Tilda Education
How to Promote Your Business on a Budget
A practical guide to free, low-cost, and cost-effective marketing methods and channels
Jun. 30, 2026
22 min.
Contents:
SEO: Free Traffic From Search Engines
Think of a search engine like Google as a massive, free knowledge base. Every day, millions of people go there looking for answers: "How do I remove a wine stain?", "What gift should I get a coworker?", "Why are my plant leaves turning yellow?" Your goal is to become the expert that shows up as the answer on your topic.
How to figure out what to write about
Put yourself in your customer's shoes, the moment they first run into a problem. Their search will usually sound like a question or a doubt: "Professional skincare vs. regular, what's better?", "How do I fix a leaking faucet myself?", "What should I get a coworker turning 50?"
These questions, concerns, and doubts are your biggest opportunity for free traffic from search engines. Your job is to find them and give the best possible answers on your website or social media. You can use tools like Google Keyword Planner to discover what people search for and how often.
Even if you've never used such a service before, it suggests tips and provides detailed guidelines to help you get around.
How to use it
1
Sign in to Google Ads.
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Click the Tools icon in the menu bar.
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Select Planning → Keyword Planner.
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Select "Discover new keywords" to find ideas related to your products or services.
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Enter products/services, or use a website URL (your own or a competitor's) to find keywords. Google recommends adding words or phrases closely related to your business without being too broad or too specific. For example, if you sell handmade candles, you might search for "soy candles" instead of something too broad like "candles" or too specific like "soy candles in Brooklyn."
Note: Google will default the search location to your country. You can change countries (if you only want to target American users, for example) or narrow down your search to a specific state or city.
Note: Google will default the search location to your country. You can change countries (if you only want to target American users, for example) or narrow down your search to a specific state or city.
As you can see, for the keyword "perfect mother's day gift" and its variations, the average monthly search volume ranges from 100 to 1000 in the United States.
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Click Get Results to view a list of keyword ideas, including average monthly searches and competition levels.
What to look for in the numbers
The "Average monthly searches" column in Keyword Planner allows you to gauge search volume. For example, a keyword with 5000 searches is used more often than one with 1000. But these numbers don't equal the number of visitors you'll get.
Avoid very broad keywords like "repair." They may have high search volume, but competition is also high. Without a budget, it's hard to rank for them.
Start with more specific queries, real phrases people actually search for:
"Repair" → "how to install non-woven wallpaper without gaps"
"Gift" → "DIY gift ideas for a 30-year-old friend"
"Ficus" → "why ficus benjamina loses leaves in winter"
These queries have lower search volume, but also less competition. This makes them a better starting point.
"Repair" → "how to install non-woven wallpaper without gaps"
"Gift" → "DIY gift ideas for a 30-year-old friend"
"Ficus" → "why ficus benjamina loses leaves in winter"
These queries have lower search volume, but also less competition. This makes them a better starting point.
You can also explore related keywords in the tool. These are ready-made ideas for articles, videos, and posts. Each query reflects a real problem you can solve.
Where to publish content
Don't create one generic "About the company" page. Instead, publish multiple focused articles, each answering one specific question. Start by building a list of questions, keywords, and phrases your potential customers might search for. This becomes the foundation of all content on your website.
American bank Chase has multiple internal media channels to support, promote, and explain its product line.
How to avoid technical issues
Make sure your website loads fast and works well on mobile devices. Use PageSpeed Insights, a free tool that runs a quick performance check.
Just paste your URL and click Analyse. You'll get: Website's speed on desktop and mobile (a score from 0 to 100), clear recommendations (e.g., compress images or remove unused code).
This is the easiest way to catch technical issues that hurt your rankings and user experience. Run checks regularly, especially after major updates.
YouTube: A Platform To Showcase Your Expertise
YouTube is not just entertainment, it's also a powerful search and learning platform.
Formats that work
Focus on solving your audience's problems: Product tutorials, common mistakes in your niche
answers to frequently asked questions.
Focus on solving your audience's problems: Product tutorials, common mistakes in your niche
answers to frequently asked questions.
YouTube has developed dozens, if not hundreds, of formats over the years—some have gone out of trend, while others remain evergreen content.
Optimize your video description. Don't leave the description empty. Clearly explain what the video is about, and include: Timestamps, relevant links (your website, social media), keywords. This works like SEO but for video.
Video descriptions should include genuinely relevant and helpful information for both viewers and algorithms.
Analytics is your compass. Track which videos bring the most views and subscribers. This gives you free, actionable data for your content strategy.
Use Google Trends to analyze how search interest changes over time. It shows popularity on a scale from 0 to 100, with data going back to 2004.
If you need to track trends exclusively on YouTube, check the corresponding section in Google Trends.
YouTube also has built-in analytics in YouTube Studio (available on desktop and mobile).
The main sections include: Overview, Reach, Engagement, Audience. These insights help you understand what works and double down on it.
Social Media (Facebook & Instagram)
Facebook
Facebook remains the world's most popular social network.
- Audience. The platform has over 3 billion monthly active users, nearly 70% of its users log in daily.
- Reach. One-third of the world's population uses Facebook. In July 2025, Facebook was the fourth most searched term on Google with 298.8 million global searches, and facebook.com was the third most visited website worldwide, with 9.94 billion visits.
- Growth. The platform continues to grow steadily and remains a key channel for reaching a broad audience. The platform grew its audience by 4.3% year over year in 2025.
That's why it's worth paying attention to this platform.
Storefront. Businesses can use built-in tools like Facebook Shops and product catalogs to create a simple storefront directly on the platform.
