Sell Yourself – 8 Cheap Marketing Ideas
Starting a new business is a wise step toward financial freedom. Your first move for success is to spread the word far and wide about your enterprise. Advertising is costly, so how do you tell people about your business on a tight or non-existent marketing budget? These free and cheap marketing ideas can be used to promote any enterprise.
Take Advantage of Free Referrals
Referrals are a free, easy way to gain more customers. When you do a great job, your customers tell you. The next time you get rave reviews, let your customers know you appreciate referrals. Make it obvious you want people to spread the word about you. Post a sign in your office stating, “I welcome referrals”. On your invoices, include a line at the bottom saying, “Thank you for your loyalty. Referrals welcome.” If you have a website, include testimonials from current customers with contact information such as a Hotmail address. You can even send letters to your current customers to let them know you value them and invite referrals because you are expanding your business.
Take Advantage of Free Posting Boards
Free posting boards can be found all over town in gathering areas such as lobbies and meeting rooms. Your local library, community center, grocery store and houses of worship all have boards where you can post an advertisement for your business. Offer a discount for people in the community who refer to your advertisement to encourage them to contact you. Posting boards can also be found online in the form of article submission websites and networking forums. Join in the communities by providing useful content and comments to establish credibility and generate interest in your business.
Blogging Is Almost Free
Blogs started as informal web logs where people discussed personal business or displayed unique photos. Today blogs are a powerful marketing tool for many Internet-savvy entrepreneurs. A wide variety of blogging platforms exists with all sorts of online capabilities. You can get started on a free forum such as Blogger. Without spending a dime, you can create an online presence for your business to give it more credibility. Learn about search engine optimization to get your blog recognized in online searches. Adding useful content to your blog every couple of days helps to boost your search engine rankings so you bring more traffic to your business.
A Website Is Almost Free
Starting a website is as simple as purchasing a domain name and setting up a few web pages. Forums such as Windows Live let you get started for free but you need to keep advertisements on your website. For a few dollars more every month, you can follow a template to create a professional-looking website for your business. You can even add more products and services to your business offerings and sell them on your website. This is referred to as creating multiple streams of income. By having more than one source of established income, you know one of your enterprises is always earning something.
Fliers Are Cheap and Reliable
Although they may seem old-fashioned in today's technological world, fliers are still a fantastic way to let everyone know you're in business. Make sure to ask management if you are allowed to distribute fliers before you put your name and telephone numbers all over the parking lot. Create a colorful, eye-catching flier and give it out wherever people gather. You can make fliers right on your home computer and print them out on your printer. If the nature of your business does not lend itself to fliers, distribute an informative newsletter with your contact information at the bottom. Include a line encouraging people to share the newsletter with others.
Business Cards Are Cheap and Professional
Business cards are cheaper than ever because you can create your own with special paper and software. For a minimal investment of about $20 and an hour of your time, you will have a supply of business cards to hand out to prospective customers. A business card gives you a professional, polished appearance. Also, business cards are small and convenient for people to save so they can call you in the future.
Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
Everywhere you look there are signs to tell you to be careful, to stop or to advertise businesses. People read signs because they're short and sweet. You can purchase materials at a local construction shop to make your own sign for your business so you get noticed. If you're not artistic, many professional sign makers will create a small sign for under $50. Remember, a sign is a one-time investment that can yield profits for you over and over again, making it a priceless part your business success.
Brand Names Matter
Brand names really matter. You can march out the same roll of toilet tissue with a generic label and with a well-known brand name and the branded package will be chosen nine out of ten times. This is because people are familiar with the name. Customers feel more comfortable with products and services they've heard about. Create a brand name for yourself and use it on all your advertisements so people can easily recognize your business.
By using these free and cheap marketing ideas, your business will be booming sooner than you think.
Thank you to Stacey Doyle for this “Cheap Marketing Ideas” article.
Latest Business Marketing Chat Articles:
Restaurant Marketing Ideas (New!) - When it comes to marketing a restaurant, two things should always be at the forefront of any campaign. One is finding customers and the other is turning them into repeat customers. If your strategies are not doing this then you have failed to properly market the restaurant and your business is likely to fail...
Local Business Marketing Ideas - In days gone by, beginning businesses started locally then reached out globally. With the advent of the Internet, often new businesses reach out nationally without ever tapping into their local market. As everyone clamors to get attention on the Internet, harness the power of local services to get the word out about your business...
