More Cheap Tricks for Promoting Your Business > NetSparsh

Home
>
Advertising
>
More Cheap Tricks for Promoting Your Business

More Cheap Tricks for Promoting Your Business

In a recent article, I shared five of my top 10 favorite tricks for promoting your business without spending much (or any) money. Several readers wrote and said they enjoyed the first five tips, so I'm hoping the next five will be just as helpful.

There's nothing like getting valuable exposure and new clients for your business without spending a dime (or perhaps spending just a few). Here are five more of my favorite tips for doing just that.

1. Submit an article to a business magazine or newsletter. Chances are there are lots of publications out there that are geared to your target audience. For instance, I receive numerous publications about marketing, communications, and running a business. These types of business publications are almost always looking for articles and information that will be valuable to their readers. And most of them welcome articles that are submitted by experts in the field (i.e., people like you). If you're not already, familiarize yourself with the publications that your target audience reads, such as those published by trade associations or your local business newspaper (many are found at www.bizjournals.com). Then start pitching articles - not only will you get exposure in front of those who read the publication, but you can send copies of your article to clients and prospects. (For specific tips about how to write publishable business articles, see the August 2004 issue of my newsletter, "Marketing Tips from The WriteShop." It's available at www.writeshoponline.com/newsletter_writeshop.shtml.)

2. Advertise in local, low-cost venues. If your business is local or focused in a specific community, don't waste your time and money with advertising that reaches audiences much larger than your target. For instance, advertising in a large metropolitan newspaper is unnecessary if your target audience is actually located in two or three suburbs of the metropolis. Instead, consider low-cost advertising venues, such as high school football programs, alternative newspapers or community newsletters. They'll be more tailored to your target audience and will be much easier on your budget.

3. Keep in touch with customers via e-mail. Convenient, easy and virtually fr*e, e-mail offers powerful marketing opportunities. If you don't already, start collecting customers' e-mail addresses (with their permission, of course). Sending e-mails too frequently can annoy your customers and be counterproductive, so don't take advantage of the medium - but using it wisely can be an effective, inexpensive way to keep in touch. Clients will usually be glad to hear from you, especially if you're using e-mail to send information that is valuable to them, such as announcements of special events, discount offers, helpful newsletters, or articles that interest them.

4. Network, network, network. We've all heard that it's not what you know that matters; it's who you know. Simply getting to know people is possibly the least expensive and most valuable activity you can undertake to help promote your business. If your business is local, attend networking events in your community, many of which are cheap or even fr*e. (Check your newspaper's business section for listings.) And don't be stingy with your network - when you have two acquaintances who could do business together, introduce them to each other. When you share your contacts, you simply broaden your network and others will be more likely to introduce their own contacts to you.

5. Ask for referrals. We all love to get referrals, because they often bring business - or at least interested prospects - with little, if any, effort from us. But referrals are few and far between if you simply wait around for them. Instead, those who really want to succeed in building word-of-mouth business must develop a referral system. When you've pleased a client, don't be afraid to ask for referrals. You'll get more success if you explain clearly what type of clients you're looking for. And when clients refer you to their friends or contacts, be sure to thank them appropriately. For instance, one of my clients, a carpet cleaning company, asks every customer to refer their friends and neighbors. When those friends turn out to be clients, the company sends the referrer a coupon, which is redeemable for cleaning services or cash. That way, everybody wins - the new customer, the old customer, and of course, the carpet cleaning company.

About The Author

Nancy Jackson of The WriteShop helps companies better market their products and services with powerful communications including newsletters, articles, Web content, brochures and custom publications. Subscribe to her free monthly newsletter at www.writeshoponline.com or e-mail [email protected] for a free quote for marketing communications services.

In The News:

Why Google wants to adblock Chrome, and how to save rich media advertising MobileMarketing MagazineGoogle Chrome proposes 'privacy sandbox' to reform advertising evils CNETGoogle plans to increase privacy online via its new Privacy Sandbox initiative Digital TrendsGoogle wants to create new 'Privacy Sandbox' standards for online advertising and browsers Android PoliceView full coverage on Google News

NHS to create new £150m advertising and marketing services framework The DrumThe National Health *Service* (NHS) is to create a new advertising and marketing services framework valued at £150m.

