Hi All
I personally feel that the 6 most powerful and cost effective ways of promoting a small business are the following;
1) PR, many people don't understand how to get PR but if you get it right you can get huge amounts of exposure absolutely free simply by writing informative and eyecatching articles for publications or busy and popular websites
2) SEO - Otherwise known as search engine optimisation, this form of internet marketing has certainly sprung back into fashion in the past year or two. Quite simply if you put good work and effort into optimizing your website and can get onto page 1 for your given keyword, it can litterally explode your business very quickly. However, getting there takes a hell of a lot of time and effort but you can do it all yourself...for free.
3) Email marketing - I personally feel that this is one of the most powerful and efficient forms of marketing there is. Email marketing is so targeted and instantly measureable. But the key is it must be targeted. If you can build your own list of prospects and mail to them regularly, you can make a fortune. Why do you think the big so called internet gurus make so much money? Because they have huge lists of targeted customers.
4) Networking - This can really build a business quickly if done correctly. Going to networking events and speaking to like minded people can really build a business. Also helping people on forums like this can also pay dividends. Networking is possibly one of the most cost effective forms of marketing for a new business.
5) Joint ventures - If you have a product or service you wish to sell, working with other people to promote your products and services can be extremely effective. This works very well with online services.
6) Creative Marketing - This is very much a form of marketing where you need to think of outside of the box. Striking deals with other websites or companies can pay huge dividends for new businesses. For instance, say if you have an internet based service and you want to get some good PR and positive coverage. Go to the leaders or experts in the industry and strike a deal with them to get some free PR in the form of a review of your service or perhaps to write some useful articles in return for a bit of PR. Deals are always there to be done, sometimes you just need to think outside of the box to get them.
If you are a young fledgling business with little or no startup capital use some of the ideas above as they are so cost effective and can really help.
Cheers
G
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