One piece of dubious advice we see tossed around a lot on social media is that new Shopify store owners should invest big in paid ads for starter products. Marketing is important, but justifying so much ad spend at the beginning isn’t always possible — or effective. Every entrepreneur has to start somewhere, so we created a list of ways to promote your Shopify store for free and connect with new customers online.
How To Promote Your Shopify Store for Free: Tips for New Owners
Paying for clicks is a shortcut to sales, but it rarely provides a good return on investment at first. Taking advantage of free advertising can snag valuable views, clicks, and traffic online.
Spend Time on Social Media
Social media platforms are an excellent way to start building a small but loyal following. You’re probably not going to go viral overnight, but you will find followers, friends of followers, and curious customers.
How do you choose the right platform? Go wherever you think your main audience spends time. Don’t be ashamed to show off your TikTok skills or unleash your inner photographer on Instagram.
Add Store Links to Your Social Media Bios
Some Shopify store owners create dedicated business social media accounts. Others stick with personal social media (probably not the greatest idea with those Cancun party photos — unless that’s the vibe your audience loves). Whatever you decide, always include a link to your store page in every bio. On YouTube, you can put store links in your video descriptions, too.
Like, Comment, and Subscribe for the Win
Stand out on social media with product giveaways, audience surveys, and competitions. This method isn’t technically free — you have to cover the cost of the item + shipping — but you don’t have to pay anything for advertising. Giveaways often grab attention, potentially leading to more subscribers, followers, or likes.
Note: Check your state’s laws around giveaways to avoid problems. Asking for likes and subscribers isn’t a problem, but requiring them to qualify for the giveaway can be.
Bring-Your-Own-Influencer Marketing
About 80% of brands in the U.S. use influencer marketing to connect with new leads and past customers. This usually means paying a popular streamer, but you can DIY it with your own channel:
- Be unique in your approach to content
- Express your personality
- Cover other topics besides your store, like your take on humorous life experiences
- Speak slowly and clearly
- Create a rough outline of what you want to talk about, but don’t read from a script
Talk honestly about your favorite products, both good and bad. Choose content that appeals to your audience, from cool recipes you’re testing (even if you sell jeans) to outdoor experiences.
Link Up on LinkedIn
LinkedIn is a place where you can connect with entrepreneurs and business owners. That group includes you, whether you dropship t-shirts or create custom products. The connections you make on LinkedIn can turn into friends, brand advocates, and customers.
Get Your Reddit On
Reddit posts can catapult you to the top of Google search results, not to mention helping you attract website visits. The key to success on Reddit is to “anti-advertise.”
Build a good reputation. Contribute positively. It’s OK to talk about your store, but don’t promote it directly:
- Good example: “I know what you mean, dude. I run a little Shopify store called Eugene’s Jeans for You, and it took me months to find the right supplier. I wrote a blog article (link) that might help you.”
- Bad example: “I have the solution to your problem. Check out my store with a wide range of natural products that are safe and effective.”
The goal is to become an authority Reddit visitors trust.
Google Your Business
Did you know that Shopify stores can be on Google Maps? You don’t need a physical store location. Just identify your home base or target market and you can start showing up for local searches. That way, when people look for “where to buy cowboy boots near me,” they see your store, too.
To register your store for Google Maps, you must create a free Google Business Account. Google walks you through the setup process.
Connect With Your Local Community
Don’t underestimate the power of local customers to get your Shopify store off the ground. Contact a local newspaper to see if they want to do an interview from a new e-commerce store owner’s perspective. Ask noncompeting businesses if they want to partner up for promotions.
Search Engine Optimize
Search optimization involves improving your store’s rankings on Google Search. It’s free if you write the content yourself.
Blogging for Free
Shopify makes it easy to add blog articles to your site. Focus on creating helpful articles that are related to your products. The free Grammarly plugin can help you with writing quality.
Do you sell jeans? Create a blog about “How To Choose the Perfect Size of Jeans for Your Body” or “Jeans Trends for 2024.” Buyer’s guides and comparison content are popular, like “Round Vs. Square-Toe Cowboy Boots.”
Keywords for Free
In every article, add a few keywords related to your products. There are free keyword research tools available, such as Moz Keyword Explorer and Ahrefs. Look for search terms that have a low keyword difficulty and start ranking!
Ask for Referrals and Reviews
Third-party recommendations are powerful and free. You don’t want to be pushy, but encouraging happy customers to leave reviews and recommend your brand is a smart idea. Plus, it’s perfectly legal as long as you’re asking instead of paying.
Why not add a short message to your purchase confirmation forms? Try something like “Thanks for your purchase! Can you show us some love by telling one other person about us?”
Ideas To Promote Your Shopify Store for Free: Play To Your Strengths
You may have to step outside your comfort zone to take advantage of YouTube, TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitch, or Instagram. It’s OK to choose channels that are comfortable for you. Just remember to be friendly, funny, and authentic.
Many of the ways to promote your Shopify store for free take time — like SEO — but they work. Want more free-to-try tools? Test drive our amazing Shopify store apps right away.