Standard Terms and Conditions for Advertising | Pharmaceutical Technology BioPharm InternationalThe following terms and conditions (the "Standard Terms") shall be incorporated by reference into all Insertion Orders ("IO") submitted to MJH Life Sciences ...

Festive advertising expected to grow 12% up to Rs 20,000 in 2019 MoneycontrolDespite a slump in consumer spending and slowdown, festive advertising is expected to grow at 10-12 percent over 2018 to touch as much as Rs 20,000 crore ...

12 Strategies To Keep In Mind When Designing Advertising For E-Commerce ForbesUnderstanding the strategies that work in e-commerce marketing requires a more in-depth examination of the medium and its products. Follow these tips for ...

Weak Ad Market Slams Advertising Bellwether Focus Media Caixin GlobalOutdoor advertising specialist Focus Media said its revenue sagged and profit plunged in the first half of the year, as the industry veteran faced twin headwinds ...

Climate facts subject to rules on partisan advertising in Canada Science MagazineEnvironmental charities and campaigners in Canada's upcoming federal election this fall say they are facing new restrictions on how they talk about climate ...

Twitter blocks state-controlled media outlets from advertising on its social network TechCrunchTwitter is now blocking state-run media outlets from advertising on its platform. The new policy was announced just hours after the company identified an ...

What You Need to Know About Advertising on TikTok Social Media TodayTikTok, the short-form mobile video app that's popular among Gen Z, has been rapidly growing its young user base, and as a result, marketers have been keenly ...

Juul, Philip Morris sued for marketing to minors, deceptive advertising CNETIt's one more criticism of the e-cigarette industry's effect on young people.

Mondelēz Is 'Streamlining' Its Creative Advertising Model Under Two Main Global Agencies ForbesIn an effort to become more consumer-centric, Mondelēz International is consolidating its creative advertising business with a new agency model.

JioSaavn adds two new display-advertising units to its service Music AllyIndian music-streaming *service* JioSaavn is adding a pair of new ad units to boost its revenues from its free tier. They're called Maximus and Showcase, with the ...

Facebook unveils tool that allows users to curb targeted advertising Financial TimesFacebook has launched a long-awaited privacy tool that will allow users to prevent websites from passing on their data to the social network for the purposes of ...

Twitter bans advertising from state-controlled news outlets EngadgetTwitter announced today that it will no longer accept advertising from state-controlled news outlets. Those accounts will still be able to use the platform, but...

Global Subscription, Advertising and Transactional Models Markets for TV and Video 2019-2024: $95 Billion Opportunities for Revenue Growth - ResearchAndMarkets.com Yahoo FinanceThe "The Subscription, Advertising and Transactional Models for TV and Video: Opportunities for Revenue Growth" report has been added to ...

APAC leaps ahead with in-app mobile advertising WarcThe Asia Pacific region has overtaken Europe and the Middle East for in-app advertising impressions, according to a report from PubMatic.

Prestozon Achieves Recognition in the Amazon Advertising Find-a-Partner Directory BenzingaSAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Prestozon, a leading Amazon Advertising SaaS software platform for automating, optimizing and ...

Lamar Advertising Company Announces Cash Dividend on Common Stock GlobeNewswireBATON ROUGE, La., Aug. 22, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lamar Advertising Company (Nasdaq: LAMR), a leading owner and operator of outdoor advertising ...

Advertisers – Page 978 More About Advertising | Insights into AdvertisingToday editor Ceri Thomas is hardly the most popular person with his listeners, many of whom were outraged when presenter 'posh' Ed Stourton was ...

Q&A With Richard Zackon On 'AI For Media, Marketing & Advertising' 08/22/2019 MediaPost CommunicationsMediaPost Sept. 9 will kick off a new “blended learning” course for advertising and media industry pros interested in learning about AI. The course, “AI for ...