Cheap Effective Marketing Tips - In any economy small businesses and home based businesses need to not only watch every dollar spent, but they need to make certain that each dollar is spent wisely. Maximizing return on investment is a key to their success...
Marketing and PR - Small business owners are always looking for creative and effective ways to market their products and services. One often overlooked avenue for marketing is public relations, yet PR can do far more than simply raise awareness. PR can be very effective at generating leads and making sales...
Word of Mouth Marketing - When you have a fledgling business, you usually dont have a large budget for advertising. But if you dont get the word out about your products or services, how can you make a profit? After all, if nobody knows about you, theyre not buying from you. There are several free business marketing ideas to generate interest in your products or services without spending big bucks. The key is, they all generate word of mouth marketing...
Real Estate Marketing Ideas - Real estate is a business that survives on marketing. To sell property you have to create an awareness of its benefits and features, develop flyers, run ads, and today even provide virtual tours on the internet. Everyone who gets into the business understands that. What some new agents dont know (and seasoned agents often forget) is...
Cheap Marketing Ideas - Starting a new business is a wise step toward financial freedom. Your first move for success is to spread the word far and wide about your enterprise. Advertising is costly, so how do you tell people about your business on a tight or non-existent marketing budget? These free and cheap marketing ideas can be used to promote any enterprise. . .
Viral Marketing - Viral marketing often referred to as word of mouth advertising, while rarely discussed as part of an advertiser’s media strategy, is actually one of the most effective and impacting advertising communications available to a company. Viral marketing, as the name suggests, is communication about a product, service, or company that spreads by person to person, or word of mouth interaction of people. . .
Pixel Advertising - Ever since England’s Alex Tew developed “The Million Dollar Homepage,” the pixel advertising phenomenon has fascinated internet advertisers and aspiring techies. Tew had a very innovative idea to help pay his way through college. He decided to sell space on his homepage for $1.00 per pixel. His ultimate goal was to sell one million pixels and make $1 million. Not only was Tew successful at making $1 million, but he inspired a whole new form of internet advertising . . .
Marketing Gifts - Whether they are referred to as marketing gifts, promotional products or giveaways, these incentives have become an increasingly popular way to market businesses. In fact, according to the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the sale of promotional products has surpassed $13 billion. So do these business marketing gifts really work?...
Starting a new business is a wise step toward financial freedom. Your first move for success is to spread the word far and wide about your enterprise. Advertising is costly, so how do you tell people about your business on a tight or non-existent marketing budget? These free and cheap marketing ideas can be used to promote any enterprise.
Take Advantage of Free Referrals
Referrals are a free, easy way to gain more customers. When you do a great job, your customers tell you. The next time you get rave reviews, let your customers know you appreciate referrals. Make it obvious you want people to spread the word about you. Post a sign in your office stating, “I welcome referrals”. On your invoices, include a line at the bottom saying, “Thank you for your loyalty. Referrals welcome.” If you have a website, include testimonials from current customers with contact information such as a Hotmail address. You can even send letters to your current customers to let them know you value them and invite referrals because you are expanding your business.
Take Advantage of Free Posting Boards
Free posting boards can be found all over town in gathering areas such as lobbies and meeting rooms. Your local library, community center, grocery store and houses of worship all have boards where you can post an advertisement for your business. Offer a discount for people in the community who refer to your advertisement to encourage them to contact you. Posting boards can also be found online in the form of article submission websites and networking forums. Join in the communities by providing useful content and comments to establish credibility and generate interest in your business.
Blogging Is Almost Free
Blogs started as informal web logs where people discussed personal business or displayed unique photos. Today blogs are a powerful marketing tool for many Internet-savvy entrepreneurs. A wide variety of blogging platforms exists with all sorts of online capabilities. You can get started on a free forum such as Blogger. Without spending a dime, you can create an online presence for your business to give it more credibility. Learn about search engine optimization to get your blog recognized in online searches. Adding useful content to your blog every couple of days helps to boost your search engine rankings so you bring more traffic to your business.
A Website Is Almost Free
Starting a website is as simple as purchasing a domain name and setting up a few web pages. Forums such as Windows Live let you get started for free but you need to keep advertisements on your website. For a few dollars more every month, you can follow a template to create a professional-looking website for your business. You can even add more products and services to your business offerings and sell them on your website. This is referred to as creating multiple streams of income. By having more than one source of established income, you know one of your enterprises is always earning something.
