Really Cheap Marketing Strategies for Your Small Business

No money? Very small marketing budget? Then you need some really cheap marketing strategies.

One of the things that most small business owners have in common is that they usually don't have a lot of money to spend on marketing. Unfortunately, instead of looking for what they can do with little money, they often choose to do nothing at all - and that's a mistake.

Here's a list of really cheap marketing strategies that anyone can use:

• Business cards. This is one of the easiest marketing strategies you can find. Every business owner should have some business cards. You can have them professionally produced or you can print them yourself, but make sure they reflect the nature of your business and ahve accurate contact information on them. Then, most importantly, hand them out! You would not believe how many small business owners seem to never have their business cards when they need them. I put extra cards in every purse, every briefcase, every pocket, in my car's glove box...I put them everywhere.

• Website. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it, in this day and age, you simply must have a web presence if you expect to be competitive. Even if you are not selling on the web, customers today look for information on the web. Having a website gives you credibility. Unfortunately, most small business owners can't afford to have a high priced web designer on retainer, and you can't afford to have a site that looks amatuerish, either. So, what's a frugal entrepreneur to do? Here's the good news - There is a service that provides the technical tools to build your own professional looking website at a reasonable cost.
  
  

  Click here to learn how to Use Twitter as a Marketing Tool.
  
  

• Provide free information for others. You are starting a business because you have some valuable information and knowledge to share with others. So, share it! Write articles for the local paper, some trade journals, or a website that specializes in your field. Article writing for the internet can be a particularly effective marketing strategy, especially if you have a web presence and you want to drive traffic to your site. Article Marketer is an example of a high quality and extremely low-priced resource that can help you reach thousands of editors and publishers all around the net.

  You can also volunteer to speak to service clubs or at community events. Make sure you are not pitching your products or service when you write or speak, but share good information. People will come to know you as an expert and they will want to more. This strategy can apply to you no matter what your business is. Contractors can host a free seminar on how to get building permits. Cosmetics salespeople can speak or write about skin care and make-up application. Be a giver!

• Toll free number. Get a toll free number to make it easier for your customers to reach you. Then, connect that toll free number to voicemail so you can record an informational message for customers when they call.

• Print ads. This includes ads in newspapers, magazines, and yellow pages. Newspaper ads can be expensive, so you need to choose carefully. Remember, the important thing is to be consistent. A small ad that appears often and consistently over time is much more effective than a large, splashy ad that appears only once or twice. Yellow pages ads are best if your business targets local customers. The good thing about the yellow pages is that you buy the ad once and customers keep it all year. Magazine ads can be a great value, but investigate the target audience carefully. Get the circulation statistics and make sure your customers are reading that publication. Add some punch to your ad by also writing an article for the magazine.

• Movie ads. Have you ever been to a movie a few minutes early and you see ads on the screen while you wait? believe it or not, those ads are not as expensive as you may think and there are many people who see them. Like yellow pages, these work best if your business targets local customers.

• Personal letters. You can mass produce these on the computer. If you do, you must use the mail merge function to insert the addressee's name. It's not a personal letter if it goes to, "Dear Sir." The more of a personal touch you give it, the better. You can print them on the computer, but then add a personal note in your own handwriting on the bottom of the page. This is labor intensive, but very effective....and inexpensive. I once used a letter writing campaign where I printed 10 letters a day and wrote a personal message on each one. A month later, I had sent over 200 letters, and I picked up 4 new customers from that activity. Not bad. All four of those customers still work with me almost five years later.

• Postcard decks and consumer guides. Direct mail can be a bit more expensive than you'd like; however, if you pay for a card in a postcard deck, you share the cost with the others who advertised with you. Sure, the customer is receiving your message along with 20 others, but a good direct mail company will make sure that none of the others compete with yours. Consumer guides are similar. You pay less because you are sharing the mailing with others. It would be great if you could be the only business in the guide, but is there a better way to get your business' ad sent to 50,000 homes for about $150 a month? I don't think so. Remember, consistency is still the key. Don't just put an ad in a postcard deck or consumer guide once. Do it regularly over a prescribed period of time.

• Radio spots. Ok, these can be pricey, but it depends on the station and your market. Also, consider internet radio ads. I wouldn't start with radio spots because there are many variables to consider to ensure you get the most value for your advertising dollar, but don't discount them altogether.

• Local access cable television. While television advertising is typically very expe4nsive, advertising on your local public access station is not. And why not consider doing one of the free seminars I talked about earlier on public access T.V.?

• Networking groups and service clubs. These are designed specifically to help their members do business. You join and atten d the functions regularly, and others learn about you and your business. As they really get to know you, they start to do business with you themselves. Then they start referring business to you. Service clubs also provide a forum for you to do some good work for your community, too.

Read my suggestions for making the most of networking events.

Interested in learning more about postcard marketing? Click here to learn more about how postcards can help you get your message out.

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