50 FREE or Cheap Business Advertising Marketing Ideas

Just remember that the only way to succeed with your business is to do something. No one has ever found success by doing nothing.

1. Put your website address on notepads, pens, newsletters, bumper stickers, windows, coffee cups.
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2. Flyers. When you buy your morning paper, slip some flyers in with the rest of the newspapers. Keep some flyers/leaflets with you at all times.
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3. Business cards and Drop Cards. Get several thousand business card sized flyers and distribute them everywhere. These are small enough for people to keep in their pocket or wallet if they’re interested in your message. These can be left on shop shelves, bus stops, gym locker rooms, restaurants etc. Unlike Business Cards, Drop Cards should be used to get a call-to-action. For effective ways of using drop-cards, and for some really cheap pricing, visit the: Online Print Shop
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4. Article marketing is one of the most effective methods of advertising. If you write articles and then use a service to publish them, your articles become viral. Your articles will spread like a virus and could have the potential to be viewed by hundreds of thousands of people, and you can be seen as an expert in that industry. Click here for affordable article writing services from Marketing Empire.
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5. Participating in online discussion forums is an excellent way to get the word out about your business, and it is free. Build relationships first and use your signature file to let everyone know what you do
and who you are. Don’t go straight in there and start advertising your products/services – build rapport first by contributing to posts, and only be subtle about your services where required. If you’re seen to be spamming the forums with advertising, not only can it ruin your reputation, but it can also get you banned from the forums.
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6. Free classifieds. Online classifieds as well as your local newspaper. Insert yourself into as many classified ads as possible, in order to increase the amount of views your website/company receives.
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7. Visit local networking events – these are usually held in morning or evenings, and they get business owners together to help them network face-to-face. Cost is usually minimal for attending.
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8. Solo ads. Test, test, test! Your success depends on your ad and your heading! Create several different variations of ads with different headlines for your services, and run them on different days – see which ads get the best responses by tracking all responses, and keep tweaking your adverts until you get the maximum conversion. For help with ideas on how to create ads and to keep track of responses, get in touch with www.MarketingEmpire.co.uk.
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9. Mail out postcard flyers to prospects, leads, and existing clients. These are thick card and generally glossy flyers with lots of visual impact. Use it to advertise just 1 or 2 products/services, and do not clutter it too much. The idea is to get people on to your website or to call you to get more information.
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10. Purchase leads that are targeted and related to your business. If possible get their phone number and follow-up. Use Marketing Empire to purchase cheap B2B and B2C leads, with address, phone, and all relevant contact details for you to keep in touch with leads: B2B Database Lists
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11. Bookmarks for libraries, do not forget to talk to your librarian first! Have bookmarks printed with your company information – make the design fun, interesting or useful, and should not be full of advertising – ask your librarian if you can keep a stack of bookmarks on the side of each shelf for people to help themselves to. The more useful or fun the bookmark is, the more chance that people will want to use them. Your company logo or URL should be subtle; and it is always a good idea to have these printed/designed professionally, and have them laminated for durability. Contact the professionals at Marketing Empire to have your bookmarks printed Bookmark Printing
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12. Purchase cheap seed packets, put a tag on them with your website address as well as a quote such as “I am in the business of helping people grow their businesses. Visit xyz.com for more details.”
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13. Use your knowledge and publish a newsletter or e-zine. One your build up your list you can offer paid subscriptions or ads.
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14. Word of mouth (friends and family). Always carry cards with you and do not be afraid to give each friend 10-15 cards, asking them to pass them on to their friends. Business Cards are cost-effective and an essential tool in helping you get the word out about your Company and Products. Ensure the quality of design, print, and stock are high quality to ensure you convey a professional image at all times. Marketing Empire can help with cost-effective professional business card printing.
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15. Forwarded emails or replying back to unsolicited email. Add your testimony to your signature line.
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16. Leave a stack of cards and printed flyers at the dentist/doctors reception area among the other magazines. Slip flyers into each magazine too.
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17. Pens to hand out with a short advertisement and your URL. Pens are generally kept by the people receiving them, even if used as a spare in their drawer. Cost-effective way of keeping your message out there and building your branding. Promotional printing can also be purchased at www.MarketingEmpire.co.uk
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18. ‘Welcome baby cards’ for hospitals. Have a professional design created, and add your logo in small at the back of the card, along with your URL. This should not have blatant advertising all over it, but should be about the “Welcome Baby” aspect, in order for people to use them. Provide stacks of these cards to hospitals free-of-charge in the maternity ward, and say they can either sell them on, giving the profits to a charity of their choice; or to give them to new mothers free-of-charge. This method is ideal if you sell baby/mother products.
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19. If your domain name is a string of words, try capitalising each. This helps people who just take a quick glance to remember it. For example: MarketingEmpire.co.uk, instead of marketingempire.co.uk !!
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20. Create an information type handout that briefly explains your business. It should offer useful advice on your specialism – if you install garage doors, the handout could have simple ideas on how to improve the security of your garage and home.
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21. When you go to a car-boot sale, ask if you can leave a few of your flyers there at each stand that you make a small purchase from; ask the owner to keep a stack of a few flyers near the front of their table. This can be done at flea markets and garage sales too, and it works great if you’ve made a small purchase from the stall owner first.
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22. Colleges. Every student needs a part-time job, so get a few students to deliver your leaflet and flyers in the local town centre to passers-by, and this won’t cost you much if you do it during lunch-breaks or after school for a few weeks – the students get a few £’s for spending their spare time handing out flyers, and you get your message to a large audience.
