Publicize Without Paying
For your business to grow, you need to generate as much publicity as you can. The more people that know about your business, the more potential customers you have, right?
But advertising costs money, and it's not always easy to shake loose a big enough advertising budget to make as big an impact as you'd like. Fortunately, there are ways you can create more awareness about your business without spending a lot of money.
- Write a press release. We've covered the basic how-to's of a press release in previous Community articles, and there are plenty of resources both online and at your local library about writing an effective release. What's great about press releases is they're published as news items, giving them enhanced credibility over an advertisement.
- Post an offer on Craigslist. Many of our Coaches at SMC recommend offering to give away a free $10 Gift Card which can be used on your Gift Card Website. It doesn't cost anything to list on Craigslist, and you can target your notice locally.
- Visit chat rooms. Drop in on various chat rooms and mention— without being overbearing or pushy— that you're in the specialty merchandise business, and you're a great source of quality gifts and decor items at very reasonable prices. Again, you can offer a freebie or extra discounts to anyone from the chat room.
- Slap a magnetic sign on your car(s). Why not? I personally have responded to car sign ads on several occasions, and I'm not alone. Be sure the phone number and/or website is in very large type, and highly visible.
- Donate time and services within the community. Word-of-mouth is great advertising, and you've got an opportunity to do some of your own, while generating goodwill towards your business.