Intentwise is now an Amazon Advertising partner! PRNewswireCHICAGO, Aug. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Intentwise is proud to announce that it has been named an Amazon Advertising partner. With its innovative ...

Weedmaps Changes Advertising Policy Before Class Action Suit Is Filed | Corporate Counsel Law.comThe lawsuit would have been filed by the Los Angeles-based cannabis firm Zuber Lawler and would have sought relief under California's Unfair Competition ...

Nine sees a better advertising market from September AdNewsJuly was weak but August is better.

10 marketing and advertising companies helping with CCPA regulation Business InsiderBusiness Insider has identified the leading companies that are helping marketers navigate privacy regulations.

Despite Its Risky Reputation, In-App Advertising Is More Popular Than Ever AdweekPubMatic's survey finds programmatic players seek refuge in private marketplaces.

Tucker Carlson’s Fox News Show Loses More Advertisers The New York TimesMr. Carlson still attracts a large audience, but his statements about women, immigrants and race have prompted calls from activists for advertiser boycotts.

Connected TV is the future of advertising: The Drum Programmatic Punch APAC The DrumThe media narrative around programmatic needs to lean more on programmatic video technology, with its diverse capabilities and customization opportunities, ...

China expert Jonathan Smith picks his Desert Island Ads More About Advertising | Insights into AdvertisingJonathan Smith is CEO and founder of Hot Pot China, a China-focused digital and commercial consultancy. Desert Island (China) ads China is set to be the ...

How Facebook Advertising Increases Your Customer Retention MarTech SeriesThe rise of social media made it much easier for brands to build and maintain relationships with customers. With about 79% of the US population being on ...

News – Page 1045 More About AdvertisingAnd the great man's point is that businesses who regard humans as friends rather than enemies do best. A point Tolstoy makes in his great novel about a love ...

PubMatic Q2 Report Signals Growing Focus on Combating Advertising Fraud ExchangeWirePremium digital technology company, PubMatic, has released the findings of its second Quarterly Mobile Index (QMI), highlighting three key Q2 2019 trends.

Weedmaps announces it will stop advertising unlicensed cannabis retailers 'later this year' Marijuana Business DailyOnline advertising giant Weedmaps.com announced Wednesday in a press release that it will begin requiring a state license number for all marijuana retail ...

Twenty years in advertising sees massive change Stuff.co.nzWaikato advertising agency celebrates 20 years in business this year.

Scientists call on Elections Canada to clarify policy on climate change advertising Global NewsThe scientists are calling on Elections Canada to clarify how it interprets issue-based advertising rules in the Elections Act so that groups can communicate on ...

Redesigning advertising strategies for digital The Financial ExpressIn digital advertising today, innovation is the name of the game. The idea is to create customer-centric campaigns that leverage reach, hold attention and help in ...

8 Advertising Mascots That Followed Millennials From Childhood Through Present-Day AdweekAdvertising mascots are a tricky thing. Some of them are quickly forgotten, destined to become relics of the distant past, while others are beloved by the public ...

Out-Of Home Advertising Grows Nearly 8% In Q2, Digital Soars 08/22/2019 MediaPost CommunicationsOut-of-home advertising grew nearly 8% in the second quarter — the best quarterly growth since 2007, according to the Out of Home Advertising Association of ...

Brexit Taking Its Toll on U.K. TV Advertising TV TechnologyEnders Analysis predicts 5% drop Y-on-Y in TV advertising.

Advertising icons real and imagined meet in a digital mural from the Clio Awards AdAge.comThe interactive, annotated project celebrates 60 years of the show.

Vast majority of Australians support ban on misleading political advertising The GuardianThe vast majority of Australians (84%) support new laws to ban political parties and candidates from making “inaccurate and misleading” claims, according to a ...

MyPillow Can Avoid Advertising on ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ with Some of These Alternatives TVRevBy now, you've probably heard about MyPillow, and the brand's big spend on Fox News, and specifically with Tucker Carlson Tonight. From Jan. 1-Aug.

