11 Free Marketing Tips You Can’t Afford to Miss

So you’ve started your business. But, let’s be real, starting a business is just the tip of the iceberg.

Now it’s time to get the word out there and bring in those customers. We know that marketing can seem like a daunting task, especially when it comes to budget.

Lucky for you, we’re sharing 11 of the best marketing tips that will help your business succeed.

  1. Conduct market research

Conducting market research is an essential step in a digital marketing strategy to help you understand your target audience and create effective marketing campaigns that will resonate with them.

There are several different methods you can use to conduct market research, including surveys, focus groups, interviews, and online analytics. When conducting market research, it’s important to focus on the following key areas:

Demographics

Who is your target audience? What are their age, gender, income, and education levels?

Psychographics

What are the values, interests, and lifestyle choices of your target audience?

Behaviour

How does your target audience make purchasing decisions? What are their pain points and needs?

Industry trends

What are the current trends in your industry? How are they likely to evolve in the future?

By understanding your target audience, you can create campaigns and content that will resonate with them, and increase the chances of them engaging with your business. This will help you to increase your reach and build relationships with your target audience.

  1. Create a solid social media presence

Successful marketing strategies often include social media in one form or another – and for good reason. Social media marketing is an excellent (and free!) way to create valuable content that will grow your brand.

To get started, do some research to find out which social media platforms your target market is using.

For example, a little research about Instagram reveals that it has 800 million users. Yes, that’s right, 800 million! Here is a breakdown based on age:

  • 78% of 18-29-year-olds use Instagram
  • 54% of 30-49-year-olds use Instagram
  • 33% of 50-64-year-olds use Instagram
  • 18% of 65+-year-olds use Instagram

If your target market is young people, you’ll want to create a lot of content on Instagram or even TikTok. On the other hand, if you are targeting retirees, you’ll probably want to focus your marketing efforts on a different platform.

Once you have chosen which platforms to target, you can start creating and sharing content to support your business. But remember, what works on one platform may not work on another, so cater your content accordingly.

You should try to ensure that you respond to as many comments and Direct Messages (DMs) as possible to foster a positive experience for customers and show them that you care.

Solid Social Media Presence

  1. Use Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) techniques

Alright, let’s talk SEO, baby! If you’re a business looking to increase visibility online, it’s time to get familiar with the world of search engine optimisation. And unlike PPC ads, SEO is an organic marketing method, meaning you don’t have to pay for your results.

SEO techniques are basically like a secret sauce that can help you rank higher on Google, Yahoo!, and Bing.

But don’t stress, there are plenty of tools out there (including free ones!) that can help you navigate the SEO world. These tools can help you identify keywords that are relevant to your business, track your search engine rankings, and spy on your competition.

So, what are some of the key ingredients in this secret sauce? Well, you need to have good keywords, which means identifying the phrases your target audience is searching for. Then, you have to optimise your website’s content and structure, making sure it’s search engine-friendly.

Don’t forget about creating high-quality, relevant content that addresses the needs and concerns of your target audience.

And lastly, you have to build some backlinks. Think of it as a virtual referral – the more links you have pointing to your website the more credible and authoritative it looks to search engines.

SEO is like a game of Tetris. You have to keep stacking and optimising until you reach that sweet spot on the first page of Google. And with the right tools, you’ll be a pro in no time!

  1. Start a blog

You’ve created your social media profiles. Now it’s time to start a blog. A blog is a powerful marketing tool that can help you reach your target audience, build relationships, and drive sales.

By regularly creating high-quality content that addresses the needs and concerns of your target audience, you can establish yourself as a thought leader and build trust with potential customers.

When you write helpful content that solves your readers’ problems, you’ll not only attract new readers, but you’ll also build trust amongst them. This will make your readers more likely to buy from you when they’re ready to purchase.

There are many different platforms available for creating a blog, such as WordPress, Blogger, and Squarespace. Each one has its own set of features and benefits, so it’s important to choose the one that’s right for you and your business.

Once you’ve chosen a platform, it’s time to start creating content. When writing blog posts, it’s important to focus on providing value to your readers by answering their questions and addressing their pain points. By providing useful, actionable advice and information, you can help your readers solve problems and make informed decisions.

In addition to writing blog posts, you can also use your blog to share news and updates about your business, post product reviews, and share testimonials from satisfied customers. You can also use your blog to host webinars, create infographics, and share other types of multimedia content.

Promoting your blog is also important. Share your blog post on social media and other platforms. Reach out to influencers in your niche, and ask them to share your post with their followers. Engage with your readers by responding to comments and questions, and encourage them to share your content with others.

