Five Cheap Tricks for Promoting Your Business
Copyright 2004 Nancy Jackson

  If you’re like me, you’re always looking for ways to
promote your business — without spending a ton of money.
Well, you’re in luck. This article lists five of my top 10
favorite ideas for promoting your business or organization
for next to nothing (and in some cases, completely fr*e).
While these ideas are a start, there are plenty of other
ways to get the word out about your product or service and
build relationships with potential clients. Use this list
as a jumping off point to brainstorm more cheap ideas that
may work wonders for your business. And stay tuned for the
other five tricks, which will appear in my Nov. 2004
newsletter, "Marketing Tips from The WriteShop."

1. Volunteer your services or donate your products to a
local nonprofit. This tactic doesn’t just help spread the
word about your products and services, but it also allows
you to help a worthy cause. Many nonprofits are happy to
promote their donors in their own marketing materials, and
nonprofit leaders are also good people to know because many
of them are well-connected in their communities (and happy
to give referrals).

2. Educate friends and family about your business. Simply
utilizing the relationships you already have is one of the
easiest but most often overlooked forms of marketing.
Nobody wants to hear about your business or products all
the time, but it’s a good idea to make sure your family and
friends understand what you do — you never know when they
might have an opportunity to send business your way.

3. Become active in online forums related to your industry.
Many business owners and marketers turn to online
discussion groups for advice or to vent frustration, and
you might be surprised how frequently discussion pals
become clients or referral sources. By maintaining your
professionalism and sharing your own advice freely
(remember to give, not just receive), you’ll earn respect
from other forum members, who may turn to you when they
need your products or services.

4. Make yourself available to local media. Reporters for
newspapers, business publications, television and radio are
constantly looking for expert sources to interview about
various topics. If they know about you and your areas of
expertise in advance, chances are they’ll contact you when
they need a quote or expert insight about your particular
field. If you don’t have relationships with media already,
start by locating the reporters who usually report on your
areas of interest. Introduce yourself in a personalized
letter or e-mail, and include a list of issues for which
you would be willing to comment. Follow up occasionally
with press releases or other information the reporters may
find interesting or newsworthy.

5. Sponsor local events in your market area. Consider
hosting an after-hours event for a local business
organization at your office or home. Sponsor a Little
League team or a nonprofit fundraising event. These types
of activities will not only keep your name in the
spotlight, but they’ll also help establish your company’s
reputation as a generous, community-minded business.


About the Author:

Nancy Jackson of The WriteShop helps companies better
market their products and services with powerful written
communications including newsletters, articles, Web
content, brochures and custom publications. Learn more,
contact her, or sign up for her free monthly newsletter at
www.writeshoponline.com.