101 Ways to Advertise Your Business

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101 Ways to Advertise Your Business Online and Offline

How is Advertising Different in 2017

Advertising a business is still as important as ever. Each year, thousands of new companies open their doors. Internationally, hundreds of thousands of businesses get their start. Many of these businesses are direct competition for you.

With that understood, it is important to consider a few more important details about advertising.

1. Stand Out Or Never Be Known

With advertising, you need to be more creative than ever if you are going to stand out. A simple ad in the local newspaper is not enough to generate enough talk about your business to have people interested enough. A small banner ad on a moderately sized website is still not enough to generate the type of income that your business is looking for.

More so, the times have changed. Consumers themselves are more used to shock advertising than ever. A scandal may hurt one person, but it can often bring higher revenues to a company. However, now, people have very high standards in where they shop, what they buy and what they pay for it.

To further to explore that topic, consider these important factors when it comes to advertising your business.

It is easier for the consumer to do the same thing repeatedly. In other words, they are not going to go out of their way to visit your location or to remember your website’s domain name unless you have something that is new enough to them to make them want to do so. If it is easier to do something else, though, people will do that.

People do not want to pay more money for something. If you cannot compete with big companies, include those large department stores that seem to outdo every other company out there, then consumers will not pay attention to your business. Use your advertising budget to differentiate your business from the businesses of others. This is more important in 2017 because it now is more important than ever for people to watch every penny they spend.

Forget about misleading ads or promising more than you can offer. Most consumers are wise enough to see right through the advertisements that are obviously too good to be true. Consumers also do not want you to spam them, to overwhelm them with mail or email just to learn about your product or service.

There are more games in town. That means that there are more people competing for those all important ad spaces on your favorite websites. This may mean that your average advertising dollar is not going to do as much as you had hoped that it would. On the other hand, it may provide you with an ideal option for doing something big that is memorable.

The Internet, television, newspaper and even direct mail are all interconnected today. Your message needs to be strong enough to reach across all of these playing fields properly. If you use conflicting information, you will simply confuse your company.

There are a few things to point out, in addition, that are more positive. For example, today’s consumer is well aware of the price of products, but they are still looking for a good deal. Getting more for their money is always going to be a big factor for the average consumer. Look for ways to add something to the product you are offering that helps it to stand out from the rest of the world’s products.

More so, consumers are knowledgeable. They are happy to learn about new companies, but they want to learn about them before they will use them. Either through your website or through your advertising, you need to communicate who your business is, what it has to offer as well as what makes it unique and better than the rest.

There are a few important messages that you want to use within the advertising that you do in 2017. These messages are what people are looking for.

Cost effectiveness: Price is a strong, important tool, especially as more consumers are looking for a way to save money after taken advantage of by lenders, leaders, and investments.

Environmental friendly: Today, people expect a business to be doing everything that it can to actually save the world. In your advertising, this can and sometimes should be the message that you give. Show the world that your business is committed to providing a safe haven for the environment.

Something new: Having a product that is new and better than someone else’s product is going to make an impression that you want to make on your customers. Although not all businesses will have the same level of expectation on this front, many business owners should advertise that they have something that trumps the other person’s product.

Easy access: With people saving more money, working more jobs to make ends meet and going out of their way to get the best of the best, it is important to alter customers that you have a product that is easy for them to use or easy for them to get to. Virtually all small businesses need to be online in 2017, even if you are not serving the entire Internet, but a local market. People turn to the web to learn what is happening and to find what they are looking for.

Trustworthy: Yet another important advertising method for 2017 will be trustworthiness. Of course, with so many people feeling taken advantage of by the horrors of the last few years, it is important to distance yourself and your business from those companies. Focus instead on being a company that is trusted, secure and a great place to be.

When you put all of this together, you will have the right advertising plan for your business. Throughout the rest of this article, you will find more than 100 tips and tricks to help you to advertise your business in 2017. Is this year any different from last? Of course it is.

Today, it is even harder to get in front of others than ever and people expect a lot more than ever before.

2. Create an Advertising Plan

Can your business make it? With the right advertising plan, your business can excel. Take the time to consider the following tips and methods to improving your business advertising plan. Use as many of these methods as is possible, but do put together a cohesive plan that outlines your goals first.

What does your advertising plan include? How many of the following types of advertising methods can you use? Consider the following steps.

Look at each of the advertising methods mentioned here. Determine which of these is most beneficial for your business. If it is a possibility, note that it is. If the plan seems to be a good one right off the bat, mark it as that. If there is no chance of it being usable for your business, you should cross it of

Create a list of those elements that you want to use. Determine how to pursue each one. Determine the cost of each one, based on your business model. Then, factor in your budget. How many of these methods can you pull off?

Look for cost cutting methods. Look outside of the box before writing off any of these advertising methods.

Build your business advertising plan step by step. Create your campaign, slogan and go for it.

