Free Ways to Promote Your Business Online
Use the Big Local Listing Services
Register your business with Google Places. This allows it to be found more easily on Google searches and it shows up on Google Maps. All you have to do is fill out the form and register. Then, get your business verified through their confirmation process, which can be done either with a phone call or letter. Yahoo! has a huge database of businesses called Yahoo! Local. It’s free, and is surely worth the few minutes it takes to set up.
Embrace Social Media
Social media isn’t just a tool to get exposure; it has now become a necessary time investment for every business. You can put ads and offers on your Facebook page and have a direct channel with your customers on Twitter. Networking on LinkedIn at the personal and company level can be another way to help your start-up.
Start a Blog
A blog is a way to connect with your consumers more directly. However, remember that one of the major keys of blogging is to keep your blog content updated as frequently as you can. A dormant, abandoned blog is not worth anything.
Put up Multimedia on YouTube and Flickr
YouTube provides a free way to share creative promotional videos. However, in order to succeed, you must put up content that people want to view and is relevant to your business. A simple ad will usually not work. A Flickr profile will also help by giving you one place to store all the photos for your business.
SEO Your Company Website
Search engine optimization cannot be underestimated in the world of continuous Googling. Get yourself a book or head over to an online how-to-guide on SEO. Make sure your site is prepared for performance on search engines.
Press Releases
Every time your business does something newsworthy, don’t hesitate to send out a press release. They’re an influential media tool to use to help generate publicity. There are many websites that you can use for your press releases, such as PRLog and 24/7 Press Release.
Join a Relevant Online Community and Contribute
Every niche has communities online that you can join. But just signing up for a forum and posting about your business isn’t beneficial, and will likely just put people off. Actively contribute and build a connection with the community. Passively promote your business by putting a link in your signature or mentioning it only when it is appropriate.
