When starting a business, you may not have the cash readily available to set up big advertising campaigns. Luckily, the internet as well as your local area both have many available platforms to promote your new business. This can be a great way to begin to get your name out there until you have enough to advertise on a larger scale. Here are a few ways you can begin to promote your new business without spending a dime.
Social Media
This is first on the list as it is one of the easiest and best ways to promote any business. There are a range of social media sites out there and you can begin to make use of every one of them in different ways. Setting up a direct business page on sites such as Facebook and Instagram, allows you to share relevant posts and begin to get these viewed with the help of family and friends. If you haven’t used social media before, or you’re wary of using it for your business, here are some of the most effective ways to promote your new business on social media sites.
Listing Services
You can register your new business on some of the main listing services. This means if somebody within your area searches for the service your business caters for, it may be found by a new customer. Google Places is the first register you should add your business to. as it also means that you will begin to appear on Google Maps and Google searches. Yahoo! Local is another great listing service, as well as Bing.
Word of Mouth
While the internet is a fantastic free way to promote your business, word of mouth can be just as effective. Several businesses use word of mouth alongside posters and small adverts in shop windows to promote their business, as well as flyers in doors. You shouldn’t go overboard though, as it can put off customers. For example, if you decide to start a dog walking business, asking pet shops and grooming places in your local area to recommend you is a great way to promote your new business.
Joining a Relevant Community
Every single business niche has a relevant online community that you may wish to begin to contribute to. You cannot just join a community and begin to advertise though, as you will more than likely be kicked off the forum due to spam. You can build a rapport with the community and contribute to posts before passively promoting your new business. You may also decide to put your business details in your signature instead, or only mention your business where appropriate. There are also many relevant Facebook pages you might want to join for your local area; searching with the search bar should provide you with relevant results.
Starting a new business is hard work, and so making use of free promotional tools can save you money and help to get your business name out there.
