11 Ways to Market Your Business For Free Online
Free Traffic = Free Business
The Bad News First: If you are not marketing yourself online right now your business will be completely left behind within the next 5 years! You will simply not be able to compete which is why you need to get started now.
The Good News: There are stacks of ways to market yourself online for free. All that is required is a little time and effort.
You will reap great rewards from taking the time to ensure your business is found everywhere online sooner rather than later.
Let’s look at 11 ways you can receive some free business right now:
1. Optimise Your Website
Search Engine Optimisation is time consuming but out of all the free techniques it can bring you hoards of traffic if done correctly. Many years ago when the internet first began you could optimise a website and see the results as your website climbed to the top of Google’s pages within a few months. Now, it takes anywhere from 6-12 months to see you results. However it is A MUST that you have this done. With millions of new sites being built everyday, you want to ensure that your site is on page number one for your major search terms in the search engines, especially Google.
Aim to spend a few hours optimising your site/doing keyword research starting from now.
2. Link Swapping & Link Density
The denser or heavier your site becomes when it links to like minded and good performing sites (not your competitors) then the easier you will be found on the web. Linking to sites that are within your industry or relatable to your industry means that you are offering relevant information to your viewers.
Search Engines Support Relevance! Only link to sites that are relevant to your business and that your viewers will find helpful to visit. Aim to link with 5 new sites per month.
3. Writing Articles
Can you write something of interest that is related to your industry and post it on the web to gain new clients? There are loads of great article sites out there who receive loads of great traffic everyday from people who are simply trying to find free information on their chosen topic. Why not offer some free advice and in return receive some new clients?
4. Blogging
Blogging is simply a one page website about you or about your business that you update regularly and let's you participate in communication with other bloggers or like minded individuals. It's a great way to get new clients and search engines love fresh page content! If you add a blog to your website or create one that is directly linked to your site you will immediately increase your status in the search engines.
5. Newsletters
Via email each month you should be keeping in contact with your clients.... no matter what type of business you have you should be collecting client contact information and staying fresh in their minds at a minimum each month. It doesn't matter if you have three or three thousand on your list, you must stay fresh in the mind of your customers.
Offer them a great deal; don’t use your newsletter a sales pitch or to go on about yourself.
6. Audio and Video
I personally am addicted to podcasts. I download them constantly on all my favourite topics and love listening to them throughout the day as I work. It’s also how I source some products and services after gaining trust and a feel for the company or individual first via their podcasts and information that they provide for free.
This may not be for everyone but if you have anything important to say, some advice to give or you wish for people to hear a playback of any type of seminar, workshop or training session on your particular business subject then Podcasting can be a great way to get your voice out to the world. There are podcasts on every subject possible! Basically Podcasting can contain audio of anything that you wish to share with the world.
We all know about YouTube and just like Google it’s a great way to find free information on just about any topic. Just like podcasting you can create little video advertorials on any subject and new prospective clients can find you.
Our Ebooks walk you through this step by step including which programs to use and how to have your podcasts and videos found online.
7. Forums & Discussion Boards
Forums are basically online discussion areas but they can be a great way to network, advertise yourself and get some new clients. If you ever enter Forums to search for information or you supply information you should be leaving your details so people can find you. A great forum to be apart of is About but there are many more that could be very relevant to your industry so Google it and see what you can find.
Adding a forum to your site can also be a great way for your clients to network with each other and discuss their issues. People searching for information on the web can fall upon your forum (they rank really well in the engines) and find the answers to their questions which can in turn bring you free business.
8. Online Business Directories
Online Business Directories are simply a portal for finding businesses online. There are many great free well ranked directories on the web that you can join. We give you the lists to all of the main directories in our Ebooks or you can Google relevant directories to your business and add yourself to them for free.
9. Social Networking
Unless you have been under a rock for the last couple of years you no doubt have heard of or use these social networking utilities. With Facebook and MySpace you can also sign your business profile up on either one of these sites or at least add in all of your business details to your profile for all of your friends and their friends to see.
10. Online Business Networks
It's worth looking into what free online business networks you can be apart of. We recommend ZaaBiz, Linked In and My Referral Network. However there are many that could be great for your specific industry and to help you receive your clientele. Try a quick Google search and see what you can find.
11. Referrals & Testimonials
Whenever you produce advertising material try and offer a testimonial from one of your happy clients. Once you have sold a product to a client it is a good idea to follow up after a few weeks to gain a testimonial. You can set up auto responders to do this for you. Testimonials help you gain credibility so they are well worth the effort.
Customer Referral programs are another great way to get fresh faces through the door or on to your website. Be creative and set up a simple referral program that will offer bonuses to your current loyal customers to refer their friends. Remember that Word of Mouth advertising is the fastest and least expensive way to build your business so you might as well offer rewards to your customers to get them chatting and crating some hype about you and your valuable services.
Go ahead and start marketing your biz for free online today. Like I said, it takes a little time but is a necessity if you want to stay competitive in your industry and a bonus if you like customers to find you for free.
Resources:
Our Ultimate Guide To Small Business Management Ebooks (http://www.busiwizard.com/smallbusinessebooks.html) offer you a step by step approach and all of the resources, links and tips needed to market yourself for free online plus a bunch of other necessary small business info and help. To ensure your business is not being left behind grab an ebook today. Use this code 5PDISCBW and receive 5% off your chosen ebook.
Apply the techniques in our ebook over the next 6 weeks and for less than $1 per day you could boost your business profit massively and be running your dream business.
Good Luck
BusiWizard
