Inflation hit a dizzying rate of 9.4% this week. Amid rising energy, fuel and living costs, being able to promote your business on a budget is more important than ever.
Reporting by the Financial Times found that more than 25% of businesses are worried about rising costs and 48% expect sales to fall this year. With such a bleak outlook, it’s essential for businesses to do whatever they can to stay ahead – without breaking the bank.
In this guide, we bring you seven ways to promote your business for free. Compiling top advice from UKBF members and other trusted sources, these strategies can be adopted right away and will not cost you a single penny.
Make sure your story is interesting, relevant to the publication – and new. Always include a high-resolution, well-composed image of people with your press release and don’t forget to include your contact details.
Stories you could contact journalists about include:
At UKBF, we regularly interview business owners for articles – see how one member contributed to a recent piece on buying property through a limited company. This can be a quick, easy and effective way to get publicity.
We also advertise external press opportunities on UKBF. You can view current PR opportunities on the UKBF social feed.
Recent opportunities included:
In this thread on business awards, UKBF founder Richard Osborne advised business owners to select well-established awards that are free to enter. Richard, known as @Ozzy on the forum, recommended the Queen's Awards for Enterprise and the UK Business Awards.
“If you do look at entering awards then I'd suggest you have a clear strategy about why, and back it up in your overall company marketing strategy,” he said.
“Reason is, they're only worth entering if you at least are a runner up and again only if you shout about it. Otherwise it's a waste of time and just a certificate on the wall.”
Check out this list of all the business awards in the UK.
Posting regular and shareable updates on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn can help your business reach new customers. Post ideas include:
In this thread, @Solve My Problem pointed out that YouTube can generate big rewards for businesses who dedicate the time and effort to creating quality content.
“YouTube is hard work and requires a lot of graft to get decent results,” they said. “If you have the time and can produce watchable content, it's 100% worth it, but in truth most people don't dedicate the time or have the skills in editing.”
The most in-vogue social media platform these days is TikTok and the platform is especially good for helping businesses reach younger audiences. Learn more about getting started on the platform in this article.
How-to guides and tutorials tend to be popular subjects to blog about. On the Where to Blog / Publish Articles thread, @fisicx said that case studies can also be a good blog subject.
“You tell the story about the problem the client was having and what you did,” he posted. “If there were some complex functions you could link out to a second article explaining how the function works. But don't give away all your secrets.”
As you grow your own audience, consider guest blogging for other websites that are related to your business. This can help you tap into their audience, establish yourself as an authority and drive traffic to your website.
Learning how to optimise your website is one of the most effective ways to draw customers to your website for free. That said, it’s definitely a long-term strategy – it can take around a year to see real results.
UKBF member @Tin, who has more than 20 years’ SEO experience, has written a brilliant in-depth guide on the subject: Boost your website SEO with zero budget: how to get found on Google.
Signing up for a free Google Business profile can help your business to stand out on Google Maps and on its search results. Add photos and ask your most loyal customers for reviews, and you’re well on your way to creating a strong online presence.
Yelp is another popular business directory that lets businesses sign up for free. Yell.com and Yahoo! Local are some other good choices.
However, remember that solely posting about your business rarely achieves much. Instead, join conversations and share your knowledge while passively promoting your business via your profile and post signature.
“As a new business, we needed to get known and build trust,” said @Frank the Insurance guy. “I went in on UKBF 100%, making sure I contributed wherever I thought I could provide advice and support for other members.”
More than a year on, it has proved a great fit for the business. Frank has assisted a number of UKBF members and successfully raised the profile of the business.
Want to share your expertise and raise your company’s profile? Join UKBF for free today.
Reporting by the Financial Times found that more than 25% of businesses are worried about rising costs and 48% expect sales to fall this year. With such a bleak outlook, it’s essential for businesses to do whatever they can to stay ahead – without breaking the bank.
In this guide, we bring you seven ways to promote your business for free. Compiling top advice from UKBF members and other trusted sources, these strategies can be adopted right away and will not cost you a single penny.
1. Get free press coverage for your business
Press coverage is an excellent way to promote your business for free. Media outlets are always looking for stories to fill gaps in their news pages, websites or social media channels, and are generally keen to support small businesses.Make sure your story is interesting, relevant to the publication – and new. Always include a high-resolution, well-composed image of people with your press release and don’t forget to include your contact details.
