5 digital marketing tips to grow your online presence for free

For online sellers, successfully growing your brand is the key to success. One of the biggest benefits is appearing higher on search engines, but it can be tricky knowing where to start when it comes to understanding SEO for small businesses.

Managing your online presence requires constant maintenance, which can feel overwhelming, especially for new business owners. It’s hard to know where to start in the internet wild west, but that’s why we’ve rounded up our top 5 free and easy-to-follow digital marketing tips for expanding your reach online.

What is a digital presence?

A digital presence refers to the ways your business appears online. It relates to how easy it is for your prospective customer to find you and your online reputation.

Before building your presence online, you need to understand its building blocks. The main components of your digital presence are:

• Your website: This will be the ultimate representation of your brand online and is arguably the most critical puzzle piece of your online presence.
• Social media profiles: How you represent your brand on platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, Facebook, and X (formerly known as Twitter).
• Your content: This is what you are posting online, such as social posts, video content, newsletters, e-books, and podcasts.
• Paid advertising: This includes Google Ads and Facebook Ads.
• Online reviews: The feedback you receive from customers from sources like Trustpilot.

How can I build my online presence for free?

We’ve provided our top five tips for how a novice online seller can start building their digital marketing presence and promote their business on a threadbare budget:

1. Build an incredible website

Your website is the face of your operation, so it’s critical to get this right. While building an engaging website from scratch can be daunting, it’s worth the time you’ll put into it.  It might sound expensive, but you can use a free ecommerce builder.

Many of these website builders now have a fleet of AI-powered tools that can help beginners set up a professional website in just minutes. You can use AI chatbots to help construct a site that fits in line with your branding, even if you have no design experience yourself.

The essential elements of a successful website are:

• A clean, memorable domain name that reflects the intent of your website. (You can find out how much it will cost in our guide to domain name pricing.)
• A secure and trustworthy website URL that uses HTTPS. You’ll need to purchase an SSL certificate.
• A clear site structure, such as “Homepage > Category > Subcategory”, makes it simple for users to navigate your site.
• Speedy loading times: make sure you compress your images, minify CSS, and enable browser caching.

2. Optimise your SEO

So now you have a slick new website, but you won’t be able to successfully build your online presence without first understanding Search Engine Optimisation (SEO). The biggest benefit of SEO is that it can result in higher rankings in Google search results.

This is attractive for new sellers as it is considered “free” traffic towards your website; You don’t have to shell out for expensive paid ads. The more your business appears in the search results, the more your audience will recognise it as a trusted brand.

To build an SEO strategy for your business, you need to follow a step-by-step process:

• Understand Google’s ranking process. There are over 200 ranking factors, but the key ones involve platforming high-quality content and a positive user experience.
• Set up a Google Business profile. This is a powerful tactic for improving SEO, as you can collect reviews that will lead to credibility and conversions.
• Conduct keyword research. Finding the right keywords is the bedrock of successful SEO. You should use tools like Google Keyword Planner to target the most effective keywords with the highest search volume.
• Write for humans. Don’t just focus on what Google likes; Remember your audience and keep your content relevant, targeted, and helpful with short paragraphs and bullet points.
• Monitor your progress. Check in regularly on your organic traffic, keyword rankings, click-through rate (CTR), and conversions.

3. Supercharge your social media

A carefully curated social media strategy can be one of the most effective free ways to build your digital marketing presence. Having optimised profiles across a range of different platforms can mean higher visibility in search results online, and it helps to build a relationship with your customers.

But don’t spread yourself too thin. Quality beats quantity, so choose your social platforms with care. Different platforms cater to different demographics, so make sure to do your research and target the right audience. (For example, TikTok will skew to a younger Gen-Z audience.)

These are some of our top tips for a fully optimised social profile:

• Use relevant keywords: Ensure that the business descriptions in your profiles are keyword-rich, and always make sure you have a link directly to your business website.
• Consistency is king: This applies to both the information you’re listing across different channels and how regularly you post content.
• Strategy is the path to success: You’ll need a clear strategy where you post high-quality, relevant content consistently. Don’t post at random, or go radio silent for weeks on end.
• Engage your audience: You should be engaging with your followers as much as possible. Take the time to craft a positive response to all comments, including negative feedback.
• Calls to action (CTAS): Make sure you include strong ‘calls to action’ to drive customers from your socials to your ecommerce site, such as offering promo codes or free trials.

4. Create the right content

Make sure you’re setting yourself up for success with a clear content strategy that covers a diverse range of approaches, including: 

• Social posts: Use carousels, infographics, live posts, and interactive elements like polls and Q&As to engage your customers and increase your brand’s visibility.
• Blog posts: Blogging can be a powerful tool when used correctly. Post consistent and engaging blogs that are relevant to your audience.
• Newsletter: Make sure your newsletters are readable, crafted to your core audience, and contain high-value content about your brand. You should also track metrics, like open rates, to measure their success.

Ensure you maintain a consistent tone throughout all your content, and you’re using it to tell the story of your brand. Let people know why they should care about your business and your products. 

Experiment with the promo tools available in your chosen website builder, like pop-ups, announcement bars, and email marketing campaigns, to reach your audience in different, engaging ways.

5. Start making videos 

It’s a hard fact that video content is trending upward. In fact, 93% of marketers say that video marketing gave them a good ROI. Short-form video content is a fun, engaging and low-cost way of getting your brand out there. 

Authenticity is a major factor for brand success in 2025, so video content is the perfect way to introduce yourself and your brand to your audience. It helps build trust and a personal connection with your customer base. 

Half a billion people use Stories per day (across Facebook, Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp). That’s a lot of eyeballs. If you’re not already, you should be using Stories, as well as features like Instagram Reels. They’re an excellent resource for showcasing your products, as well as driving engagement with promos and giveaways. 

That covers our five key digital marketing tips for how you can start building your online presence with little cost investment. However, developing a strong digital presence is a long-term strategy. Once you start growing more confident, you can start learning how to beat AI at its own game by using generative engine optimisation (GEO).