I have a small furniture/antique repair business. I am looking for free or low, low budget ideas to advertise my small business around my town/city. Any ideas would be great however I am not really looking to advertise much on the web. I appreciate any creative ideas. Thanks!
2007-10-02 15:14:58 · 9 answers · asked by ashley w 1 in Business & Finance ➔ Small Business
Well first off, if you are not on the web, you are invisble in todays market place I hate to say.
So I would go to www.GoDaddy.com and spend $9.20 for a dot com (per year) and you will also get a free email address and a free forwarding of the dot com (pointing it to an actual site). Most others charge for email and forwarding, GoDaddy is by far the best.
Next get on www.Blogger.com or www.WordPress.com and set up a blog in your company name. You choose the colors, layout, and what it says. Upload some pictures, etc of your business, of work done before and after. Now take this address (sallysmithwoodworking.blogger.com) and put that into your GoDaddy account as the forwarding address. Now when people go to the dot com, they will be transfered to your blog aka your site. Blogs are free.
Now get on YouTube.com and set up a free account again under your business name. Either video tape a few items you do or have someone do it. Then upload these videos to your YouTube account. You can even link these videos onto your blog as well to be viewed there. Blog instructions will guide you on how to do this, real easy.
Next get on MySpace.com and again, set up a free account here. Choose your colors, layout, etc. And again put in info, text of what you do, pictures, video's, etc.
Now the purpose of all this is to get massive exposure on the internet. For that is how people find you and your business. Since you have a dot com, that will show up in search results. Don't forget to do the keywords (words that fit your business... like wood, cherry, walnut, "your town", "your city", cabinets, tables, antiques, etc... these "keywords" are what seach engines hunt for, so use words wisely).
But as well as your dot com gaining traffice... that blog will gain traffic through the blog itself and its ability to post items into search engines for you. Each posting you put into a blog can be found via a search say on google.
This again is true with YouTube and MySpace. And since you are already using Yahoo Answers. Again, I would set up an account with your company name and answer questions pertaining to your craft and knowledge. Again, these too will show up in search engine results. Sign each answer with your company name or dot com, to again make it appear over n over again as well.
The more times you show up, the more the search engine realizes this and bumps you up the line of search results. That is how you get near the top or not near the top, by how many times your info is "hit".
Now besides a night or two of playing w/ premade templates and choosing colors and what you want to say about your business. All you have spent is $9.20 yet you have accomplished what $10,000+ would of done if you paid another to do this and/or print work as well.
Besides this, make sure you are in phone book and online phonebook, same company.
You can run weekly ad's on www.Craigslist.com about your business. Many people shop that free site. Posting, etc is all free there.
Local papers ad's in the back are cheap but don't get much notice. Coupon books and monthly Val Pak's only work for certain businesses. High investment to "test" the waters.
2007-10-02 16:23:12 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
1
2017-01-20 21:02:40 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I will tell you what i have done, i have 2 business's , i made postcards on the internet, for my business and advertised it on the postcard, and then got into a yellowbook or phone book and sent it to everyone in there. I know u think well thats not going to work, but you will be surprised @ how many people do respond to your postcard . Just keep track of everyone you have already sent it to, and do surrounding areas. Then another thing i did , was called alot of business and got their fax number, i made a flyer & faxed it to everyone within a 60 mile radus. i have been self employed , by word of mouth now, at first it was the cards & flyers, and i make a really good living w/my business and its not much expense if you do it ur self. What ever ur selling or can do, if its a good product or u do quality work. Ur advertising by word of mouth by clients will make ur business grow... trust me it works!!!! good luck
2016-04-07 01:19:55 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Small advertisements on the local grocery store bulletin boards is good.
Got any interior decorating stores in your area? Drop off business cards.
Doing a demo on a weekend can net you a free ad in the local community papers under 'events'. Ditto for teaching small classes how to upholster chairs.
2007-10-02 17:36:25 · answer #4 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Print out some flyers....
Color may be a little more costly but also more appealing!
You can distribute the fliers to other local businesses and maybe to the homes in the neighborhood!
I had a friend who stuck them in magazines at the local conveneince store just to spread the "word" about his new business!
Also, give them to family and friends to hand out!
Business cards (if you don't already have them) can serve the same purpose and are important to have anyway!
2007-10-02 15:26:34 · answer #5 · answered by StarWritten 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Create a simple flyer. Perhaps just a creative description of your company on a piece of colored paper, listing what you do, the benefits, phone number, locations ,etc.
Then take these flyers to:
1. all local furniture stores
2. all local laundramats
3. casual restaurants with bulletin boards
4. offices of apartment complexes
5. the mailbox area of local apartment complexes.
At each of these places, put your flyer on the bulletin board and/or tell the workers there all about the services that you are offering.
2007-10-02 15:23:19 · answer #6 · answered by hottotrot1_usa 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you're from the Philippines, Try calling Buy & Sell Magazine at 366-3333. They advertise for Free.
2007-10-03 01:09:39 · answer #7 · answered by Rax 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Put your business on Yahoo Local. It is free and might be there already! Then, have someone give it a rating to increase visibility. Also, if there is something unique about your store or merchandise, consider contacting your local newspaper and suggest they write a story about your business, merchandise, or even you! Be creative! there is SOMETHING unique about your story or that of your business. It is almost Halloween...was your store haunted at one time?
2007-10-02 15:43:24 · answer #8 · answered by chemo38 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
>>Hey this is the easiest way to advertise your website or homepage for free
>>http://a.easyhits4u.com/splash3.php?ref=shailu_ars
>>http://a.easyhits4u.com/splash2.php?ref=shailu_ars
u see nothing is actually so free
but this is too simple
Say thanks
2007-10-04 11:55:22 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
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2007-10-02 16:17:15 · answer #10 · answered by B&D 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