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23. Put a business card in all outgoing mail including anything that has a postage paid envelope – this could include paying your phone bill. You never know if this will get passed on to the relevant person within the Company, but surely worth an effort for the few pennies it will cost!
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24. Visit establishments you do business with (doctor offices, health food stores, karate/dance studios, etc) and ask if you can leave flyers at their front desk.
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25. Car magnets. You can put magnets all over your car. Visit www.MarketingEmpire.co.uk/print-shop for custom printed vehicle magnets.
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26. Promote your business for free in local magazines, newspapers, community newsletters, etc. Many rely on voluntary writing contributions. Translate your knowledge into an article. It is free advertising and an effective way to establish yourself as an expert in your field. If you’re inexperienced with writing, you can get a contribution written professionally, get in touch with the team at Marketing Empire for help and advice.
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27. Leave your business card in bathrooms at restaurants or on cork boards around grocery stores.
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28. Get a booth at school events and share what you offer. These are generally very inexpensive, and ideal if the products you offer are suited to students.
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29. Look into putting an ad in school sponsored publications (directories, PTA booklets, etc). Usually not too expensive.
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30. Set up a free giveaway box in any store that will give you permission. Ideal way to collect leads and information on prospects who are interested in your products. For example, set up a FREE Competition Giveaway box asking people to fill in a small form with their details if they’re interested in receiving a free Home Makeover by your Interior Design company. Chances are, you will only receive from entrants who have a house, and it is in need of a makeover. Once the winner is selected, contact all other entrants and say you’ll come round to give them a quote on a makeover, at a discounted price as a “thank-you” for entering the competition.
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31. If you purchase anything online and are happy with the product or service, always leave a testimonial for the owner asking them to post it on their website. Ensure the testimonial includes your website URL and name. You get free coverage of your website on someone else’s website then! It doesn’t matter what it is you purchase, from a new pair of trainers to comedy club tickets … always email the owners a personalised testimonial, and giving them permission to post it on their website.
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32. Place leaflets under windshield wipers of cars. Ideal to do this at flea-markets or supermarkets where there is a large number of cars in one place. You may get a few people complaining about this, do not let this put you off, as it is a cost-effective form of advertising – and if your product/service is needed, then people will keep hold of the flyer. If you’re a valet company, imagine putting your flyer on windshields of cars at a local flea-market with a message saying “30% of your valet if you visit us in the next 7 days!” Ensure you get permission from the supermarkets for advertising in their car park!
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33. Newspaper classified ads are cheap and effective. Ask about having your ad appear with a color background to make it stand out even more.
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34. Buy a personalised stamp and put your ad on it. Stamp the back of any envelopes that you mail. The stamp could read something like “THANK YOU for buying from MarketingEmpire.co.uk”
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35. When it comes to advertising and marketing, repetition plays an important part in your campaigns success. Get your message out everywhere using flyers and business cards – if done in the local area, you can saturate it, and people will begin remembering your name easily.
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36. We all get junk mail with the postage paid envelopes. Just send a flyer back to the company and use their return envelope!
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37. Personalised Tshirts. Always wear your Company tshirt where ever you go – gym, shopping etc. You should be proud to be branding your message and Company – why advertise the likes of Nike and Gucci if you can advertise your own business?? Visit www.MarketingEmpire.co.uk/print-shop for cheap promotional personalised tshirts.
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38. Make up Gift basket raffles for Church bazaars, concerts held during summer, at your local community hall, or any town function. Do not forget to put your business card or some other advertisement in the basket.
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39. Put flyers on car windshields at your kids sporting events and when you go to pick them up from school.
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40. Leave a business card with your tip for your waiter/waitress. If done a few times, they’ll not only remember you, but chances are they’ll pass your message on to the manager or owner of the restaurant.
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41. Reply to spam email with your own business advertisement.
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42. Give your business cards to friends and family and ask them to give them out to people they know who would be interested in part-time income. Then get these people to help deliver your leaflets inexpensively in their spare time.
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43. Put up flyers and posters at the local colleges, libraries and grocery stores.
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44. Ask your local takeaway restaurants if you can post a flyer/poster in their window – this is usually more effective if you’re a customer at the restaurant also. At the same time, ask to leave a few flyers/cards in their reception area.
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45. Create a post-it stack of your business cards with a glue stick and then post them at pay phones.
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46. Business cards with a magnetic back really stick in people’s minds as well as on their fridges. www.MarketingEmpire.co.uk/print-shop can design and print your business card magnets at cost-effective prices.
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47. Leave business cards by the change machine in the arcade or at the ATM machine after you’ve used it.
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48. Put your website address on your car/van sun visor using vinyl letters.
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49. Find an old metal tin (or new), put a magnet on the back, put your business cards in them and then just attach this to your car when you go into a store.
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50. Be different and get noticed. When you are unique then you are one step ahead of your competition. The more outrageous the idea you come up with, the more it will stick in people’s minds. Don’t worry if you get a few people ranting at you for putting a flyer on their windshield in the car park – this should not stop you advertising to the masses. Simply apologise for the inconvenience to the people who rant, but then continue doing what you’re doing! If you get too many complaints, then re-think your strategy…the last thing you want is to annoy everyone in your local area.
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There are many ways to promote your business without spending a fortune. Think outside the box. Most people notice things that are different, something that draws their attention or even makes them laugh.