It’s hard to get noticed online. Follow these simple tips to extend your online reach and get in front of new clients without having to pay for it.

Thousands of new websites hit the internet every day. Artists, entrepreneurs, startups, small businesses - they are always building, publishing and trying to scale up their online presence... Which is great for the web and for the economy in general, but not so great if you’re trying to be discovered in this seamlessly endless ocean of content.


You have to work harder than ever before to stand out and to find an audience that resonates with you and your product or service. That means using every tool at your disposal to promote your website, without breaking the bank.


Let’s talk about a couple of free (yes free!) basic tools and techniques that you should be using to build an audience and to find a tribe that embraces what you have to offer.

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On a technical level, one of the easiest things you can do is create great content associated with your website. Writing blog posts, taking good pictures, creating useful videos. With today’s technology, this is all very doable. Of course, just because it’s easy to physically execute doesn’t mean that it’s easy to create something that people find interesting and useful. Creating good content that breaks through organically and ‘goes viral’ has become the gold rush of the 21st century.


It doesn’t really help to build an online strategy around what you think will ‘break the internet’ next (unless you have a personal connection to the Kardashians). Focus on creating content within your area of expertise and try to solve problems for your audience. Through using good SEO practices and consistently creating valuable content, you’ll soon find yourself attracting an audience that resonates with you and your offering.


Quality and consistency over time will yield positive results. That’s the best way to think about your content, and could lead to that breakout moment you’re looking for.


SOCIAL MEDIA

 

Social media has made it easier (and free!) to share your thoughts and ideas online in order to drive traffic to your website. For example, you don’t have to create all the great content yourself. You can share and comment on other people’s work in such a way that it amplifies your own brand, and positions you as a certain type of “thought leader” in your industry.


Sharing other people’s great content can help you build an audience, insert you into the kinds of conversations that you want to be having, and open the door for you to share your own story / services when the time is right.


The bad news is, the sheer volume of content on social media can make you feel like a needle in a haystack.


Creating content and sharing good content are two sides of the same coin, and they need each other in order to grow your business online.


Try to find ways to link back to your website whenever possible. By doing this, you open a number of doors to your website and if your content and comments are good enough, it could deliver new prospects for a long time to come.


ONLINE DIRECTORIES

 


There are a range of directories online where you can list your products and services. These online directory websites incorporate your info into giant data banks and respond with links when people search for your specific product or service. All you have to do is submit your website URL and some additional business information and your business will be added to the database.


It may seem simple, but adding your business to online directories is a very good way to build credibility and help improve your SEO rankings at no cost and for minimal effort.


Top 10 Online Directories


Being bookmarked in this manner can drive a lot of good quality traffic to your site, and is looked upon favourably by search engines who often feature lists of bookmarked pages. One way to facilitate this is to add social bookmarking buttons to your site so that it’s easy for users to bookmark your website and increase your chances of wider exposure. These are a few free online resources you should be utilizing to get your business noticed.


Remember there are no shortcuts to great marketing. You have to be prepared to put in the time, keep producing high quality content and making it easy for people to find and share your content online. Sometimes it will feel like a thankless job, but there are times when you will break through the noise and reach a whole new market that makes all those hours behind the screen feel worthwhile.

In digital marketing, persistence is rewarded. Stick with it, and it can deliver attention that will change your business.