Loading...
Answers
MenuWhere can you advertise for free?
We're already planning on Facebook, Craigslist, Twitter, Google+, and Reddit. Are there any other places where you can advertise for free or cheap?
Also, what have you found to be the best platform in terms of ROI?
Answers
Social media is probably the best channel available, with reasonable returns. However, "free" may be a false economy, as it takes a lot of time/effort to do it effectively. Pick 1 or 2 relevant social media platforms (Twitter & Facebook?) and put your effort there.
A lot depends on who your target market is, and what level of reach you need. E.g., if you need to a very specific set of users/customers, then make a list of your targets and try and reach out to the individuals on social media. If you have a wider set of users/customers, reach out to specific hashtags/keywords.
Alternatively, put some money towards Google AdWords, LinkedIn ads or Facebook ads. Go for the "long tail" of keywords, which should be fairly cheap.
Let me know if you need more detail around this.
I've gone through a lot of this myself. Pumping money into social network advertising is not (or highly unlikely) to return a strong ROI but it depends on your product and who you want to reach.
It is much more effective when your brand presence has grown enough to create a Halo around your advertising; right at the start, you are going to burn a lot of cash for little results.
The best thing to do is to get the basics right first. Create multiple touchpoint for your business with social media pages (it looks like you have that). Make sure you have a few videos on YouTube, this counts toward SEO. Be active with blogging and content engagement. Publish on LinkedIn, create a blog and start engaging your audience and drive traffic to your site.
If your business wants B2B advertising, check www.arlians.com; it's in BETA but if you sign up now, you can get some level of advertising access for Free (for life)
Hello, I think you should have asked first instead for what platform gives the best ROI. More specifically for what purpose?
Is not just about saving money, what about your time? Do you have the right concept in place so that you're not interrupting viewer's time with random ads that they are not interested in? Potentially costing you sales rather than driving them.
For example if you are promoting a new beard oil for hipsters, you are probably better off shying away from FB. While Instagram or Twitter might be better for ROI.
Reddit, hmm...it is a SaaS? otherwise maybe not so much.
For example,I marketed a pair of crotchless shorts for outdoor enthusiasts. Particularly females.Anyway for this product, a combination of paid google searches, instagram and facebook proved to be a great combination.
The ads, however pointed to custom landing pages I created with A/B testing to see what worked best. Tweaked as needed and re-ran. We went from 0 to over 9,000 monthly visits after creating a brand new domain for it w/ zero prior SEO.
In Phoenix, my wife is the owner of Honest Maids. I started off the marketing for this the same way. But I used Instagram, facebook and business cards customized for events and each with a unique purpose link. - to a landing page. Instead of waiting the typical 3-4 month wait for clients to call in for services I did it in less than a month.
For our marketing and web design team I use a combination that includes Linkedin, Craigslist, Quora, Twitter, Referral systems and blogs' backlinks.
(obviously me answering here for you is another way of adversiting something for me...)
It all depends on where your clients are... follow them not the price to advertise there ;)
I believe that social media is the best place to advertise your product for free, but since you have already tried it, you can try online directories for your business.
Ranging from high-profile platforms to local listings, online directories cover a range of audiences. The method for each of them is quite similar: you submit the URL of your professional website, as well as additional details about your business or organization. These sites, in turn, incorporate this information into their data banks, ensuring that a link to your site appears when users search relevant content categories. In addition to displaying your business name and website, these free advertising sites can improve your search engine optimization, or SEO.
You can read more here: https://www.wix.com/blog/2016/12/free-places-to-promote-your-website
Besides if you do have any questions give me a call: https://clarity.fm/joy-brotonath
Related Questions
-
How was SnapChat able to grow so quickly?
I'm answering your question assuming that you hope to be able to replicate it's own success in your own mobile app. There are a couple of factors responsible for it's growth that are instructive to anyone building a mobile app. "Leveraging the intimacy and privacy of the mobile phone." We now have an *intimate* relationship with our phone like no other device in the history of technology. Every internet company that started before around 2010 has built their core interactions around "the old web" one which was accessed primarily via a browser on a computer. Companies that start with a clean slate, should be building their interactions around how to do whatever the app is supposed to do while leveraging what is unique to people's relationship to their mobile devices. Photo-sharing has become a core part of the way we communicate now. Snapchat built something that provided an experience that leveraged the feeling of privacy and intimacy that is unique to mobile. "Provided an escape from the "maturity" of other online services." Too many parents, aunts, uncles and other "old people" have encroached into the social networks of teens and young people. As a result, they've had a desire to find places to express themselves in places inaccessible by older generations. An important distinction is that it's not just parents and relatives that young people are trying to avoid, but also employers & colleges who are increasingly using "mature" social networks to review applicants. "Leveraged PR even bad PR" The fact that the app got so much press about it being used to sext was perfect PR for the company, as it essentially reinforced the brand experience that it has today. Essentially, "if it's safe enough to send a sext, it's safe for any kind of communication I want to have." And although the safety and security of Snapchat is actually not as advertised, it still enjoys the reputation of having less impact than any primarily web-based service. Building a successful mobile application is one of the hardest challenges to face designers, programmers and entrepreneurs in the history of writing software. Happy to talk to you if you're considering building a mobile app, about what I've learned about the "table stakes" for success.Tom WilliamsTW
-
How much equity should I ask as a CMO in a startup?
