FREE Ideas On How to Advertise and Attract Traffic!

If you have ever wished you could stay at home and make just as much money or more, and have all the free time you could ever wish for, then I know how you feel. I have tried for 3 years now, and although it has been tough, I now have a new respect for the online entrepenuer. I want to help others find out how to do the same. And yes, I sell stuff on my site, but I also offer free resources and chat live and FREE with my members to answer questions and help out. You can join me too.

Go to: http://everythinginlife.com and sign up for free!

You can also visit my other Squidoo Lens about working from home. It is Free Ideas on How to Make Money From Home at: http://www.squidoo.com/makemoneyfreeathome

1. Take a small zip close baggy (snack sizes work well) and include the following in it:

Your Business Card, Business Opt Mini Flier a Piece of Candy such as hard candy or a lollipop, mini flier of current host specials, discount coupon (optional) etc.

Hand these out to the bank tellers, retail cashiers, at your kids sport events, every where you go!

2. When I stay at hotels & motels I leave a mini catalog, my business card & discount coupon and the mini coin canister for the maid! I put her tip inside the mini coin canister! I have gotten 3 orders by doing this!

Be creative when you leave tips for Hotel Maids, Waitresses, Waiters, Hair Dressers, etc. Don't just hand them your business card, make it memorable!

You can also buy cute little beaded change purses at your local dollar discount store!

3. Print out fliers with your contact info (not your personal address), your website address & email address along with any current specials you are offering.

Then contact local area mobile home park offices, apartment complex rental offices, housing developments etc and ask them if you can leave fliers in their office or hang on their tenants doors. Give the office employees a free gift or discount on their personal orders.

4. Contact local area bridal supply stores, bridal gown stores, caterers, tux rental centers, wedding dj's etc. Ask them if you can leave your business cards & fliers about the great (Company Name) Bridal Gift Registry for them to give to their customers.

Offer store owners a free gift or a personal discount for helping you spread the word about your business.

5. Daycare Centers! They are excellent to contact and leave business cards and/or fliers at!

I print out fliers of just a few items from our Tupperware Children's line and I attach my business card & a discount coupon. I get a lot of orders by doing this!

So whatever company you represent, find some items that cater to children or to moms and make up a flier!

6. A lot of churches hold a Spring and Fall Fest! Contact them about getting a table or a booth. A lot of times this will cost you under $15.00 for a space!

Make sure you take products with you along with business opt fliers, plenty of catalogs, business cards etc.

Do a contest drawing at these types of events. Make up entry blanks that gather the customer's info so that you can initiate contact with them again!

7. Join your local area chamber of commerce! They are always holding local business events that you can participate in.

8. College Campuses! Dorms & Housing Students are always looking to spend money! A lot of college students are also looking for an extra income so target them with the Business Opt too!

Drop off fliers and business cards to the College Student Center! They usually have bulletin boards, tables and other things where you can leave your information at for FREE!

9. Contact your local area Welcome Wagon or Welcome to the Neighborhood Group! Ask them about you leaving mini catalogs, fliers, business cards, discount coupons, freebie mini gifts, etc with them.

They are always looking for additional items to place in their Welcome Bags!

10. Contact your local area hospitals and ask for Human Resources Dept. The Majority of hospitals hand out New Mommy Diaper Bags filled with products, samples and other stuff for New Moms who just had a baby!

It's FREE for you to add in your information! I have gotten party hosts, new customers and new recruits by participating in these types of programs.

11. Contact your local medical offices, particularly Gynecology and OB Offices and Pediatric Offices and inquire about you leaving information with them.

This is a way for you to target Parents of Children with both the home party opt, the business opt and new customer sales.

12. Donate a Product to your local area Radio Station, they have numerous contests and they are always looking for sponsors!

Your donation can be written off as a tax deduction plus you will get FREE Advertising & Business Exposure for your donation!

13. Donate a Product to your local area Bingo Halls! They are always looking for sponsors of their Bingo Prizes! Bingo is BIG in a lot of areas!

14. Call your Chamber of Commerce and find out about Local Area Job Fairs. Get a booth and set up info about the fabulous business opt!

15. Call your Local Area Colleges and find out when their next job/employment fair is. A lot of times you can get a booth or table for less than $35 and you will get a lot of GREAT new recruit leads by participating in events like these.

16. Contact local area car dealerships. I have 2 in my local area that hand out a small packet that I made up for FREE to their customers who come in to take a free test drive!

17. Target your local area gyms! You can get a table space for $20 or less in most cases! Make sure you have 3-5 products on display, plenty of catalogs, business cards and fliers.