  1. Build your Google presence

Building your Google presence is essential for any business looking to increase visibility and reach potential customers.

One of the best ways to do this is through Google My Business, which is a free, easy-to-use tool that allows you to create a profile on the search engine and Google Maps.

Within the Google My Business interface, you can easily update your information to identify what you do or what you are selling. This allows anyone in search of your products or services to be directed towards your business.

You should include as much information as possible about your business in your Google My Business profile. This includes your business name, address for local businesses, phone number, and website. You can also add photos and videos, which will help to showcase your products or services and help potential customers to understand what you do.

Google My Business allows you to manage your online presence and control how your business appears on Google Search and Google Maps.

For example, you can use it to manage your online reviews. This includes responding to customer reviews, both positive and negative, as well as monitoring your overall rating. Responding to reviews can help to build trust and credibility with potential customers and it can also help to improve your search engine rankings.

  1. Optimise for mobiles

    We’re living in a mobile-first world, and if you’re not optimising for smartphones, you’re basically telling potential customers to take a hike.

    And let’s be real, who wants to deal with a website that takes forever to load or buttons that are impossible to tap on a tiny screen?

    Optimising for smartphones is all about making sure your website and marketing materials are easy to navigate and read on a mobile device. This means making sure images load quickly, buttons are big enough to tap, and menus don’t take forever to scroll through. It’s all about the user experience!

  2. Get involved in discussion groups

Joining online forums and discussion groups can be a goldmine for your business. Not only do they allow you to connect with potential customers, but they also give you a chance to build relationships and learn about their needs and pain points.

But before you start posting in every group you can find, remember, it’s all about being helpful and providing value. You don’t want to come off as a pushy salesperson. Just be an expert in your field, and people will naturally turn to your business for products and services.

Think of it like this, you’re not trying to sell them a product, you’re trying to solve their problems. So, be helpful, be valuable, and watch your business grow!

Marketing Discussion groups

  1. Distribute press releases online

Press releases are a great way to promote your business, generate media coverage, and build buzz around your service or product.

Several free and paid press release distribution services can help you reach your target audience. Check out PRWeb, eReleases, PR Newswire and Business Wire.

  1. Connect with social media influencers

If you want to reach a larger audience, you have to think outside the box…or at least outside of your account! And what better way to do that than by teaming up with social media influencers?

Influencers have a huge following, and when they promote your product or service, you’re reaching a whole new audience. So, why not offer them a little incentive to do just that? Give them a freebie, a discount code, or something else that makes it worth their while to shout your business from the rooftops.

But before you go reaching out to just any influencer, it’s important to do your research. Make sure their followers are in your target market.

You don’t want to be promoting your business to the wrong audience, right? So pick your influencers wisely and watch your business grow!

Social Media Influencers

  1. Develop an email marketing plan

Email marketing is a great way to stay connected with your customers and keep them in the loop about your business. You can send out updates, and special offers, and let them know about new products. But before you start sending out those emails, you need to have a plan in place.

First things first, you need to build that email list. Gather up those email addresses as if you were stocking up for a lockdown. Next, segment that list into different groups. This way you can tailor your emails to different audiences and make sure they’re getting the information that’s most relevant to them.

And last but not least, create some killer email content. Make it engaging, make it relevant, and most importantly, make it worth their while to open that email. Remember, people get a ton of emails every day, so you want to make sure yours stands out.

So put on your creative cap, and let’s make email marketing work for your business!

  1. Create and post helpful infographics

Infographics are the ultimate way to break down complex topics and data sets in a way that’s easy to understand and visually appealing. Not only are they a great marketing tool, but they’re also shareable, which means more people will see them.

When creating infographics, it’s important to think about your brand and your target audience. Use data and visual elements to tell a story that’s relevant to both. And the best part? You don’t have to be a graphic design expert to create awesome infographics. Canva is a free tool that can guide you through the process, offering plenty of templates.

So, whether you’re a business owner or a marketer, infographics are a great way to engage your audience and stand out in a sea of text.

Post Helpful Infographics

Revolutionise your marketing: upgrade your strategy now!

Now that you’re all clued up on these top 11 free marketing tips, it’s time to start your marketing efforts. Be creative, focus on providing value, and don’t be afraid to experiment.

If you’d like some help with your marketing campaign, consider working with us at First Page Digital. Online marketing is our specialty, and we can help market your business to a wide audience.

Click here to continue learning or talk to an expert today!

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