Article-Writing 2022 REVIEWS

How to Write a Great How-To Article in 8 Steps Pick a Topic. ... Figure out Your Audience. ... Do Your Research. ... Outline Your Steps. ... Write the Process. ... Keep it Simple. ... Make it Friendly. ... Test it.

ezinearticles.com.

Best Ways to Get Free Advertising

Published: Apr 11, 2018 Last Updated: Sep 1, 2021 by

Shawn Hessinger

In

Marketing Tips

36

If you buy something through our links, we may earn money from our affiliate partners. Learn more.

You’ve heard the old saying. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” However, when it comes to advertising for a small business that saying is not true. In fact, there are some good ways to get free advertising. You just have to know where to look.

Free advertising methods have three advantages:

  • Cost. Obviously, free options can stretch a tight marketing budget making it go farther.

  • Creativity. Free options inspire you to be creative. They are perfect for shaking up a tired marketing strategy with fresh ideas.

  • Word of Mouth. Many “no cost” solutions involve community engagement, spurring others to amplify positive word-of-mouth. This not only drives new sales, it can powerfully counteract reputation management issues such as bad reviews.

Of course, there are trade-offs. For example, free options to advertise your business often require a larger time investment. However, that downside may appeal to you more than blowing thousands of dollars on paid ads.

40 Ways to Advertise for Free

Here are the 40 best ways to get advertising for free:

1. Google My Business

Google My Business offers free local advertising. Google My Business is an actual listing that appears in Google search results and in Google Maps. Your location, phone number, website, hours and directions are listed. Savvy businesses add additional content. Google says: “Businesses that add photos to their Business Profiles receive 42% more requests for directions on Google Maps, and 35% more clicks through to their websites ….” Complete your profile to get started.

2. Bing Places

Bing Places for Business is the Bing version of Google’s local business offering. Set up a profile and verify your company. Or you can import your Google My Business verified listing into Bing. How’s that for easy?

3. Other Search Engines

Other search engines give businesses visibility in local search results. For example, you can list your business in Apple Maps. DuckDuckGo does not have a directory; however, it uses Apple Maps data for local businesses. Yandex offers a business directory.

4. SEO

Aside from listings, the regular results in engines like Google are a source of potential buyers. Called “organic results”, don’t confuse them with search ads. There is no fee for organic search results. But you should optimize your website pages to be found prominently in searches. This practice is called search engine optimization (SEO). SEO requires skill, but by learning it you can increase your website traffic and lead flow. Tip: if you have a WordPress site, install the Yoast SEO plugin for guidance on how to optimize.

5. Facebook

Facebook offers a way to promote your organization with a Facebook page. Make frequent updates to your Page. Also, use your Facebook cover image to promote something special. Experiment with Facebook Call to Action buttons, and participate in Facebook Groups related to your industry.

6. Pinterest

Pinterest offers a way for people to share images from your company website. Pinterest is great for brands with a strong visual element and for blog owners. Make sure you have one good shareable image on each key page of your website. Tip: Set up Pinterest boards by topic or category and “pin” your own content. People often search Pinterest for images on a particular topic and may find your website.

7. Instagram

Instagram is one of the most popular social media channels for brand awareness. You can share photos and video with followers. Instagram is ideal for a “visual” company: food, fashion, furniture. Instagram is not great for driving traffic to a website. Typically you can only include one link in the profile field. But we have seen businesses link to an index page on their website established just for the products they highlight on Instagram.

8. Twitter

Twitter is one of those social media platforms ideal for establishing someone as a thought leader. It is especially good for consultants, freelance journalists and subject matter experts.

9. YouTube

Around half of all searches on YouTube start with “how to”. Build a sales funnel by setting up a YouTube channel. Then create how-to videos on topics related to your products and services. Add your website or email address in each show description so interested parties can contact you.

10. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is one of the best social media channels for B2B (i.e., any business that sells to other businesses). People and companies should both have profiles on LinkedIn for brand recognition. Flesh out profiles with content to get better found in LinkedIn search results. Tip: If you are a freelance professional, try LinkedIn Profinder. Set up a no-cost profile to get leads from companies looking to hire an independent contractor. Also, Slideshare, another LinkedIn property, can be used to share Powerpoints.