18. Network with others in your community who are in home business. Find out what events and activities that they participate in. They are usually "in the know" and can help you get started in networking in your community.

19. Contact Companies in your area to see if you can come in and set up a table in the employee lounge or cafeteria for a employee shopping break! These days a lot of companies will allow you to do this if you ask them!

20. Does your local area TV cable company have a local information channel? Inquire about advertising! These ads will reach thousands of potential buyers for you! I recommend you only use your website address for these types of advertising and not your personal at home address.

21. Contact local small companies and shops to see if you can offer an exclusive discounts or freebie gift to their employees. Companies are always looking for a way to "treat" their employees to specials from the local surrounding community.

22. Small Home Town Newspapers! I don't get too good of a response when I do big newspaper city ads, however... when I target small town newspapers I usually get a great response. I even had them let me place an ad on their wedding and engagement announcements page which I advertised the Bridal Gift Registry.

So if you are going to do any type of newspaper advertising, inquire about getting your ads on specific pages in the newspaper that targets the group of people most likely to buy from you.

23. Get a low cost outdoor banner printed up with your business information on it. You can usually get them done for $55 or less depending on who makes it.

You can have these outdoor banners displayed at outdoor music/concert events, outdoor children's sporting events, outdoor adult sport events, outdoor neighborhood block parties, outdoor community events, carnivals, fairs, etc.

24. Take your business on the road during nice weather. Contact local area parks & community centers to see what their schedule of events are and inquire about setting up a booth or table.

This is a great way to network & market your business to those in your community.

25. Community Clipper Coupon Packs & Sales Flier Mailings. These days a lot of communities have mailings such as these, contact them and see how you can participate and advertise your business.

26. Contact small local area businesses such as hair salons, massage parlors, boutiques, banks etc.

See if you can set up a table for 1 week with 3 of your best selling products on it along with some catalogs, fliers, coupons and your business card. Keep a basket on the table for any customer orders which you can follow up on after you return back to pick up your display. Offer the store owner or manager a free gift for allowing you to do this.

You can also offer to donate a prize for a contest if they let you display the prize donated & get a copy of the contestants entry blanks after the promotion closes.

27. Contact local area pizza shops, diners, and deli's and coffee bagel shops to ask them about advertising on their paper place mats! Customers do read those ads!

28. Contact local area restaurants, bars and clubs and see about advertising on their paper beverage coasters!

29. Local Television Stations are always holding on-air contests & website contests for their viewers, contact them about you donating a prize or gift certificate to sponsor one of their contests! Great business exposure for you!

30. Attend Local Area holiday shopping events. Customers who are ready to spend holiday shopping money turn out for these events by the thousands! You can usually get a booth for less than $50.00 so they are economical to participate in!

31. Hold a local area community Block Party at your home or local community center! Families are always looking for something to do during the nice weather seasons!

Optional: Attend your neighborhood block party and set up a table with your product offerings or samples. Get out there in your community and get your business seen!

32. Get your business listed in your cities telephone book yellow pages! A lot of them also have a coupon section too!

33. You can take this phone book advertising one step further by finding out what company makes the plastic vinyl phone book covers which have local business ads on them and get your business added to it!

34. Get your business information printed up on pencils and hand them out to local colleges and technical schools for them to hand out to their adult students! This keeps your business information in front of them! (Make sure you only donate them to schools with adult students).

35. Get a vehicle banner made for your automobile. I recommend the vinyl window clings or vinyl cling ones that stick to your automobile but don't scratch or remove the paint. You can easily remove them when washing your vehicle!

Continued...

36. If your city has a travel guide that tourists request, contact that business and find out how you can advertise in it too!

37. Local City Maps! These days even city maps have advertising on them! You can usually get a small business ad printed on them for an economical price. Don't advertise your personal location. If you don't have a business locations then advertise your website address or email address.

38. Contact local area hotels, motels and bed & breakfast inns and ask them if you can do up a Lobby Basket and leave it in their Lobby.

What is a Lobby Basket? You make up little packs of info about your business & products and put them into the Lobby Basket for their patrons to take.

They usually have a pamphlet wall or area too with pamphlets from local area attractions etc. If they don't have a lobby basket area, inquire about leaving your business info in their pamphlet area.

39. Get your business info printed up on balloons! This is very economical to do! You then distribute them to local community centers, sporting events and other types of places where parents book their children's birthday parties!

These balloons can be displayed at the birthday party giving you business exposure. You can usually get them done for .3-.8 cents each. Your business name & website address is all you need on them!