Come back and look at your plan after you launch it. How well did each of the elements work? Is there something more that you could have done or changes that you could have made? If so, factor those in for the next time around.

An effective advertising plan for 2017 tackles a wide range of mediums and it delivers a clear message. It also provides consumers with a clear solution to the ever-popular question, “What does this business do for me?”

3. Word of Mouth Is Still King

Word of mouth advertising is one of the oldest forms. Simply put, it is the means of one person telling another person something about your business. It has always been one of the most powerful tools to have as an advertising medium. Ask yourself, are you more interested in listening to what a commercial has to say or what your best friend has to say? Who is more believable?

As a business, part of your advertising plan should focus on word of mouth advertising. OF course, it is important to point out that today; word of mouth advertising is not just one person telling another of a product, as in one woman telling another woman about a product they love. Rather, there are many online and off line methods for delivering a word of mouth experience.

In this section, we focus on a few methods of advertising that can help you to pull out those recommendations that you want to get from others. How can you get recommendations and referrals from the customers you already have or the ones that you will be getting?

#1: Focus On Customer Service

The first and most important element of advertising is not spoiling the business that you have. Each customer that comes into your doors needs to be a customer treated as if they are the most important customer for the business. Although this may seem difficult to do, it is all about delivering a quality service and smiling.

Customer service is important to business success. If you have a bad experience at a restaurant, you tell your family and friends about it, and stop them from going there. Not only does the business lose your business but that of your family and friends, too. What you want to create, on the other hand, is an atmosphere in which the words being passed on are top quality recommendations to visit your establishment.

If you are not sure what you can do to improve your customer service, go right to the source: your customer. Find out from them what you can do to improve your overall experience.

#2 Local Offers

If your business is a locally based one, as opposed to one that is Internet based, focus on local offers that can help bring in customers. For example, a customer comes in to your hair salon. You know they had a great experience and so you offer them a discount card and one for their friend. If they pass on the card, you have an opportunity for them to tell the potentially new customer about your salon. This is easy advertising!

#3: Be Active In the Community

Another way to generate more word of mouth advertising is to let others know about your business by allowing them to get to know you. Be an active role player in the community. Churches, community organizations as well as government offices are great ways for you to grow your local popularity. Introduce yourself to your customers. Shake their hand. Be present in your place of business.

#4: Sponsor Local Activities

It does not cost you anything to host a fundraiser for your local baseball team or a local person who is ill where you donate your profits. However, these types of actions get your name in front of the masses. They are all instances that you can show that your business is the business in town to be involved.

#5: Ask for the Recommendations

Unbelievably, one of the best ways for you to get the customers to respond to you is to ask for a recommendation. For example, you have saved someone $250 off his or her car repair bill. That is nothing to be shy about. As the customer is happily paying their now discounted bill, you can easily say to them that you are looking for new clients. Would they please recommend your service to their friends and family?

When you ask for business, even if it is simply by asking for a group of customers to come back again, you allow those customers to feel welcome within your business. More so, they are happy to tell others about their experience, especially when asked to do so.

More ideas:

Here are a few more, short and easy ideas for building up your business through word of mouth advertising.

#6: Ask Customers to Complain

Did you know that most customers who have a bad experience never report that experience to the business? However, they do tell family and friends about it, or even worse, they get online and start talking about it. Ask customers to tell you of the problems they have with your business.

#7: Keep the Promises You Make

As a business owner, if you promise to do something for a customer, you had better do it. The negative word of mouth advertising this will cause is enough to cause any business to struggle significantly. However, when you do keep your promises, customers will respond to that as well.

#8: Do More Than The Minimum

Next, work on going over the expectations of your clients. You do not want to do the bare minimum or to get the basic level of acceptance. Rather, you want to focus on beating their expectations so that your business can flourish when they come back repeatedly so you can take advantage of what you have to offer.

#9: Satisfy the Unhappy Customer

The customer is never wrong, even when you know they are wrong. It happens within every business. A misunderstanding leads to a confrontation. You do not want to stand down or to lose business. How do you handle the angry, unhappy customer? Do what you can to satisfy them. In fact, many studies show that when an unhappy customer is satisfied, they become a lifetime customer of the business, simply because the business listened to them and fixed the problem.

#10: ASK for Repeat Business Later, Too

At first, you may ask for a customer’s repeat business when they are leaving your establishment or even through your invoice online. However, in a week or so, give them a call. Send them an email. Send them some mail. Ask them to come on back to experience what you have to offer again.

#11: Look Them In The Eye

When you are working with customers hand in hand, shake their hand, look them in the eye and let them know how important they are to you. This establishes a bond of trust and it helps to develop customer loyalty. Reach out, ask for their business and thank them for visiting you. This will make a difference.

