18 smart ways to promote your business online

To survive and grow your business needs customers. In order to acquire customers, however, you will have to put your hand in and implement the plan for smart online promotion of. The good old days, this was a matter of choosing between a brochure, an advertisement in a local newspaper, local radio or television. But welcome to the digital world where promoting your business needs to be done online!

So if you are struggling to find the best ways to promote your business, you came to the right place!

In this article we will give you 18 smart ways to promote your business online for every budget:

1. Create a Google my Business account

A google account My Business will allow you to be anywhere Google is also located. Your business will appear in the results of Google Maps, in local section of Google search results, and when someone types in your business name.

You may have noticed how if you type a business name into Google or by doing a local search, on the right side of the search results, businesses appear. Why not find yours there too; As Google gets better at delivering its results to location of the user, the entry in Google MyBusiness(which is also free) should constitute top priority your.

2. Get a website

A website is essential in today's digital age, no matter how old or well-known your business is. Think How many times have you searched online to find something you need?(especially during the covid-19 era). Also think how much more professional it looks like someone has a site. Actually one updated site.

A good business website serves as a tool for online promotion in itself. It tells the story of your business and,what do you offer, provides contact information and reflects your brand's personality and distinctive features.

End, is essential for an effective online advertising campaign since lies are especially bad- is the best way to promote your business online!

For example, when you run ads on social media, you need some landing page, which is on your site. also, you can use statistics of the website to see which strategies work best and get valuable insights about your audience.

Although there are completely free solutions to create a website, you will almost inevitably be led(and you will do well) in some form paid site, if you are serious about promoting your business.

3. Search Engine Optimization(SEO)

SEO is another way to promote your business online smartly and for free. We have previously written about’ this: SEO friendly content, how to create and take off your site

SEO is one set of practices that put your business on Google ranking algorithm. Simply put, when someone does a Google search related to you, SEO enables you to rank in search results and indeed free.

SEO is not just a tactic, but several tactics together that work collectively to improve the site's ranking. also, because Google has great results based on location, you have just as many opportunities to appear on the first page of Google locally – without spending a penny. It is enough to have a website and to have it optimized for search engines like Google.

What SEO tactics help your online business in a nutshell:

Add related keywords (based on industry and location) at specific points on the website(articles, descriptions).
Regular production of high quality original content.
Descriptions in the photos.
Maintaining high page load speeds and website security.

When your business ranks high in the results, Google essentially promotes it organically(i.e. free) for you—to those looking for what you have to offer.

4. Create a blog

We mentioned it before. The content of a blog(blog) it's so important driver of SEO which really deserves its own category as yet another way to smartly promote your business online.

You can create some posts with useful, educational and interesting content, using Keywords around questions and terms that your business's ideal customers are searching for on Google. The more content you produce targeting specific keywords, the more opportunities you create to appear on the first pages of search engine results.

You can create articles about:

Instructions and educational posts relevant to the scope of your business
Questions and answers your audience might have or a written interview with an industry expert
Your perspective on a topic as an expert in your field
Customer testimonials or case studies

Through the articles share your knowledge and you establish authority in your field. When someone finds the answers they are looking for on your site, then it will come back again and again as it has found one authentic source of information. Through this is built the confidence in your business. When he needs your products or services, he will definitely become your customer!

5. Share your content

A blog with posts showing the expertise, accessibility and desirability helping your audience is the perfect tool to promote your site. But it is not enough to simply write them and wait for Google to discover you. Share your content on social media, through electronic press releases, through e-mail marketing.

Even better, if you produce original and great content that can be shared by others, it can be noticed by reputable websites who will reproduce the article or who will mention your website in theirs. This is in addition to getting your brand known, gives you valuable links that get you higher in Google search results.

6. Use Google Ads

While SEO is one of the best marketing strategies, is one long term strategy which can take weeks, months even years to start seeing results. For more immediate exposure and if you have the budget, Google Ads is the best way. Google Ads ads appear at the top of search engine results pages, over organic and local listings. From available search engines, Google is by far the most popular. Not just because it's the biggest search engine, but also because of it high level of flexibility, of ad creation capabilities and of detailed measurements performance.

Although learning Google Ads takes some time, as well as many tests(and mistakes), an optimized campaign is well worth the investment.

7. List your business in smaller online directories as well

Google may be the biggest search engine, but there are others smaller platforms where you can put your business to get more exposure. Such platforms are:

Platforms like TripAdvisor, Trivago, etc.
Golden guide
White pages
Bing et al.

8. Optimize your listings

It's another to create a listing, but another to optimize it. By completing each field in your profiles, adding photos and collecting reviews, you can improve the attractiveness of your business and rank above competitors in searches. It is also important to make sure that the information in all listings is correct and agree with the information on the website. Inconsistencies can make Google question the credibility of your business. End, be sure to follow the entries, correct any inaccuracies and add new information;.

9. Get online customer reviews

Think about how many times you've preferred a store, accommodation, restaurant etc. simply because it had better reviews; Customer reviews are great importance especially for the small and local businesses.

A true and spontaneous criticism it's probably the most powerful way to market your business to the right people.People trust reviews more than anything else. In addition, reviews are an important ranking factor for local search results on Google.