40. Find a few other self employed business owners in your community and team up! You can all sponsor a local parade float, parade clowns etc. Make up signs with your business info imprinted on them so that you can receive some great business exposure during the parade!

41. Get some T-shirts printed up with your business information on it (both front & back sides) and hand them out to some friends, family and co-workers and ask them to wear them out and about in the community. This is their FREE gift for helping you to spread the word about your business!

Optional: Get ball caps printed up with your business info!

42. Get some canvas tote bags printed up with your business information printed on it. Find a few ladies who are very active in your community and ask them to use your tote bag and give it to them for FREE under the agreement that they will use it every time they go out in the community for errands & events!

43. Get a license plate made up for your vehicle! If you have your normal license plate on the back of your car, put your business named one on the front of the car!

You can get one with just your business name on it for about $20-$30 per plate!

44. Wear a business name tag every time you go out into your community! Get a Catchy Slogan printed on it such as:

A. Ask me about (your company name) Products!

B. I work from home, you can too!

C. Earn some FREE when you party with me!

45. Local Area Magazines! Does your city publish a City Magazine? If so, contact them about advertising or if they hold contests for their readers offer to donate a product or service for their contest!

46. Check out your local area State Fairs & Community Carnivals, there are always a lot of them going on during seasonal weather.

Ask about getting a booth or table & set it up with your business information! People love to shop at Fairs & Carnivals and they are looking to spend money

47. Get some Business Card Magnets printed up and hand them out every where you go! Have your friends & family pass them out too!

People are more apt to keep a magnetic business card compared to a regular one which gets shoved into a drawer or wallet. By having a magnetized card, your business is kept in front of the potential customer/client.

48. When you give gifts to family, friends, neighbors, co-workers etc. make sure you give them gifts from your own company! These allow other people to see & touch your gift meaning FREE business exposure for you! (Plus, you bought the gift from yourself so you are saving money!)

49. Invite your spouse's co-workers over to your home for a little mingling party! Serve some refreshments or do a cookout BBQ and make sure you have a table set up with some product displays!

If you sell kitchen or food products, make sure you use them!

50. Do a neighborhood children's shopping party!

Resources:

Decheine, A. (n.d.). 50 creative places to advertise your business for free. Retrieved March 16, 2008, from E-Zine Articles Web site: http://ezinearticles.com/?50-Creative-Places-To-Advertise-Your-Business-For-Free&id=455776

1. Send out a thank you email to all existing customers and alert them to my plans for next year.

2. Join as many local online groups as possible. Many allow new members to introduce themselves.

3. Call up landscapers who don't have pesticide licenses and work out an affiliate deal with them to take care of their fertilizing and pesticide applications.

4. Start writing an email gardening newsletter and heavily focus on local needs and resources.

5. Offer free gardening classes just like a Tupperware party with someone hosting and bringing several friends over. Trust me, this beats giving free estimates.

6. Film educational gardening clips using local people and host them on youtube.com. Include links to the most recent one in every email signature.

7. Forget the website, almost no one visits the current one. Get listed in free local directories instead.

8. Say hi to every neighbor of existing and new clients. Pesticide laws require neighbor notification. Why not knock on their door and say hi?

9. Offer a travel savings discount to your customers if they help you get more work on their block.

10. Say something new and always include a call to action. Everyone already knows landscapers cut lawns, mulch, top soil, prune, snow removal, bored yet, insect control, fertilize, retaining walls, mickey mouse, landscape design, irrigation, ponds, pavers, oy this is too much and this is only half of it!

Resources:

Barson, J. (2006). 10 Free Advertising Ideas. Retrieved March 10, 2008, from http://www.smallbusinessbranding.com/586/free-advertising-ideas

1. Know who your customers are.

a. Describe the person most likely to want or need your product.

b. Why should they want to buy your product?

c. When you know the motivation, you can target the product to the correct customer base.

d. You can't sell a product until it is defined and positioned.

Note: A pharmaceutical company shelved a cold medicine because they couldn't correct the drowsiness it produced. Someone renamed it NyQuil and sold it as a bedtime cold medicine. It became the largest selling cold medicine on the market. Just because your product is good doesn't mean it will sell. It must be positioned correctly. That's what marketing does.

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2. Promote with postcards.

a. First Class Postcard Postage is .20¢ (1¢ less than bulk mail - 20.8¢) This will be changing in January 1999

b. Postcards convey a sense of urgency to the customer. They may not read your letter but they will turn your postcard over. (You have 3 seconds to get your message across. The average time people look at an ad.)

c. Postcards will keep your mailing list clean (Address Correction Requested), First class returned and corrected free of charge by the Post Office. (Bulk Mail letter correction cost .32¢ each).

d. With a postcard, your message is out in the open. Other potential customers will see it too, not just the person it's addressed to.

