Small business marketing can be done effectively for little to no investment when you have access to the Internet. There are a number of effective online marketing tools readily available to small business owners.
Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Article Marketing
One of the most effective online marketing tools small business owners can use with little to no investment is article marketing.
With this low-cost marketing all you have to do is write short and informative articles related to your products or services and post them on article directories on the Internet. What makes article marketing so effective is the links you place with you articles.
At the end of each article you post, you will post a link that directs people back to your website.
Content is King
Using articles and web content in a small business marketing plan extends beyond article marketing.
You can also use keyword or search engine optimized content on your own website to increase your search engine ranking. When you use search engine optimized content to market your small business it is important to avoid overusing keywords.
The keywords should be worked into your web content organically otherwise you may get banned by search engines. There are professionals who can help you with this for a nominal fee if you don’t feel ready to do it on your own.
Email Marketing
Small business marketing can also be done effectively through email. Email marketing is one of the oldest and most tested online marketing tools available.
If you implement a solid e-mail marketing campaign you will create a consistent awareness of your products and services among existing and prospective customers. Never spam or send unwanted e-mails to prospective or existing customers; this can have dire consequences, some of them legal.
Request permission to send e-mails during transactions and have a sign up form for newsletters and promotional e-mails available on your website at all times.
Link it Up
Links can also be an effective and low-cost marketing tool to market your small business online.
In addition to keywords, search engines also measure the amount of links coming to your site and going out of your site. This is called link building.
To use link building as a free small business marketing tool contact other companies and businesses relative to yours and offer to trade links. Everybody gets something from this deal – it is an even trade.
Pay Per Click (PPC)
Another low-cost marketing idea is to market your small business online by using pay-per-click marketing.
When you use pay-per-click marketing you establish an ad with a reputable website and you establish a price you will pay any time that ad is clicked on. These ads are most commonly placed on search engine result pages and your ad is displayed when similar keywords to your ad are searched.
It is important to use a reputable company when you want to use pay-per-click marketing. There are companies out there that practice click fraud to drive up your price and their revenue.
Marketing your small business effectively is essential if you want to succeed in the long run. Use the low-cost marketing tips above and you’ll be well on your way!
