What is the best way to advertise your business when on a budget?

Question

I know search engines are supposed to be the best, but there are so many options I do not know which one is the best? I also want to know of other ways besides search engines.

Answer 1

Here are some shoestring marketing ideas that can help you get the visitors you need at the least cost possible:

1. Create the best content you can with the best products you can possibly offer. Your content is your best advertisement - if visitors love your content, then they will go back and spread the word to others.

2. Make it easy for users to recommend your site. Viral marketing is very important -- and easy to tap on the Web. But give your users the tools. Get a Recommend this Site script from websites such as cgiscripts.com and similar directories of scripts. Some even go as far as giving incentives to those who recommend the site to their friends. If only 10 people go to your site, but these 10 people invite 10 more - that's additional traffic that you get for FREE!

3. Rank well in the search engines (organic search results, not the pay per click). SEs can be a big source of traffic. The key is to create the best content in your niche. If you have good content, other websites will gladly link to you and offer your site as a resource to their audience. Check the on-page factors and be sure to get linked from authority sites in your topic area.

If you are going to read only one piece on search engine optimization, I suggest you read Brett Tabke of WebmasterWorld.com's "Successful Site in 12 Months with Google Alone: 26 steps to 15k a day." http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/2010.htm

4. Send out press releases. While outfits charge as much as $650 per release, there are free press release submission places on the Web. Press releases allow you to (a) attract media attention; (b) get more back links to your website without sending each website an email request; and (c) get more visibility especially if your press release gets in Google News or Yahoo News. My website (see my profile) accepts free press release submission (no strings attached!)

5. Submit articles. Write articles and submit them to websites accepting author submissions. You get exposure for your business; establishes you as an authority in your field, and allows you to get backlinks for your website. If 50 websites publish your article and it contains a link back to your website, then you easily get 50 links from a single article. The more links you have, the greater your chances for increasing your search engine rankings.

6. Improve your conversion. Getting visitors is one thing; getting them to buy your products is a whole different story. Read the article "10 Ways to Convert Visitors to Buyers" http://www.powerhomebiz.com/072005/conversion.htm for tips on how to improve your conversion rates.

Answer 2

A few free resources – check out the sources box for links:

1) Create a blog pertaining to your field

2) Use Yahoo! Local & Yahoo! Groups – Be sure to read the TOS for each one!

3) Write articles pertaining to your field and/or expertise.

Also, consider signing up for an affiliate program. These programs enable you to advertise on other's sites (your affiliates) and once a sale is made to you, your affiliates & the program are paid a commission.

I listed a few handy sites & articles relating to marketing, promotion & advertising. Here's some book titles that are relevant:

* 301 Do-It-Yourself Marketing Ideas: From America's Most Innovative Small Companies by Sam Decker
* Off The Wall Marketing Ideas: Jumpstart Your Sales without Busting Your Budget by Nancy Michaels, Debbi J. Karpowicz
* Guerrilla Marketing for Free: Dozens of No-Cost Tactics to Promote Your Business and Energize Your Profits by Jay Conrad Levinson
* Entrepreneur Magazine's Ultimate Small Business Marketing Guide: Over 1500 Great Marketing Tricks That Will Drive Your Business Through the Roof by James Stephenson

Hope that helps! I wish you much success & happiness in all your ventures!

Answer 3

With a budget and a goal to advertsie your business with the best exposure, try joining a Chamber of Commerce with membership priviledges. Get access to prospect customers including targeted companies and contact names via your Chamber of Commerce representative.

A cost effective marketing channel that I used was my regional chamber of commerce.

With a membership, the Chamber of Commerce can provide member benefits that give you exclusivity and access to a large market of members who might want to look at your product. That includes exclusive information such as company size like revenues, product and service description and contact names and numbers for you to target your advertising and budget wisely.

Plus, within that membership is a cost effective distribution that the Chamber has established including member address and contact names for your use.

Once more, after you have narrowed the targeted audience, the Chamber can faciliate business meetings that give you the face-time that you need that beat any advertising you could possibly think of.

Effectively, the Chamber membership can help you achieve eliminating some of the time consuming effort of finding out who are your customers, let along trying to advertise content to them.

In my opinion, this is one way to best advertise your business with a limited budget.

Answer 4

Well, you desire to get the first-class importance to your greenback. What you might do is present to do a couple of periods without spending a dime, as a way to construct your portfolio (they pay for any prints). If you are in need of to pay attention to weddings, ask unbiased bridal shops if you'll depart a stack of commercial playing cards, or flyers. If you are in need of to stay with graphics, tack a trade card/flyer on a neighborhood bulletin board. With Christmas coming quickly, households will desire graphics--once more, possibly present a detailed simply to aid get the phrase out. Also, get a small telephone book advert. Even now, humans nonetheless flip to the telephone book whilst they want a specified trade, however do not need anybody specified in brain. Good success!