any advice out there on how to promote my businesses ?

Question

Business 1 is photography and personalised gifts
Business 2 is disco's and race nights

Any tips on advertising on a small budget ?

Answer 1

Have you thought about pay per click programs? The two biggest, I think, are Yahoo! and Google

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.

4) Advertise on Craiglist

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 are 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 2

You can make up business cards and leave them at stores. Like a bridal shop, bakery, leave cards on boards at grocery stores. Advertise in a small community newspaper. There are lots of ways to advertise your business. Just think of what kinds of shops or people that would need your service. I'm not sure what your 2nd business pertains to exactly.

Answer 3

I wrote a great article on guerilla marketing that you may find useful:

Guerrilla Marketing for the Small Marketing Budget

http://www.articleshut.com/article26916.html

It's too long to post here - but it gives you some great ideas of how to advertise on a small budget.

Also I am just putting the finishing touches to a book called Successful Viral Marketing - if you contact me I'll let you know when it is published.

Answer 4

I run a garden centre and have wasted so much money in the past on radio and magazine advertising that it would make you sick. Each business will get different results but for me placing small ads in the local newspapers on a regular basis is as good as anything else. Also helps to get involved with sponsoring or being involved with things that are going on in your community.

Answer 5

Try www.Craigslist.com for free ads in their small biz section. There are thousands of sites that let you post free ads but craigslist is by far the most popular.

If you identify your potential customers some low-cost marketing ideas are; direct mailing of postcards, using tri-fold flyers for mailing or posting on bulletin boards or in other businesses. And of course, if you don't already have them, get some websites and "tag" them with the proper search words to get your site to come up when people search for products or services you offer.

Good Luck

Answer 6

Check out the major small business sites inc and entrepreneur.com for tons of tips on advertising small busineses.

I typically recommend handing out business cards, network through friends and family, join forums where people have interests in what you do, join your local Chamber of Commere, write up flyers that you can post in billboards.

If your photography is tailored to specific areas (wedding, stock, business, events.. blah blah blah) go to places that work with those type of clients and see if you can setup a deal - go to a wedding shop and offer a referall fee for people ask for photographers and such.

Offer to do free photography for your local church, civic centers, news papers, publications, schools and such. It gets your name as credit and builds a portfolio. Be creative. Send out greeting cards that you made with your own photo, make your own christmas cards for friends and family. showcase what you can do to build word of mouth.