Starting your own business takes a great deal of planning, but that doesn't just involve the day to day operations. You will also have to plan out a marketing strategy that will help you expand your reach and grow new customers. Contrary to what most people think, this doesn't always involve spending thousands of dollars on complex advertising campaigns. 

Start a Blog 

The first step in launching any type of digital marketing campaign is to create a website for your business. Your website is a portal to your business and can serve as the only storefront many of your consumers will ever see. Your site should have a blog and you should create posts to publish on your blog on a regular basis. By writing about topics related to your business and providing information of value, you can establish yourself as a leading authority in your area of interest. Consumers will migrate to your website to learn something new and, while they're there, you can guide them to your online store with actionable buttons. 

Start a Newsletter 

As you research how to start an online store, you may find many suggestions to start a newsletter. This may seem confusing, if you're already running a blog, but there's a good reason to send out a weekly newsletter. You can get people to sign up for your newsletter to keep them informed about the weekly posts on your blog. In addition to highlighting your most intriguing blog posts, you should also slip in some sale items for your online store, or offer exclusive contests to the newsletter's subscribers. This ensures your subscribers will feel the newsletter is worth their time, while also compelling them to keep returning to your site. 

Give Away Something of Value 

Free samples are the best way to attract new consumers, but that's certainly not the only thing you have to give away. You could shoot video tutorials for performing some complex task, which would require the use of your products. For example, if you sell eyeliner, you could provide an interesting make-up tutorial, which would involve the use of your cosmetics. In this way, you're giving away something of value, while also compelling consumers to buy your products. This approach can be a great deal more effective than going for the hard sell. 

Host a Photo Contest 

Images drive the social media industry and businesses aren't blind to this fact. This is why you see so many commercial businesses and nonprofit organizations offering selfie contests. This is an opportunity to spread awareness about your brand, while also rewarding your most loyal customers. Best of all, the contest pays for itself. Online users send you their selfies that feature your products, which you can post on your website and your social media pages. Once you reach a deadline, you select the most creative or innovative pictures and reward those users with free gifts. 

Spend Time Connecting on Social Media 

Your social media accounts should be used for more than just promoting your latest contest. You should log in regularly on your social media sites, concentrating on those sites that provide the most user interaction. Consumers want more than the traditional hard sell. They're going to be more loyal to brands that care about them and make an effort to show that they're valued customers. If you respond to comments, questions, or complaints in a timely manner and continuously share new content, your following will continue to grow. 

Be a Guest 

One of the best ways to reach new online users is by appearing as guest and you can do this in a number of different ways. You can write guest blogs, appear on guest podcasts, or seek out YouTube channels that regularly interview businesses in your industry. No matter which route you choose to take, be aware that you'll be expected to provide content of value. This means taking the time to come up with something interesting to discuss and learning new ways to make it interesting. If you're charismatic enough, you may soon get requests to appear on new podcasts or blogs. 

There are many ways to use the internet to help you grow your business. By employing several suggestions, you can generate more buzz around your brand and raise consumer interest. While paid advertising can also help you reach more customers, these easily employed alternatives can help supplement your marketing campaigns and reach consumers who might not be seeing those paid ads. Together, multiple marketing tactics will help you reach more consumers worldwide.