13 Free Publicity Ideas That Will Get Your Business Press (pt.1)
Publicity is a great way to raise the profile of your small business.
In a world of viral marketing and social media, how can small firms get free publicity to promote their business?
To get you started, we rounded up 13 of the best advertising ideas that won’t put a dent in your wallet.
When publicizing your business, it’s easier to let existing customers do the talking. To succeed with this free publicity strategy, you need to delight your customers—so much so, they want to share you with their network. That could mean:
- Offering high-quality products and services
- Beating competitors on price
- Providing proactive and helpful customer service
You could also gamify the experience to convince customers to share your products on social media.
Speaking of existing customers, use their endorsements in your publicity campaigns to further build credibility. Feature them in every potential touchpoint you have with customers, including:
- Directory listings
- Google Business profile
- Your online store (particularly on product pages)
But how do you collect reviews?
QR CODES
People can put their phone over it and just pop open a review platform and dump a review into Google Maps.
POST-PURCHASE EMAILS
Send a product review request 14 to 20 days after a purchase is made. Customers get a discount on their new purchase in exchange for evidence of the review they’ve shared.
Social media has allowed small business owners to reach their target audience, but algorithm changes are making it harder to connect with people who already follow a business’s account.
Workaround this organic reach restriction by partnering with influencers and creators.
Get on a creator’s radar by donating free products to them. While it does cost you to produce the item(s) you’re shipping, the free publicity may not cost a dime—especially if they’re impressed with you, your product, or your brand.
Entrepreneurs are a supportive bunch. Many of them are in the same boat, trying to acquire new customers without spending a fortune on publicity.
Popular ways to collaborate with other small businesses include:
- Co-hosting a pop-up shop in your local area
- Shouting out each other in an email to existing customers
- Selling collaborative products and splitting the profits
Guest blogging works by posting your content on another website. It’s a great way to get free publicity and build backlinks for your website, which help with search engine optimization (SEO). You just need to invest time into writing an article that showcases your expertise.
Find guest blogging opportunities by searching for:
- “[topic] + guest post”
- “[topic] + submit an article”
- “[topic] + write for us”
With the rising costs of small business marketing, consider a platform that allows you to connect directly with customers in the long term: email.
Create a newsletter that shares behind-the-scenes content, exclusive offers, or expert advice.
Encourage people to subscribe to your email list through lead magnets like:
- Online courses
- Free downloads
- Challenges
- Webinars
Need help with your Email Marketing?
Check out our services here:
Klaviyo Email Marketing
These strategies are 100% free but they do require a bit more of an investment of time and/or effort
Now as a business owner, we understand you don't have the time to implement all of these immediately. That's why we're saving the second half of the list for our next issue...
In the meantime, try out some of these strategies and tell us how it goes!
