If you’re in the early stages of your SME, you don’t need to spend thousands of pounds on marketing to get your brand out there effectively. Before the internet, you would’ve only had a few options for your marketing strategy, but now there are many ways and opportunities to get your business noticed, especially online. This blog will show you the best places to look and cost-free ways to promote your business online.
1.List your business across the three biggest platforms
To start your online marketing journey, it would be wise to register your business on Google places as it will allow you to be found easily via Google searches and on Google Maps. The only thing you need to do is to fill out a form and register, then get your business verified through their confirmation process which is done via phone or email. Yahoo! also have a large database of businesses, Yahoo! Local. This is also a free service and it’s worth a few minutes to set up. Microsoft’s Bing has a similar service that’s super easy to join also.
2. Join social media
Social media isn’t just for exposure, it is now a necessary time investment for every business to make use of. You can also tie in ads and offers on your Facebook page and create a direct channel between you and your customers on Twitter. Additionally, LinkedIn is great for networking and can be another way to help your new business.
3. Create a blog
A blog can not only help your business get its name out there, but it is also great to connect with your customer more directly. However, one of the major keys of blogging is to keep your blogs updated as frequently as possible. Ultimately, a dormant blog is worth absolutely nothing.
4. Ensure your website is SEO friendly
Finally, search engine optimisation should not be underestimated in a world where we’re all googling every single day. If SEO isn’t your strong point, you can find multiple guides online to help you get started and ensure your website is SEO ready.
If you’re looking for help setting your business up online, get in touch with ActionCOACH today.