X1's debut is clouded by advertising and sponsorship difficulties due to vote manipulation controversy allkpop'Produce X 101' project group X1 faces difficulties in promoting due to the ongoing voting manipulation controversy. Many sponsorships and brand repr…

Insticator Launches New Platform to Enhance Audience and Advertising Analytics MarTech AdvisorPublishers will have access to specific analytics like advertising performance, including total ad revenue generated, CPM and impressions; *content* performance; ...

How Skore condoms is scoring big with innovative advertising Exchange4MediaVishal Vyas, General Manager, Marketing, TTK protective devices Pte. Ltd., talks about their marketing strategies and new products in the industry.

Brexit taking its toll on TV advertising TVBEuropeEnders Analysis predicts 5 per cent drop Y-on-Y in TV advertising.

Global inks Metro advertising deal Insider MediaMedia and entertainment group Global has signed an advertising deal with Nexus, operator of the Tyne and Wear Metro.

Mondelez global advertising creative goes to WPP and Publicis Exchange4MediaWhile Digitas will lead for Publicis in the gum and biscuit categories, Ogilvy and its sister agency David will lead for WPP.

B.C.'s health minister wants youth input, advertising rules and federal action on vaping CTV NewsVaping has become a popular trend among teens and B.C.'s health minister says the province is considering options for how to raise awareness about its ...

Victoria’s Secret Considers a Change in Marketing With Everything on the Table BloombergL Brands Inc.'s embattled Victoria's Secret brand is finally considering the marketing overall investors have been asking for, but those hoping for more concrete ...

Global cinema advertising is second-fastest growing ad medium of 2019 Bizcommunity.comEarly forecasts by marketing intelligence *service* Warc places global cinema advertising behind the internet as the second-largest growing ad medium in 2019...

OTT and video advertising are part of every media plan today: Uday Sodhi Exchange4MediaSodhi, Business Head - Digital, Sony Pictures Networks India, talks about the various facets of SonyLiv, partnerships on live TV, growth & revenue strategy and ...

Closing the circle: connecting the world of programmatic advertising The Drum80-90% of people in the most advanced markets own a smartphone today – and this number keeps growing, allowing mobile advertising to dominate digital ad ...

Agency vs In-house vs Freelancers: A Startup's Guide to Advertising Options EntrepreneurMore *content* means more competition. The average consumer encounters about 5,000 advertisements every day, meaning attention spans are harder to garner ...

Here's a running list of all the companies pulling advertising from Alan Jones SBS NewsIt comes after comments the shock jock made last week, telling Prime Minister Scott Morrison to 'shove a sock' down New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern's throat.

Twitter bans state media advertising after Chinese accounts ‘manipulate’ Hong Kong protests The IndependentTwitter has banned state-run media from advertising after discovering Chinese accounts attempting to “manipulate” protests in Hong Kong. Both Twitter and ...

Gender ad bans set ‘concerning’ precedent, say advertisers Financial TimesThe banning of two supposedly sexist TV advertisements has sparked concern among advertisers and broadcasters that the UK's new rules on avoiding gender ...

Advertising patches soon coming to MLB? NBCSports.comA new addition might be coming to MLB uniforms soon but we're not too sure how everyone is going to feel about it.

What’s Driving Amazon’s $10 Billion Advertising Business ForbesAmazon's Q2 earnings showed its advertising business is up 37% YOY. How has Amazon, seemingly overnight, created a booming advertising business off the ...

'Everyone hates advertising and so we need new ways to cut through' - Digitas's Keith Byrne Mumbrella AsiaRelying solely on smart art direction and clever copywriting is no longer enough, says Digitas's Keith Byrne as he makes a case for campaigns driven by data, ...

EE grasses on Three UK for its 5G advertising Telecoms.comThree UK has run an ad campaign claiming its 5G network is the only 'real' one. Unsurprisingly other 5G providers are unhappy about this and at least one had ...

MLB Uniform Advertisements Could Be On The Way ForbesSleeve patches worn on the arms of players could serve as ad space, and some reports indicate that they could prove quite lucrative.

