To promote your small business, try these three tools

Keeping your business relevant online can be one of the more challenging and costly ways to attract a new audience, but it’s also one of the best and most effective. Transitioning your budget from traditional advertising to new digital platforms and channels can be difficult to navigate. Consider these three steps to be your compass:

Keep your website relevant
This one’s a freebie — your website. If you have a website for your business (and really, by now you absolutely should), it’s worth restating how critical it is to always have your website up to date on promotions, shareable links and more. Make certain you’re connecting the website to any social media channels. This way if you’re promoting a special on Facebook for example, customers can easily reach — and share — the information, while linking back to your website.

Take advantage of online directories
Most small businesses overlook getting listed on online directories; however, what they don’t realize is that these directories are often one of the first places people come to when seeking referrals and references for services. Make it a point to ensure your business is listed on as many relevant online directories as possible. And if you’re promoting events, list them on national sites like Ticketfly as well as local online newspapers and websites.

Maximize email marketing
Most marketing plans in this day and age include email-marketing campaigns. It’s one of the most effective and inexpensive ways to reach consumers without being invasive. Look into sites like MailChimp that have free components and let you build your own template. They also have features that will better help your company sell and connect with current consumers. Just keep in mind to use the right strategy for your target demographic and audience.