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10 Inexpensive Ways to Market Your Business and or Yourself

Written by: Alvah Parker

Article Overview: Marketing does not have to be expensive to be effective. A business owners just want to be memorable so that the potential customer or referrer will remember them when they or someone they know has a need for the product or service the business owner offers. Here are 10 ways to market that are relatively cost free.

10 Inexpensive Ways to Market Your Business and or Yourself

Marketing does not have to be expensive to be effective. A business owners just want to be memorable so that the potential customer or referrer will remember them when they or someone they know has a need for the product or service the business owner offers. Here are 10 ways to market that are relatively cost free.


1. Have a compelling response to the question “What do you do?” or "Tell me about yourself" Make it brief and interesting. If you only have 30 seconds, give them enough of an idea about what you do so that they seek you out to hear more later. Even in a situation where you have more time, be brief but to the point and then allow them to ask questions. Their questions will give you an idea of their particular interest.



2. Join or create a leads exchange group. Find or create a group that has members with businesses aimed at a similar target market to yours. Job seekers find others looking in the same industries. If you join a group where everyone markets to consumers and you market to businesses, you probably won’t be able to give or get many leads.



3.Use every social occasion as a networking opportunity. Have your business cards ready if someone asks for one.


4. Offer to give a talk at a business meeting or teach a course at a school or training center. Use your expertise to generate interest in you and/or your business.



5. Put an article about you or your business in a local newspaper. Local papers are often eager to print information about people in the area. Introduce yourself to the editor or person at your local paper who is responsible for press releases. Find out the information required for the article and learn to write a press release for newspapers.


6. Form strategic partnerships with others. If there are other businesses related to yours, seek them out and establish your own relationships. For example if you are an wedding planner you will want to form partnerships with florists, photographers, bands, DJs etc. Refer to your strategic partners and they in turn will refer to you. Job seekers find some partners who are at a higher level than you and who when they find jobs will help you find one in their new company. Of course you must plan to do the same for them.



7. Make a list of testimonials from customers to use with potential customers or employers. Make these testimonials part of your brochure and/or website, and have as a separate document to put into proposals.



8. Model what you sell. If you are a web designer, have a spectacular website. If you sell clothes make sure your own fashion statement is flawless and creates the appropriate image.



9. Use a domain name that tells what your business is i.e. bob@bobthebuilder.com. When someone calls Bob they will probably ask him what he builds. The email address itself opens conversation.



10. Create a unique style or logo that make you memorable. Establish yourself or your logo as a brand so people remember you. Frank Purdue did it as a person. Coca Cola does it as a logo. You can do it too!

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Article Tags: business owner, business owners, marketing, ways to market



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Re: Ideas For Business - Hello Lucy, you may consider this list for Ideas for Business: (Top 23 list) Rank Company 1 Google 2 Genentech 3 Wegmans Food Markets 4 Container Store 5 Whole Foods Market 6 Network Appliance 7 S.C. Johnson & Son 8 Boston Consulting Grp. 9 Methodist Hospital Sys. 10 W.L. Gore & Associates 11 Cisco Systems 12 David Weekley Homes 13 Nugget Market 14 Qualcomm 15 American Century Invest. 16 Starbucks Coffee 17 Quicken Loans 18 Station Casinos 19 Alston & Bird 20 QuikTrip 21 Griffin Hospital 22 Valero Energy 23 Vision Service Plan
My entry - 1. The Best Business Books Ever: The 100 Most Influential Business Books You'll Never Have Time to Read - this is a fascinating book about the history of Business theory, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 2. The Big Book of Small Business: You Don't Have to Run Your Business by the Seat of Your Pants, by Tom Gegax. Ditto. 3. PADI: The Business of Diving Book Okay, so this book won't be of use to anyone who doesn't want to start a scuba store, but I did, and this book was of course invaluable to me in reaching that goal.
Re: How should i promote a new website? - ignore this message IF it's already been stated. I haven't had a chance to read all the replies and i have to jet from the office... I suggest marketing where ever your Target Market congregates. If it's a forum of concerned parents - go there. Strike up a deal with the forum owner (JV) and have him promote it to the list of members (Integration Marketing). If you want to go with Forums then i would partner with a parent who is a frequent poster/moderator on a particular Target Market Forum and have him/her add your link to their signature. That was just a thought but it's not as intense once you get buy in from the Forum owner or high ranked poster/moderator. Hope that sparks some new ideas.
Re: Do Women Play the Stock Market? - I also play Stock Market.....


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