If you are a startup or a small business, you undoubtedly need to market your business. Unfortunately, you may not have enough finances to go for expensive methods. While marketing techniques may not be absolutely free, they could be affordable. Let us delve into online marketing tactics that require time, not money:
1. Unlinked mentions
You need to get unlinked mentions of your brand or even company name. You can find them in online publications or websites. Email the site editor and request them to provide a link. All you need to do is a quick search and send a few emails. This way, you will get free quality backlinks.2. Cross promotion
This is a very effective online marketing strategy. It entails partnering with related businesses who market your brand, and you market theirs in return. Your effort entails signing a contract after holding a conversation.3. Work with a reporter
This is one of the online marketing tactics that requires generosity. From time to time, you will come across newsworthy items in your niche. You can reach out to a reporter and provide the information. This way, you will increase your brand awareness.4. Network in person
Networking as a person may not seem to be connected in any way with online marketing. However, it boosts your online marketing tactics. This is because you are likely to meet people in person, whom you are never likely to meet online. As you interact and discuss work, you can tell them about your brand or business. Networking goes hand in hand with marketing.5. An affiliate program
This approach may not work for every niche, but it is worth a try. It is one of those marketing strategies that you come up with and implement and they grow without too much effort from your side. An affiliate program creates an extra marketing department- your customers.6. Upselling existing customers
This aspect of online marketing entails targeting your existing customers. Marketing does not mean that you are always looking for new customers. Research by Econsultancy and PredictiveIntent revealed that upselling is 20 times better when compared to cross-selling. Upselling is quite low-cost.7. Hashtag
You can literally have a hashtag that is associated with your brand. All you need to do is use it every time you post content, on whichever platform. Over time, you will not only have claimed a hashtag, but your brand will benefit greatly from the exposure. This is because a hashtag is searchable and interactive. It has the potential to go viral.8. User generated content
This technique is way cheaper when compared to generating content as a company or brand. To get content from your audience, motivate them to tell their own story and write content. This way, you will have fresh and engaging content that will prove more valuable, since you are not producing it as a brand. It is coming from the users' end, thus users can trust it more.9. Links from service providers
High quality backlinks are essential for your site to rank well. Where your site ranks is an important part of your online marketing strategy. Since buying links is not the best way forward, you need to utilize your networks. You can reach out to service providers and business partners and request for backlinks. You will get a number of quality links, though your only input will have been sending emails.10. Host Free Webinars
Free webinars are a crucial part of online marketing. This is because they introduce your brand and product to a wide audience. Ensure that the topic is appealing to attract interest. Webinars require a lot of input in terms of time. You need to come up with an appealing topic, plan for the webinar, and market the event. However, there are maximum benefits to reap.11. Comment on blogs
Commenting on other people’s blogs is one way of increasing your brand awareness. Here is how to effectively implement this beneficial aspect of online marketing:- Identify the top 5 blogs in your niche
- Read and comment on the blog posts regularly
- As people continue to see your name and brand, they begin to see it as familiar, and may even get curious about it.
12. Have a strong presence on Google+
One of the best places to build brand exposure on the web is on Google+. Google will use the business information that you have provided to form a web presence. If you have an outstanding profile on Google+, your brand will be featured and published organically across the web.13. Contests
This online marketing strategy has been scammed a lot. However, it is still one of the best ways to create your brand’s awareness at very low costs. All you need to do is come up with an impressive prize, for instance, an iPad, cash prizes or other types of merchandise. This way you will improve the image of your brand, and create some substantial 'web noise'.14. Referral Traffic on Twitter
Twitter has an instant reach and a great output too. It can result in massive referral traffic, social buzz and brand exposure. Follow at least ten influencers in your niche. You then need to follow the people who follow them, retweet and favorite their tweets, as well as mention them in comments. You will begin to slowly build your own platform.15. Niche influencers
There are people whose input moves a particular industry or niche. They control the conversation and shape market contours. They undoubtedly have large audiences. You need to reach these people, if you are going to reach their audiences. An effective online marketing strategy is providing them with a product or partnering with them on a project. This is a win-win situation. The influencer benefits and your brand gets exposed to their large audiences.16. Get more emails
Growing your email list is one of the best online marketing tactics. You can get more emails from prospective customers via using tools like Hello Bar.Conclusion
Online marketing doesn’t need to be so expensive. The above online marketing tactics are budget friendly yet very effective.
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