Greater risk = greater equity. How likely is this to fail or just break even? If you aren't receiving salary yet are among 4-6 non-founders with equivalent sweat investment, all of whom are lower on the totem pole than the two founders, figure out: 1) Taking into account all likely outcomes, what is the most likely outcome in terms of exit? (ex: $10MM.) Keep in mind that 90%+ of all tech startups fail (Allmand Law study), and of those that succeed 88% of M&A deals are under $100MM. Startups that exit at $1B+ are so rare they are called "unicorns"... so don't count on that, no matter how exciting it feels right now. 2) Figure out what 1% equity would give you in terms of payout for the most likely exit. For example, a $10MM exit would give you $100k for every 1% you own. 3) Decide what the chance is that the startup will fail / go bankrupt / get stuck at a $1MM business with no exit in sight. (According to Allman Law's study, 10% stay in business - and far fewer than that actually exit). 4) Multiply the % chance of success by the likely outcome if successful. Now each 1% of equity is worth $10k. You could get lucky and have it be worth millions, or it could be worth nothing. (With the hypothetical numbers I'm giving here, including the odds, you are working for $10k per 1% equity received if the most likely exit is $10MM and the % chance of failure is 90%.) 5) Come up with a vesting path. Commit to one year, get X equity at the end. If you were salaried, the path would be more like 4 years, but since it's free you deserve instant equity as long as you follow through for a reasonable period of time. 6) Assuming you get agreement in writing from the founders, what amount of $ would you take in exchange for 12 months of free work? Now multiply that by 2 to factor in the fact that the payout would be far down the road, and that there is risk. 7) What percentage share of equity would you need in order to equal that payout on exit? 8) Multiply that number by 2-3x to account for likely dilution over time. 9) If the founders aren't willing to give you that much equity in writing, then it's time to move on! If they are, then decide whether you're willing to take the risk in exchange for potentially big rewards (and of course, potentially empty pockets). It's a fascinating topic with a lot of speculation involved, so if you want to discuss in depth, set up a call with me on Clarity. Hope that helps!Ryan DravingRD
-
What are best strategies to sell LED light tubes and industrial lighting/lamps online a) in general and b) on amazon?
I'd ask Rocco Baldassarre. He is the best online marketing consultant I've ever seen and can surely give you concrete advice. Said that, my advice would be a) your own e-commerce store so you can drive traffic to it without losing money on commissions b) learn from best selling products (you can see sales ranks of competing products if you register as an amazon affiliate marketer; it's free) and copy their structure, split test regularly Hope it helps!Christina MendelCM
-
What is the best timing in the new year to launch business marketing?
Hi there! In few words, the launch date does not matter a lot as long as you are following with a continuous marketing plan all the year. It is better to tune your lunch date according to your marketing campaign than connecting it to the seasonal event. The timing of your launch only matters if your website is already ranked or has a good authority associated to it. Launching a website is not like opening a local shop. The launch date is defined by the effectiveness of your marketing campaign. In other words, your question must be rephrased as: "When is the best time to launch my first marketing campaign for my newly created website?". In that case, you will need to describe in details what kind of website you have and how are you planning to market it. I would be able to give you a more accurate answer if you explain to me what kind of website are you planning to launch or what products mainly are you selling. Hope that helps!Roland ZelhofRZ
-
Is it ok from a brand perspective to have different color schemes for your logo for different purposes?
Building a brand takes more than a logo. With that said, consistency is key for obtaining a competitive advantage that speaks to your market for longer. I would recommend against using different styles and colors for various purposes and instead maybe avoid using in lieu of the logo use maybe instead borders or patterns that use your logo's or brand colors. The idea of a logo is to engrave a mission or product into potential customers when they simply see the brand or logo... Once a logo is pushed and promoted you can strengthen that image by enforcing the brands colors through different materials or media :)Humberto Valle Texas Real Estate Investor, Wholesaler, & Airbnb SuperhostHV
the startups.com platform
Copyright © 2025 Startups.com. All rights reserved.