Fliers Are Cheap and Reliable
Although they may seem old-fashioned in today's technological world, fliers are still a fantastic way to let everyone know you're in business. Make sure to ask management if you are allowed to distribute fliers before you put your name and telephone numbers all over the parking lot. Create a colorful, eye-catching flier and give it out wherever people gather. You can make fliers right on your home computer and print them out on your printer. If the nature of your business does not lend itself to fliers, distribute an informative newsletter with your contact information at the bottom. Include a line encouraging people to share the newsletter with others.
Business Cards Are Cheap and Professional
Business cards are cheaper than ever because you can create your own with special paper and software. For a minimal investment of about $20 and an hour of your time, you will have a supply of business cards to hand out to prospective customers. A business card gives you a professional, polished appearance. Also, business cards are small and convenient for people to save so they can call you in the future.
Signs, Signs, Everywhere Signs
Everywhere you look there are signs to tell you to be careful, to stop or to advertise businesses. People read signs because they're short and sweet. You can purchase materials at a local construction shop to make your own sign for your business so you get noticed. If you're not artistic, many professional sign makers will create a small sign for under $50. Remember, a sign is a one-time investment that can yield profits for you over and over again, making it a priceless part your business success.
Brand Names Matter
Brand names really matter. You can march out the same roll of toilet tissue with a generic label and with a well-known brand name and the branded package will be chosen nine out of ten times. This is because people are familiar with the name. Customers feel more comfortable with products and services they've heard about. Create a brand name for yourself and use it on all your advertisements so people can easily recognize your business.
By using these free and cheap marketing ideas, your business will be booming sooner than you think.
Thank you to Stacey Doyle for this “Cheap Marketing Ideas” article.
Latest Business Marketing Chat Articles:
Restaurant Marketing Ideas (New!) - When it comes to marketing a restaurant, two things should always be at the forefront of any campaign. One is finding customers and the other is turning them into repeat customers. If your strategies are not doing this then you have failed to properly market the restaurant and your business is likely to fail...
Local Business Marketing Ideas - In days gone by, beginning businesses started locally then reached out globally. With the advent of the Internet, often new businesses reach out nationally without ever tapping into their local market. As everyone clamors to get attention on the Internet, harness the power of local services to get the word out about your business...
Cheap Effective Marketing Tips - In any economy small businesses and home based businesses need to not only watch every dollar spent, but they need to make certain that each dollar is spent wisely. Maximizing return on investment is a key to their success...
Marketing and PR - Small business owners are always looking for creative and effective ways to market their products and services. One often overlooked avenue for marketing is public relations, yet PR can do far more than simply raise awareness. PR can be very effective at generating leads and making sales...
Word of Mouth Marketing - When you have a fledgling business, you usually dont have a large budget for advertising. But if you dont get the word out about your products or services, how can you make a profit? After all, if nobody knows about you, theyre not buying from you. There are several free business marketing ideas to generate interest in your products or services without spending big bucks. The key is, they all generate word of mouth marketing...
Real Estate Marketing Ideas - Real estate is a business that survives on marketing. To sell property you have to create an awareness of its benefits and features, develop flyers, run ads, and today even provide virtual tours on the internet. Everyone who gets into the business understands that. What some new agents dont know (and seasoned agents often forget) is...
Cheap Marketing Ideas - Starting a new business is a wise step toward financial freedom. Your first move for success is to spread the word far and wide about your enterprise. Advertising is costly, so how do you tell people about your business on a tight or non-existent marketing budget? These free and cheap marketing ideas can be used to promote any enterprise. . .
Viral Marketing - Viral marketing often referred to as word of mouth advertising, while rarely discussed as part of an advertiser’s media strategy, is actually one of the most effective and impacting advertising communications available to a company. Viral marketing, as the name suggests, is communication about a product, service, or company that spreads by person to person, or word of mouth interaction of people. . .
Pixel Advertising - Ever since England’s Alex Tew developed “The Million Dollar Homepage,” the pixel advertising phenomenon has fascinated internet advertisers and aspiring techies. Tew had a very innovative idea to help pay his way through college. He decided to sell space on his homepage for $1.00 per pixel. His ultimate goal was to sell one million pixels and make $1 million. Not only was Tew successful at making $1 million, but he inspired a whole new form of internet advertising . . .
Marketing Gifts - Whether they are referred to as marketing gifts, promotional products or giveaways, these incentives have become an increasingly popular way to market businesses. In fact, according to the Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), the sale of promotional products has surpassed $13 billion. So do these business marketing gifts really work?...
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