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3. Create A Survey

a. Mail a survey to customers to find what motivates them to buy.

b. Where do they work? What magazines do they read? Age Group?

c. This information will tell you where and how to reach your targets.

d. Offer a gift or discount for completing the survey.

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4. Use A Two-Step Approach

a. Offer complimentary business related information to potential customers.

Step 1: Offer a free "fact sheet" to customers that shows your expertise.
Step 2: Add these customers to your mailing list and mail to them often.

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5. Say "Happy Birthday"

a. Mail greeting cards to your customers (dates from your survey #3)

b. Include a coupon or special offer or tell them about your product that they should give themselves as a gift.

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6. Team Up With Another Business

a. Share advertising costs with another company.

b. Sharing costs makes high-quality printing and larger ads affordable.

c. Can your product be teamed with another product? (Motor Oil packaged with your new funnel invention.)

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7. Be Consistent and Committed

a. Research shows a message must be repeated to be remembered.

b. Send multiple mailers to the same people.

c. If you advertise, do it where you can afford to do it often.

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8. Use The Telephone

a. Test a new idea by phone before you commit to costly promotions.

b. Response from 100 phone calls will be similar to 1,000 pieces of mail.

c. You'll receive faster results, it costs less, and you'll generate greater input and feedback.

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9. Raise Your Prices

a. Has your competition raised their prices? Maybe you should too.

b. Higher prices separate you from the crowd, and implies your product is better, an deserves a premium price. BMW does not compete with Yugos.

c. Be careful in this area. The customer must see the value of the higher price.

For More See: Pricing Methods And How To Use Them and

How Pricing Affects Your Business

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10. Promote Trends or Current Events

a. Can you tie your product or service to the environment, Olympics, World Series?

b. Gain valuable credibility and interest by association with known groups.

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11. Add Personality to Your Business

a. Use photos of you and/or your staff in your promotional materials.

b. A quote from the person pictured conveys friendliness and builds confidence in your company.

c. Responses to seminars and programs are dramatically higher when photos are used.

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12. Use Deadlines

a. Make sure you put a time limit on promotional materials.

b. Watch your expiration dates. (What day does your offer end?

Are you losing an extra weekend of business?)

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13. Fear Of Not Having Your Product

a. For products that increase personal security, personal safety or health, fear can be an effective business-boosting tool.

b. If they don't buy your product now, they will miss something. A discount, premium free gift, etc. Fear of loss is more powerful than expectation of gain.

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14. Use The Media

a. Send letters covering topics related to your business to local publications.

b. Connect your product or business to some current event that is making news.

c. Your name and business name will probably be used if your letter is printed.

d. You will be perceived as an expert in your field.

e. You are holding this information because of an Internet site or a local or national promotion.

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15. Make Advertising last

a. Buy ads that last months, not minutes. (Yellow pages)

b. Magnetic signs for car or van. Don't forget the back of your vehicle. Put signs on truck tailgates and rear windows. Most customers don't drive alongside your vehicle and copy down the phone or address. They are more apt to do it at a stop sign.

c. Use clever bumper stickers or T-shirts.

d. If you're printing an expensive color piece, ask the printer to quote the price of his house paper.

e. Design the outside of the brochure to be permanent and the inside for future changes. That way you can print up large quantities (5,000 or more) of the outside only and have the printer keep them on hand. Then as your message changes you only have to print the inside.

f. You will save by doing a large run in the beginning. You will also save by only printing what you need as your company changes. Avoid outdated brochures.

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16. Examine Promotional Materials

a. Make sure business cards, letterheads, brochures and packaging materials are first class. This is not the area to spare expenses.

b. What types of materials is your competition using?

c. If you can't afford 4 color brochures use 2 or 3 color. Use of color increases response by 26%.

d. If you can't afford 2 color... use screens. (See Below)

Note: Screen is another word for shade (darker) or tint (lighter). For example: A florist wants red flowers around the borders of his brochure and black ink for the text. That's two colors. Pink is a 50% tint of red, it is not another color. You can have some pink flowers and some red flowers with little or no additional cost depending on how your printer handles screens. This process will give the appearance of three colors; red, pink, and black. Use gray (a tint of black) and presto, a 4 color brochure (red, pink, gray and black) for a 2 Color price. It looks expensive but isn't.