But don't just get a review. Reply to her whether she is positive, either negative. You will show that you care about what your customers think. also, a response to a negative review, showing interest in what went wrong, gives extra points to your business.

Let's now look at ways to smartly promote your business online through social media:

10. Prioritize Facebook

Even though platforms like Instagram or TikTok have taken over, Facebook remains by far the largest social network. After all, think about how probably all your acquaintances and friends have a Facebook profile and maybe nowhere else. It's a great way to keep in touch with existing customers and reach new ones.

How to use Facebook:

Create a Facebook business page with your contact information, a mini CV, information about your business and a CTA.
Use Facebook events to promote an event, event or something important for your business.
Go live, seminars or show backstages to get closer to your audience.
End, don't forget Facebook ads!

Facebook advertising allows you to reach a lot specific audience, as you can target according to user profile information, such as marital status, profession, interesting and more. Start with a small budget, experiment and once you find what works best, increase your budget.

11. Create a LinkedIn profile

LinkedIn has become more than just a place to post your resume online. It is also a place to participate in group discussions, connect with potential customers, create new partnerships or just network. Potential customers can check out your business before doing business with you to get more information. Especially if your business is B2B(Business to Business) it is not meant to be missing from Linkedin!

Of course you should be active on the platform. Share your articles(the importance of the blog we mentioned above), start conversations, share interesting topics.

12. Start a YouTube channel

Videos are a great way to promote your business online. Many people prefer this form of communication as they find it more enjoyable to watch videos. It also creates a sense of immediacy and helps you connect more with potential customers. Youtube is an extremely powerful platform and second search engine after Google.

You can post tutorial videos, tutorials or instructions for use for a product on the channel, in order to be discovered by people searching for what your business offers.

13. Create social media profiles

Some more powerful platforms you may already be using are the Instagram, the TikTok, Twitter. We will not refer to how powerful a tool the presence on social media is. Nor will we analyze each one separately, as we assume you already know them. But what we have to say, is how you must have a presence on social media, where your ideal audience is as it is an inexhaustible source of new customers. Ideally you should have a presence on all social media. Nevertheless, this assumes that you should be consistent in posting content everywhere. You can do something like this; A profile without an active presence is a minus for your business as it shows disinterest.

If you can't have a consistent presence or are a beginner, start with a couple of platforms and once you get the hang of it move on to the rest.

14. Give Pinterest a shot

Interest is mentioned separately because while it is one quite strong platform it's a little bit neglected in relation to the rest. It focuses on photo sharing. The fact that your photos can link back to the site your, it creates an amazing opportunity to promote your business and increase traffic to your site.

Pinterest is especially powerful for e-commerce businesses looking to reach one female audience (Pinterest users are mostly women). If your business can provide visual material eg photographers, clothing stores, shoes, jewelry then you definitely need to be on Pinterest.

15. Join online communities

One of the best ways to connect with your ideal audience is to join communities and groups relevant to your business or industry on LinkedIn and Facebook and offer to people essential advice and suggestions when they have problems or questions.

This is a great way to build one good reputation and create stable relationships with people related to your work. Remember that while helping a person by answering their question, you are helping another thousand silent people who will see your business and search for information about you.

16. Try Influencer Marketing

To Ιnfluencer marketing(influencer marketing) it has turned out to be an excellent marketing strategy. Most people mistakenly think that doing so means working with someone big name and paying a respectable amount to promote their products. Not that this is out of the question! But influencer marketing can be done in many ways.

One strategy is to work with smaller accounts. There are Influencers(nano and micro-influencers) who have built their own loyal audience and influence their purchasing decisions. Many times the nano and micro-influencers are more effective and have a more loyal audience from someone with a lot of followers. In addition, the cost of working with them is much less and so you can collaborate with more than one at the same time.

The most important thing and what you should notice is that the influencer should target your ideal audience. Otherwise, no matter how many thousands of followers it has, it doesn't make sense! Before reaching out to an Influencer, take the time to familiarize yourself with their accounts. See how it moves and if its style fits the aesthetics of your business.

17. Invest in social media advertising

Social media advertising is one of the most smart ones, highly used and profitable forms of digital advertising today. More than 3,6 billions of people use it and it's constantly evolving to deliver ease of use and excellent value for money your. One of the reasons why you should prefer social media advertising is because you can target your ideal audience directly. In addition, financially it is much more flexible and for every budget than traditional advertising methods(radio, TV, type). When done right, you promote your business to a highly targeted audience with great results.

18. Use e-mail marketing

It can, especially small businesses, not to have it in special regard, however e-mail marketing is the most effective channel for converting customers and therefore the most profitable. You probably didn't expect it, so;

This happens because those who have subscribed to your e-mail list are already interested in a product or service offered by your business and are already a warm audience.

E-mail marketing though it does not mean that you start and send newsletter without tomorrow with offers and products. You should through your newsletters you provide value to your audience. Share your news, your articles, some exclusive offer only for subscribers to the list, give food for thought. Only through connecting with them people, strong relationships will emerge and sales will follow.

Clearly in a modern digital age the ways in which you can promote your business online are many. It also increases the audience you can reach. You will be left out of the developments;

Start promoting your business online and you will see great results and new customers knocking at your door.

If you don't know where to start and you are lost, get in touch with us and come see what you can do and where to start. We love small businesses and want to see them grow!