Businesses often shy away from any form of online advertising because of the costs. They think promoting their businesses online will cost them too much money. Knowing how to advertise your business can be tricky.  However, if you know where to look, you’ll find that the internet has many advertising platforms that cost next to nothing.

The internet has given small businesses the means to advertise and promote their business without needing to put out wads of cash. Online platforms like Facebook, Yelp, and Twitter are simple yet efficient and effective ways to promote your brand.

Advertising requires creativity and resourcefulness. It’s about utilizing the tools you have. If you’re looking for inspiration to spark your creativity, you’re in the right place. We’ve listed 8 cheap and affordable ways to help you gain insight into how to advertise your business online without extensive expertise or significant investments.

 

1.Social Media Is A Need

Investing in social media has become a necessary part of any digital advertising/marketing campaign. Not only will you be able showcase your brand on a global scale and gain more exposure, you’ll also be able to have direct contact with your target market.

No matter who your target audience is, you’ll be able to find them on social media’s 2.3 billion active users. You don’t have the excuse of saying only millennials are on social media.

Your only problem with social media is being able to cut through the noise. One way you can do that is by creating killer content. Posting the right content on social media will expand your presence and also increase brand recognition.

You might be asking what the right kind of content is. Well, the right kind of content has to be:

1. Know your audience – This is the most important tip of all. You need to know your audience, do some research on them, craft a hypothesis, and test out your theory. Trust me, this will play a big factor in the tips below.
2. Relevant to your niche – Never underestimate the power of context when crafting your message on social media. You need to publish content that’s only relevant to your business and field. Your tone when speaking to your audience on social media needs to match theirs. Additionally, it has to make your audience feel comfortable when engaging with your brand. That’s why doing prior research on your audience is important.
3. Use the right tool – There are many social media platforms out there, but which one should you choose? Let’s go back to our first tip, the answer is there. Go back to your research and find out which platform your target audience often uses, what time they use it, and why. Knowing and using the right tool can help you play to its strengths in order to drive the most engagement. One technique implement to find your audience is through hashtags.
4. High quality photos/videos – Nobody wants to see a blurry out of focus image on social media. High quality photos and videos create an impact on your social media, especially since it’s one of the most shared types of content.

2. Join Online Communities

There are countless online communities all over the web, and surely there is a place for your business to join. It’s extremely beneficial for businesses to join these communities, something as simple as actively contributing and building rapport with the community will help. Just don’t try to shove your business in their face, do it passively. A subtle promotion tactic could be putting a link in your signature or only mentioning it once appropriate.

Another thing you can do to get involved in your community is by attending events. Donate a few goods to charity, or blog about your business’ volunteer work. Sponsor events in exchange for promotional materials. Check online for local events that you can attend, choose the ones that will be most beneficial to you based on your target market and goals. You’ll be killing two birds with one stone, you get to help your community and advertise your brand.

You can also leave comments on blogs that are related to your content, this will help your content quickly rank on search engines. Doing this will get Google and other search engines to pick up your site and index your content with a higher rank if the website you left a comment on is reputable. The association with reputable websites will boost your SEO rank.

Try to add as much value to your comments in order to grab the attention of the blog or website’s audience. Additionally, impressing them will likely lead them to visit your website. Adding value will also build rapport with other bloggers and experts in your niche or field. In turn, this will open more opportunities for you to work with them and support each other’s businesses.

3. Insert Calls-To-Action In Your Emails

Emails are still a tremendous promotion opportunity. 59% of respondents say that marketing emails influence their purchase decisions (SaleCycle, 2018).

The trick to nailing email marketing this 2020 is to make it as personalized as possible. Sixty-two percent of marketers believe that personalized messaging is one of the most effective types of email, while 17% believe that plain text email is the least effective. Another thing that makes a real difference in your email marketing strategy including a Call-To-Action (CTA) button. Some of the best examples of great CTAs are:

• MailChimp’s enticing, straightforward, and lighthearted “Prepare For Launch”
• Mercy Corp creating a sense of urgency with “Donate Now”
• Spotify giving you two options and a slider that gives a simple and basic understanding of their service and advantages.

 

These are just a few examples of how you can make great CTAs you can include in your emails. Another trick is to offer a lead magnet or freebie that might interest your target market and push them into your funnel.

