To get started, here are five budget-friendly ways to get your name out into the online world.
1. List your business online
Registering your business on sites with a large audience can be a quick and low-cost way to start reaching new potential customers. Some details you’ll typically be asked to provide may include your business’ opening hours, address and website.
Two examples of established sites that could be worth listing with are:
2. Use social media
Social media can be a powerful tool for gaining instant access to a large number of your target customers. It is however a competitive space, so be strategic with your time and money.
- Like, post and comment on social media posts related to your niche
- Reach out to Instagram influencers – one post could give you instant access to thousands of users
- Invest a small amount of money to advertise with Facebook ads.
3. Send emails
Email marketing can be a great platform for building your brand and boosting sales, provided it’s done well. To engage effectively with those who’ve signed up to your mailing list, consider compelling content ideas such as infographics, online tutorials and articles with links to your products and services where relevant.
4. Connect to groups and forums
Sign up to relevant LinkedIn groups and forums and reply to conversations happening in your industry. Write posts that capture the attention of readers who may be potential new customers. Once you’ve built the trust of your audience, you can start sharing links to your website.
5. Create and publish useful content
Regularly posting high-quality content is a longer-term strategy to help establish you and your business as an expert in the industry and drive traffic to your site. Some ideas you can start with are:
- 'How to’ video tutorials on YouTube
- Blogs and articles – write about topics and keywords your customers are searching for.
