15 Indispensable Ways to Promote a Business Effectively

What is the best way to promote a business? originally appeared on Quora: the place to gain and share knowledge, empowering people to learn from others and better understand the world.

Publicize your business does not have to end your budget, cost thousands of pesos or take you to bankruptcy. Therefore, instead of focusing on costly strategies, focus on low-cost marketing solutions. Although strictly speaking none of these techniques is “free” -because you involve employees, there will be a payroll and associated costs-, they do not require enormous capital to be carried out. All you need is some time, skill and the kind of perspective (focused and determined) that intelligent marketing demands.

1. Search for mentions to your brand without a hyperlink

One way to increase the authority of your website is finding mentions to your brand or company without a hyperlink. If you identify them in online publications or Internet sites, send an email to the editor of the page and ask him to provide you with a backlink . A quick search, some mails, and that’s it! Instant linkjuice .

2. Make a webinar

These webinars allow you to present your brand and your product to a wider audience.The more attractive the subject is, the greater the interest. Just consider that arming them takes time from planning the theme and format to its dissemination. The benefits, however, are notorious.

3. Take advantage of cross promotion

That is, associate with related businesses that can promote your services in exchange for you promoting yours. For example, if you give consultancy for online business owners, you can recommend that they go with a certain Web designer to create their page. Therefore, this designer becomes your cross-promotion partner, because he also works with clients who have businesses and refers them to you to hire your advice. It is a win-win relationship. It is enough to have a constant conversation with your partner to generate results.

4. Make networks in person

Every person you know is another possibility to do marketing live and direct. Obviously you will not go around hawking your business, but when the subject comes out in the talk, tell him about it.

5. Make an online contest

Giving away an iPad through a trivia, delivering cash prizes or other merchandise is an easy way to gain some viral power and improve your brand image. Of course, as long as you comply with what was promised in a timely manner. Test and measure the results.

6. Build a loyalty program

The best ways to do marketing are those that you can prepare, start and see grow organically, automatically and without making too much effort. A loyalty or affiliation program may not work for all businesses, although it is worth trying. Offer the opportunity to accumulate and redeem points of consumption of your brand, but make sure to make it easy to understand, to use, to know the points generated and to receive the reward to be something really effective.

7. Tweet in your niche

Twitter is a great marketing platform. With its instantaneous and massive reach, it can produce high levels of referenced traffic, a lot of brand exposure and endless social effervescence.

Follow at least 10 people who have influence in your niche, follow their followers, retweet their tweets and mention them in comments. As you partner with your platform, you will build yours.

8. Re-sell to customers you already have

Too often, we see marketing only as a method to gain new followers. And in reality, the most effective strategy is to attract those who already buy you. The firms Econsultancy and PredictiveIntent report that “resale is 20 times better than cross-selling”. Directing part of your efforts to your current clients is relatively simple and economical. And the benefits are extraordinary.

9. Approach the influential

In each industry there is a group of big leagues. They control the conversation, delineate the market’s outline and reach a huge audience. Become friends with these people. Providing a product or partnering with them in a project are simple and mutually beneficial ways to grow your brand and ride the wave of its influence.

10. Create a hashtag

These are the Internet billboards, a crawlable and interactive extension with the potential to spread virally. Since they are now available on all large social networks, you can create a special one for your business and use it wherever you post.

11. Invite your users to generate content

Everyone knows that content marketing is effective as an attraction marketing.However, if you’re not careful, it can be expensive. How to get more content without finishing your entire budget? The answer: content generated by users. Encourage fans and customers of your brand to tell their own story and share content. In this way, you will instantly open the doors to tons of cool and captivating material that your audience will love.

12. Talk to your followers

The customers love to love them. And the way to demote them what you feel for them is to retweet, giving “Like” and “Fav” to their comments and tweets, as well as sharing their status. Do not just expect that your presence in social networks works for you, you have to earn it by talking to your fans. They will return the favor and commit themselves to a deeper level with your brand.

13. Produce high quality press releases

The heyday of these documents as a tool for search engine optimization (SEO) was left behind, but they retain their influence in marketing. Just make sure that your writing level is of very high quality and take care that your mails are going to stop us in the spam tray.

14. Create a LinkedIn group

This platform is free, and still gives you incredible marketing opportunities. Many professionals use it to place their CV online, but LinkedIn is much more. You can post content, connect with influential people and build an interest group with thousands of members.

15. Help others for free

If you do marketing exclusively and exclusively about yourself and your business, you will feel frustrated and dissatisfied. Try to give something to others, without charging. Obviously you are not a charitable institution but, why not give a product, an hour of your time or a membership to a client who can not afford your services? Doing so will satisfy you personally and will give you the opportunity to improve your marketing.

Contributed by Ikbal Hossain, former Graphic’s Designer