7 Ways to Grow your Business without Online Ads

Not sure that you’re ready for Google or Facebook ads? If you have time and a little money, there are many other ways to grow your customers and sales without advertising. I recommend trying these tactics first to make sure your customers can find you, learn about you, and ultimately buy. Ads are just one piece of the marketing puzzle.

  1. Build your Brand on Social Media
    By consistently posting photos, information, deals, and product updates on your social media platforms (along with a hashtag strategy), you ensure that your business can be found online. This could include Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Linkedin and many more. I recommend using a social media posting platform like Sked Social or Hootsuite to schedule your Facebook and Instagram posts. This makes it easier to manage and will save you hours of time. Additionally, if you decide to do social media advertising in the future, you’ll already have built your brand’s look, feel, and followers.
    PRO TIP: Respond to user’s questions and comments. This not only shows that you care about your followers, but that there is someone behind the brand. 

  2. Reach People in Their Inbox - Email Marketing

    Offering in-depth content by email is a great way to educate your potential customers and create loyalty from your current ones. This makes email marketing one of the cheapest and most effective marketing tactics. How to get users to sign up for your newsletter? Your website should have a visible “email newsletters signup” in the footer or as a popup. Encourage people to sign up for your newsletter via social media and on every blog post you write (#4). Email marketing can be complex. Learn more about email marketing here.
    PRO TIPS: 1) As soon as someone signs up for your email, automate your email software to send out a “Welcome” email.  2) Each newsletter can encourage subscribers to share with a friend. This way you’re able to promote your email newsletter via email newsletter.

  3. Partner with a Similar Business Co-Marketing
    Have you partnered with another business before? Would their customers like your products? Would your customers like your partner’s products? This is co-marketing. Examples of co-marketing might be showing off your partner’s products on your Instagram, or in your email newsletter, coming together to offer a collaborative giveaway. The goal is that your customers learn about your partner’s brand, while their customers learn about yours. 

  4. Write Blog Posts for SEO
    How can you appear in Google without paying for Google ads? Write more content. Write blog posts and articles that specifically answer your clients' questions and objections. Do you have an expensive product? Why is it so expensive? Does your product last for 10 years? How? Answering common questions in a blog format is not only helpful for your customers but helps Google better rank and understand your products. Remember, SEO is a long-term strategy and it is never guaranteed to rank your website number #1 on Google search. However, high-quality content will make you appear as a knowledgeable leader, show Google that your site is active and growing (a factor in SEO), and make it easier for people to discover your website on Google search results. Learn more about SEO.

  5. Be a Guest Writer
    Write on another website that complements your brand. This helps get your name and your brand out there. Learn where you can be a guest writer. 

  6. Host a Virtual Event for your current customer 

    A great way to actively and personally engage with your customers is through virtual events. Use Eventbrite, Meetup, or Facebook events to promote your event to potential customers. Your event will depend on your business, but some examples could be offering an online Cooking Class using your products, an Investing 101 to promote your financial services or even a “how-to” of your product or service. Make these events educational, inspirational, or entertaining ensuring that whatever you do is meant to help your customers.
    PRO TIP: Promote your event in your email newsletter. Any registrants not on your email newsletter can be added. 

  7. Make it easy for people to find your business and contact information. 

    Aside from social media, create a personal and business Linkedin profile. This is a great way to connect with professionals, show off company updates, and is just another place to show off your content. 


There are dozens of other ways to promote and grow your business on and offline. These are a great place to start because they are easy and there’s lots of information on how to excel with each of these tactics. Learn more about my favorite digital marketing resources and links here to grow your marketing skills.