How to Market and Advertise Your Business: Promote your Business at any Budget

Ryan Patrick

May 16, 2024 • 8 min read

Whether you're a start-up or an established company owner, for your business to grow, you must market and advertise it. However, most business owners get nervous when they think about the marketing part of the business.

Some entrepreneurs think promoting a business needs a lot of money, or you must have unimaginable ideas. But marketing shouldn't scare you; you don't have to drain your bank. With the right marketing plan, you can create effective campaigns that will help you promote your business on any budget.

Here are the best ideas for marketing your business at small or no cost.

Ways to Market and Advertise Your Business

You must market and advertise your business to be ahead of your competitors. Here are the most practical ways to promote any company size in the UK.

1. Create and verify Google's business profile

Creating a Google Business profile is the best way to promote your local business. This will help your start-up to appear on Google Maps results whenever someone searches for your name and location.

To effectively use your Business Profile for business promotion, you need to verify ownership of your listing via your Google Business account. Upon verification, you can enhance your listing to improve its visibility in search results and ensure it appears for more pertinent queries.

2. Create a website

Regardless of how old school you are, your business needs an online presence. A website is a destination for existing and potential customers. Although your customers may have discovered you through Google or social media, they will likely visit your site.

Like your Google listing, your website continuously promotes your business, operating around the clock to showcase your offerings. An excellent business site promotes and showcases what your business offers. It also provides contact information while reflecting your brand personality.

While free website solutions exist for businesses, a paid website is necessary for effective promotion. Owning your domain, maintaining a professional appearance, and having scalability for feature additions are vital for business growth.

As a business owner, be social media savvy or hire a manager to handle your online presence. Social media marketing is essential since most people spend most of their time on social media.

Create a marketing plan and strategy for Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. This is an easy and cheap way to promote your business. All you must do is upload posts relevant to your brand and milestones.

Tailored advertisements on social media platforms efficiently reach potential clientele. You can also concentrate your efforts on specific platforms that align with your product or service. For instance, if your offering is visually oriented, consider creating a marketing strategy for a platform like Pinterest, emphasising the images.

4. Create promotional videos

Promotional videos are a great way of convincing clients to try your goods and services. Make a video, publish it on your website, YouTube channel, TikTok, and your other social media accounts, and share it with your friends to share it, too.

5. Practice search engine optimisation

Although you can promote your business, Google can do it better. Search engine optimisation (SEO) practice aligns your business with the search engine algorithm. The Google algorithm often evolves, so you should use computer learning and searcher behaviour to produce accurate results for the searcher.

SEO is simply optimizing for searchers looking for what you're offering. It consists of many tactics that help improve your business rank. Due to Google's exceptional location-based results, small businesses have an equal opportunity to appear on the first page of Google alongside major retailers without investing any money.

Use the following SEO tactics to promote your business easily:

Produce original, top-notch content with quality images
Add relevant keywords on your website, including location and industry-based
Maintain high page load speed

When your business ranks on the first page, Google will promote your business to people searching for what you offer.

6. Engage through a business blog

Content is a driver for SEO, making it a vital promotional strategy. You can use blogs to show your business milestones and events. However, you should focus on something other than that; instead, create educational content. Use a unique brand voice to answer questions your customers are searching on search engines.

Use relevant keywords when producing your blog content. The more keywords you use, the better opportunities you create for your business to appear in Google results.

A good blog should contain the following:

How-to or instructional posts
Thought leadership posts
Strategies and resources lists, for example, 5 best, 7 crucial, top 9, etc
Q&A with industry experts
Guest posts
Customers testimonials
Template posts
Seasonal posts

7. Promote your content

A blog that demonstrates your expertise, accessibility, and sincere intention to assist your audience makes it an ideal promotional tool for a business. So, after publishing your posts, ensure you promote them on your social media through email or make them downloadable guides to achieve better results.

Additionally, producing content with a sharing intent increases the likelihood of your blog posts getting recognized by reputable websites. They may then reference and link to your site on their platforms or social media channels, effectively promoting your business.

8. Offer coupons

Providing discounts can be enticing for consumers, especially when trying out new products or services. Offering potential customers a discount can attract individuals who may not have been initially interested, potentially offsetting any incurred costs through increased business volume.

9. Use business cards, brochures, etc.

Although online marketing is powerful, having something tangible to hand to your prospects is a great way to promote your business. Create professionally designed brochures and business cards or other promotional materials. The promotional items will get your business name in people's heads and tongues.

Create promotional items based on your business and target audience, such as tote bags, t-shirts, refrigerator magnets, pens, etc. To make them memorable, inject creativity into your promotional materials. Remember, a witty tagline or eye-catching graphic can transform your item into a conversation starter rather than ending up discarded.

