Best 25 Techniques to Get Free Advertising for Your Small Online Business

Most small business owners are always operating on a very tight budget particularly for advertising. This is why they always look for cost-effective ways to promote their products and reach new customers. Online, the most cost-effective way to promote products/services is by way of free ads. However, knowing exactly where or how to get free ads is always a huge challenge for most small business owners. I believe this article can hugely benefit such small business owners. If you are in that category, following are 25 of the best techniques that can help you to advertise your products/services for free and to reach many more new customers.

1. Word-of-Mouth: This is one very effective technique many business owners tend to ignore to their own disadvantage. Smart small business owners can always effectively leverage their social networks to encourage customers to spread the word about their businesses to their friends, associates and family.

2. Affiliate Marketing: For free ads, you can effectively partner with affiliates who can widely promote your products/services to their own various audiences at no ads cost to your business. Even with this free service, affiliates are only entitled to a commission on any sales they generate.

3. Social Media: You can create a social media presence on very popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest. This will enable you to reach a much wider audience and get more new customers mostly for free.

4. Content Marketing: If you can consistently create high-value and impactful content and share multichannel, your business can reach many people online. This is more so if the content is packaged in form of blog posts, videos, infographics, and more and shared to your target audience.

5. Email Marketing: If you build a responsive email list over time, you can send regular newsletters or promotional emails to keep customers engaged. That helps to give your business a wide exposure and at minimal costs if any.

6. Community Involvement: Another great way to get free ads for your business is by community involvement. You can participate in local events, sports derbies, charity road walks, sporting and athletics events, community clean ups to get free ads for your business, In addition, you can support any other community initiatives which can help build brand recognition and goodwill for your business.

7. Cross-Promotion: You can partner with complementary businesses and businesses in your niche to promote each other’s products/services to your various audiences. This helps your own brand exposure a great deal.

8. Online Directories: To get free and unlimited exposure for your business, you can submit the business to popular online directories like Google-My-Business, GMB, Yelp, and Yellow Pages.

9. Online Contests and Giveaways: If you occasionally host contests or giveaways on social media or on your website/blog, you can attract more new followers and effectively engage your current audience. That translates to good exposure all for free.

10. Google Maps: If you make sure your business is listed, up-to-date and accurate on Google Maps, it can improve real visibility for the business. That enables the business to attract many more local customers.

11. Business Blogging: Blogging is readily the most popular form of content marketing among small business owners. If you can create a blog on your website to share your small business news, promos, discounts, price adjustments, industry insights and helpful tips with your audience, your business benefits from free ads as a result.

12. Web Directories: You can submit your website/blog to online Directories like Best of the Web to improve your website’s SEO and increase visibility for free for your business.

13. Influencer Marketing: If you partner with influencers in your niche or industry, you can more easily reach their diverse and wide audiences. That way, your business can gain unrestricted exposure through sponsored posts and or collaborations.

14. Networking Events: If you want free exposure for your business, you can choose to attend Networking Events or join Networking Groups to meet potential customers and business collaborators.

15. Referral Programs: If you have being in business for a while, you can get free publicity if you encourage satisfied customers to refer friends, associates and family members in exchange for discounts and or any other incentives.
 
16. Guest Blogging: You can become a guest blogger and get wider exposure on the websites of popular and reputable blogs. If you consistently write impactful guest blog posts for other websites, you can showcase your expertise, get more attention and attract their readers to your business.

17. Business Directories: When you list your business pages in online business directories like Dun & Bradstreet, it can improve visibility and attract new customers to your business.

18. Free Samples or Trials: You can selectively offer free samples or trials of your product/service to attract potential customers and generate word-of-mouth buzz for your business.

19. Video Marketing: If you have the right skills, you can create engaging videos about your business/products and share them multichannel particularly on popular social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, or other popular video platforms.

20. Mobile Marketing: From anywhere you find yourself and you have a smartphone, you can use SMS marketing, push notifications, or mobile apps to reach customers on their mobile devices. It greatly enhances exposure for your business at just the minimal cost of an SMS.

21. Press Releases: PRs are very effective tools to get free publicity for your business. You can carefully write highly informative Press Releases and distribute them widely and multichannel to announce new products, services, or your business milestones. If your PRs get to journalists and popular media outlets, they receive unrestricted publicity which enhances visibility for your business.

22. Public Relations: You can carefully package your business story or expertise and pitch it to media outlets like newspapers or even podcasts. If they publish, it earns your business free publicity in the bargain.
 
23. Search Engine Optimization (SEO): You can technically optimize your website/blog for search engines to improve your chances of appearing tops on their SERPs. Your business will benefit from increased visibility and good organic traffic as a result.
 
24. Online Forums: You can actively participate in online forums or groups related to your industry to establish your expertise in your chosen field. That’s one great way to freely promote your business in the forums and to forum members.
 
25. Online Reviews: If you encourage customers to leave positive online reviews on sites like Google, Yelp, and Facebook business page, it can significantly boost your online reputation at no cost to your business. That equates to free publicity for your business.