11 Proven Ways to Grow Your Business without Online Ads

Business growth requires visibility and visibility requires marketing. If you are new to starting an online business or don’t really know how to market your business online, paying for visibility tends to be the fastest, easiest solution. This is especially true today when it feels like every online guru out there is telling you how quick and easy it is to grow your business using one of the constantly promoted advertising platforms out there like Facebook Ads, YouTube Ads, and Google Ads, and the list goes on. When it comes to marketing, we all know the appeal of paid ads, for the most part, they offer fast access to large numbers of potential customers. When they work, paid ads can be great, but as we all know they don’t always work because most successful ad campaigns take time to test and a lot more money than the average entrepreneur has a budget to invest. As I like to tell my clients, “When you can’t afford to spend the money, you have to spend the time.” Let’s talk about a few ways that you can invest more of your time into marketing strategies that don’t require an advertising budget.

Blog Marketing

I started my business on what I like to call a “Floss-String” budget. Blogging for Business, and strategically posting content on my website to attract my target audience, has been one of the best ways for me to effectively attract potential customers and also media attention. Over the years blogging has not only helped me build my business and customer base, but attract opportunities like speaking at major business conferences, getting podcast interview invitations, experts segments on tv, magazine features, book mentions, online features, and business recognition awards.

Article Marketing

Blogging on your own website is one of many methods of article marketing. Also, consider becoming a guest writer for other print and digital publications. You can also repost your articles on platforms like HubPages, LinkedIn, Reddit, and Medium.com. To explore this strategy on a deeper level you can look into information hubs, article directories, and content-sharing websites to uncover tons of great platforms where you can submit your articles for exposure, credibility building, brand visibility, traffic, and SEO backlinks too.

Email Marketing

Better than paid advertising, your email list is your biggest asset. Email Marketing is one of the oldest and most effective online marketing strategies. Some essential email marketing methods include promoting freebie lead magnet offers, auto-capturing new customers’ emails after each purchase, sales funnels, virtual events, email challenges, and publishing your own brand newsletter.

Newsletter Marketing

Business growth is about attraction and retention. Creating a branded email newsletter allows you to accomplish both of these goals by attracting people interested in the type of content you offer and keeping them connected to you through your newsletter content, which you can choose to share on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis. Your Newsletter can be a great channel to distribute your articles, drive traffic back to your website to promote your blog posts and paid offers. It’s also worth noting that beyond marketing, newsletters can also serve as an income stream if you offer paid advertising opportunities within your newsletter or create a paid subscription-based niche-specific newsletter for your audience.

Book Marketing

Every day millions of coaches, speakers, experts, and entrepreneurs use book marketing as a means to share their knowledge and attract customers. Whether it be through traditional publishing or digital self-publishing channels, consider using books to create low-price entry-point offers that appeal to your potential customers and media too. Keep in mind that books are not only used as a means to make money. Serious entrepreneurs, influencers, and coaches understand the power, impact, and exposure that comes from publishing their own book content. Great books can lead to great media exposure including print, tv, and radio interviews, along with speaking opportunities and brand partnership deals.

Audio Marketing

The right audio can really help you grow your business. Audio marketing can be accomplished in a variety of ways. You can start with seeking out podcast interview opportunities, which can put you in front of new audiences and potential customers. You can take this method a step further, by creating your own branded podcast on a platform like Anchor.fm. I personally have published two podcasts, one SistaSense podcast on Anchor and one SistaSense podcast on iTunes, which have both helped me to gain increased visibility online. In connection with book marketing, audiobooks have become an increasingly popular method used to reach new markets and generate increased sales. Creating audio content is one of my personal favorite ways to earn digital dollars online.

Video Marketing

A large percentage of our time online is spent consuming video content. Video marketing should definitely be an integral part of your online marketing plan, especially publishing branded videos on YouTube and short-form videos on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Over the last two decades, video marketing has always been a big part of my online business. I create and encourage my clients to use video marketing in various forms including promotional webinars, live streams, event replays, how-to tutorials, video testimonials, and behind-the-scenes life or business brand updates. If done consistently and correctly, video marketing can help you grow your following, drive traffic back to your website, and successfully sell on social media.

Affiliate Marketing

Once you have an audience of engaged fans and followers, you might want to consider creating your own affiliate program giving people the opportunity to make money by promoting your offers for a commission. Over the years I have created several affiliate programs to strategically market my virtual events and digital offers. This is a smart way to incentivize and reward others for promoting your content without having to pay for ads. Moreover, affiliate marketing is really all about results. Whether paid ad campaigns work or not, you are required to pay for the service. But with affiliate marketing, your partners only get paid when their promotions successfully convert into new sales. Best of all, there is no need for an ad budget when it comes to affiliate marketing because all the payouts come from a percentage of successful affiliate sales transactions.

Content Marketing

Content is King and Consistency is Queen, so put them together so you can collect that coin. Whether it be creating articles, blogs posts, videos, podcasts, or anything else I’ve mentioned thus far, at the heart of all these strategies is the idea that creating quality content is the best no-cost, low-cost, cost-effective way to attract quality leads and customers online. With that said, the best thing that you can do is to explore different content marketing strategies until you find the ones that work best for you and your target audience too. Once you are able to identify your best content marketing methods, the key is to rinse and repeat, or as I like to say, continue to (WWW) Work What Works.

Social Media Marketing

When it comes to building an online business, most people start with building a website with the belief that “If you build it, they will come.” But of course, when they don’t naturally come to your website, you’re stuck wondering, “what do I do?” For most entrepreneurs, the answer to that question is “get social.” Creating a brand presence on the top social media platforms is just as, if not more important than having a website. You have to meet people where they are, help them find you, and give them a reason or two to stick around, follow and stay connected to you. Once you get into the habit of creating content the next natural step is to start distributing your content more starting with your own website, email list, and blog and of course branching out by building your brand visibility on various social media platforms. If you are interested, we can also explore the current most effective ways to market and sell on social.

Word of Mouth Marketing

While the top social media sites, trends, and algorithms are always changing, one thing that remains the same is the power of word-of-mouth marketing. Beyond consistent content creation, referrals are my second-best source of traffic. Over the years I’ve built up a network of referrals by first and foremost giving away a lot of information, so people tend to refer others back to me for this very reason. I’ve also worked hard to develop long-lasting relationships with clients who regularly come back and bring their friends. And I’ve worked hard to create a space on my platforms to spotlight other entrepreneurs, who have in turn reciprocated by inviting me to speak, teach, or be featured on their platforms in front of their audiences. I say all of that to say, you should definitely work on creating a strong network around you of like-minded individuals, potential partners, and ideal customers you love to work with who also love working with you, talking positively about you, and ultimately sharing what you do with others who could use your expertise, products, or services.

Long story short, I’ve been an online entrepreneur for over two decades and officially working for myself at home for the last sixteen years. I’ve seen the internet and online entrepreneurship evolve in so many ways, but the one thing that remains the same is the fundamentals. Content Marketing and Word of Mouth Marketing are here to stay, so if you choose not to obsess about the latest TikTok trend or over-invest in the latest Ad offer, I’m here to help you get clear about how to make these fundamentals work for you. Feel free to schedule a clarity call with me or join us inside the Content Creation Challenge for a consistent dose of inspiration, motivation, and direction.

If you like this post, leave a comment and let me know what resonated with you the most. I’d also love to know if there are other questions or specific types of marketing strategies you’d like for me to write more about. If you like this post, you might also enjoy reading the guide – 13 Marketing Secrets for Entrepreneurs.