As you will notice, virtually all of these word of mouth advertising methods are free or inexpensive. They make sense. They should be part of your advertising plan without fail. If they are not, add them in to the mix to ensure that your business has the foundation it needs to excel in 2017.

4. Free Ways to Advertise Your Business

We just spent a section working on word of mouth advertising. It is what people need to know and need to use as the foundation of their business success. However, every business needs to do more than that to get into the eyes of the customer. But most businesses, especially the start-ups will find it hard to pay for these advertising methods.

If you could afford to hire a professional advertising company, you would still see some of these free methods for promoting your business. However, many people do not put in enough time to learn them.

The following are a few free ways to advertise your business. Some are offline while others are online methods. Use as many as makes sense for your business.

12: Google Local

Google Local is a local listing service on the web for local businesses. You do not have to do much but contact Google Local and provide your company name, address, phone number and website address. You will need to verify this information through a postcard but it is easy and gets you listed on Google easily.

13: Google Coupons

Have you considered coupons? Why not mesh coupons with Google. If it sounds like something that is interesting to you, the good news is that it is easy to do. You are able to bring in new customers and bring the old customers back to you. All of this occurs through Google’s free coupon tool that you use to get your business on local searches that are relevant to your website.

14: Check Out Yellow Pages Online

While it does cost a fee to get your website listed in the big Yellow Page book, it is free to do so on the web. Remember, people come to the web to learn about stuff long before they actually buy from a business. Therefore, being in the online Yellow Pages makes sense.

15: Get On Yahoo Local

Just like Google Local, Yahoo Local offers the same type of benefit. Of course, it benefits those who are using the Yahoo search engine instead of those who use Google. Yahoo is the second largest web search engine and highly important to any online search. It is free to get listed on Yahoo Local, too.

16: Get Reviews On Yahoo Local

One of the things that Yahoo local does that Google Local does not is to allow customers to review your service. It takes only a few minutes to set up this process, but encouraging your customers to visit the website and to write a review is an important step in advertising local businesses. It is free to do and takes moments, but it could mean the difference in a customer choosing your business over another company’s business.

17: Send Out Press Releases

You can send a press release to a news organization. This is a better option than sitting around and waiting for them to come to you. Be sure that what you have to say is newsworthy, and it should not be a blatant advertisement of your business. For example, it could be a press release announcing your collection of food for a local charity. It could be your special fundraiser for a sick child. You can use online press releases in the same manner, but be sure they are newsworthy before you try to have them sent out.

#18: Trade With Other Business Owners

Is there a business that will complement your own?

When you find one that is you should trade services with them. Alternatively, trade advertising with them. For example, perhaps your business is a spa. You know that those that come to your spa are concerned about their fitness. You collaborate with a local fitness club and trade advertisement flyers at your establishment for their business while they do the same for your own.

Now that this section has gotten you started with a few free ways to advertise your business, we will move on to methods that are more specific. However, many of the other activities within the rest of this article are low cost or even free. They are well worth your time investment!

5. Build A Website

One of the most important ways for a business to advertise in 2017 will be through the Internet. Beyond a doubt, this medium is important. As mentioned previously, people turn to the web on a regular basis. They look for directions online (your website you should include local directions.) They use the Internet to help them to find the best deals that are available. You need to be included in their search or they will not find you.

So, how can you use a website to advertise your business? Consider the following tips and resources listed below.

#19: Build a Website

Most small businesses that are not selling on the web directly still need a website since customers routinely use the web to research businesses before they actually start using them. Those businesses that do have the ability to sell on the web will need a specially designed website to accommodate this need, generally an ecommerce site.

In either case, a website should be included. This way, you can inform your customers of who you are and you can educate them on what you can offer to them. Then, you can use your website to promote your business further.

#20: Get Your Website Listed In Search Engines

The next step in the process is to get your business listed in the search engines. There are several ways to do this, but the most fundamental is simply submitting your website to these search engines manually. Google and Yahoo are the largest, but others are just as important. There are software tools that will automatically submit your website or you can wait around for the search engine spiders to find your website on their own.

#21: Use Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization or SEO is a type of advertising tool. When you head to a search engine and type in words into the field to find something, you expect the page that pops up to be full of the options you have. Businesses work hard to be listed on that first page of the search engine results. The higher that you rank on those pages, the more likely it is that a customer or client is going to click on your website link and visit.

Search engine optimization includes placing keywords (the words that people enter into a search engine to find your business) into the content on your website. You will need to learn what words people are using to find businesses like yours.

#22: Keyword Rich Titles

When it comes to your website, each title, whether for an article or for the page itself, should have a keyword within it. If you are in the business of pet toys, be sure that you include words like pet toys into these titles.

The page title will also appear hyperlinked in the search engines when people search for those words and find your website. You will need to learn some basic formatting to learn how to make this happen.

#23: Write an Effective META Tag

The META Tag is the description placed below your title in the search engine results page. It is critical to provide the best tag possible, describing what the individual will find when they visit your website. Use keywords here, too.

