7 Free Online Marketing Techniques

Got a website?

How can you get people to visit it?

We have compiled 7 tried-and-true ways you can increase traffic to your website. And the best part is that they are all 100% free! These 7 techniques will help you pique interest, generate leads, and drive qualified prospects to your site.

1. Social Media Marketing

It’s not going away, folks! Even if you’re not a huge fan of Facebook, it’s time to embrace it. If you want to learn more about internet network marketing, start with our blog on Social Media Marketing.

2. Free Press Releases

Press releases are a gift to your business and your website! They read like a credible, reputable news article but give you the results of a paid advertisement. Some press releases services charge an arm and a leg (up to $150!), but there are plenty of free positing services that will give you similar great results:

3. Video Posting

Did you know that 85% of people more likely to purchase a product after watching a product video? (http://www.invodo.com/resources/statistics/)

Get your prospects ready to buy by creating informative and entertaining videos to post on free video hosting sites, such as YouTube or MetaCafe.com. Come up with a catchy video title to draw in your visitors, and include an easy-to-find link to your website in the description box. You can also place clickable text boxes in your videos on YouTube to further encourage web traffic.

When you’re done, advertise your videos with an email marketing campaign and on all your social media sites.

4. Article Marketing

Write informative, focused articles and post them to article submission websites. These are short pieces – usually between 400-600 words. The best articles are ones that read like an entertaining yet useful news article about a particular subject.

There are many free article distribution websites. EZineArticles.com is the largest, but you can also use websites like Buzzle.com, ArticlesBase.com, and IdeaMarketers.com. Be sure to include an author bio with a link to your website, and also pay close attention to editorial guidelines to ensure your article submission is approved.

5. Forum Posting

This next method can be time-consuming, but will generate high-quality, highly-targeted leads. There are thousands of forums on the Internet, focused on almost any topic you can think of. Create an account on a few of the forums related to your website, and include your website address in your profile and signature so that it shows up whenever you post a message. Participate in discussions in the message board that are thoughtful, unique, and useful to other message board users by prompting discussion, answering questions for others, and being helpful. These efforts will build credibility while also possibly recruiting prospects.

Note: Be careful not to spam the message board or violate the forum’s rules of conduct!

6. Email Signatures

This is the easiest internet marketing solution. Simply embed your website’s link in your email signature, making it visible yet unobtrusive to your content. Be creative, but don’t be too loud. A simple, professional signature with your website works wonders.

7. In-Person Marketing

No matter how far you get with digital marketing, don’t ever forget the power of person-to-person marketing! Hand out business cards and distribute flyers and other print media. Most of your in-person marketing will be completely free or extremely inexpensive. You may not reach as large an audience as you would online, but you can get quality contact with the people in your community who will help you spread the word.

Got any more free internet marketing advice? Leave your tips in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you.