10 Proven Ways to Promote Your Business

How your website, social media presence, and creativity can lead to booming business

Co-authored by Squarespace and Dan Hickey

Last Updated: April 14, 2026 Fact Checked

This article was created in collaboration with an advertising partner. Learn more here.

If you’re a small business owner or a fresh entrepreneur, promoting your business in a way that’s straightforward, efficient, and cost-effective is a vital skill to have. But where exactly do you start, and how do you get the word out about your products or services without a large advertising budget? In this article, we’re sharing 10 tips you can implement today to promote your business without breaking the bank, from SEO optimization to good old-fashioned networking. Keep scrolling to learn more!

How do you promote your business?

Optimize your website for SEO to appear in more online search results.
Lean into low-cost social media promos like partnerships and user-generated content.
Use email campaigns to entice potential customers to check out your services.
Ask for referrals and attend networking events to broaden your customer base.

1

Optimize your website for SEO.

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Implement an SEO strategy to appear in more Google search results. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of improving your website’s visibility in organic (unpaid) search results on search engines like Google or Bing. Strong SEO increases your chances of showing up in results when someone searches for a product or service, allowing you to dramatically increase your reach and customer base.^{[1]
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Research source} There are lots of ways to optimize your site for SEO, like:^{[2]
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- Publishing relevant, authoritative content about your industry or product. What do potential customers want to know, and what qualifies you to tell them about it?
- Identifying what your competitors are publishing on their site, how they structure their web pages, and the keywords they emphasize. If they’re ranking well in search results, adapt some of their strategy to your site.
- Use the SEO tools that are built into your website platform to learn what people are searching for and how to target them. Squarespace’s website builder, for example, comes equipped with integrated, personalized, AI-powered SEO tools, AI Visibility tools, and an SEO Scanner that helps you audit content, detect site inefficiencies, and maximize traffic from organic searches.

2

Use email marketing campaigns.

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Send strategic email campaign blasts to keep current customers and attract new ones. Emails don’t have to be a direct sales pitch to buy your product—they can share information and news about your brand (like a newsletter), thank previous customers for their business to build brand loyalty, nurture new leads who may use your services later, or offer surveys to help you improve your brand strategy. Creating a strategic email campaign just takes a few steps:^{[3]
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- Decide who you’re emailing. Is it your entire contact list? Previous customers? New leads?
- Set a goal for your email campaign. Are you trying to boost sales? Drive up brand awareness? Generate new leads? Survey customers to keep them engaged?
- Use your email service provider (ESP) to draft and send your campaign. Your ESP lets you manage your contact list, design your email, and analyze its performance. For example, Squarespace’s email marketing tools make this process seamless—you can design, draft, and send on-brand emails to help you reach any business goal. Their email templates and AI-generated campaigns that can draft content in a specific brand voice can save you valuable time, too.
- Monitor the results. Use your ESP’s analytic tools to see open rates and conversions in real time and adjust your strategy if you’re not seeing the results you had hoped for.

3

Take advantage of social media advertising.

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Use free or low-cost promo methods to expand your reach and attract new customers. It’s pretty easy to pay for an ad on social media, but if you’re just starting out in the business world, you’re probably looking for cheap or free ways to be seen. Here are some easy ways to market yourself on social media without spending money:^{[4]
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- Ask customers to write or make video reviews when they make purchases or complete surveys. Feature these reviews in social media posts if they’re glowing.
- Create a social media persona for your brand with a unique voice. Comment on posts that your product users are seeing, engage with followers who comment on your posts, or even send DMs with promo links or discount codes to customers.
- Partner with another brand or influencer that complements yours to introduce yourself to new audiences online. You might cross-promote a webinar or product giveaway together and expose each other to your respective followings.
- Ask customers to make posts about your products using your branded hashtag for a chance to get featured on your page (this is called user-generated content and is also a great way to keep customers engaged).
- Post about educational content related to your industry or field.
- Create viral videos or other lighthearted content to boost your traffic and maintain your customer retention.

4

Curate an excellent customer experience.