#24: Local.com

Another of the ways to promote your website is to focus on websites that attract local visitors. Any business locally based wants to get in the hands of their potential customers when they are online. By listing your website at Local.com, for example, individuals will be able to find your local business website faster, and without having to trudge through numerous other sites to find it.

#25: Craigslist

Check out Craigslist.com. It is not necessarily the best option for all businesses, but it can be a great choice for many of them. This free classification site does attract local visitors as well as national ones. By placing an ad in the appropriate sections of Craigslist for the towns that you service you can and will see a rise in the customers you get. You need only to include your website address to make this work well for you.

#25: Get a Blog

Using a blog on your website is a combination of benefits for online advertising. First, a blog will help with search engine optimization because it allows you to add more information and pages to your site. This fresh content is something that the search engines are looking for. In addition, a blog allows your customers to sign up for it and they can then receive regular communications from you through your blog. This is called an RSS feed and it is something that all website owners should have in place as it costs very little or sometimes nothing.

#26: Set Up a Newsletter

Yet another tool that will help you to build your website traffic and help you to get customers coming back repeatedly is a simple newsletter. When a client purchases something from your website or even just stops by, they can sign up for your newsletter. Several times a year, or even more frequently, you can send them a well-designed newsletter to their email box that contains information on the company, tips and tricks they want to have and even provides them with incentives like sales to bring them back to the company’s website. You are simply reminding them that your website is there.

#27: Regular Email Campaigns

Some businesses will benefit from more than just one newsletter sent out every few months. If you need your clients to come back time and time again, consider a regular email campaign. This system is set up to be automatic. Once your client’s sign up to receive it (by simply adding their name to your website sign up form) they will receive regular communications from you regarding the business, sales or even providing them with information that they need. Always included is a link back to the website.

#28: Alert Everyone Through a Press Release

Yet another of the ways that you can promote your website is by simply letting others know that it is up and ready to go. A press release is something we have mentioned before, but after you have set up your website, it is a good idea to send out a large press release blast to let others know what your website or business is offering that is unique. Be sure to include information on the business’s benefit to the customer.

#29: Run a Contest

Have you seen the numerous contests that website owners are running? Do you think it would be fun to offer one but you are worried about the costs? Offering a small gift certificate or even free service from your business is often enough incentive to get people to sign up. However, what you get in return is well worth it. For example, a popular option is to have people to sign up to receive communications through an RSS Feed or through email. Once they do, they enter into a contest to receive a gift card. You are getting all of those email addresses, which in turn will help you to advertise your business to those new prospects.

#30: Get It Printed

One of the mistakes that many people make when it comes to advertising their business is to keep the online and the offline worlds of advertising separate. This is a problem and it can hold back your sales. Start by including your website in your printed literature and on your business card. This will alert people that they can find out more about your business services by simply turning to the website. Be sure your website is on any of your printed invoices, receipts and other documentation you may hand over to your clients. You want them to come back.

Later in this article, we mention several other methods for promoting your business website, including more helpful tools for search engine optimization.

6. Social Media Marketing As Advertisement

Social Media Marketing is one of the keys to online success. You have your business website up, but now that it is, you need to get people to it. You can do this through a solid social media strategy.

Many people do not realize just how important it is to be social in today’s marketing world. In fact, in 2017, it is likely that you will see more websites develop that are designed to provide business owners with numerous additional ways to market their business socially, rather than through paid advertisements.

Social networking is the process of interacting with others one on one, or at least informally. It is the opposite of paying for a commercial advertisement where you will sell your product through a catchy television ad. Rather, you are promoting your business by promoting yourself, by simply interacting with customers one on one.

While it is hard to imagine doing this on your own, many websites help to make it easier for businesses to interact on the web. The tools mentioned in this chapter are websites you can join (mostly without cost) and begin building your business.

Most of these websites have the same goal. You will sign up for them, build a following by finding others to interact with and then socially build a relationship with them. You are providing both a personal experience and advertising your business through them. Since most have this same style, the details of using these sites are only included.

Most of these will be all important places to be for 2017.

#31: LinkedIn

LinkedIn.com allows you to find others on the website that you know and then allows you to connect with others in a business atmosphere. It has less of a basis on social aspects than other sites, but it allows you to become recommended by others, which can help you to increase customers.

#32: Facebook

Facebook.com is not just a website for teens. It is an excellent medium for finding others interested in what you have to offer. There are more than 600 million searches and more than 30 billion page views each month on Facebook. Your business can be part of that in 2017.

#33: MySpace

A more socially based website, MySpace will continue to be important, especially to online businesses, in 2017. Here, you build the same base of individuals and generate interest in your business through the community. Link back to your website to get people to visit.