Stories you could contact journalists about include:
- A new product launch
- A success, like winning an award
- Partnering with a charity or another business
- A celebrity connection
- An upcoming event or competition
Add your expertise to a story
Journalists also often want to speak to businesses for a story.At UKBF, we regularly interview business owners for articles – see how one member contributed to a recent piece on buying property through a limited company. This can be a quick, easy and effective way to get publicity.
We also advertise external press opportunities on UKBF. You can view current PR opportunities on the UKBF social feed.
Recent opportunities included:
- A journalist looking to speak with a pub owner about data showing that pub numbers have hit a record low in the UK
- A journalist looking to speak with business owners about South Asian Heritage Month
- Channel 5 News looking to film in a fish and chip shop or seafood restaurant
- ITN looking to speak with business owners about the NI threshold
2. Get publicity by entering awards
Entering awards can be a great way to boost credibility, motivate your team, attract new customers – and get free publicity. There are loads of competitions and awards for businesses of all descriptions, from local to international, industry-specific to universal.In this thread on business awards, UKBF founder Richard Osborne advised business owners to select well-established awards that are free to enter. Richard, known as @Ozzy on the forum, recommended the Queen's Awards for Enterprise and the UK Business Awards.
“If you do look at entering awards then I'd suggest you have a clear strategy about why, and back it up in your overall company marketing strategy,” he said.
“Reason is, they're only worth entering if you at least are a runner up and again only if you shout about it. Otherwise it's a waste of time and just a certificate on the wall.”
Check out this list of all the business awards in the UK.
3. Promote your business on social media
Love it or hate it, social media is one of the best ways to promote your business for free. It can also help you to build credibility, create engagement and boost loyalty among customers.Posting regular and shareable updates on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn can help your business reach new customers. Post ideas include:
- Special offers or discounts
- Questions or opinion requests
- Advice and tutorials
- Customer stories and testimonials
- Industry news
- Posts that show company culture
- Competitions or giveaways
In this thread, @Solve My Problem pointed out that YouTube can generate big rewards for businesses who dedicate the time and effort to creating quality content.
“YouTube is hard work and requires a lot of graft to get decent results,” they said. “If you have the time and can produce watchable content, it's 100% worth it, but in truth most people don't dedicate the time or have the skills in editing.”
The most in-vogue social media platform these days is TikTok and the platform is especially good for helping businesses reach younger audiences. Learn more about getting started on the platform in this article.
4. Write a blog to drive traffic to your website
Blogging can be an excellent way to drive traffic to your website and establish you as an industry expert. Consistency is king with blogging. Whether it’s every day or every fortnight, dormant blogs look bad.How-to guides and tutorials tend to be popular subjects to blog about. On the Where to Blog / Publish Articles thread, @fisicx said that case studies can also be a good blog subject.
“You tell the story about the problem the client was having and what you did,” he posted. “If there were some complex functions you could link out to a second article explaining how the function works. But don't give away all your secrets.”
As you grow your own audience, consider guest blogging for other websites that are related to your business. This can help you tap into their audience, establish yourself as an authority and drive traffic to your website.
5. Learn Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) to drive web traffic
If you want to drive more traffic to your website, it’s essential to get your SEO in check.Learning how to optimise your website is one of the most effective ways to draw customers to your website for free. That said, it’s definitely a long-term strategy – it can take around a year to see real results.
UKBF member @Tin, who has more than 20 years’ SEO experience, has written a brilliant in-depth guide on the subject: Boost your website SEO with zero budget: how to get found on Google.
6. Join online business directories to get found easier
Creating free accounts with online business directories is a super simple way to promote your business.Signing up for a free Google Business profile can help your business to stand out on Google Maps and on its search results. Add photos and ask your most loyal customers for reviews, and you’re well on your way to creating a strong online presence.
Yelp is another popular business directory that lets businesses sign up for free. Yell.com and Yahoo! Local are some other good choices.
7. Contribute to an online community to raise brand awareness
Joining an online community like UKBF can be a cost-free and effective way to promote your business. Whatever your industry, there will be a community you can join.However, remember that solely posting about your business rarely achieves much. Instead, join conversations and share your knowledge while passively promoting your business via your profile and post signature.
“As a new business, we needed to get known and build trust,” said @Frank the Insurance guy. “I went in on UKBF 100%, making sure I contributed wherever I thought I could provide advice and support for other members.”
More than a year on, it has proved a great fit for the business. Frank has assisted a number of UKBF members and successfully raised the profile of the business.
Want to share your expertise and raise your company’s profile? Join UKBF for free today.
