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Home Business Marketing
Small Business Advertising on a Shoestring Budget
You started a small business and want
to expand it, but don’t have much money to spend on your advertising needs. This really isn’t a problem
because there are many ways to advertise your business using free options.
The Internet provides us with one of the best ways to use word of mouth advertising campaigns to
different people throughout the world. Here are some of the
ways you can use the ‘net for free advertising for your small business:
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Use press releases to advertise your products and services. Press releases can be used
to promote an event or to launch a new product. They’re an easy way to promote your company and
you can submit them to several different directories online. Some allow you to post them free, while others have upgrade
releases that cost a fraction of what traditional advertisements would cost.
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Join message board forums. This seems like a small way to advertise, but it’s really not. Some
boards allow you to provide a link to your website in your profile signatures. People who visit the
forum are curious and will check out the link to see what it is that you’re offering.
They’ll pass on that information to other people they know who may be looking for what you have to
offer. If you join message boards that nicely complement your company’s products, then you may be able to
post on the forum letting everyone know what you have that they need and where they can get it. You’ll have
to check the forum’s Terms of Service to see what’s allowed.
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Start a blog - or even a podcast! If you market
your blog or podcast well, people will return time and time again to see what’s new with your business.
They’ll send other people from their own blogs and pass on the links to their friends.
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Use social networking sites. Social sites like Squidoo and MySpace allow you to join groups
with likeminded people with whom you can connect. You can easily position yourself as the “go-to”
person in your niche, and post links to your site promoting your products and services. There are broad
social networks, like Squidoo, that showcase topics on every inch of the spectrum, and niche-specific
social sites like the one for eco-friendly enthusiasts or baby boomers.
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Use article marketing. Providing articles on other sites that have links to your website can
drive more traffic to your domain. Using keywords in the articles can help the search engines find them
and funnel more customers through to your offer.
It’s not hard to find numerous free ways to promote your small business – even if it’s an offline
venture that you own. Every business needs a home on the ‘net,
and the Internet can help you develop a loyal following in any demographic.
Eileen Hebert©
TrueCallingCareers.com
Make Money Doing What You
Love
About The Author
Find out how to break free
from the corporate world. Eileen Hebert is a happy corporate escapee who helps individuals create
happiness without 9 to 5 jobs. Visit TrueCallingCareers.com for free tips on career
change, home based businesses, and making money doing what you love!
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