We love working with small businesses & start-ups but in their very nature they have limited funds for Digital Marketing. We have therefore become experts at making the most of the free tools out there, of which there are many.

Here are a few of our favourite, free ways to help promote your business online:

Use Hashtags
# (hashtags) allow people to find posts that are relevant to their interests, to interact in conversations with other social media users on specific topics; make the most of this free tool to get your business noticed in relevant conversations and establish your company as an expert opinion where it counts. Although hashtags are short lived they push prospective clients to your content within the social media platform and help you to reach users that may otherwise not have discovered your business.

Use Twitter Hours
A Twitter hour is an event set up on Twitter that allows users to contribute by using a # (hashtag) to a conversation that is held at a specific date and time. During these twitter hours users promote their businesses and services as well as socially interacting with others. Research the relevant twitter hours & get on line when your expert skills or services are being discussed.

Use Keywords in your Website URL & in your Website Content
Keywords are one of the most vital components of content marketing, they help drive traffic to content and well researched keyword use is one of the best ways to improve SEO and rank better on Google.  Keywords are for long-term benefits whereas hashtags are for more short-term results.

Check your Insights & post at Optimum Times
Checking your insights is an essential part of managing your social media and your Google Business profile. Check when your audience is online and schedule your posts at optimum times. People browse each social media platform differently so do a bit of research and find out when best to post. This will make a huge difference to the performance of your post, you need to make sure as many people are seeing and engaging with your content otherwise it’s not really worth doing.

Make the most of your Google Business profile
Google Business profile and Google Maps will likely be the first place your potential client visits before they reach your website – so make every search result count by keeping your Google Business content fresh with new photos, make sure your profile has up-to-date content and opening hours. Did you know you can add posts to your profile? This is a great way to add engaging content. Lastly do try to get some google reviews, this can be difficult if your customers are not the digital savvy type but do try to encourage reviews as they will go a long way to building a strong online presence for your business.

Post in relevant Facebook Groups
If you already have a Facebook Page you will know that it can be difficult to drive engagement without spending money to promote your page or boost your posts. Using Facebook groups is a great, free way to promote your business or events, but you do need to check the group allows business promotion. Do your research, find the most relevant groups for you, these could be around a topic or a location and make the most of these online communities. Be sure to check your groups regularly and build up a relationship with the members, use a call to action or announce any up-coming offers.

We hope these free tools are helpful, if you need any help with your social media the we’re always happy to discuss how we can help and tailor our services to your needs: mel@reddesk.co.uk