Tip Diva | Top Ten Tips - Advertising On A Budget

Top Ten Tips - Advertising On A Budget

By Tip Diva | Dec 16, 2007

Categories: Advertising, Budget, Cheap, Conversation, Facebook, Free, Freebies, Internet, Money, MySpace, Networking, SEO, Savings, Search Engines, Selling, Services, Small Business, Social Networking, Tips, Web, Web Search, Websites, Work

Starting up a small business or offering a service isn’t always cheap - but promotion and advertising can be. Here are ways to advertise your business or service for little or no cost:

Create A Website - Creating a website is now more affordable then ever, and is a must if you want to compete.
- First, buy yourself a domain name (.com, .net and more) reflecting your business or service. There are plenty of websites that sell domain names - Tip Diva purchased hers at Go Daddy, which is probably the top domain name seller on the Web.
- After you buy your domain name, you need to look for web host - basically, a place to rent space for your domain name. Many Internet service providers (ISPs) offer web space to its subscribers, or you can purchase relatively cheap space from a site like Go Daddy - their plans run as low as $3.19 per month.
- Most web hosts offer templates or website builders. If you’re not design saavy, try hiring an affordable web designer from your local college or Craigslist’s “Gigs” section.
- Make your website search engine friendly by using search engine optomization (SEO). You can find out more about SEO at Bruce Clay’s site, which covers SEO basics and offers free analyzation tools.
Advertise on Craigslist - Craigslist also has a section where you can advertise your business or service for free, under the “Services” section. Make sure to include all relevant information about your business or service, including what you do and how someone can contact you. Remember to follow Craigslist’s posting rules and do not spam. If you spam, your postings get deleted, which defeats the purpose.
Submit Your Contact Information To Online Directories - Once you have your website up and running, submit your site and contact information to online directories pertaining to your business or service. To find these directories, go to Google and search for (your occupation) directory. For instance, if you are a web designer and type “web designer directory” on Google, you’ll find directories such as DesignFirms, Web Designers Directory and Webdesign Finders.
Exchange Links - One way to improve your placement in search engines is by linking to and getting linked by other websites. If your friends and family have websites, ask them to place a link to your service or business on their sites. Find related websites and e-mail the webmaster to see if he or she is interested in exchanging links with you. Or, you can try a reciprocal link networks like BuildReciprocalLinks.com or Link2Me.com.
Utilize Social Networks - Create pages on social networks like LinkedIn, MySpace and Facebook to promote your business or service. However, do not spam other members. Only connect to people you know, like friends, family and clients.
Network - Don’t just rely on online networking. Get out into the open and let people know who you are. Attend industry events pertaining to your field. The person you meet today may be your client tomorrow. NOTE: For more on networking, see Top Ten Tips - Effective Networking.
Use Business Cards - Hand out your business cards to everyone you meet. For both free and affordable business cards, try Vista Print. Make sure to include all relevant information, including your contact information and website. Also ask friends, family and local businesses to hand out your business card.
Self-Promote - Don’t be afraid to casually mention that you do certain kinds of work - you never know who will need your business or service. Also go to Craigslist’s ”Gigs” section and find if anyone is looking for your type of business or service, and e-mail them or call them, offering to help. Even if they ultimately don’t use you, they’ll at least know you exist.
Use Word-Of-Mouth - Self-promotion is one thing, but word-of-mouth from others can do wonders for your business or service. Ask satisified clients to pass along your business card or contact information to friends or collegues. You may even want to offer incentives to do so; for instance, if your client tells a friend and that friend uses your services, give your original client a discount on his next purchase.
Print Flyers - Flyers are relatively cheap, whether using your own printer or getting them printed at Staples or Office Max. Post them around town or hand them out to people on the street. Ask local businesses to put your flyer in the window, and check out your local library and supermarket to see if they have posting boards. Just be aware of local laws pertaining to the posting of bills or flyers - you may be fined if posting is illegal.