3 FREE and Easy ways to Promote Your Business Online

Promoting your business can be a time-consuming and costly endeavour for any company, let alone small and start-up businesses. But, as we all know, and have been told time and again by various seminar leaders and other marketing gurus, a good marketing strategy is essential for success. In the last several years it has also become clear that online marketing is a crucial part of this strategy

Online marketing is something that many business owners find daunting. But, in fact, it can be one of the quickest and most cost effective ways to promote yourself. A good company website can draw thousands of visitors a day, helping you establish new contacts, generate awareness and produce sales.

But perhaps you haven’t been able to launch a website yet? Or your website isn’t getting enough traffic to be effective?

The good news is there are many simple ways that you can promote your business and your company website online. What is even better is that many of them are free.

Here are three simple and FREE ways to increase your online profile.

1. Get Other Sites to Promote for You.
   Some websites exist just to promote businesses like yours. They are called directories and they will list your company information for free. All you need to do is submit your company information to them and then let them do the rest. Soon clients will be able to locate you and contact you via Directories.

   Sounds simple enough! But where can you find these directories?

   It is a good idea to start with sites that are well known and well respected. Yell.com offers a basic package which includes a free listing in both print and online directories. It is a good place to start for any business.

   Next you may want to consider any Professional Associations or Organisations you belong to. Many of these groups have online directories for members to advertise. Most Chambers’ of Commerce now have listings online, so check your Local Chapter’s website for details on how to register.

   Finally, local and specialist directories can be a good place to advertise your company. Check out your City and/or County Council Website to see if they have a local business directory. Alternatively you can use a search engine to find specific directories that advertise your industry. You will need to take care in selecting directories in this way though as some ‘dodgy’ directories may pass on or sell information and/or email addresses. The best advice is to research any directory you intend to advertise on and stick to those that have a good reputation.

2. Get Involved with a Community.
   Forums, or Discussion Boards are places where people with common interests meet to discuss, offer advice and exchange ideas. There are forums that relate to almost every industry and topic and members communicate by ‘posting’ messages and queries online.

   Joining a forum that relates to your business is a fantastic way to keep up to date with changes in your industry, meet new people and use your skills to help others.

   Be aware, however, that forums are NOT the place for blatant advertising or self-promotion. Forums are about participation. So offer your ideas and experiences to other members, ask for feedback, become a member of the community and you will find that you naturally make contacts.

   The best (and only) way to promote on a forum is include a ‘signature file’ with your website address at the end of any posts you make. Once you have established that you have valuable knowledge to offer people will then start to visit your site to find out more about you.

   Finally, one small note, make sure that you read any forums rules and regulations before you begin to post and happy posting!

3. Get Blogging.
   Many businesses rely on word-of-mouth marketing for a large percentage of their business. Did you know that you can use the same word-of-mouth strategy online in order to reach even more clients?

   One of the easiest ways to let your clients know what is happening in your business is to get an online Blog.

   A Blog is basically an online journal with daily entries that let new customers know what your business is doing now. The great thing about Blogs is that they let your clients get first hand information directly from you and attract visitors on a regular basis. They are personal and, unlike other marketing methods, they help clients feel more of a personal affiliation with your business.

   Like forums, Blogs are not ‘salesy’ and direct marketing is generally seen as unacceptable. However, they can be a great way to meet new contacts online. Visitors can comment on the articles you publish, contact you via email and links through to your company website.

   ‘Blogging’ is one of the easiest and quickest ways to publish content on the internet and you can be up and running within a couple of hours. What is more a site like www.blogger.com will help you set up and host your Blog for free.