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Make your customer’s purchase journey something to talk about. The simpler and more convenient it is for customers to buy your product or service, the more likely they’ll be to come back (and to recommend your business to others). A sleek homepage, easily browseable store, fast checkout process, simple appointment scheduling, and easy access to customer support all contribute to a smooth user experience that will help your reputation grow. Squarespace helps you stand out with better design using Finish Layer features to create a more dynamic, custom, and professional-grade site experience.
- Website platforms like Squarespace have lots of resources to help you wow your customers. For starters, their Blueprint AI Builder can craft a professional-looking website that’s easy to navigate in just minutes, giving visitors confidence that they’re on a secure and trustworthy site.
- Squarespace’s ecommerce features are also super easy to use and let you design a beautiful online store. They include smart invoicing workflows and AI-powered product and discount composers, and offer seamless checkout and flexible payment options (all major credit cards plus Apple Pay, Klarna, Afterpay/Clearpay, ACH, and more), integrate ratings and reviews, offer subscription purchases, and more.
- If you offer appointment-based services, Squarespace’s Acuity Scheduling software makes it easy for customers to book a session, pay, and add the session to their calendar. It also automates client communication and follow-up emails so that you have more time to focus on your services.

5

Start a blog on your website.

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Publish knowledgeable and helpful content to broaden your search engine reach. Blogging is a great way to refine your SEO strategy, plus it’s an easy way to share your experience, your brand voice, connect with readers (and potential customers) from all over the Internet, and rank higher in searches. Aim to write relevant content using keyword phrases to get the best traffic. What you blog about, the style of your posts, and how often you publish are up to you and your goals:^{[5]
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- If your goal is to primarily share big-picture news and updates about your company, a bi-weekly or monthly newsletter may be a good choice.
- If you’re giving updates on a specific project or product development, shorter posts published more frequently (maybe once a week) might be best.
- If you want to share more personal stories to highlight your brand voice and company mission, informal blog posts published at your leisure can be a nice touch.
- With tools like Squarespace’s Blueprint AI Builder, you can easily integrate your blog and website in a way that’s intuitive, aesthetic, and optimized to boost sales. Blueprint AI helps you generate a personalized starting point for your site, and you can use Squarespace's AI text generation tools to help write your blog copy faster.

6

Create a Google Business Profile.

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Claim your Business Profile so customers can find you on Search and Maps. You’ve probably noticed that when you Google search for businesses, small profiles appear that feature a business’s hours, location, website, contact information, and even reviews. These are free to claim for eligible businesses and are easy ways to make you appear more trustworthy and approachable to new customers.^{[6]
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Research source} To add your business:
- Visit business.google.com/add.
- Click “Add your business to Google.”
- Follow the on-screen prompts to add details about your business.
- Choose a verification option and follow the on-screen steps.
- See Google’s Business Help Profile to see if you’re eligible for a Business Profile.

7

Ask for customer referrals.

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Implement a system that actively solicits referrals from satisfied customers. Word of mouth is a great way to reach potential customers, but it can take a long time to see the effects. Instead, take a more active approach to ask for referrals from customers who love your product or service.^{[7]
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U.S. Small Business Administration
U.S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses

Go to source} For example, you could:
- Send a follow-up email asking for a referral after a customer receives their order from your site.
- Or, if you’re in B2B sales, you could have your sales reps ask for referrals during follow-up meetings with the customer.
- Tools like Squarespace’s automated email campaigns can make this process even smoother. Create follow-up emails asking for referrals using your own words or AI-generated copy that’s true to your brand, directly from your dashboard.

8

Network to build brand visibility.

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Be seen by potential customers and business partners to build brand recognition. There are lots of ways to network in the business world, and although it may feel like a chore sometimes, attending industry events, conferences, or panels is a great way to meet other business owners and promote your own company. Think of each event as an opportunity to help more people learn about you and what you do, and connect with like-minded business leaders you can collaborate with in the future.^{[8]
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Research source} Easy ways to network include:
- Online networking: Use platforms like LinkedIn to connect with professionals outside of your immediate community to exchange ideas and learn about other markets.
- Conferences and in-person events: Attend local industry meetings or panels to introduce yourself and your business to others in your line of work and learn about them, too.
- Professional associations: There may be an association you can join for free or for a low fee that lets you access industry findings and up-to-date news (like the American Management Association or the American Translators Association, for example).
- Pro tip: Think about how you and your business can help others instead of calling yourself “the best” or “the most important” in your field. This makes people more likely to want to engage or work with you later.^{[9]
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  U.S. Small Business Administration
  U.S. government agency focused on supporting small businesses
  
  Go to source}

9

Host workshops, webinars, or classes.

