After you have successfully launched your business, one of the first things you think about is to get people to know about it so that you can start driving sales.

That’s where marketing comes in.  A few years back, marketing was limited to expensive radio and TV ads, newspaper classifieds and huge billboards, which new businesses could not afford.

Now times have changed. We live in a digital age where it is possible to reach millions of people instantly at almost no cost.

Marketing doesn’t have to cost a fortune now. Here are 9 brilliant ways to market your business without spending a lot of money.

1. Take advantage of social media

Social media has made it possible to reach millions of people easily. Find out what social media channels your potential customers are using and market there.

Facebook is a particularly good place to start because of its large user base. 1.3billion people use Facebook every month!

There are over 30 million Facebook business pages and you’ll be doing your business a great disservice by not having one. It is easy to create and it’s free.

Create a Facebook page for your business now!

Here are The 7 Best Social Media Channels for Business Marketing

2. Create a Profile for your Business on Business Directory Websites

Business directory websites such Ghana Yello lets you create a profile for your business for free.

When someone searches for keywords which match your business, you show up in the search results and more people will get to know about your business.

As you can see below, 5 out of the first 6 Google search results for “electronics retail companies in ghana” displays entries from business directory websites.

3. Put your services on Microjobs and Freelance websites

Microjobs and freelance websites let you advertise your services to millions of people at no cost. Fiverr.com is one of the most popular microjobs sites in the world.

In Ghana, there’s 15ghana.com which works just like Fiverr. Some popular freelance websites include Freelancer and Upwork.

Usually, all you need to do to get started is to sign up for a free account and upload your services.

4. Use Free classifieds and ads sites

If you sell physical products instead of services, there are several sites which allow you to upload products for free. Tonaton and Olx are examples of those sites.

They get a lot of traffic each day so your product is sure to get noticed.

5. Offer valuable content related to your services

Offering valuable content related to the service you provide is a great subtle and indirect way to market your business. It is called content marketing.

Would you hire some random business consultant you found on Facebook or someone you follow who regularly posted valuable stuff about business?

I’ll place my bet on the latter.

Try content marketing now! For instance, If you run a vegetable distribution business like my friend, Kofi, you could start writing regularly about nutrition and the benefits of eating vegetables.

People who read what you write are more likely to buy vegetables from you than some other random vegetable distributor.

So start a blog and create good useful content about your services.

6. Offer Excellent Services to get Referrals from Satisfied Customers

Good referrals from satisfied customers are one of the most effective ways to grow your business. That is why it is essential to provide excellent services which exceed your customer’s expectations.

With excellent service, you turn your customers into loyal brand ambassadors who will go out there and tell people about your business without you paying a dime.

If I go online to buy to something I’ll probably spend a few days checking out the company, looking for alternatives elsewhere and reading reviews. However, if someone I trust recommends a certain company, I may not even think twice before buying.

So strive to provide excellent services so that you can get good referrals for your business.

7. Connect with a lot of people

As an entrepreneur, you cannot work in a vacuum. Building networks is a very important part of business growth. When you have a large network, you increase the chances of your business being found and recommended by friends and other professional acquaintances.

LinkedIn is one of the best ways to find potential clients for your business. If you are serious about building a professional profile, then you have to get a LinkedIn account and update it regularly.

8. Use email marketing

Unlike social media marketing where your content appears in people’s public feed, with email marketing, people give you express permission to send them a personal email to their inboxes. They do this by opting in on your website through an opt-in form; meaning they actually want to hear from you!

Mailchimp allows you to create an email list of up to 2000 emails for free. You simply create a form on your site where people can subscribe to your updates.

When they subscribe, their email is stored in your MailChimp account. You can send them regular updates about your products and services.

I use an opt-in form at the bottom of my posts to grow my email list.

9. Get brand ambassadors

Your friends, family and other people who are crazy about your product or service are people who could be willing to help grow your business for free.

Turn them into brand ambassadors and let them spread the good news about your business. Talk to them, add them to your broadcast list (with their consent) and let them help you get your business message across.

Most of the WhatsApp traffic to this website comes from links to my post that were shared by friends on my WhatsApp broadcast list. So be smart and turn your friends and admirers into ambassadors to help your business grow.

Final Thoughts

When you are starting out as an entrepreneur, you may not have the cash to splash on expensive marketing. Fortunately, there are several ways you could market your business without spending a lot of money.

Identify the methods which work for you and start using them now!

Which methods do you use to market your business? Please share them in the comments section below!

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