*Advertising for Free

Advertising for Free

As noted in my previous articles, marketing is the lifeblood of all businesses, regardless of size. This is especially true of Home Based businesses. The big dollars you are seeking can only be gained from successful marketing. One of the biggest issues startup businesses face is sufficient capitalization for marketing. Most make the mistake of spending all of their money on infrastructure capitalization and leave little to nothing for marketing. Just because you have a website, does not mean you will get customers to it. They must be directed there. If you find yourself in this position, there are some ways to start traffic flow to develop an advertising budget that will allow you to accelerate that flow. This article addresses advertising with little to no starting budget.

Advertising for free may sound impossible when first heard. Nevertheless, there are several ways by which the cost of advertisement can be conserved, with the help of some imagination and creativity. The first is ‘Article Generation’. A business wanting to advertise, can write articles related to its field of expertise that can be submitted to media and publications having an interest in that particular field. The article can have information about the company and dealership opportunity. Due to the rise in Internet users and websites, new websites have sprung up which offer free services. Articles can be written for these websites and they can be broadcasted for free and viewed by hundreds of people everyday. The more sources the article is submitted to, the greater the viewing public.

Once the business has gained some recognition, within no time it will gain popularity also among the crowds. This popularity can lead to being invited on radio and television talk shows and even to interviews. These types of opportunities shouldn’t be missed as they provide a chance for free promotion on a broad scale. If it is taking a long time to get a break, the producer can be addressed with a letter that can be followed up by a telephone call or in-person visit. During the visit, the nature of expertise can be discussed about the business, which will be of interest to the viewers of that particular channel or station. Once a business person gains the status of being public-friendly, more offers start pouring in.

The second most effective (and most overlooked) form of free advertising is ‘Personal Contact’. Personal contact marketing is as simple as handing out an effective business card. Never speak to someone new without giving them your business card. If it is attractive and effective, it will trigger visitors to your website. Also ensure that every piece of correspondence you send out has a business card in it. This includes paying your monthly bills (personal and business). Don’t overlook the fact that the people processing your bills are purchasers of goods and services too.

A third form of virtually free marketing is ‘Bulletin Boards’ (both physical and cyberworld). Free bulletin boards located in the neighborhood, like in grocery stores, libraries, and salons, are excellent resources. Advertising circulars can be posted on such boards for free. Circulars for mass distribution can be handed out at the mall, shopping center, bus stops, particularly on weekends when there is a big rush. Students can be hired on part time basis for this purpose. Cyber circulars, business cards and ads can be posted on internet bulletin boards as well and there are literally millions of these.
Promotional advertisements can be printed on the envelopes used by the business firms. Both the sender and the receiver can view this advertisement.

Promotional offers can also be sent to customers by postcards, which should be utilized to their fullest, leaving only space left for writing the address.

Some of the new mail order publications offer free first time and seasonal deductions for advertisers. Other publications offer pay per inquiry space. Inquiries can be made about stand-by space, which means that the publication holds the submission of advertisement until the space is not sold and in that case, thirty three percent saving can be achieved. Usually local newspapers provide these kinds of offers.

If the business is involved in ad sheet or catalog publishing, other publishers can be contacted for the purpose of bartering an advertising exchange. They can place advertisements in their publication, in return for placing their advertisement in your business’s publication, brochre, or website. This type of advertising is known as ‘Partnering’ and it can be very effective if you use the right partners. Pick partners with products or services complimentary to yours.

Free offers can be provided to customers. This can be done by emailing or printing a newsletter about information regarding the area of interest of the targeted customers and can be made popular by using tag lines. Attach a free coupon with it, which the customers can use for shopping if a criterion is met like a minimum purchase of $50. If applied wisely to a targeted market, this tool can generate responses that will be huge. It has been proven time and again that consumers will purchase something or the other to avail themselves of free or reduced price offers.

These are only a few of many opportunities for free advertising. The basic ingredient for advertising for free is imagination and research. Spend an hour or two each day developing these advertising resources and watch how fast you can develop a serious advertising budget.

Richard Loewenhage

CEOnwww.LivingMyLifestyle.com