Getting people interested in your home business, no matter what it is can be a challenge for those with limited or no marketing experience. Follow these tips to help gain exposure, win followers and grow sales as part of your promotional activity.
Many home businesses lack the budget for much in the way of traditional marketing. However, the power of the internet that drives many people who build their own business at home, can also help when it comes to some free or low-cost exposure.
If you’re considering starting a business from home, there are plenty of ideas to choose from that can fit in around your current work or perhaps spark a new career. Whatever the plan, when it comes to marketing, here are five great ideas to help you promote your products or services.
1 Get A Guest Spot
Locally and regionally, there are plenty of people talking about local businesses, from arts and crafts to eateries and more traditional services. Ask around the sites and producers of a podcast, video blog, blogs and other media that are a fit for whatever you do. They are usually delighted to get a new voice on, to talk about a new product, event, what you’re doing, or to get some exciting new posts.
With high shareability from other locals, and with a fair chance of being picked up by the wider market you are in, they make a great way to get exposure and increase your network of business contacts.
2 Do Some Social Media Marketing
Marketing on the likes of Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram isn’t just for big brands, and they (via third-party marketing firms) offer a range of marketing packages for all types of budgets. By getting adverts placed on content that’s relevant to your business and where you work or sell, you can find a low-cost way to appeal to the right audience.
Before launching into SMM, decide what you want from the campaign, who you want to talk to and then with a little audience research, you can appeal directly to your ideal clients in the right locations to boost your business.
3 Master SEO
If you have a website, you need to master the basics, and hopefully some intricacies of SEO. Search engine optimisation means making your site appear well in relevant searches, and is a requirement for good placing on Google. In some markets it is key, such as appearing as a result for “plumbers in Aberdeen”, but even in response to specific or general searches “fluffy indestructible cat toys” or “I want art with frogs in” you still need a site that meets Google’s criteria.
That means at a bare minimum: sites are fast to load, mobile-friendly and with all the right tags. Find out what SEO means and how it benefits businesses, and you’ll agree it is a worthwhile investment of time.
4 Get With An Affiliate Marketing Program
In the online world, affiliates and referrals have the world go round, and affiliate marketing is one way to grow your audience without much effort. You can start with big names like Amazon and Shopify, and get a cut of any sales made from your links. If people find value and ideas from your site and own products or services, the better for your business while making your content look busier and useful.
5 Join in the Discussion
Finally, take some time to browse social media, local forums or those in your line of work. There are usually plenty of opportunities to get involved in a topical discussion, provide useful hints or advice. Becoming a friend of a forum is a useful way to quietly promote your business or service and any lively forum will always have a fresh supply of new visitors to engage with.
At least one, if not more of these ideas can see your business boost engagement and sales, with varying levels of time or money spent, depending on how much you have. Most are free, great for startup home businesses, and all use the power of online to help you connect with potential customers.
