Once you create a website, the next step is bringing in visitors. Alongside blogging, email and SEO, free advertising sites can put your site in front of the right people without an ad budget.
This list covers 50 of them, from online directories and social platforms to bookmarking and classified ad sites, plus tips to get the most out of each.
Choose a website builder that's flexible, powerful and easy to use. Wix is trusted by millions of people to create beautiful websites for their businesses, projects and ideas. Try it for yourself and see what you can build.
TL;DR: free advertising sites
Free advertising sites let you promote your website without an ad budget. The main types are online directories, social media platforms, social bookmarking sites and classified ad sites, and the best results come from picking the few your audience uses and posting consistently.
You'll learn:
The 4 types of free advertising sites
50 free sites to promote your website
How to use each type effectively
Tips to get better results
Types of free advertising sites
Type of free advertising site | What it offers |
Online directories | Submit your business info and website to improve local visibility and SEO. |
Social media platforms | Share your brand, engage your audience and drive traffic through organic content. |
Social bookmarking and curation sites | Distribute links and content to increase awareness and inbound links. |
Classified ad websites | Post ads and promote your services or site to highly targeted audiences. |
Online directories for businesses
Ranging from high-profile platforms to local listings, online directories cover a range of audiences. The method for each of them is quite similar: you submit the URL of your professional website, as well as additional details about your business or organization. These sites, in turn, incorporate this information into their data banks, ensuring that a link to your site appears when users search relevant content categories.
In addition to displaying your business name and website, these free advertising sites can improve your search engine optimization, or SEO. This helps promote your website by boosting its search engine ranking, increasing the chances that you'll get found on Google and drawing traffic to your website.
Social media platforms
Social media marketing is a powerful strategy for business owners. Essentially, social platforms are free advertising sites; whether you promote yourself on Instagram or start a YouTube channel for your business, you can build your brand and reach potential customers. Remember to use customized and clear UTM links for your campaigns so you can track them properly.
Expert tip from Lilach Goldis, Social Media Manager at Wix:
"There's no better way to reach a broader audience than through social media. It not only turns potential customers into buyers, but also allows for instant engagement with them, addressing their questions, and building loyalty. All of these aspects contribute to boosting sales and revenue."
Social bookmarking and curating
While social bookmarking and curating websites operate on the basis of link submission, the emphasis here is on creating quality content. Like social media platforms, they function as entertaining browsing experiences for users while simultaneously serving as online advertising tools for businesses.
By circulating your content on these sites, you can subtly promote your product and gently guide users toward your website. At the same time, you’ll improve your SEO by placing inbound links to your company across the web.
Classified ad websites
Classified ads are small advertisements, often free of charge, placed in newspapers, magazines or online boards. By posting on dedicated classified ad platforms, you can generate backlinks to your company site and market your business to potential customers. Adding your company name and URL to these free advertising sites is a quick, simple and affordable way to gain exposure.
Creating business pages or listings on these platforms is an effective way to begin your online advertising strategy (be it native advertising or some other form of ad), as part of your wider marketing strategies.
Start with easy-to-use free website themes or a professional website designer to create a site that looks great and works smoothly.
If your site is built on Wix, you can also promote it with built-in tools like SEO settings and email marketing from your dashboard, without paying for ads.
Learn more:
Free advertising sites FAQ
How can I advertise online for free?
There are many ways to advertise online for free. Some of the most popular methods include:
Social media: Social media platforms like Facebook, X and Instagram offer a variety of free advertising options. You can create business profiles, post content about your products or services and run contests and giveaways.
Search engine optimization (SEO): SEO is the process of optimizing your website so that it ranks higher in search engine results pages (SERPs). This can help you to attract more visitors to your website without having to pay for ads.
Email marketing: Email marketing is a great way to stay in touch with your customers and promote your products or services. You can collect email addresses from customers and send them regular newsletters and promotional offers.
Content marketing: Content marketing is the process of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience and drive profitable customer action. This can include blog posts, articles, infographics, videos and podcasts.
Guest blogging: Guest blogging is the process of writing articles for other blogs in your industry. This is a great way to get exposure for your own website and brand.
Online directories: There are many online directories where you can list your business for free. This can help people to find your business when they are searching for products or services like yours.
What are the benefits of using free advertising sites?
The main benefit of using free advertising sites is that they are cost-effective. You can reach a large audience without spending any money. Additionally, many platforms let you reach specific audiences through groups, categories or local listings.
Are there any risks associated with using free advertising sites?
One of the main risks associated with using free advertising sites is that they can be less effective than paid advertising. Additionally, some free advertising sites may have terms of service that restrict what you can promote.
What are some tips for using free advertising sites safely and effectively?
Here are some tips for using free advertising sites safely and effectively:
Choose the right platforms: Choose the platforms that your target audience is most active on.
Create high-quality content: Your content should be informative, engaging and relevant to your target audience.
Reach the right people: Use groups, categories and local listings to reach the people most likely to need what you offer.
Be consistent: Post new content and updates regularly.
Interact with your audience: Respond to comments and questions.
Track your results: Track your results to see what's working.
Is Google Business Profile free?
Yes. Creating and managing a Google Business Profile is free. It lets your business appear in Google Search and Maps with your hours, reviews and a link to your website.
Which free advertising sites are best for local businesses?
Start with Google Business Profile, Apple Business Connect and Bing Places, since they feed map results. Then add Yelp, Nextdoor and the directories most used in your industry.
