All right, maybe broke isn’t the right word, but safe to say we are all looking for ways to maximize our resources. The following are ten absolutely free ways to market your business, the only cost being a little bit of your time.
1. Social Media
No surprise here. Social media is a great, free way, to spread the word about you and your business. Doing social media right is a great way to make connections, gain leads, and convert customers. I won’t go into great detail here how to get your social media presence set up, but at the very least consider getting an account on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn.
2. Free Classifieds
Use free classified ad services to promote your product or service. Aside from big online classified ads (Craigslist), there may be other free options specific to your geographical area, maybe even some free inclusions in local print media. Do some Google searches and see what is available in your hometown.
3. Reciprocity Advertising
Talk to local business owners and explore cross promotion you may be able to do with them. They are probably in the same boat as you, and would be willing to work out a “scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours” type of marketing campaign.
4. Barter
You may think of bartering as particularly “old school”, but there is no reason you can’t trade a product or service with another business in exchange for some marketing opportunities. Trading an hour of your consulting time, or a couple free products to a local business who is willing then to plug you in their newsletter or mailings could result in a better deal than paying out of pocket for the same marketing. Start with the barter directory, and go from there.
5. Write a Press Release
Write your own press release and submit it to the appropriate channels. If what you’re doing is particularly newsworthy, send it to local media. Also submit your press release to the free services online.
6. Article Marketing
Write an article that is related to your product or service and submit it to eZine Articles. Try to be helpful, and prove you are an expert in your field.
7. Networking
Scout out free networking events in your area, you’d be surprised how many “meet-ups” there are. Not only are they a great way to get out of the house, but think of every networking event as a mini-marketing campaign. Use MeetUp.com to scan for opportunities near you. For example, there were 51 meet up’s in the Portland, OR area that were related to entrepreneurship.
8. Provide Stellar Customer Service
Make sure your current customers know how important they are to you and your business. Make them feel good about what you do. They will sell for you!
9. Ask for More Business
Going along with point #8 above. Don’t be shy about asking for referrals. Happy customers are your best piece of marketing you can hope for. Word of mouth marketing is powerful, and there is nothing wrong with asking them to spread the word for you.
10. Maximize Your Mailing List
What, don’t have a mailing list? Start collecting customer information so you can get one! Use this mailing list to push out information about new products or services, give a special deal to your mailing list, share information with them, etc.
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Photo Credit: chelseagirl
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Great tips! Number 8 is so obvious, but I don’t think many people actually do it!
As usual, another great post. All awesome tips! Thanks for the link to the barter directory :>).
hey Matt,
(just kidding, I get your point)
If one’s business is broke, maybe one should consider going into another business…
All good tips but I think #8 is the best. Happy satisfied customers are always the best salespeople, and they’re free! I can’t imagine trying to run a business without them.
~ Steve, purveyor of portable trade show display booths
@Steve
It’s funny you mention that…I was thought the same exact thing when I was writing this. That’s why I started with “maybe broke isn’t the right word”…great minds thinking alike?
Matt
@Lynn
I think barter really did become old school, but I don’t see anything wrong with it as a “new school” way to market on the cheap.
Matt
@Matt
It’s the simplest one I listed, but so often overlooked. Guaranteed all the other links in this post got clicked before they stopped and said “how can I serve my customer better”
MAtt
Excellent.
How did YOU know I was broke this month?
Perfect timing and a good reminder about what is out there.
Cheers!
George
Matt,
I especially agree with point #7 IRL networking has done wonders for my business. Plus let’s say you doing some in person networking and collect a bunch of business card you can then add then or send them an invite to linkedIn. So this will allow you to bring the online and offline worlds together.
PS: Matt, there is nothing wrong with being broke. We are all broke at one time or another. The good news is that broke is only a temporary condition. Poor on the other hand is a state of mind.
Great article, your first comment is absolutely spot on re customer service. The little things are so easy to do, but are also so easy to forget.
Love this post! There are probably more free venues to use to market and grow our businesses now than ever before! It’s amazing how many people you can reach these days!
