Lack of funds to do marketing is a common one with small business owners. Marketing is a much needed expense, but when your funds are low it is difficult to find ways to promote your business. When I first started The Marketing Lady, I was on a really tight budget as well. I had to find creative ways to maximize my dollars. The most successful way for me has been Pay Per Click Search Engine Marketing. I budget an amount each month that I am willing to spend and each time someone searches Yahoo and Google with key terms related to my field, money is subtracted from my account with each click. While you may not have the budget for monthly radio, T.V. or print ads, there are several low cost to no cost ways you can promote your services.
Flyers and brochures are affordable and can be used as a direct mail piece, placed in your information packet, or used during a tradeshow. Creating a news release and sending it to the media when you have some news worthy information is a great way to get free publicity. Be careful though. The media only wants releases that have a clever angle or a hot topic. Networking is your opportunity to qualify prospective customers, build relationships, and promote what you have to offer; best of all it is Free!
An online directory is like the phone book, but online. It contains categories of topics with listings of products and services. Most directories are free and you can include a website link for an additional fee. An e-newsletter promoting your services is a very effective way to reach your target market as well as potential clients. You can choose to send the newsletter weekly, bi-weekly or monthly, but be sure to include any special offers or discounts that are available. Always get permission to send an email newsletter to a customer.
Well you have it. Several low to no cost ways you can promote your business. So if your budget is low or you’re just getting starting, consider some of these marketing tactics to get some exposure for your business.
The Marketing Lady welcomes all marketing related questions and comments. You can email your questions to tmarketinglady@yahoo.com. Your response will be posted here on this blog, so check back regularly to read your answer. Due to spam problems, The Marketing Lady recommends that you type Marketing Question in the subject line and begin your letter using the salutation Dear Marketing Lady. The Marketing Lady is a small business marketing coach and consultant. Her website is www.themarketinglady.com.
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