10 Free Ways to Market Your New Brand

Congratulations! You created your new brand and now you are so excited to tell it to the world! There’s just one problem…you don’t have a direct link between you and the world! We see it all the time. Someone starts a new business, builds a killer brand, and then…crickets. Of course, you tell all of your friends and family, but are they really your target audience? You need a way to reach your audience with your new brand. Here are some of our favorite ways to market your new brand for free!

1. Partner Up

Find someone who targets the same audience as you do and partner up! Offer to promote their services in your upcoming program, on your social media page, link their information from your website, or feature them in your upcoming newsletter. In exchange, ask them if they will do the same for you.

2. Start Networking

You never know where your next connection will take you. So…network – network – network. There are a lot of free networking groups out there and most will let you attend your first meeting at no cost. Just remember the “Rules of Road” when it comes to networking. It’s less about pushing your product and more about helping others and establishing relationships. Once you master this, business will follow.

3. Be Center Stage

Nothing commands authority quite like speaking on stage does. A quick google search for your topic will yield many speaking opportunities. If you are just starting out as a speaker, google “Call for speakers + your topic.” For example, if you help others with mental illness, you would google, “Call for speakers mental illness.” You’ll be amazed at the number of opportunities you will find. 

Most local networking groups are looking for a great speaker at their meetings as well. Check out www.meetup.com and see what groups are out there where you could add value for their members by being a speaker. 

4. Leverage Social Media

It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all of the different social media platforms out there. Our best advice is to find the platform that you think works best for your brand and start there. If you are more B2B, LinkedIn may be great for you, but if your target audience is the every day consumer, Facebook could be the perfect platform. If you have a product that you produce, then maybe it’s Instagram. For example, if you are a bakery, pictures of your creations on Instagram will yield better results for you than LinkedIn.

5. Have a Social Strategy

No, we don’t mean social media! We are talking about your social calendar! Here’s the thing…how many “coffees” can you really have in month? Your time is extremely valuable. Make sure that those that you are meeting with are going to be able to provide value to you and you can provide value to them as well. Also, the non-coffee drinker in me hates when someone says, “Do you want to meet for coffee?” Of course, I know I don’t have to order coffee, but can we get a little more creative? Maybe go for a walk on the beach (okay maybe that’s just for those of us who live near a beach), but maybe you have mountains, or a scenic park. It’s amazing the creativity that can flow when you aren’t just sitting on your a**. 

6. Go Tell it on the Mountain

Remember the Ricola commercials where the guy is standing in the mountains with an alphorn (long wooden horn) and yells, “Riiiiiiiiiiii-coooooooo-la!” That’s how we feel about announcing to the world that you have a new business. You need to tell everyone! Shout it from the mountaintops! Send an email to all of your friends, family, and past clients. Post on your social channels. Let everyone know about your new adventure. Don’t know what to say? Download our sample email here. 

7. Attend a Trade Show

We know that being a vendor at a trade show can be expensive, but have you ever thought about doing a reverse trade show? In other words, you find an event where your clients would likely be the vendor with booths and you attend as an attendee! Many trade shows are open to the public for free and it’s a great way to go around to the booths (your prospective clients) and talk with them! 

8. Offer a Discount

Everyone loves a good deal! Launch a “new brand” sale. Build up interest and get people using your product or service quickly. Once you get them on board, you can get immediate feedback and testimonials to help your sales in the future! 

9. Start a Challenge

People love to be a part of something. So, start a challenge and get people involved! Have people sign up for your 7 Day Challenge. Then, at the end of the challenge, make an offer to them. 

10. Send a Press Release

Don’t forget about good ol’ traditional marketing. Press releases can be a great way to get the word out. You never know when someone may pick up your story and it can have a drastic impact on your business. Never written a press release before? No worries. We have you covered. Download our press release template here. 

You can get media contacts by searching the internet for specific media outlets and then finding the right person’s email on their website. Or, if you don’t want to go down a bunch of rabbit holes searching for contact information, we recommend 2 ways to get media contacts.

1. Contact your local convention and visitor’s bureau and ask them to send you their media list.
2. Go to http://www.easymedialist.com and get your contacts quickly (there is a small fee on this site). 

The most important thing is to get started. Ideas only become great ideas when they are implemented. Pick 2-3 from the above list and make a goal to start marketing immediately. You’ll have your million dollar brand in no time! 

Still working on building your million dollar brand? Attend our free class: 5 Shifts to a Million Dollar Brand.