In the internet age, online marketing has become even more important than other types of publicity. Reputation is the key to this type of marketing, as we know at Reputation Defender. Without a good online reputation, new companies will have a hard time attracting new customers or interesting anyone in their brand. The good news is that internet marketing doesn’t have to cost a fortune. Following are the five easiest ways for new companies to start building an online reputation for free.
- Social media – this is the most basic internet marketing tool, but it’s still the best place to start. Social media accounts are one hundred percent free; all that is invested is your time, or the time of a qualified professional if you have the resources. Start with an interesting bio, attractive pictures, and links back to your company’s website, so a casual visitor will be tempted to stay and see what you have to offer. Regular updates and interesting posts can help to build followers across a number of different platforms.
- Free press releases – getting press coverage for your brand is one of the best ways of attracting potential customers. It puts your brand at the centre of an online buzz and gets your story out to more people. If you want to go the traditional route, PRWeb is a good publication tool, but it’s not free. Personally contacting news sites that might be interested in running your content is time consuming, but there’s less financial investment and this method will have a higher chance of generating long-term relationships that will help your future endeavours.
- Harnessing the power of “influencers” – most fields have one or two well-known voices, or “influencers” who have become the recognised authority on their industry. Sharing “influencer” content on your sites helps to connect you with these people and may even be the basis of building the type of relationship mentioned above. It can take a bit of persistence, since well-known people receive hundreds of requests on a daily basis, but just one single share on an “influencer’s” page gets your brand out to a whole new audience and adds a sense of authority to anyone looking for the best company in your field.
- Getting your voice heard – eventually your goal will be to become an influencer yourself. To do this you’ll need to start writing and publishing content about your brand as well as general industry-related topics. Sites who’ve shared press releases about your company may also be interested in longer informational articles or opinion pieces. Getting your content published and sharing the link on your social media pages will make you seem more influential. If you have a big follower base, it will also boost ratings for the news site and make the whole project more of a collaboration.
- Sharing Resources – free internet marketing isn’t about asking for favours; it’s about building relationships that are mutually beneficial. If you can find a way to work with another party, you’ll be “cross-pollinating” your audiences and it will be advantageous for both of you. Interviews, “cobranding,” and co-authoring are some of the best ways to do this, as well as of course simply sharing a link as mentioned above. You may have to work hard at building relationships to start with, but once you get recognised you’ll find your brand’s growing reputation attracts interest all by itself and online marketing will get much easier.