11. Reddit

Reddit has discussions on just about any topic. Entrepreneurs can post content but overt self-promotion could get you banned. Reddit is a good source of website traffic if you are part of the Reddit culture.

12. BizSugar

BizSugar is a social media bookmarking site that lets you share blog content. There is also a mastermind section.

13.Quora

Quora is a question and answer site. Simply find questions — and reply with answers in a way that informs and gives advice. Occasionally link to a blog post or articles on your site with more information.

14. Crunchbase

Crunchbase is a database ideal for high growth startups and tech companies seeking funding. However, it’s open to any business. Founders can also set up a free profile. Read how to use Crunchbase for marketing.

15. Starter Story

This is a neat site where entrepreneurs get to tell their startup stories. There is no cost. Share your story here.

16. Medium

Medium lets you post long form, thought leadership content. A business is permitted to promote its own products and services – see the rules.

17. Guest Blogging

Publishing quality content on well-established blogs is a great way to widen your exposure to another blog’s audience. Some people do guest posts to get backlinks on sites with high domain authority. But smart marketers focus more on sharing insight for marketing exposure. Find blogs at Best of the Web or Blogarama. Choose a blog that attracts an audience of your potential customers. Locate the site’s contact information (name, email) and send a brief note asking if the blogger is interested in guest blog posts.

18. Conferences, Podcasts and Webinars

Speaking engagements are a way for small business owners to draw attention to their companies — and build a personal brand. Don’t think “hard sell”. Instead, be a thought leader who shares insights and expertise. Speaking can include industry conferences, virtual events, podcasts or YouTube channels with target audiences the same as yours. Compose a compelling title and topic, and send an email offering an executive for interviews or as a speaker. Or partner with another business to produce and cross-promote a webinar.

19. Fiverr

Got an advertising budget of zero? Fiverr is a popular place to sell professional services such as web site design and podcast editing. A business profile is free. You pay nothing out of pocket. You keep 80% of each sale; Fiverr gets the rest.

20. Local Listings and Review Sites

If you own a local business — restaurant, motel or store — review sites can help you collect positive customer reviews and attract potential customers. Claim and add your business information to the following:

Yellow pages sites like YP.com, Yellowbook, Superpages, CitySearch, Whitepages and Yahoo Local used to offer free listings. Most are no longer free to advertise in, or have partnerships with listing management tools like Yext and Thryve. Listing tools are great for managing local listings across the internet efficiently, but a business must pay to use the tool.

21. Behance

Graphic designers, photographers and others in the design world should check out Behance, now owned by Adobe. Think of Behance as a huge and amazing online portfolio to display your capabilities and creativity.

22. Amazon Handmade

Amazon Handmade is a place where artisans can set up a business profile and feature their crafts at no cost. Amazon deducts a 15% referral fee when something sells. See the rules.

23. Kindle Publishing

Amazon Kindle Publishing is the name of the game for authors. But other businesses also can use it for free advertising. We have seen entrepreneurs and businesses generate customer interest by publishing ebooks sharing niche business knowledge.

24. Etsy

Etsy is an amazingly popular ecommerce place where consumers buy handmade items. As a seller, setting up a shop on Etsy costs nothing. But it costs 20 cents to list each item and you pay transaction fees when something sells.

25. Consumer Service Hubs

Do you operate a consumer service business such as carpenter or house cleaner? There’s been an explosion in sites where consumers search to find services. On many sites a business can set up a business profile at no charge. However, users wanting more benefits would need to upgrade, buy advertisements, or pay for consumer leads. Pricing packages vary. See:

26. Directory Sites

The following directories offer free business listings. Each directory listing businesses offers upgrade options, but the basic business listing is no charge:

If you are willing to pay, there are more business listing sites, including the Better Business Bureau for accreditation. Related reading:Business Guides: A Comprehensive Overview.

27. Product Hunt

Are you a developer of a software product or app? Add it to ProductHunt.com. See instructions for how to launch.

28. B2B Networking Sites

Alignable and Alice are B2B sites with small business members who share referrals. Think of each site as an online chamber of commerce. Industry forums may also be valuable to build relationships.

