As a small business owner, you know how important marketing is for the growth of your business. However, marketing tools and software can be quite expensive, and you may not have the budget for it. Fortunately, there are plenty of free marketing resources available that you can take advantage of to build brand awareness and stay ahead of your competitors. In this article, we will explore the 7 best free marketing resources for small businesses.
1. LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for businesses, especially for B2B companies. With over 722 million members, LinkedIn is the most trusted social media network in the U.S. and a great platform to help grow your business. You can create a LinkedIn profile, begin networking with other professionals and start creating thought leadership content.
2. Buffer
Posting regularly on social media can be very time-consuming. That’s where social media schedulers come in handy. Buffer, with its forever-free plan, allows you to add three separate social media channels to your account and schedule up to 10 posts per week. This way, you can use social media to your advantage in a time-effective manner.
3. Google My Business
If you rely heavily on local business, you need to claim your Google My Business listing. This way, when customers search for a business similar to yours, you won’t get edged out by the competition. Optimize your listing by adding photos, updating information about your business, and encouraging customers to leave reviews.
4. Google Analytics
Google Analytics is a free tool that helps small businesses track website activity and engagement. It can help you evaluate how well your SEO strategy works and give you in-depth information about customer demographics. You can also see how you’re currently acquiring most of your traffic and what website pages visitors find the most engaging.
5. Google Alerts
Google Alerts is one of the best free marketing tools available for businesses. You can sign up to receive alerts anytime your company is mentioned online. You can also sign up to monitor your competitors’ mentions, so it’s a creative way to engage in competitor research.
6. Canva
Visual marketing is an important part of your overall marketing strategy, but design and visual marketing can be challenging. Canva offers templates and optimized sizes to make the process of creating images much easier. The free plan gives you access to over 250,000 templates, over 100 design types, and thousands of stock photos.
7. MailChimp
Building a robust email list is one of the best things you can do for your small business. MailChimp is one of the most popular email management services available, and it’s free for up to 2,000 subscribers. This makes it a desirable option for small businesses that are just getting started with email marketing. It lets you send surveys, create tags and do basic audience segmentation.
Bonus Resource: CoSchedule Headline Analyzer
Your headline is one of the most important parts of your content. CoSchedule Headline Analyzer is a free tool that helps you analyze your headline and provides suggestions on how to make it better. It takes into account factors like word balance, length, sentiment, and more to help you create a headline that stands out.
Takeaway
In today’s competitive market, it can be challenging for small businesses to stand out from the crowd without the right marketing strategies. However, you don’t need to spend a lot of money to get ahead of the curve. By leveraging free marketing resources, you can level the playing field and compete with larger businesses.
With LinkedIn, you can establish your brand as a thought leader in your industry and connect with other professionals. Buffer can save you time by scheduling your social media posts in advance, while Google My Business can help you appear in local searches and attract more customers.
Google Analytics and Google Alerts provide valuable insights into your website traffic, customer behavior, and competitor activity, helping you fine-tune your marketing strategies. Canva is an excellent resource for creating visual content that captures the attention of your target audience.
HARO and Mailchimp can help you generate publicity, build your email list, and segment your audience. CoSchedule Headline Analyzer can help you craft compelling headlines that drive traffic to your website and increase engagement.
By using these free marketing resources, you can create a powerful marketing plan that drives traffic, engages your audience, and converts leads into customers. So don’t hesitate to take advantage of these valuable tools and give your small business the boost it needs to succeed.