YouTube To Stop Advertising To Kids After Being Slugged With Multi-Million-Dollar Fine B&TGoogle-owned YouTube will no longer deliver targeted ads to children, after being hit with a “multi-million-dollar” fine. It was reported in June that YouTube was ...

The state of this! Twitter’s advertising ban is ideological & anti-democratic RTThe news that Twitter is to ban 'state-controlled news media entities' from advertising on its platforms raises several worrying concerns which urgently need to be ...

The Advertiser Embargo Against Tucker Carlson Is Working New York MagazineOn August 7, the day after Tucker Carlson called America's white-supremacy problem “a hoax,” the Fox News host announced a weeklong trip “to the ...

OVO Energy brand chief: 'we're making our advertising green' CampaignLiveRenewable energy brand OVO Energy has announced it will offset its carbon footprint on all future advertising and marketing campaigns in a bid to be a more ...

Basketball promoter TEG Live refunds tickets after high-profile withdrawals from Boomers v Team USA match ABC NewsThe Australian Competition and Consumer Commission says it is aware of refunds being paid to fans for the games after complaints about the use in ...

Advertising veteran S Yesudas launches digital marketing agency Snippet LivemintS Yesudas, former managing director of Dentsu's media agency Vizeum, is all set to launch his own digital marketing agency called Snippet Digital. Along with ...

Viacom-CBS Merger Could Boost Advertising Ambitions The Wall Street JournalThe merger of CBS Corp. and Viacom Inc. creates a larger media company better positioned to pursue advanced advertising technology and ad-supported ...

McCain mines a rich tradition in new adam&eve winner More About Advertising | Insights into AdvertisingOven chips as a symbol of family togetherness - albeit celebrating family 'differences' - is part of a long tradition in which some everyday products somehow.

New Yorkers Sound Off On Decision To Put Advertising On Iconic Pepsi-Cola Sign In LIC CBS New YorkNEW YORK (CBSNewYork) — The famous Pepsi-Cola sign in Queens has a new look for the first time in its 80-year history, and some people are not pleased.

Amazon’s high-flying advertising growth levels out Marketing LandAmazon's advertising business had it's second $3 billion quarter in the second quarter of 2019. (Or close to it — Amazon advertising revenues make up the ...

Tucker Carlson's Commercial Breaks Tell The Real Story Of His Advertising Problems HuffPostLast year, Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" would feature more than 30 paid ads. In his Thursday show, there were only 13. Friday, there were just 11 ads.

Google and Facebook prey on digital advertising for content by news producers. Fair play? Economic TimesGoogle owns the entire supply-demand chain for ad tech and is structuring it so that publishers don't go anywhere.

Why is Amazon hiring blockchain experts for its advertising division? The DrumA job posting on LinkedIn last week suggested that Amazon has plans to bring blockchain technology into its advertising product.

How Augmented Reality Will Become a Lynchpin of Future Advertising EntrepreneurThe prime purpose of advertising is to give contextual information, without contextual information, any advert is meant to lose relevance.

How to use Amazon advertising’s dynamic bidding feature Search Engine LandDynamic bidding is a feature that Amazon introduced early on in 2019 as a replacement for the original Amazon Bid+ modifier that Advertisers could use within ...

TV advertisements dwindle as brands tighten purse strings amid slowdown The Financial ExpressMedia buying experts have noted that the auto industry, which has suffered the worst decline in sales in the last 20 years, has had to cut down on ad spend ...

Rear windshield advertising will be extremely cost-effective: Onkar Vaidya Exchange4MediaVaidya, Director, Transroute Media Pvt. Ltd, shares insights on the new venture that will go live on August 15 in partnership with Uber.

Misleading advertisements may land celebrity endorsers in jail LivemintNew Delhi: Manufacturers, *service* providers and celebrity endorsers face fines and jail terms for making misleading claims in advertisements, under the terms of ...

Is reward-based advertising the booming frontier for digital medium? Exchange4MediaIndustry observers say that when users are blocking intrusive ads, reward-based advertising might be the way ahead to restore the lost sheen of consumer ...

