The economy has been doing it tough over the past 12 months, with COVID-19 dramatically impacting both spending habits and job security.
If you’re a small business owner, you’ve likely felt the pinch more than most. You’ve probably lost customers and struggled more than ever to build a client base. To succeed in this difficult climate, you need to set yourself apart from your competitors.
Jumpstart your business in 2021 by overhauling your social media marketing strategy and improving your online visibility. Here are 4 free places you should list your small business…
1) Yumpu
Yumpu is an emerging digital publishing platform that your competitors likely haven’t discovered yet! Create a bio, like this one, and list your content. Not only will it improve your SEO ranking, but it’s also a great way to create and share digital catalogues of your products and services without the significant costs of paper printing.
2) Online Business Directories
Reputable online business directories are often valued highly by Google’s ranking algorithms as they usually have high domain authority and optimize their sites for keywords. Listing your website on directories like LinkedIn, Yelp and Yellowpages will increase your business’s visibility on search engines and help local customers find you more easily. Some business listing sites allow customers to leave reviews, which can improve your business’ over reputation and allow you to identify areas of improvement. Here is the best linkedin tool to automate your process and stay connected always.
3) Social Media Platforms
Social media platforms are another great option to get your business seen. It might seem smart to list yourself on every platform, but prioritise quality over quantity – if you have a profile on stacks of sites but never update your page, you may actually look less credible as a brand.
Instead, choose your platforms based on your clients. For example, if your product or service targets women 25-30, Facebook is a wise choice, as 84% of this demographic have accounts. If you’re targeting a younger audience, like 18-24, Instagram is a more appropriate strategy. Pick two or three platforms and tailor your content to your users. Make sure your post frequently, use images for higher engagement, and always keep your contact details up to date.
4) Social Bookmarking Sites
A seriously underutilised listing option for your business is social bookmarking sites. Sites like Reddit, Stumbleupon and Dig are a good place to start. These social bookmarking sites act as a collection of links for users, almost like your ‘favourites’ menu in a browser. Users will curate and collect content that inspires them, or they want to return to later, so creating thought-provoking content for your website can help you get more bookmarks. These bookmarks can then draw new visitors and increase your chances of showing up on reputable search engines. Be sure to use appropriate keywords and topic classifications so that users looking for your content or product will be able to find your page.
Using the above 4 strategies, you can increase the visibility and credibility of your online business without spending a cent. Why not give it a try?