One thing I have noticed is that small businesses sell themselves short when it comes to using the internet to its fullest potential. Most know that they should have a website, but beyond that they do not know how to make it actually work for them.
Here are some ideas for promoting your small business on the web inexpensively:
First of all, I encourage you to read my post here about making your website search engine friendly.
Local Search Sites
Be sure to add your business to the various map and local search sites. Search Engine Watch has a great list of places to add your business listing. Google for example displays these local map listings at the top of many of the search results pages.
Also some of these local sites allow reviews to be added to the listing. If you have many happy customers, encourage them to post a review on your behalf.
Social Media
Myspace is for teenagers right? Well, yeah LOL. I agree there. However there are many other social networks that ARE appropriate for marketing your business.
LinkedIn.com - This is a professional social network. You can connect with other business people you know. The link shows up in search engines.
Facebook.com - Connect with friends old and new, business associates and acquaintances. Once you are a member you can add a page for your business and become a fan. Ask other friends to become a fan too and their friends will see it. You can also announce events to those you are connected to.
Twitter.com - Set up a profile on Twitter and "tweet" updates about yourself and your business. Then look for other local people to "follow". They might follow you back. Make a habit of regularly finding new local people to follow. If they follow you back they will begin seeing your updates. Also Naples Daily News and the Fort Myers News Press both have twitter accounts. If you follow them they will follow you back. Once sentence press release anyone?
YouTube.com - Add videos about your business. Post them to your other social network profiles. Local people may find them on YouTube directly or within video search results on the search engines.
Squidoo.com - Setup Squidoo lenses about your products. Sometimes these show up in search engine results. Link to your website from any lense you create.Labels: Local Search, Search Engine Optimization, SEO, Social Media