Microsoft acquires e-commerce advertising vendor PromoteIQ Marketing LandPromoteIQ, a leading vendor marketing technology, providing targeted ad capabilities to its customers, has been acquired by Microsoft. It will keep its own ...

Beer advertising has failed women - that's bad news for our industry CampaignLiveThis summer's football tournament showed how much progress we've made and how far we still have to go to achieve equality between men and women.

Plans For X1's Advertisement Deals Reportedly Shelved Due To “Produce X 101” Vote Rigging Controversy soompiMany brands are reportedly hesitant to partner with X1 currently as investigations continue into the alleged rigging of votes during “Produce X 101.” A report by ...

'Shooting,' 'Bomb,' 'Trump': Advertisers Blacklist News Stories Online The Wall Street JournalLike many advertisers, Fidelity Investments wants to avoid advertising online near controversial *content*. The Boston-based financial-services company has a ...

Ethics and truth in election advertising rabble.ca"Ironically, truth in advertising applies to chewing gum and beer, but not to the fundamental policy matters that affect our lives," begins Fair Vote Canada's 2019 ...

Report: Product advertising is driving spend growth in search, social, marketplace Search Engine LandOverall, paid search spending increased 10% year over year in the second quarter of 2019 on the Kenshoo platform, the company reported this week. Search ...

Facebook's VP of advertising David Fischer on the marketer of the future The DrumFacebook's advertising chief, David Fischer believes the skills needed to succeed in marketing today will continue to be vital for the marketer of the future as they ...

Twitter bans ‘state media’ from advertising… and guess who decides how they are defined RTAs mainstream media outlets accused Twitter of allowing a Chinese news agency to advertise its reporting on the Hong Kong protests, the platform announced it ...

Facebook Advertising for Businesses: How to Attract Customers Online Miami's Community NewspapersBring your laptops to this hands-on 3-hour bootcamp to get any business started with Facebook ads, no experience required. Digital marketing expert Dan Grech ...

Advertising agitated: Market's in trouble as brands and publishers squeeze services ZDNetAdvertisers are saving huge sums by bringing programmatic advertising in-house, while publishers can potentially drive higher revenues through direct deals ...

Amobee launches connected TV advertising data marketplace FierceVideoAmobee is launching a data marketplace for connected TV advertising to provide brands and agencies with access to data for activation across connected TV ...

Carlson Hemorrhaging Advertisers After Offensive Comments TPMFox News host Tucker Carlson's recent comments about white supremacy being a “hoax” have driven off yet more advertisers from his show.

P&O Cruises reviews advertising account CampaignLiveP&O Cruises is reviewing its creative account after five years with Founded, which was appointed to the account in 2014. Five agencies have been shortlisted in ...

Is Huawei a Threat to Google's Advertising Business? Market RealistHuawei plans to launch its own mapping *service* as soon as this October. But Huawei's Map Kit will initially not be a consumer mapping *service*.

Thank You To Our Advertisers Reston NowRestonNow.com is an advertiser-supported independent local news website. Our advertisers allow us and our dedicated full-time staff to publish ...

Twitter to no longer accept advertising from state-controlled news media CNASAN FRANCISCO: Social networking *service* Twitter on Monday (Aug 20) said it would no longer accept advertising from state-controlled news media. ...

Beware of false Social Security, Medicare advertisements - Manistee News Manistee News AdvocateBy Vonda Vantil Social Security Public Affairs Specialist. MICHIGAN — Scammers have become more aggressive and sophisticated in the digital age.

Jet2holidays launches new national advertising campaign Jet2.comJet2holidays is launching a new version of its national advertising campaign, with exciting new scenes helping to evolve the popular 'Hold My Hand' concept, ...

Can Artificial Intelligence Eliminate Consumer Privacy Concerns For Digital Advertisers? ForbesWith privacy concerns growing among consumers, the article explores the potential of video *content* and context data to replace conventional user-based data ...

More Cheap Tricks for Promoting Your Business

Advertising Advertising