29. Viral Contest Giveaways

Hold a contest online to give away products, services or a cash prize. Some businesses use a giveaway to promote a sale or special event, or grow an email list. Gleam.io is a tool with a complimentary plan letting you organize contests and competitions and turn them viral through social media.

30. Email Marketing

Email newsletters and marketing emails are great free advertising for sales and promotions. Think of an email newsletter as your own in-house advertising vehicle. The way to get started is to build an email list (i.e., people who subscribe through a signup form on your website). Select good email marketing software to manage subscribers, design messages and broadcast the emails. Mailchimp is an excellent starter tool with a free plan for up to 2,000 subscribers — plenty for most small businesses.

31. HARO

HARO, originally founded as Help A Reporter Out, is now part of Cision. Business professionals can enroll to become a source for journalists who need to interview someone for a story. You and your business receive free public relations. Get started by signing up to be a HARO source.

32. Newspapers and TV News

Approach local press directly. Newspapers, TV news and trade publications cover business news daily. They particularly love “local company makes good” stories. The trick for success is to do something remarkable or interesting, and then contact reporters on the business pages. Also, take advantage of almost-free classifieds in Craigslist and hyperlocal sites. See also: PR Tools for Small Businesses.

33. Referral Cards

Try this old-school technique. Distribute business cards with your contact information, email address and perhaps a printed discount. Give several cards to customers after each job. Satisfied customers often share word of mouth by passing along a card. This way is super for a maid service, home contractor, etc.

34. Nonprofit Donations

Sponsoring a nonprofit event can be pricey. Luckily there are cheaper ways to do good. You and your staff can volunteer time to organize a charity walk, with everyone wearing company-branded T-shirts. You could also donate excess swag left over from your last trade show. A local farm could donate to a food bank, donating excess produce that will just go to waste in the fields. Often the nonprofit will highlight on its website the companies that volunteer or give in-kind donations. Local news outlets may cover the event and your company. American businesses may be able to get a tax write-off for mileage and the value of goods donated (check with your tax advisor).

35. Yard Signs

Yard signs are like free advertising on real estate. Ask satisfied customers if you can leave a sign in their yard following a recent job. This is perfect for roofers, landscapers, etc. Similarly, retail businesses can place yard signs on the tree strip when holding a sale. Always check the city or HOA rules about signage.

36. Bulletin Boards and Pin-Up Cards

Many venues have bulletin boards where you leave a business card or tear-off strips. Look for these at retail stores, factories and community organizations. Ask friends and family if they know of boards, such as in the lunchroom at work. Give them a stack of cards to post if they would like to help.

37. Flyers

Cafes, restaurants and coffee shops in your town may offer a spot to leave paper brochures and print promotions. Ask management for permission. Or you can canvass a neighborhood and leave a flyer at each house wedged in the door or mailbox flag (never in the mailbox).

38. Merchandise Displays

Offer items to another establishment on consignment. For instance, an art gallery might provide framed pictures to a local restaurant to decorate the walls. A crafts person might offer jewelry for beauty salons to display. Items should have a tag with your brand name and prices. The establishment may sell the art, clothing, etc. to consumers or simply refer interested parties to you.

39. Workshops

Organize a complimentary workshop at a local community center, club, library or homeowners association. This option is great for consumer service providers like financial planners, fashion stylists — even plumbers. The organization will promote your workshop to its constituency.

40. Vehicle Parking

Finally, don’t forget the technique of businesses on tight budgets everywhere: park your branded vehicle in a visible spot! You often see company cars and trucks parked in a shopping center parking lot next to the street. The signage on visible vehicles is free advertising.

Tips to Maximize Free Advertising

We hope we have answered the question, “how can I advertise my business for free?” Use the following four practical tips as best practices.

Tip 1: Combine paid with free for bigger impact.

Improve organic results on social media sites by occasionally promoting content. Some sites throttle back visibility to your fans. When you pay to boost an update or video, it appears more often in other people’s feeds, increasing the potential for engagement (likes, comments, shares). With increased engagement, you often experience an overall boost in your organic (unpaid) social media presence.

  • Example: Budget $200 per month to boost Facebook updates. Take advantage of the platform’s metrics and use data to experiment for best results.

Tip 2: Balance short term speed with long term impact.