#34: VisiblePath

Another website that you might not have heard of just yet, but that you should be part of is VisiblePath.com. It will help some businesses to determine who their real network is, by looking at emails and calendars specifically. It is likely to explode in 2017.

#35: SoFlow

SoFlow.com is yet another business and professional based website for social networking. Here, you will find numerous opportunities to find business partners to work with. It is a bit harder to use, especially at first, but has proven to help some businesses to get off the ground on the web.

#36: Orkut

This Google-run social networking website has worked for some, while not well for others. The goal here is to build a relationship within the communities on the site. You will want to try to find out if it is likely to work for your business. However, it may be less beneficial to offline businesses.

#37: Twitter

Twitter.com is a microblogging website because you send out very short messages to your followers. Building followers is easy enough to do. However, it does take time to make Twitter work for you. In short, you will chat with other users about their messages and send out your own. You can often include links back to your blog posts or website as a way to get clients to your site. For example, if you are selling real estate in New York City, you can search for those who are looking for such opportunities and then friend them. All others who are your friends can see your messages about a great deal.

#38: Digg.com

Digg.com has dropped a bit in popularity within the last part of 2009, but it is still an outstanding tool for those who are looking to build their business from the ground up. It works simply. You sign up for the site and then submit newsworthy blog posts from your website or blog to the site. Other members Digg them or mark them as a good read. This helps to get even further people interested in them while driving more and more traffic to your website.

#39:YouTube.com

How can YouTube.com, the popular video site really help you to promote your website or your business? It is a form of social marketing. You will post a video on the site that is directly or indirectly related to your business. For example, as a plumber, you may want to show a video about how to quiet that leaky faucet. Then, clients can get right back to your website where they can purchase the tools they need to accomplish the job.

The key with YouTube.com is that it has such a high ranking in the search engines and is easily going to help boost your search engine ranking by linking to and from your website.

7. Focus On SEO

We mentioned earlier the importance of search engine optimization or SEO. However, SEO is more than just throwing in words that you think are important into your website’s content. It should be something you do for every aspect of your website, from the blog posts that you right to the messages you send out through Twitter.

However, the foundation of your search engine optimization should be at your website. Setting up your website with great SEO will help it to rank well in the search engines, which is critical to any business in 2017, as more people turn to the web to learn about products and services before they buy them.

This section includes more tips and tricks to help you to set up outstanding SEO on your website. Each of these elements is critical to your website’s success. Put a solid SEO strategy in play.

#40: Headers

As a part of advertising your website, you need to include keywords in various areas of your website, including the headers (usually labeled as H1, H2 and H3). These are the page headlines and sub-headings within the text. Google pays attention to these. Be sure to include keywords within them.

#41: Keyword Placement

When you start to write any blog post or other type of content for your website, it is important to include keywords in the right placement. Specifically, position that keyword in the first paragraph of the page. It is best to place it within the first sentence of that paragraph, specifically.

#42: Keyword Density

Another tool for search engine optimization success is keyword density, or how frequently you include keywords in the test of your page. You want to strive to get enough in without too much. Google does not look favorably on websites not ranked well. Try for a density that is under 2 percent for the best results.

#43: Hyperlinks

Within each of the pages you include, include hyperlinks to other pages of your website. When you create these hyperlinks, be sure to use keywords to help you to do so. This way, you are putting more emphasis on those keywords and phrases.

#44: Webpages

Webpages are an important element to search engine optimization. The best websites, even for a small business, only need to have a few pages to be effective, though. However, one thing you can do to boost your search engine optimization is to dedicate one page to each of the top keywords related to your website. By dedicating these target keywords properly, you will have the tools necessary to build ranking in Google and other search engines.

#45: Focus on Those Keywords

Hold on, what keywords, you may be asking. The key is to have keywords that are relevant to your website, but it is unlikely that you know every word that people are typing into the search engines to find a business like your own. However, you can research it and do so without paying for it. You can use Google’s keyword tools or use one of the other free services for this. The bottom line is that you should research keywords and not assume you know what phrases are in use.

#46: Get Links In

Next, focus on building your website up in the search engine rankings by showing those websites that you are in fact an important resource. One of the ways that these search engines see this is by looking at the websites that point into your website. These websites have links on them that link to your website. Work on getting these in using a few of the methods mentioned here.

#47: Link Your Social Network Sites

First off, place a link to your website from each of the social networking sites that you belong to. For example, if you joined LinkedIn, be sure your website is listed on that website. This is an easy way to get links pointing back into your website.

#48: Link How To Articles

Are you writing how to articles for websites like eHow.com? Join free and then submit helpful, factual articles to them. These short articles allow you to place a link on them that will bring customers back to your website. Ehow.com and other sites like them generally allow you to do this and these websites have a large number of visitors each month.

#49: LinkedIn Articles

Check out how to post blog articles on LinkedIn. This is yet another powerful tool for the average business in 2017. To build website traffic, create a LinkedIn blog article. Then, link a few keywords to your business site. In return, you get to benefit from the link on this popular website pointing into your website.

