Free marketing tools go beyond the simple sign in the window.
The effectiveness of your marketing strategy can make or break your business. However, a winning marketing strategy doesn't always have to come at a bottom line-breaking price. A number of free tools out on the market, particularly online, can help you spread the word about your business, connect with like-minded businesspeople, make valuable contacts and build a loyal audience for your brand.
Insights & Analytics
Google offers a number of free services that can help you market your business more effectively. Google Insights services such as Insights for Search help you analyze customer trends, while Google Analytics helps you analyze traffic to your website. Find out what websites your customers are visiting (besides your own) with Ad Planner, and search the web for content associated with your business with Google Alerts.
Blogs
Numerous sites allow you to create free blogs that showcase your expertise in your given service field, introduce new products or reacquaint customers with old favorites. Blogs are very beneficial to create and maintain so a steady stream of information reaches your audience. Blogger, WordPress and Weebly are all free, effective blogging tools to help you enhance your web presence and get your blog posts noticed.
Social Media
Social platforms like Facebook and Twitter allow you to connect with your audience on a more personal level by interacting with the people who buy your products and follow your brand. Create a Facebook fan page to keep your customers updated, get instant feedback and track what your audience is talking about. You need a Facebook profile to create a page, but you can interact with you fans on Facebook as the name of your page. The microblogging site Twitter allows you to connect with like-minded people in your business community, gather insights and information, and contribute to some of your own information (such as your blog posts). As a result, you can build a following that will embrace your business as it grows. Follow people on Twitter who interest you and offer information that helps your business efforts. Likewise, give back by providing your own insights and best practices to build your following.
Websites
A number of online programs offer you the opportunity to create your own website using provided templates free of charge. Google Sites is a free website-building program that offers numerous free, fully customizable templates. Weebly is another site that offers free webspaces with blogs attached. Another free website provider, webs.com, also offers free hosting.
Tags: your business, connect with, your audience, blog posts, connect with like-minded