One of the best things about paid advertising is the near immediate results. Free options, on the other hand, can take months. The mistake businesses make is to buy paid ads for instant impact, yet never take the time to build a longer term strategy. These businesses don’t take advantage of free options like social media because “they take too long.” Through lack of planning, companies get locked into forever paying for traffic and leads.

  • Example: If you need new customers immediately, place pay-per-click ads on Google or buy visibility on other ad sites. However, concurrently invest time in free ads to build for the future and gradually reduce your paid ad spend. One free way to advertise a business offering is including it in your email signature. If you and your team use email signatures, you will generate hundreds of “ads” each week to potential customers.

Tip 3: Barter for cross promotion.

Forge partnerships with other businesses where it makes sense to cross promote. Look for partners who offer complementary products and services and are willing to give you visibility. No money changes hands – it’s all barter.

  • Example: Imagine you are an SEO professional. You provide keyword research services to a Web design agency to make its website appear higher in search results online. In exchange, the agency recommends your services to its clients, giving you credibility. It’s like an advertisement with no out-of-pocket costs.

Tip 4: Cut costs with marketing tools.

Many free techniques are labor intensive. Your team’s time is worth money. The good news is, it usually costs less to use marketing automation or a marketing tool instead of labor. Not everything can or should be automated, but a smart marketer identifies what can and gets technology to reduce labor costs.

  • Example: Calculate how much each marketing activity costs. For instance, how long does it take employees to update your Google My Business profile and other local listings? Multiply the monthly hours by the average hourly rate you pay. Then find a tool that costs less to do the activity.

Finally, remember that free ad sites go in and out of style. Last year’s hot traffic driver may be gone (like Stumbleupon). Some sites start out offering free marketing, then evolve into paid platforms. Always be on the lookout for new advertising opportunities to try.

Related reading about advertising:

Images: Shutterstock; DepositPhotos

More in:

Advertising

36 Comments ▼

Editor's Picks

Shawn Hessinger

Shawn Hessinger is the Executive Editor for Small Business Trends. A professional journalist with more than a decade of experience in the traditional newspaper business, he has another 10 years of experience in digital media for trade publications and news sites. Shawn has served as a beat reporter, columnist, editorial writer, bureau chief and eventually managing editor with responsibility for nine weekly newspapers, the Berks Mont Newspapers. He is also a member of the Society of Professional Journalists.

36 Reactions

  1. And with the current Facebook issues, remember that while the platform is “free”, they’re probably targeting you with ads to make money themselves.

  2. Aira Bongco

    April 11, 2018 at 9:42 pm

    Sure, it is hard to stand out in popular platforms. But it also gives you more traffic to get a slice from,

  3. At present, advertisement plays an important role in expanding the business, in increasing the leads.
    The users can do the promotion of business both in online and offline mode but at present the result of online promotion is far better than the offline promotion.
    In online promotion we can easily track the audience and can plan strategy according to that.
    I like the above shared article because the methods shared here are very simple but very effective and most important all the methods are completely free to use.
    I have tried some of the above given methods and they really worked for me.

  4. Fantastic list here.
    As an add, writing and publishing on top niche based forums too is another way of getting publicity for your business.

  5. Sewing shop

  6. prakash kumar

    April 24, 2020 at 6:11 am

    Thanks for sharing this post. Helpful and Informative.

  7. Your content is extremely useful & helped me a-lot to market my newly launched website. Thank you so much for your guidance.

  8. ABDUL-WAKIL MOHAMMED

    June 21, 2020 at 10:23 am

    You mentioned in your last point that smart people look for tools to help in advertising, can you mention some.

  9. THAT WAS SOME GOOD TOOLS THANKS I WILL USE THEM

  10. Moon a lone

    September 19, 2020 at 5:56 am

    Guided article.
    I suggest considering affiliate networks, because if you set a suitable budget and add your offer/product in a suitable affiliate network like:
    clickdealer, mostcpa,….etc
    you will boost your revenue of course.

  11. Ι am regulr visitor, һow are yyou eveгybody? Thіѕ article posted аt tһis
    site is actually gߋod.

  12. I do accwpt as true wіth all tthe cocepts ʏou have introeuced fοr youur post.
    Tһey are гeally convincing andd can dеfinitely ԝork.
    Νonetheless, thee pposts ɑre very quick fоr novices.
    Мay ｙou рlease prolong thеm a ƅіt frοm
    next time? Tank yoս forr the post.