#50: Hubpages Count Too

Next, focus on doing the exact same thing with Hubpages.com, another large site with plenty of traffic that you will benefit from.

#51: Network for Links

Beyond a doubt, these websites will help you to get traffic pointing into your website. However, they are not going to help you to build quality back links that the search engines really prize. To do this, you need to network with other businesses to get your website listed on them. Contact the administrator of sites that fit closely with yours and ask for the back link.

Here are a few more websites where you can create back links in a simpler fashion as those mentioned earlier:

#52: EzineArticles.com

Write an article that is informational and link back to your website.

#53: Other Article Directories

Find other types of article directories similar to EzineArticles.com to write articles that link back to your website.

#54: Forums You Visit

Use forum posts that you write on forums that you visit to link back to your website.

#55: Any Place Else

If there are any other websites that you frequent, you may want to find out if there is an opportunity to include a link back to your site on their page. Ask if you are not sure.

#56: Do Not Forget Email

Each of your email messages should have a link in it that brings people back to your website. If not, include this in the automatic signature you are allowed to use on the site.

8. Work The Blog

A blog is a website. However, unlike other types of websites, this one has a design to provide you with the ability to add more pages to it. Rather than focusing on pages that stay the same, the pages have frequent updates to include new information. Search engines love blogs because of the fresh content. Website visitors love them for the same reason.

A blog should be one of the focuses of your business for 2017, since it is a tool that allows you to connect with many of those who will visit your website. It is a form of social marketing. It is a way for you to interact with prospective clients. It is a way to build traffic to your website. You need a blog. Top 5 Blog Platforms

There are many ways to use your blog to advertise, and many of them have already been listed (such as socially networking the site.)

However, here are a few more important tools to use.

#57: Post Regularly

One of the keys to making a blog work for you is to post regularly. Try to post three to five times per week, to generate traffic.

#58: Interact with Other Blogs

Also, focus on other blogs that are not your direct competition but may be related. When you leave a comment on another company’s blog post, include a link back to your own blog post (this helps with back links, too!)

#59: Write a Guest Post

To get even more business; write a Guest Post or one of these blogs that you visit. You will need to contact the administrator. In many cases, you can have them guest post on your blog, too. This interchange helps to create more traffic for both blog sites.

#60: Be Unique

In order for your blog to do well, which in turn works as advertising for your business, you really do need to show your readers that you have something interesting and worth watching so that they will come back to it, time and time again.

#61: Place a Bookmark Tool

In order for your blog to do well, you need to create a readership. To do this, you need to get people to come back. Be sure to install a bookmark tool on the blog so that you readers can easily get back to your site.

#62: Become a Resource

A blog is a very inexpensive way for you to add content to your website. However, it is also important for you to focus on building a level of respect on the web. You can do this with your blog. For example, if your business is based on childcare services, be sure to include unique tips and tricks for parents to help them teach their child, rear their child or even crafts they can do. This builds up a database for users and ensures your website is helpful to those who use it.

#63: Create an Effective Landing Page

Your blog will driver traffic to your website, but if it does not have an effective landing page, people will turn the other way. Focus on ensuring that your landing pagepage or the page people get to visit when visiting your site, offers something intriguing to them. It should provide them with the tools and resources they need. What is in it for them?

#64: Interact With Others

One of the key benefits of using a blog to help advertise your business is that you can get up close and personal with your clients. However, many people do not do this. They do not spend the time necessary to interact. They post a blog post and head off. Rather, interact with your customers to build an interest. This will make a considerable difference whether those who visit your website become your paying customers.

#65: Paid Search

Consider paying for searches. In other words, consider paying to have your website listed in search results pages. This is also a way for you to get people to your website. The fact is, it is inexpensive to get your website listed with Google Adwords for specific keywords.

It is a way of getting people to your blog to get interested in what you have to offer so that you can turn around and sell to them.

9. How To Stand Out

When it comes to advertising your business in 2017, you need to do things that will help your business to stand out. This is not always the easy option for a business. No matter if your business is a local service or an online based business, you need to stand out from the competition if you are going to generate sales and be successful.

In this section, we give you a wide range of ways to stand out. Use those that work best for your business.

#66: Get On Television

No matter what your business is, get on television to promote it. However, you do not have to do this through a direct ad. Find a news story that you are an expert on. For example, if there was an explosion of natural gas in your local area, contact your local news program and tell them you would love to come on and talk about, the risks of natural gas and how to prevent it from happening.

#67: Get on Radio

Do the same thing as you did for television on the radio. Find a way to connect with others in this way.

#68: Offer Local Discounts

To stand out from the rest, offer a local discount. Have it advertised on commercials on television or radio. Many local markets are now doing a 50 percent gift card promotion for local businesses. Those who visit the website get a gift card for $25 with a value of $50 in services. Chances are good they will spend far more than this.