To start using Facebook Shops, you'll first need to sign up for Commerce Manager.
Free promotion. Growth comes from activity. Comment on posts in large and niche communities, share useful insights, and attract your first audience through real interactions. The key is consistency, not spam.
Instagram
Instagram has 3 billion monthly active users in 2026, tying with WhatsApp for the third place globally.
- Audience. Adults aged 18 to 34 make up 61.1% of Instagram's audience, making it one of the most youth-focused platforms. The average user opens the app on 61.9% of days, reflecting consistent engagement.
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- Reach. In July 2025, Instagram.com was the fourth most visited website worldwide with 5.71 billion visits.
- Growth. The platform added 5.5% more users year over year in 2025, showing stronger growth than YouTube or Facebook.
Reels strategy. Focus on short, engaging videos that solve a specific problem or grab attention in the first few seconds. Post consistently, test different formats, and use trends carefully, only when they fit your niche.
Storefront. Turn your profile into a simple storefront by adding a product catalog. This helps users quickly explore your products and move from discovery to purchase without leaving the app.
Classifieds & Marketplaces
This type of platform can become a source of targeted traffic when used strategically.
eBay
- Create a detailed product listing for your best-selling or most popular product. Use a clear title, strong photos, and a description that answers the buyer's main questions. In the listing, briefly mention that more products and product options are available on your main website, so you can direct interested buyers there.
- Optimize your eBay listing for search. Use keywords buyers are likely to type in the title and description, choose the right category, and fill in item specifics such as brand, condition, size, color, model, material, and other relevant details.
There are different platforms that help analyze marketplace keywords, such as Keyword Tool Dominator. Use them when optimizing your listings to find search terms buyers are likely to use.
Keep in mind that people who use marketplaces are used to getting quick responses. Turn on notifications and reply as quickly as possible to avoid losing potential buyers.
Service Marketplaces (Thumbtack, TaskRabbit, and ect.)
These platforms work as a space where customers already come with a specific problem and actively look for a solution.
There's only one key criterion when choosing the right platform for your business: Where do your customers look for your service?
- Platforms like Thumbtack or TaskRabbit are best for hiring specialists and one-time services: Home repair, cleaning, programming, design, or tutoring. People usually come here looking for someone to complete a specific task.
- On-demand service platforms like Angi work well for urgent needs: Finding a plumber, fixing appliances, or installing equipment. Customers are looking for help right away.
- Local discovery platforms like Google Maps, Yelp, or Tripadvisor are ideal for offline businesses with a physical location: Cafes, beauty salons, or clinics. Here, customers choose based on location, reviews, and photos.
Here are the service categories available on Thumbtack.
Focus on 1-2 key platforms that best match your business. It's better to manage one profile well than to be everywhere with a weak presence.
Referral Program
Turn your first customers into brand advocates.
What to do:
- Start with early adopters. Offer a small group of people free access to your product or service in exchange for detailed feedback and permission to share their reviews.
- Regularly ask for their input on new features, products, or updates. People value being heard.
- Reward them with simple incentives. For example: "Invite a friend, get one month free."
This approach helps you collect valuable feedback, build your first case studies, and start word-of-mouth growth, without spending money.
Here is what the Tilda Referral program looks like.
Networking In Professional Communities
This is not about blasting messages to everyone you know. It's about focused work in niche communities.
What to do:
- Choose the right platforms. For B2B, use LinkedIn, Slack, Habr communities, or industry forums. For B2C, look for niche groups on Facebook, Reddit, or other topic-based communities.
- Use the "Helpful Expert" approach. Join 3-5 relevant communities and focus on being useful, not promotional. Answer questions, share detailed advice, and help others solve problems. Your profile or signature with a link to your website will start working on its own.
Barter
Barter is not just "trading services." It's a strategic partnership where you pay with your resources: Your audience, expertise, or product.
You offer something valuable to a partner whose audience you want to reach. For example, if you're a photographer and your partner is a wedding planner, you can offer a free photoshoot for their clients in exchange for recommendations and mentions to engaged couples.
This approach can be adapted to almost any niche.
Where to use it:
- In social media. You offer your product for a review, and in return, the creator shares it with their audience.
- Offline. For example, you place promotional materials for your online fitness store in a local gym, and in return, promote the gym on your website.
- Online. Barter isn't limited to social media. You can agree on cross-promotion, for instance, exchanging banners or mentions on your websites.
Key rules for successful barter:
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Look for equal partners. Your audiences should be relevant to each other.
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Set clear expectations. Agree in advance on what each side will deliver and when. "I'll mention you" is too vague.
3
Measure results. Decide how you'll track performance: Clicks, mentions, or promo codes.
Barter is one of the most practical ways to get your first customers and partners when your budget is zero.
Email Marketing
With constantly changing social media algorithms, email remains a direct and reliable way to communicate with your audience.
Start by creating a lead magnet: A free PDF guide, checklist, or webinar recording that solves a specific problem your audience has.
Add a short description of this resource on your website or social media, along with a form where users can enter their email to access it. This way, you provide value and start building trust while growing a list of interested contacts.
Here's an example of a dance school using a lead magnet to attract and collect visitors' contact information. danceseorita.tilda.ws
If you're just getting started, one email per week is enough. Share a helpful article from your blog, announce a useful live session, send a roundup of case studies, or offer an exclusive discount for subscribers.
Here's an example of an email from an educational product.
Quick Overview: Which Channels to Use
Important: Channels don't replace each other, they work best in combination. For example, SEO articles bring traffic, while a lead magnet at the end helps you collect contacts and build a community through email. Start with one channel, then gradually add more.
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