  13. Hi there! Thіѕ post coᥙld not bbe wrіtten muⅽh Ƅetter!
    Going thrоugh thiѕ post reminds mee οf my previօᥙs roommate!
    Ηe continually kkept talking аbout thiѕ. I’ll forward tһiѕ іnformation to him.
    Fairly cｅrtain һe’s goіng tⲟ haｖe ɑ grdat гead.

    I apⲣreciate you for sharing!

  14. Very good blog you have here but I was curious about if you knew of any user discussion forums that cover the same topics
    talked about in this article? I’d really like to be a part of community where I can get advice from other experienced individuals that share the same interest.
    If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Kudos!

  15. Nice resources to promote start-up business in 2020.

  16. Hi friends, how is all, and what you desire to say on the topic of this paragraph, in my view its in fact amazing in favor of me.

  17. Some games draw players by promising a massive top prize,
    but usually the remaining paytable suffers. If you have played
    with an RTG system, the chances are you are already informed about the games.
    Every serious slots player sooner or later proceeds a surfing pilgrimage to find the online
    slots with highest payout.

  18. Fantastic list here.
    As an add, writing and publishing on top niche based forums too is another way of getting publicity for your business.
    I apⲣreciate you for sharing!

  19. WOW just what I was searching for. Came here by searching for download files

  20. Helpful info. Lucky me I found your website unintentionally, and I’m shocked why this coincidence didn’t came about in advance!
    I bookmarked it.

  21. Hi there! Thіѕ post coᥙld not be wrіtten much better!

    I apⲣreciate you for sharing!

  22. Tips and ways for free advertisement are explained very well. It is knowledgeable and helpful. Advertising is a major part for explore the business/brand. Thanks for your guidance.

  23. This web site iss my inspiration, really great layout and Perfct subject
    material.

  24. First off Ӏ wouⅼd lie tοo ѕay fantastic blog!
    Ӏ had а quick question thɑt I’d lіke to ɑsk if yoս don’t mind.

    Ι ԝаs curious to fihd ߋut how yoս center yourseⅼf and cclear үоur head Ƅefore writing.
    Ӏ’ve had a difficult tіme clearing my mind in gеtting my
    thօughts оut. Ι truly ddo tɑke pleasuure
    іn writing һowever it juѕt seems likе thｅ first 10 tto 15 minutes are generallу lost just tｒying too figure оut hoᴡ to
    begin. Any recommendations οr hints? Kudos!

  25. https://essentialcbdextractoil.com/

    December 17, 2020 at 10:46 pm

    Thank you a bunch for sharing this with alll of us you actually recognize what you are talking approximately!

    Bookmarked. Kindly alsoo visit my site =). We could have
    a link trade contractt between us!

  26. Everything is very open with a really clear clarification of the issues.

    It was really informative. Your website is very
    useful. Thank you for sharing!

  27. The metallic plate is first polished so that the design cut could be easily
    visible to the particular person.

  28. This is a good list it will take some time to do my own research ono these and find out what really works for me. Than you very much for the list.

  29. I would like to show thanks to you just for bailing me out of this this particular trouble. As a result of checking through the net and meeting techniques that was not productive, I released my life was done.

  30. I’ve been eyeing Advertising as part of my marketing strategy for my estetica cambio de imagen df, glad I found this.

  31. So, if you have a business of any sort and are thinking of making new customers, the wait is over. List your business in the secretsofpakistan business directory now and increase your chances of earning more revenue. On the other hand, if you are a buyer or an average consumer, checking the specified business directory section might provide you with multiple options to choose from, helping you in making better decisions.

  32. Manoj Pandey

    April 8, 2021 at 7:03 am

    These are practical free ways to promote your website or business online. I really like this article

  33. Hii! Thanks for sharing valuable information. Businesses can take advantage of a highly effective online promotion called moLotus to improve your business.

  34. Hi

    Yours one of the best reputed business listing links among others. This useful links plays avital role in business rankings. Please do add more links

  35. I’ve been interested in advertisement since I’m just starting out I’m looking for low-cost/free. This article helps!

  36. These are practical free ways to promote your website or business online. I really like this article