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Guest post by: Sue Barrett Become an Author

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Does your business survive on local shoppers? Even though you may draw customers from a limited area, you are not necessarily limited in the ways that you can advertise. Many business owners do not specialize in marketing, and after placing a few ads, getting a company listing in the city yellow page book and networking with people they know, they run out of advertising ideas.

Marketing does not have to take a lot of time. You do not have to spend lots of money either. Using creative strategies that people like will bring attention to your business and is more likely to bring in new customers. Here are three low-cost marketing strategies that you can use.

1. How to Get Free Publicity

Start by announcing your business to your community. Are you holding a grand opening event or open house? Writing a short press release to your local newspaper can result in a story written about your company. There are resources online that help you write a press release, and you can even find free templates. If you do not feel comfortable writing your own release, you can always hire a public relations firm to do the job for you.

One news story can go a long way in bringing you business, but you do not need to stop at one. Any time you have news about your business that would interest the community, you can submit another press release. The same release can be sent to radio and TV stations as well.

2. Get Customers to Love You with Coupons

People love to save money. A coupon ad will tend to bring you more customers than a regular advertisement alone, and you do not have to worry about devising a complicated sales pitch.

You can send out coupons in neighborhood mailers, run them in local newspapers or even mail them out yourself using low-cost postcards. to attract new customers to try out your service. Mailing services often provide a coupon design option you can take advantage of if you prefer to have someone else do the design work. If you decide to mail your own postcards, there are services online that let you create postcards quickly using pre-made templates.

3. Get Local Online

The yellow page book can be a powerful advertising tool, but more and more people are using the internet. Local online directories are quickly becoming a popular resource that customers use to find local businesses. You do not have to pay a lot of money to get listed in these directories, and it is an easy way to get more exposure for your company.

Websites like Google Local, City Grid Media and Super Pages are all high traffic online locations that can help you promote your business without a lot of effort on your part.

An important part of local business marketing is to advertise your company in multiple locations so you can gain the most exposure. If you are limited in the amount of time and money you can spend marketing, you can use simple techniques like these to start attracting customers. Over time, the quality of your service can bring you repeat business and referrals also, so remember to treat your customers well.

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