Because of Facebook I have connected with a prospective client in Austrailia – and I’m in Southern California! Last year I wasn’t actively using Social Media as a marketing venue and was struggling to find a way to market my Virtual Assistant business in other states…other than my website! Then my lightbulb finally went on! Social Media!
I’ve been on a roll ever since realizing that connecting with people on Facebook and Twitter, building relationships with them and allowing things to flow it’s natural course was the best way for me to market my business.
Not sure what rock I’ve been under, but I’m glad I crawled out from under it! Now I’m even speaking to groups about combining Social Media Marketing in with their traditonal marketing campaigns… and I’ve written an ebook on it as well!
And you’re right, Neighborhood Computer Guy…. Excellent Customer Service should be a no-brainer.. but it’s amazing how so many business owners forget that it’s not just the product and service provided… it’s HOW you provide your clients with out of the box customer service! You don’t want to lose the clients you already have so take a few extra steps to keep them – It’s less expensive, and just as easy, to keep your current clients than it is to gain new ones!
And ASKING your current clients for referrals is key! ASKING is probably one of the most overlooked business growing components ever!!!
Success in 2009!
Eydie
@Tumblemoose
Haha! Well hopefully some free advertising will change that!
Matt
@Gerald
Great idea regarding merging in person and online networking, good tip.
And your quote on broke vs poor is something we should all remember!
Matt
@Eydie
That is what I absolutely love about blogging and the internet, it expands your reach exponentially. I’ve “met” people from all over the world, that wouldn’t be possible without social media and the internet.
Matt
Re: mailing lists… A long time ago, I tested out feedblitz and used it for a few weeks. I build subscribers but I just didn’t like the way the newsletter looked. Then a colleague recommended madmimi(dot)com so I gave it a shot. What’s cool about madmimi is that it was free until I broke 100+ subscribers and it tracked stats for me (from open rates to click thru’s, etc). It’s very easy to use and I recommend it to everyone. You can customize the fields to capture whatever information you’d like and you can also run multiple campaigns.
There is of course aweber as a solution but if you wanted to “test” out your newsletter, I’d check in with madmimi first.
Just my opinion is all…
Sounds like Guerrilla Marketing to me! I think even if a small business isn’t “broke”, it’s easy to see how the traditional advertising of the big businesses can be “out of reach” for smaller businesses. Without huge advertising budgets, these tips can definitely help to stay competitive! Thanks for the tips!
@Tim
It basically comes down to doing the most with what you have, and getting a little creative at times.
Glad you liked it,
Matt
@Ricardo Bueno
Thanks for the link, and I think you bring up a good point. Test your newsletter for free to see what works before shelling out hard earned money on a newsletter service.
Matt
@sternalpr — I’m a huge believer in PR, and every business should be doing it so that it can lead to increased media exposure. You’ve gotta do it the right way, of course. Whatever industry you’re in, find a few issues making headlines and join the conversation by issuing a few press releases and calling some media following the story. Tell them you have some perspective they need to know about.
Bravo! These are great “guerrilla marketing” ideas in ANY economy – especially this one. A few other things that I find helpful are to:
1) Print out signs (use online templates) about your business and hang them in grocery stores or wherever people frequent
2) Focus on your website’s SEO (search engine optimization). Tweak your website, and traffic will grow. Tweak it correctly, and TARGETED traffic will grow. Learn about doing your own SEO by buying books or dvd’s, or just searching online for tips.
Thanks again for a great article.
Jana
Great tips here. Most of these I have employed when we started up our real estate network and did not have a lot of capital to put into advertising.
Marketing is one of the most important parts of a business and should be included in a business plan. The biggest mistake that I see when it comes to small business, especially when it is time to get a loan, is that business owner do not plan. At least the plan is not commented to paper. Even when marketing is free it adds value to your business. Having a list of things that you do on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis and sticking to your plan will pay off. Keeping track of what is working and what is not is also important. Hopefully some day you will want to expand. When you go to get an SBA loan this information can make the difference between reviving funding or not. If you wanted to sell your business, you never know what can happen in the future, this will impress the perspective buyer. at the very least this kind of marketing will make you an expert in your field. And the best thing is it is all free!!