Promoting your business online is one of the best things you can do for yourself. However, even in this day and age, not all businesses have a website. In some cases, the business consists of just one service provider, and keeping up with a website does not seem feasible. Most of the time, technical difficulties also play a role.
Certain businesses need a website more than others. A real estate agent cannot promote her listings very well without one, but a new designer is probably more interested in networking with her local store owners than building an online global presence. Especially if she is on her own, and can’t handle more than a certain level of demand anyways. The cost of having and maintaining a website then doesn’t make much sense, but it doesn’t mean she would not benefit from an online presence.
Whichever your reason for not having a website (yet), here are two ways you can promote your business online without one.
Social Networking
Chances are you have a profile on Facebook. If not, then perhaps you are connected to some other social networking site. If you haven’t, set up a profile and start posting regular updates about your business. Friends, family, and friends-of-friends will start finding out about your progress. You never know who they know, and who might need your services.
Blog Networks
Online publishing networks like Hubpages offer a great platform for anyone to publish about anything. You don’t need to worry about designing and maintaining your own blog, and the benefit is that – unlike with your own blog – you have instant readership. So your message will automatically be seen by many more people, immediately. Hubpages is particularly useful for creative types, such a writers, who want to build a portfolio. But it is incredibly useful for professionals trying to position themselves as an expert in their industry. By offering some of their expertise to a community, they also automatically promote their own services. Added benefit of Hubpages: you get a royalty payment based on the popularity of your articles. For some, this can grow to a steady part-time income.
Creating a Brand
Promoting yourself, and your business, is all about creating a brand. You need to keep in mind what your brand is in order for you to communicate it properly when promoting yourself. If you keep up with it though, you will start seeing the results of your efforts over time.
Need help branding your services properly? Contact me for some no-obligation information.