#69: Write for the Paper

One of the best ways to gain stature in a local market is to write a column or an article in a local paper. For example, if you are an attorney for bankruptcy, write an editorial piece on the struggles of locals who are considering bankruptcy. This piece then serves as a way to distinguish you as the best professional to work with.

#70: Avoid the Graphics, but Go Big

When it comes to getting the attention of those on the web, some websites place long graphic features at the front of their website that visitors have to sit through to get to the website. Avoid this. Rather, proudly show your benefit to your client’s right on the front page of your website.

#71: Do Go for Medium

Have you visited a website in which there was a figure of a person who starts speaking to the website visitor? This person is an ideal tool to use to help your business to show customers how to navigate your website or how to interact with you.

#72: Focus on Live Chat

Another way to really impress your guests is by using software that allows for them to interact with a customer service representative right away, right on the website! A good way to do this is to use an internal instant messaging service. For example, you are a heating repair technician. The client comes to your website to find out if they should have someone come out. They can chat with a representative of your business to find out if it is a good idea or if they just need to press the reset button first.

#73: Offer a Free Service

One way to stand out from the crowd is to give something away to the customer. For example, while the other guy is charging clients for something, you can offer it for free. Perhaps estimations are free. Perhaps you are offering a free eBook with a purchase or a free eBook for signing up for a newsletter. Find a way to offer something free that the other person is not. Value and discounts are important in 2017.

#74: Expand Your Service Area

If you can expand your online business into international markets, do so. It is now easier for businesses to communication across seas and you should invest the time it takes to build a business in this way if it makes sense for your particular business. In 2017, the world gets even smaller as it becomes easier for you to communicate with those around the world who want to do business with you.

The bottom line is that you do need to find a way to stand out from the rest. If you can do that, your business will be a success.

10. Tips for Advertising Your Business Locally for Less

Local advertising of both online and offline businesses is quite important. However, this can be one of those areas where you end up spending a good deal of money. To save money, consider the following advertising methods that are ideal for 2017.

#75: The Basic Business Card

How can a basic business card help you to advertise your business? Your business card can and should be easily given out to those who you interact with. It can be placed in numerous places, too. The goal you have here is to use this card as a way of keeping your business in the minds of your customers.

#76: Flyers Still Work

It is understood that you do not want to litter the parking lot with flyers for your business, but it is a good idea to use flyers to advertise promotions. Try to drop them off with other businesses to pass out. Flyers create a tool that goes home with the customer, so that they can remember your service later.

#77: Use Your Car

For local advertising, purchase a magnetic sign that can be placed on the sides or the back of your vehicle that helps to advertise your business. This is an easy way for you to show others about your business and it does not damage the vehicle at all. You can even remove it when you do not need to use it.

#78: Check Out Your Church

Most churches are always looking for ways to pay for things. For example, the church may need help with roof repairs. If this is your business, provide the service free. Then, ask for a place in the bulletin or other papers that the church publishes as a thank you.

#79: Get Listed in Your Chamber of Commerce

The local chamber of commerce is one of the best resources for a new business. This allows for the business to be listed as a business within the city. Most local communities offer resources and tools to help that new business to do well. In addition, they will help recommend your service to those who are looking for help.

#80: Get Involved in Schools

Just like churches, schools often need help with sponsorships or activities. By helping out, you can get your business name published in a local paper or through other resources. This small type of advertising shows that you care. By showing, that you are more than a business that is looking for a profit is an important value element of advertising in 2017.

#81: Paper Coupons Work

Placing advertisements in local papers such as discount coupons really does help to bring in new customers to try out your service. It is a good idea for you to offer only what you can afford and factor in the likeliness that these coupons will be redeemed on the large scale. As mentioned, people are looking for the deal in 2017.

#82: Check Out Trade Fairs

Many times, local areas will have trade fairs or other events sponsored by the local community as a way to help promote business within the community. Find out if your community is offering this and if so, get involved. Generally, an inexpensive booth allows you to hand out flyers to those who may be interested in your business.

#83: Use the Classifieds

Classified ads are still a good way to promote your business since people do read the paper. However, it is also a good idea to advertise within those classified ads that position your ad not only in the print version of the paper but also in the online version. Many people are turning to online reading of their news.

#84 Use Promotional Tools

Giving away items that you have your company’s name and website address on them is a great way to grow your business. Be sure that you give out items that are useful, such as giving pencils to schools or giving away a coffee mug that people will use.

Finding ways to advertise locally is important. Focus at least some of your efforts on the web, too, though even if you are a local business.

11. Networking Tips That Work

When it comes to advertising your business on the web or even locally, remember that, you do not have to do it all alone. In fact, some of the most beneficial types of advertising are those types done alongside the help of another business.

