Starting an online business takes a lot of time and energy, however it should take a lot of money.  I’m sharing 5 valuable steps on building your online brand with when you don’t have a lot of money in the bank.

1. Find a need.  When starting a business, it’s essential to fulfil a want or need of your target audience.  If your business is fulfilling a need, then you will already have a viable target market.  Finding the need of your audience is free. All you have to do is research.  There are online forums that you can visit and there’s social media groups.
2. Establish credibility.  This is another thing that you can do for free.  There are several ways that you can establish yourself as an expert in your field.  You can blog, podcast, or send emails.  Don’t worry about given out too much free content, because this proves that you are a valuable source, and your target market will want to connect with you.
3. Take advantage of inexpensive resources. My favorite resource is Fiverr.  Fiverr is a website, where you can get inexpensive help online for as little as $5.  I’ve used Fiverr for my website, editing, logo and graphic design.  Here’s my link to Fiverr https://go.fiverr.com/visit/?bta=402634&brand=fiverrcpa.  I use Fiverr for most of my marketing.  Fiverr can be a really awesome resource, especially when you are on a budget.  Here’s a link to an article that I’ve wrote about my top Fiverr tips http://successwithnicole.com/using-fiverr-for-your-business/
4. Use social media. Social media marketing is a smart way to reach your audience. No matter the type of business that you have, there is a good chance that you will reach your audience with social media marketing.  Social media marketing can be free.  Below are some ways that you can promote on social media for free.
   1. Use targeted hashtags.  Research hashtags that’s being used by your target audience and include those hashtags on your post.  This will increase visibility.
   1. Be strategic with your bio.  Include industry related keywords in your bio, that way your profile may come up with your audience is searching.
5. Promote.  Remember that your products or services is something that is wanted or needed by your target audience, so do not be afraid to promote.  You can promote your business.  Below are some different ways of promoting.
   1. Publicity- You can pitch to popular bloggers, podcasters, and magazines for interviews.  It doesn’t cost anything to pitch, but it does take a lot of time, because you’ll have to research.  You’ll have to reach out to media outlets that’s being viewed by your target audience.
   1. You can do paid advertising on Google and social media.  If you have a small business, then start small.  You can invest in paid advertising with $5 per day.
   1. Email Marketing- You can promote your business with your email list.   There are some paid email marketing sites, but there are also some free ones.

Do not let having a lot of money stop you from becoming an online business owner. There are so many quality and inexpensive ways that you can build a brand.  If you are still in need of ways to build your brand inexpensively, please check out my digital workbook, Branding on a Budget.

Disclaimer

My goal is share products, business strategies, and services that I think that you will find useful. This e-book contains clickable links. If you purchase them, I may get a small commission at no cost to you