10. Run Google Ads

SEO is among the best business marketing strategies; however, it takes longer to see the results. Use Google Ads if you're looking for immediate exposure with a budget.

Google Ads appear first at search engine results pages, surpassing organic and local listings. Thanks to its exceptional flexibility, comprehensive ad creation tools, and detailed performance analytics, Google holds the highest market share among search engines.

Although it may take some time to master Google Ads, once you've learned about the optimized campaign, you will find it a worthwhile investment. You can advertise on Google through branded banner ads or search network text ads.

11. Take advantage of influencer marketing collaborations

Your business is part of a community, depending on your niche, geographical location, and influencers around your niche. Influencers in your niche are esteemed, trendy, and incredibly trusted individuals by a big audience. They have sizable social media or blog followings, meaning you can't overlook them.

If they mention or feature your business, it can effectively promote it to a substantial, pertinent audience. Although influencer marketing is an excellent advertising strategy, check all the influencer's accounts. Comment, like, and share their posts, then approach them, asking for something with equal exchange value.

For example, you could propose providing a valuable guest post for their blog that enriches their audience's experience and includes a backlink to your website.

12. Try TikTok

Compared to older social media platforms, TikTok is the youngest, but it has already surpassed LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Snapchat in active users. If you create compelling videos, you can use this platform to market your videos and promote your business.

Example of how to use TikTok. Create how-to tutorials, but you must promote your TikTok account channel on their social media platforms.

Twitter is a cost-free platform that holds potential for promoting your business online, particularly if your target demographic falls within the 18-24 age bracket. Although cultivating a following may demand more engagement, consistent activity can lead to proficiency on the platform and unlock its advantages.

You can sponsor a contest in your community or online. It's an excellent way to advertise your business to new customers. You can use your business name and logo on promotional materials. This catches people's interest, allowing them to talk about your business while building its market presence.

Running a contest or an event solely or with help from local organisations such as healthcare clinics, schools, or other companies is an added plus in advertising your business.

15. Engage with Instagram audience

Despite its young age, Instagram is among the top three most popular social media platforms. You can use its diverse posting formats, from permanent stories, live sessions, and story highlights, to engage with your audience and market your business.

You can use Instagram in the following ways:

Expand your audience reach by using hashtags to promote your sales and deals
stand out from the rest as a trusted source by providing helpful advice and tutorials
Organise contests featuring free or discounted products/services to create excitement and gain positive attention while gathering a list of potential leads for future outreach efforts.

16. Connect on LinkedIn

LinkedIn isn't a platform to post your online resume; it's a place to form new partnerships through online networking or connect with potential customers. Some customers will check your business before starting to do business with you.

Another way to indirectly market your business on LinkedIn is by offering insights in group discussions and sharing links to the best content on your website. Ensure that you maintain a balance and don't self-promote.

17. Prioritise Facebook

Facebook is the biggest social media platform; thus, it is the best way to interact with your customers and get in touch with new ones. Promoting your business through Facebook may vary based on your industry, but you can use these valuable tips:

Establish a Facebook business page containing your contact details and a clear call-to-action
Leverage Facebook events to advertise and boost attendance at your events
Host Facebook Live sessions featuring tutorials or exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpses
Use Facebook ads: You can reach the target audience through Facebook advertising based on their profile information.

18. Conduct cross-promotions

Working with another company can be a win-win situation since you combine ideas and resources. Cross-promotional initiatives enable cost-effective strategies while granting access to each other's target audience, expanding overall reach.

Moreover, the cooperation of like-minded parties working towards common objectives generates positive energy, contributing to the advancement of your enterprise.

19. Network in person

Despite having numerous online marketing methods, in-person networking is vital in promoting your brand. Start by researching where you can find potential customers in your community, such as trade fairs, and present your elevator pitch.

You can also join a local networking group, such as a business organisation; this will help you connect with potential customers.

20. Get customer reviews

Reviews are essential in small businesses. Although word-of-mouth can do reviews, your website testimonials would be great. However, testimonials on social media platforms are way better.

Also, ensure you respond to reviews; it helps promote your business. You can resolve negative reviews and answer positive reviews. This will reveal your brand value and show your new customers how to do business with you.

Form Your Company with Incorpuk Today

At Incorpuk, we will help you through the company formation process and file your confirmation statements to help your business stay compliant. Whether you're a UK resident or a non-UK resident, our team is ready to provide guidance and help you establish your company in the UK. Contact us here today.

Winding Up

You've learned plenty of marketing ideas that would help promote your business. Some of these marketing ideas need no money, but they are effective. What's stopping you now? Try these ideas and be ahead of your competitors. Also, if you have any questions on how to Market and advertise your business, don’t hesitate to contact us here, and we’ll do everything we can to help.