Try to network with other companies in numerous ways to build up your business traffic on your website and to get more people in the door. These tips will help you to break down the barriers and really build your business in 2017.

#85: Local Business Networking

Find local businesses that are not your direct competition but have a relationship to your business and network with them. Combine advertising dollars to do a campaign together, for example. This is an easy way for both of your to benefit.

#86: Write a Directory

Pull together a directory of local businesses that are working together. For example, if your business has a focus on window repair, networking with heating and air conditioning businesses, plumbing businesses and retail suppliers to form a directory for home improvement. Circulate it locally.

#87: Build Your Blog with Other Businesses

Including more than one business on a blog or website is not always a good idea but it can work well in some instances. For example, you can often refer a business to your clients or they can refer you. Try to network to build this type of relationships.

#88: Twitter About Others

Not only should you use social marketing for yourself but you can also use it to help promote other businesses who in turn will do the same for you. For example, you can help to promote the blog posts by one company through Retweeting their message on Twitter while they do the same for you.

#89: Check Out Yahoo Groups

Yahoo Groups is a great place to find others both online and offline. To use them, though, you do not want to solicit business. Rather, interact about other companies and services locally within the group. Use your signature line to help promote your business. Interact with other businesses that can help promote you, too.

#90: Go With The Mommy Blog

There are many ways that you can promote your business but some of the very best are those where you have personal recommendations by another person. There are many mommy blogs out there, geared towards mothers and written by mothers. Offer a sample of your product and request that the blogger write a review of the product on their blog. You can do the same for them, too.

#91: Network Within Groups

Like the mommy blogs, many online groups are a great place for you to interact with others. Some of them even have a design towards helping businesses to grow. You help others within the group with your knowledge and expertise while they help you. A search on Google or Facebook for groups with the topic of your business is enough to find this group.

#92: Pull Together for a Contest

Now, we have mentioned contests before but what about something bigger and more impressive. Go ahead and get involved in a large contest within your local area, such as giving away a large cash prize or something else. The advertising of this type of promotion is enough to drive business your way. Going bigger in 2017 is critical!

#93: Check Out Internet Radio

While not technically a form of networking, Internet radio is a growing fad. It is likely to be a better option for 2017 than ever before as people centralize more and more of their life on the web.

#94: Flyers Everywhere

One of the ways that you can actually place flyers throughout your area and not get in trouble for doing so is to network. For example, your local library needs donations. You make a donation and ask to leave flyers on their bulletin boards about your service. Do this throughout the local area.

As you can see, networking is really a powerful medium. How can you use it to better your business?

12. A Conclusion With More

Are you still looking for a few more ways that you can promote your business? Of course you are. Now that you have a good idea of what some of the best options for 2017 are, there are a few more to take into consideration.

#95: Do Hire A Pro

One of the best advertising tools for you is the professional. Rather than working your business on your own, hire a professional to help you. More specifically, for developing your website, for building your blogs and for writing articles to submit to directories, look for experts who can do the work for you, better than you can.

#96: Do Not Forget the Sales Pages

While many people in 2017 will be focusing on ways to build their business socially, that does not mean you should stop selling to your clients. You do need to. Focus on sales pages professionally written for the web. Flyers and other documentation for local businesses should deliver a sales message, too.

#97: Get Electronic If You Can

Any way that you can get your message out electronically is a good option. With the use of iPods, radios, email and smartphones, you want to be on those websites that people are using the most. Look for advertising opportunities that help you to get on people’s devices, including the podcast.

#98: Research What’s New

Although this article contains great tips for 2017, by the time we are half way through it, new websites and online tools for advertising will be emerging. If you do not want to be left behind, focus some of your time on researching new trends.

#99: Host a Webinar or a Seminar

You may not think you have anything to tell people, but if you are selling a product, there is likely a market that you can educate about it. Put on a free seminar or host a webinar to teach others. You can do this online through a live chat or even through video. Alternatively, do it locally. You will gain specific recognition as a professional when you do this.

#100: Talk About Your Business

Whether online or offline, you do need to tell others about your business. Be active at promoting it by simply telling people about it. For example, if you are meeting the parents of your child’s friend, introduce yourself to them. When the question of “what do you do” comes up, inform them. Many times, this is an easy way for you to build your business relationships up.

#101: Do Not Hide It: Ask for Their Business

Finally, the last tip that you will find for advertising your business in 2017 is to simply ask for the business of others. There is no reason to hide behind all the graphics and websites that you create. Rather, be sure to show others that you are in business and that you want to work with them.

It may be a handshake or it may be a phone call. It could be an email message or just a blog site. Include language that comes right out and says, “I would like your business.” That way, you are doing the one thing that people are truly expecting this year. You are being genuine, honest and upfront about your intentions.

We hope you found a few nuggets in our list of ways to advertise your business online and offline.

Do you have other ideas that are not on this list and working for you?

Let us know! Please comment below.

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