Simple Ways to Self Promote

After a disappointing experience on Facebook Ad Promotion, I decided to write this article for helping people market themselves on other media platforms. Of course there are more ways. But I wanted to keep it simple and hope this helps. There is no need to spend any money on marketing your business if you put in the work.

Here are some simple ways to promote your page, site or business without spending any money:

1. Comment, Comment, Comment. Leave your opinion on ANY post, blog, forum or site you can find relating to your business or audience and add a link to your site or page. There is no shame in self promotion. It is a proven way to successfully advertise. However, some sites will not allow your link to be posted. That’s fine. Wherever there is a closed door, there is an open window and if it’s not open, break the glass. Of course I mean that figuratively. Please don’t go out there and break windows. It is illegal. If you can’t add a link or your URL, use your company name or logo instead. You can also trick the code by leaving out the www in the beginning and not writing the .com by writing in its place: “dot com” without the parenthesis at the end.

Example: My link for my site is http://www.rosanamod.com so I will write out rosanamod dot com. See what I just did?

2. Blog. If you don’t have a blog, get one. Word Press is free. Write about anything, short, long, doesn’t matter, and follow Step 1.

3. Pinterest. Open a free account, post pics of anything you like, especially relating to your business or audience. If not, add pics of things you like, let people get a glimpse into who you are personally. People like getting to know you on a personal level. Makes you human and real.

4. Instagram. Post pics, quotes, selfies, whatever. Another way to let them know who you are or add a link, name of your business after a hashtag and there you go.

5. Snap Chat. Same here. Mini videos of yourself doing something awesome. Be creative. Hold your pet, dance, whatever. Don’t just sit there and stare into the camera like a weirdo. Smile or say something, like, oh I don’t know…the name of your company and what you do.

6. Twitter. Start writing short messages. Twitter has a 140 character limit per post and that includes characters like commas, periods, spaces, etc. Perfect, short & sweet. Just enough to post your link/URL! Yay! Follow people, preferably your audience and people in your business.

7. Google Plus Circles. Add friends, add people, groups. Post short news updates on your business even if it’s just a link. Stay current.

8. Youtube. Make a video. There are many ways to do this online. You can even use your android cam. Find a background and talk into it so your voice can be heard or point it in front of you, lay it on something and film yourself talking about your company. Be creative!

9. Blab. A platform for podcasters, this is a great way to network with others in an open forum on video. Not on Android yet.

10. Good old fashioned hoof work. That means you walk, put out flyers, talk to other businesses and see if you can use their space for promotional material, leave your business card in as many places you can find, the walls of grocery stores, libraries, laundromats, church, at your local restaurant or bar you frequent. Ask if you can put up some of your cards. Barter some of your services if you have to. It’s worth it if the place has high volume customers. And don’t forget local coffee houses.