Additionally, if you want more examples, you can read Campaign Monitor’s list of 75 Calls to Actions to Use in Your Email Marketing Campaigns.

4. Offer Freebies

Everyone likes getting free things. Giving away freebies with your brand name on it will definitely increase brand recognition. It’s a simple and hassle-free way to advertise your brand.

Doing this will also grab the attention of people who would hesitate to buy from your brand. You can make it even more engaging by turning it into some kind of giveaway contest.You can ask them to share your latest post or write about your brand under a specific hashtag. Then, whoever does the best job wins the contest. Giveaways are great for generating a lot of buzz in a short span of time.

The giveaway will also introduce your brand to new prospects and you’ll be able to show your appreciation towards clients who are already loyal to you as well.

Another way to do this is by offering discounts vis discount codes, etc. Award anyone who shares your brand on social media by offering a small discount. You can also offer them free trials, consultations, free ebooks, or newsletters.

5. Put Out Interactive Content

Interactive content is considered to be one of the biggest marketing trends in 2020. No one can resist the allure of something this cool. People want shoppable posts, 360-degree videos, AR/VR, quizzes, polls, etc.

Take a look at how Warner Bros. Pictures promoted their movie IT, they posted a cinematic VR experience that will make you feel like you were one of the characters in the movie. The VR video got over 6 million views on Facebook.

This level of interactivity in retail and marketing is new and fresh. Look at the ads on Instagram. Now you’re able to immediately get information about the product by tapping the photo. The dress name and price appears with just a tap. There are also tons of very engaging brand stories on instagram. You can add polls, quizzes, etc.

(INSERT AD)

These types of contents are extremely innovative and it will help your business stand out. Visitors will be able to engage with your brand and it will give them a reason to stay.

6. Work With Local Influencers

These days you don’t need Brad Pitt or Kim Kardashian to become your brand ambassadors. Let’s face it, celebrities that big come with a hefty price. Marketers are now turning to local influencers to advertise their brand for them.

Social media influencers may not have a Kim Kardashian-level reach, but you’ll be able to have an influencer that has established themselves in your niche or target market.

Influencer marketing is becoming more personal this 2020. It will be more authentic because your brand will be promoted by an influencer your target market can trust. Afterall, word of mouth is still one of the most effective marketing strategies out there.

“Consumers are 92% more likely to trust their peers over advertising when it comes to purchasing decisions.”
Joey Little

Getting the chance to work with an influencer will build brand recognition and strengthen your credibility.

7. Host A Webinar

This is something you can do online as well as offline as a way to promote your business and educate your clients. As a business owner, I’m sure you’re tired of hearing the same questions over and over again. By offering a webinar, you’ll have the chance to answer all of these questions. You can take these questions and use them as webinar topics.

Webinars will turn you into a go-to source of information within your industry. You’ll attract new prospects and also get the chance to collect their contact information and get new leads. This will forge new relationships as well as strengthen existing ones.

You’re going to need a high-quality camera. Most smartphones now have great quality, so it could be enough for your webinar. Remember to announce your webinar via social media a week or a few days before you do it so people will have the chance to clear their schedule. You can also personally message clients and invite, or send out invites via email.

8. Personalization

Personalized ads are extremely trendy for promoting and advertising your brand this 2020. People want to be able to experience your brand personally through design, content, context, and more.

“80% of consumers are more likely to do business with a company if it offers personalized experiences.”
Instapage

It’s all about the whole user experience. Some of the most successful marketing campaigns are the most personal ones. For example:

• Coke – The “Share A Coke” campaign has been around since 2011, and it’s still going strong. People love the idea of being able to personalize their bottles.
• Cadbury – They launched a personalized video campaign that would match dairy milk flavors with users depending on data from their Facebook profile. This includes their age, interests, and locations.
• Starbucks – The starbucks mobile app became as personal as possible with data like purchase history and location on their app. You could also personalize your drinks on your app and use their rewards system.
• Netflix – Netflix would recommend movie titles and tv shows depending on your search and watched history
  Getting personal really wouldn’t hurt.

To Conclude

There are many advertising methods that won’t require you a big budget, and we’ve just proved it. It may not always be the best way to advertise your business. However, they could be of big help when done well. All you have to do is to get creative and have fun with it.

That was 8 cheap and affordable ways to on how to advertise your business online. Which ones have you tried? Did it work for you? Leave us a comment down below or contact us with any questions!