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Establish yourself as an industry authority by sharing your knowledge. Plan your own conference or panel to connect with local customers and business leaders and to position yourself as a leader in your field. Workshops and webinars are great tools for attracting attention to your business and making you seem like a trustworthy, knowledgeable entrepreneur.^{[10]
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Research source} What these events look like depends on your business, strengths, and goals. For example:
- If you make and sell jewelry, you could host a jewelry-making class or workshop to engage with potential customers in a unique, hands-on way.
- Or, if you specialize in financial advising, you might assemble a small panel of advisors (in person or online) to discuss helpful strategies for saving and other trends they’ve noticed for an audience of curious potential customers. You could moderate the panel, or participate as a panelist yourself.

10

Monitor and review your progress.

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Adjust your promotion strategy as you go to maximize your growth. Keep an eye on metrics like your customer base, revenue, new inquiries, your brand reach, and whatever other statistics help you measure success for your unique business. If you’re not seeing the results you want, review your market research and determine what aspects to change to facilitate more progress.
- For example, if your competitors are dominating on social media, you may want to dedicate more resources toward creating online content and engaging with potential customers through comments, DMs, etc.
- Take advantage of your website’s analytics tools, such as Squarespace’s traffic and trends reports. You can also use Squarespace Beacon AI, an AI-powered business partner, to uncover opportunities and optimize over time. These tools let you see where your website visitors are coming from online, how long they’re staying on your site, what geographic region they’re from, and more data to check whether your promotion strategies are working.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How do I get more traffic to my business?

Ryan Conway
Marketing Expert
Ryan Conway is a Marketing Expert and the Founder of Digital Tradesman, a digital marketing agency that helps builders, contractors, and tradesmen grow their business online. With over a decade of experience, he specializes in marketing, web design, and search engine optimization. Ryan holds a BS in Business Administration and Entrepreneurial Studies from Hartford University. He also studied Graphic and Web Design at the Boston University Center for Digital Imaging Arts. Ryan participated in Seth Godin’s altMBA in the winter of 2016.

Ryan Conway

Marketing Expert

Expert Answer

List your business in as many places as possible, like Pinterest, Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Yelp, and Google My Business.

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Question

How can I promote my small business online?

Sarah Harkleroad
Marketing & Branding Expert
Sarah Harkleroad is a Marketing & Branding Expert and a Co-Founder and Brand Manager at Daor Design. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in brand strategy, logo design, website design, and marketing for small businesses. Sarah holds a BA in Graphic Design, a BA in Fine & Studio Arts, and a Minor in Business Administration & Management - all from Cedarville University. To date, she and her team at Daor Design have helped over 450 small businesses across the country build their brands.

Sarah Harkleroad

Marketing & Branding Expert

Expert Answer

Promoting a business online involves setting up a business website, participating in industry/trade forum discussions, running a blog , setting up accounts on social networking sites, using pay-per-click and banner ads, listing your business information in business directories and employing search engine optimization (SEO) techniques.

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Question

How can I advertise my business for free?

Sarah Harkleroad
Marketing & Branding Expert
Sarah Harkleroad is a Marketing & Branding Expert and a Co-Founder and Brand Manager at Daor Design. With over 15 years of experience, she specializes in brand strategy, logo design, website design, and marketing for small businesses. Sarah holds a BA in Graphic Design, a BA in Fine & Studio Arts, and a Minor in Business Administration & Management - all from Cedarville University. To date, she and her team at Daor Design have helped over 450 small businesses across the country build their brands.

Sarah Harkleroad

Marketing & Branding Expert

Expert Answer

As long as you make your website accessible and easy to use, customers are more likely to return to it and you may get more visibility on Google.

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