10 No-Cost, Low-Cost Ways to Market Your Business

Great marketing goes beyond traditional marketing strategies. We’re entering a whole new era of online and offline marketing that allow you to market one-to-many for the best results. You don’t need expensive marketing resources to produce great results - here’s where you can get creative and have fun! Here are 10 No-Cost and Low-Cost Ways to Market Your Businesses. Tip #1: Reach Out To Strategic Partners Strategic Partners are a complement (not competition) to your business (as your business is to theirs). Provide an Ideal Client Description and ask if they know someone who is an ideal fit. If they do know someone who would benefit from working with you, ask them to pass along your contact information to the prospect. (Asking for the prospect’s contact information - and contacting them directly - may not always be appropriate. Follow the Strategic Partner’s client privacy policy before contacting the prospect.) Last but not least - return the favor. Tip #2: Develop Joint-Venture Projects Joint-Ventures are gaining popularity as we find (in a challenging economy) it’s not only more effective, but sometimes necessary, to pool resources together. This marketing strategy accomplishes two goals: 1) Gets your business in front of a new market and 2) Allows opportunities for new or creative products or services you may have previously been unable to provide. *Choose Joint-Venture Partners wisely... once a partnership is formed, reputations will inevitably be tied to one another. Tip #3: Build a Community The power of the community deeply serves us, as we continue to recover from economic hardship. Create an in-person or virtual community where like-minded business owners can meet once a week to discuss marketing strategies that work or brainstorm new and innovative ways to attract ideal clients. Use your business brand or personal philosophy as an anchor to the community and you’ll be providing what no one else can. Tip #4: Update Client Success Stories You may have client testimonials, but do you have updated their success stories? Contact clients who have worked with you and ask them to provide their latest success story by specifically tying at least one piece of their success to something they learned or were provided by your product, program, or service. The greater the success story - the greater the value that directly ties back to your business. Promote the updated testimonials and remember to put them on your website. Tip #5: Hold an Open House In-person networking is powerful! Host a lunch, happy hour or networking meeting at your home or office. Invite a small group of key people who can help you spread the word about an upcoming program/event or time-sensitive promotion. (“Key” people are colleagues, partners, friends, associates who have direct connections to your ideal clients.) You may want to consider asking these key people to bring other people who they think could benefit from your product or services to meet you in person. Tip #6: Leverage Your Resources Every aspect of your business from your voice mail to in-person networking should be highlighting reasons why people should be working with you. Share client success stories and current promotions year-round on/in/at: your website | outgoing voicemail message | email footer | social networking accounts (LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter) | printed marketing materials | networking events | seminars and live events | business cards | articles | etc. Tip #6: Leverage The Internet While in-person networking remains one of the most powerful ways to connect with prospective clients, the leveraging power of the internet is undeniable. Thanks to the internet it is possible for you to transform your marketing plan from a one-to-one approach to one-to-many. Article marketing and social networking are just two powerful examples of how to market one-to-many online. Tip #8: Blog for Business A blog is an essential part of your website’s ability to attract and keep the attention of your ideal prospects. Although the intention is to provide valuable information, you’re actually doing much more than that: you’re providing a valuable resource that boosts the Know, Like, Trust Factor of your clients - inspiring them to work with you. Take existing content from articles, podcasts, videos, etc. to create your blog posts. Your assistant can do this for you and post them on a regular basis so you don’t have to spend a lot of time doing it yourself. Tip #9: Develop a Cross-Promotion Partnership Ask for help! Contact associates, colleagues and other high-quality contacts and offer to promote one of their upcoming events or program launches. Be sure their offer is a complement, not competition, to something you currently offer. (Offer a referral fee for added incentive!) Only then, ask them to return the favor, if they haven’t already offered. Tip #10: Create Consistent Communication Creating a weekly e-newsletter is one of the easiest methods for creating consistent c...