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Launching a business from home is a fantastic way to earn money. No more commuting or office drama – you get to be your own boss and build something amazing for yourself. But if you want your business to succeed, you need to get the word out there. From getting your page noticed on Google to sending out some flyers – there are many simple and affordable ways to promote your business.
Ready to put your business on the map? Here are some of the best ways to advertise your business locally.
Image Credit: Unsplash under Creative Commons
Build up your web presence
First thing’s first – if you want to build up your business locally, and further afield, you need to work on your web presence. This includes ensuring your website loads quickly, has no broken pages, and is mobile-friendly. If you’ve just launched your website, or you’re due a refresh, go through it to ensure the content is relevant for your audience, and that everything is correct and up-to-date.
Search engine optimization (SEO) is another component of website success. Essentially, effective SEO means getting your website to the top of Google’s rankings, and while many people find SEO a mystery – it doesn’t have to be. Even Google provides resources to help you improve your local search rankings, making it easier for you to get noticed online.
Set up a mailing list
A mailing list is an excellent way to promote your business. You can encourage people to sign up by offering an incentive, such as a discount or a gift. Once you’ve built up a database, you can then share details of special offers, new services or product launches – connecting with an audience that’s already familiar with your business.
Used effectively, your mailing list can have a huge impact. Learn how to improve your mailing list to make sure you get it to the right people.
Create content for social media
Another way to promote your business locally is to create social media content! Social media is an excellent way to connect with people who live in your local area, provided you hit the right note. From jumping on trends to some behind-the-scenes clips, creating engaging social media content can highlight your business to others, and help you build an online community. You could also earn money from popular content, with TikTok’s creator fund paying out to creators once you achieve certain follower milestones.
Use paid-for social media ads
Social media ads can be a very effective way of advertising your business, especially at a local level. This is because social media ad platforms allow you to do some detailed targeting to reach people in your local area, as well as by interest, gender and age. Social media ads are also very budget-friendly, as you can set exactly how much you want to spend and for how long. It’s worth experimenting with social media ads to see the impact they can have, but remember to track your results to ensure you get a good return on your investment.
Advertise on local networks
Posting content on your own social media channels is a great way to get your business noticed, but getting involved in local networks online can also help with promotion. Find where your local networks are and post about your business – community pages have excellent engagement, so this could be an easy (and free!) way to introduce yourself to people in your local area and tell them about what you have to offer.
Put up some banners, flyers and posters
Online promotion for your business can be an affordable and effective way of reaching potential customers, but it’s important to remember more traditional promotion tactics too! Printing flyers, posters and outdoor banners can be a simple way of grabbing people’s attention – making it easier for them to remember you the next time they need a service like yours. Creating the right design for your printed materials is vital to stand out, so take a look at some templates you could use on Canva, or consult a graphic designer to help you get started.
Team up with other local businesses
Partnerships can be an effective way of drumming up interest in your business. Not only will partnerships help you connect with other business owners, but you could benefit from each other’s reach and customer base to take your business further. Partnerships can take a lot of different forms, including:
- Sharing each other’s content on social media.
- Putting up posters and flyers in each other’s businesses.
- Providing customers an exclusive discount.
- Launching an event or product together.
Approach some other local businesses to see how you can work together. As a way to advertise your business for free, it could be one of the most effective ways of finding new customers.
Encourage good word-of-mouth
Word-of-mouth is still one of the most valuable ways of getting people to find out about your business. Getting recommendations from family, friends and colleagues can be much more trustworthy than from a stranger online you’ve never met, giving people confidence when using your services for the first time. To encourage good word-of-mouth, you can ask your customers to leave reviews, especially on Google where it can boost your SEO. You could also provide existing customers with referral rewards when they recommend you to someone else, and a welcome promotion to the new customer too.
Providing a good service is essential for making good word-of-mouth possible, so remember to prioritize your existing customers and clients. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of attracting new customers, but it’s just as important to establish loyalty with your existing ones.
Sponsor a local sports team or event
Having a presence in the community can be another effective way of advertising your business locally. This can involve sponsoring a local sports team or an event, ensuring your name and logo is visible to a local audience. Sponsorship opportunities are not only a way to promote your business, but it could be a way to give back to your community too – helping those in need and showing that you run a responsible business that cares about the community.
Join a business network
Business networks are another excellent way to connect with others in your local area and spread the word about your business, particularly if you offer freelance services, or you run a small business. Business networks can also be a valuable space to get advice and support, and could introduce you to some essential services for your own business like an accountant or website designer. Business networks usually have a membership fee, but you can get a lot from them if you put them to good use.
Work with influencers
It’s not just big companies that enjoy success from working with influencers. Smaller, locally-based businesses can also benefit from working with influencers, helping to spread the word about their business in exchange for a fee or even free services. From restaurants to hair stylists, this can be a great tactic for introducing yourself to others. Learn more about the ways influencers can help your business grow, and start reaching out to people who are a good fit for your business.
Launching a new business or boosting your existing one can be daunting, but the right promotion tactics will take you far. From simple, affordable platforms like social media to forming partnerships, there are a lot of ways you can promote yourself locally and see your business grow.