and start posting content or communicating with others using your business alias.
Make a Profile on Pinterest
Pinterest has an average of 322 million monthly active users, and it’s one of the best platforms you can use to promote your business. You can create a free account and start creating pins that promote your business page content. To garner the most clicks, search for the most popular or trending Pinterest categories and see how you can relate your services or products to it. The best part about the platform is that business accounts feature analytics, meaning you can monitor what content you post ‘works’ and what doesn’t.
Engage with Influencers
With the popularization of social media and online platforms such as YouTube and TikTok, influencer marketing has become a massive industry. You can do this by offering your products or services in exchange for a ‘shout out’ on their social media channels. However, the biggest influencers often charge astronomical rates, so it’s best to stick with smaller followings with high engagement rates.
Create and Maintain a Blog
Making and running a blog can help your business get its name out there through followers and allow you to connect with your consumers directly, increasing your chances of achieving customer retention and loyalty. Keep your blogs updated as frequently as possible, and learn how to incorporate SEO techniques to drive more traffic to your blog.
Join Communities
Every niche has dedicated communities online that you can join. Actively contribute and create a rapport with the community and subtly promote your brand by placing your company’s website link in your signature or sharing details only when appropriate.
Even if you don’t have the budget to spend on marketing in your startup business’s initial stages, that doesn’t mean you can’t get your brand out there. The tips mentioned can help you expand your reach, build your prospect list, and achieve overall success—for free.