Be Cheap and Easy When it Comes to Marketing Your Business
photo credit: justinlai
In direct sales, the work at home market and especially in this economy, you can be effective by being cheap and easy when marketing your business.
While we are all in business to make money, sometimes our budget can leave a lot to be desired. Dropping your advertising budget in this economic environment can be a killer. It seems like a vicious circle. We need to drive the traffic and sales, but our money is best used very wisely. We have to become very aggressive to market our business. But if you don’t have the time to research, here are some of my ideas that can help you that are cheap and easy; my favorite kind.
· Use mini mailers or flyers with samples or coupon attached and go door to door. No, you don’t have to knock, but be respectful of no soliciting signs. And don’t just go one time.
· Check with neighborhood stores that may allow you to leave information.
· Use fish bowls or information boxes to gather customer interest. Give away something once a month or so to encourage them to fill out your form.
· Bulletin boards are free and easy. Laundry mats, grocery stores, local stores, restaurants and many more places have them. Make sure to have a tear off tab with your phone number for someone to take.
· Team up with another business owner that has products compatible to yours and market together. She can introduce you to her customers and vise versa.
· Place small ads in the community paper or penny saver.
· Use your business cards like water. Place them everywhere you can.
· Many restaurants allow business card inserts or ads in the menu.
· If you sell a product, check to see if there are businesses that take consignments. Depending on the mark up of your products, you can move some product while advertising it as well. Make sure all products have your contact info on it.
· Donate product to a charitable organization for a raffle prize.
· Participate in local events where you can set up booths to give out information or sell product.
· Invest in a logo designed just for you and get a professional shirt made to wear as you are out. Make it your uniform, so get several.
· Invest in signs or graphics for your vehicle.
· Join the chamber of commerce and become an Ambassador. Work the meetings.
· Teach classes in your expertise. Look at senior centers, YMCA, churches and other local places that you can donate some time teaching others.
· Write articles and send them to the paper.
· If your business is also online, write articles and places them on article websites along with a nice tag line to drive business to your site.
This list comprises just a few of the things that I have done. How many can you incorporate into your marketing plan? Remember, you can still advertise without a lot of money. Most of these things I listed here are no cost besides your time or the cost of some product. Put on your thinking cap and see how many others you can come up with and keep your advertising cheap and easy.
