6 free marketing tactics you can start today

Marketing is all about connecting with your customers. And it’s an essential part of commerce.

This tutorial walks you through 6 free and easy ways you can market your business authentically:

A blog is a great place to share your expertise and bring in organic traffic. While you won’t see massive results on day 1, starting a blog establishes your brand as a trustworthy source of relevant information and helps your business climb Google search results.
Social channels are free to add and are natural spots to connect with your community. No need to start an account on every platform, just choose the one where your customers are and start there.
Discounts are a tried and true way to draw in your customers. Think seasonal offers, special deals or bundles.
Upsell your products. Just make sure your upsells are related to the original product and be sensitive to your customer’s price range.
Email campaigns don’t have to be intimidating. To make it easier, they’re built into Shopify. If you decide to send emails, keep them at a regular cadence and always think about the value that specific email is bringing to your customers inbox. *** A return policy** eases your customer’s purchase decision-making and builds trust with your brand.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Marketing by definition is the action or business of promoting and selling products or services, including market research and advertising. In basic terms, it's connecting with your customers. And it's an essential part of commerce. In this video, we'll cover the six easy ways you can mark yourself authentically and for free. A blog is a great place to share your expertise.

If you're the writer, it's essentially free and it can bring in organic traffic. While you won't see massive results on day one, starting a blog establishes your brand as a trustworthy source of relevant information and helps your business climb Google search results. Yeah, it takes time. But if you stick with it and create content that is always relevant like a recipe, for example, it can be a powerful source of traffic long term.

How about adding a social channel, maybe Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, these are natural spots to connect with your community. But don't just stick with what's familiar. Consider TikTok, Snapchat, LinkedIn, and Pinterest, go where your customers already hang out. No need to start an account on every platform, just choose the one where your customers are and start there. Discounts, this is a tried and true way to draw in your customers.

Think seasonal offers, special deals when items are purchased together, or bundles on products that complement each other, like rain boots with an umbrella. For ideas, check your store's data to see what your customers purchase together more often. Did you know to make this easier, some Shopify themes include a product recommendation tool? Or you can use a product recommendation app from the Shopify app store.

Upsell your products. Persuade your customers to choose this year's model versus last year's. That might mean getting the fancier version or the larger option. Just make sure your upsells are related to the original products and be sensitive to your customers price range. Email campaigns don't have to be intimidating. To make it easier, they're built into Shopify. By default, your store will automatically send abandoned cart emails, receipts, and shipping conformation, all of which you can customize to your liking.

It's a built in email marketing tool. Technically not free but very affordable when you consider the sales it can earn you. If you decide to send emails, keep them at a regular cadence, don't overwhelm your customer. And always think about the value that specific email is providing to the recipient. Shopify email offers custom templates that integrate with your online store. So things like your brand and color scheme are automatically added to your emails.

Returns aren't great for you but they are important to customers. A return policy eases your customer's purchase decision making and builds trust with your brand. To tie-in tip 5 with 6, remind your customers of your return policy in one of your monthly emails. In fact, many of these tips shared today can be combined. The more you focus on the value you're delivering to your customers, the more effective your marketing will be.

For more marketing tactics, check out all of the Shopify Compass tutorials and courses. We're here for you.

Add a blog to your online store. Blog posts drive traffic to your site by improving your store’s SEO, increases customer engagement and lets you tell stories that convert visitors into customers.

For ideas on bundles, check your store’s data to see what your customers purchased together most often.

Shopify themes include a product recommendation tool or you can use a product recommendation app from the Shopify app store.

Shopify Email offers custom templates that sync with your online store, so things like your brand and colour scheme are automatically added to your emails.