What Inexpensive and Free Marketing Ideas Do You Recommend?

What small business isn't looking for free marketing ideas or at least marketing ideas that are inexpensive that they can use to get the word out about their products and services? Small businesses often have correspondingly small marketing budgets that get stretched pretty thin over the course of a year. What inexpensive and free marketing ideas do you recommend?

Pass on the freebies you get.

My medical supply companies use great free gifts to entice us retailers to purchase volume. I do it ... and give my medical clientele a great gift when they make a purchase at my store. They love me for a snuggly blanket, a beach bag, pewter knick knacks, pins, pens and much more.

Business Promotion

Business Promotion

Use www.myemark.com/? for location id and for driving customers to your doors. Also emark is really good aa a signature in email.

—Guest Pilot

Marketing Idea

Specify the special features and promote .Find the real/genuine custmers. Spend on advertising and stick on quality.

—Guest Winson.D.Komban

Marketing Ideas

Contact all local schools and ask to advertise in their newsletter. Usually they will do it for a tiny fee or for free.

—Guest Angela White

List on a free mobile business directory

www.milesurfer.com is a recently launched website that is offering free business advertising on their mobile phone portal for Interstate Highway roadside businesses. The business information will be available to the millions of interstate travelers who journey down the highways of the US. The technology is designed to be able to work on most of the cell phones in use today with internet access. Not just iphones or smart phones. No GPS required either. Which means your ad can reach many more people. Its a great marketing and advertising opportunity for these type of businesses. Its FREE and its easy to sign up with the online form. Check out the site for more information.

—Guest Rocky

Free Marketing Strategies

When I attended the Self Employment Assistance program, one of the first rules for marketing your business was to get the word out to your friends, family and personal business contacts. If you go to the doctor, mention your business to the secretary. If you are in a line-up at the grocery or department store, strike up a conversation and casually mention you own a business and what you do. Similarly the dentists office, the veterinarian, the people who provide services to you like a handyman, painter, carpenter, your neighbourhood restaurant.....have your bus. cards handy if they ask for one. You can probably count the number of friends, family and business contacts you have to maybe 100+ but then add all the people THEY know and your contact list can build to thousands. Referrals make up the majority of new clients you receive. Use customer service skills to further market your business with present customers by doing follow-ups, asking for feedback, mailouts or newsletters.

—DianeCoville

Ask for Referrals

I've had a fair bit of success by just coming out and asking clients for referrals. I ask them too if there's anyone they know who might be interested in my services and if they're reluctant to give me names, I ask them if I can leave them extra marketing materials to pass along. Even if I don't get any specific lead though I've put the idea of passing my name along to someone in their head- but you have to ask!

—Guest Diva1