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17. Make a Memorable Business Card

a. Make your business card a mini-brochure. If you need a map, or other information, use the back of the card. Your card is there long after you are gone.

b. One thousand two-color business cards run around $30.00 - $60.00, and its worth it.

(Use shades - See #16 above and have 3 or 4 color business cards.)

c. What do your competitors cards look like? What message do they convey to you?

d. Give several cards to business associates who might be able to promote your business. Give a card to everyone you meet, and put one in every letter (even bills).

Note: Joe Girard, the famous car salesman, used to throw handfuls of business cards, like confetti, out of the upper deck at football games, onto the expensive seats below. On the back of each card was a discount on any car bought the following Monday.

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18. "Thank You" - Magic Words

a. Thank customers with a special offer.

b. Thank anyone who refers business to you with a personalized thank you card, phone call, discounts, flowers, dinner or even a commission.

c. Thank your reliable suppliers with a letter and increased orders.

d. People will remember your kindness.

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19. A Business Card for All Employees?

a. Counter people? Drivers? Yes. They're important enough for this tiny investment.

b. They'll be proud to leave their card with every customer and every prospect.

c. They'll use the card with friends and relatives and your name will be in many more places.

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Continued...

20. Do What The Winners Do.

a. Is there a company you admire? Analyze its marketing strategies.

b. Adopt the ones you can use and improve on them.

c. Use what works. Collect advertising that attracts your attention and adapt it to your business.

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21. Throw a Party

a. Invite clients and friends to your home based business or store, serve refreshments and plan an interesting demonstration of your product or service.

b. Make it EASY for customers to buy or order your products or services. Accept credit cards, checks, eliminate long complicated credit forms, etc.

c. Alert the media. Let the business editor know something special is happening. They love to cover the unveiling of interesting new products.

d. Be friendly and outgoing. If this is not your personality ask a friend to be a greeter.

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22. Give A Gift

a. Offer a specialty item that's useful enough to save and that also serves as a reminder of your business. Letter opener, coffee mug, paper weight etc. Look in Yellow Pages under novelties.

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23. Three Secrets of Marketing

a. You must be committed. Commit the money and leave it alone. Plant the seeds that will grow later.

b. You must be consistent. Why does McDonalds advertise every day on every channel? Is there anyone in the USA who hasn't heard of McDonalds? The marketing message must be constantly reinforced. Your customers will forget you if they don't hear from you.

c. You must be confident. Most marketing plans take at least 60 - 90 days to produce even minimum results. Be patient, your efforts will pay off in the long run.

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24. Don't Try To Make Money

a. Offer customers genuinely useful products or services that make you and your customers happy.

b. Do what you love and the money will follow.

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25. Establish A Board of "Champions"

a. Every quarter or so, put up a dozen of these advisers (friends, family, business associates whose opinions and judgment you value) into a room and allow them to critique every aspect of your business. For the cost of a nice lunch this "board of advisors" can give you a different look at yourself.

b. Don't be "thin-skinned", they may be hard on you or your product, but that's the purpose. They may see problems that you don't. Grow from the experience.

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26. Use A Dipstick Now And Then

a. When explaining your product or service to customers, stop every 30 to 45 seconds and ask a question to see if your message is being received. If they ask you to continue or ask to take notes you know you're on the right track.

b. You can't sell it if your message is not being received.

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27. Never Assume

a. Never assume any of the following:

1. The customer can't afford it.

2. The customer won't buy it.

3. The customer doesn't understand the product.

4. The customer won't buy more than one.

5. The customer won't price your competitors.

6. The customer won't like you.

b. On the other hand, don't assume the opposite is true either.

c. Have confidence in your product or service and the need it fills.

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28. Take Little Bites

a. Eskimos eat whales, and tiny termites eat mighty houses the same way.... a bite at a time.

b. Starting a company or introducing a new product is a monumental task if you approach it as a done deal. General Motors didn't start at its present size, its doors opened on the first day of business with no customers just like yours.

c. Good management, a good product properly positioned, and a "never give up" attitude.

d. Even with small bites the meal may become more than you can swallow.

NOTE: In the September 1992, issue of Success magazine is the story of Herb Vest. He started a company that was against CPA regulations in every state. He financed his business with personal credit cards. At one time he was $400,000 in debt and had judgments filed against him. The bank repossessed his car. But he never gave up. "I always knew I'd succeed." he said. Nine years later 9 states had changed the rules and Vest is CEO of a $36 million company. This is the kind of determination, drive and attitude it takes to be successful...Do you have that kind of determination, drive and attitude? (See #38 -39)

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29. Use the Public Library

a. The library has more information on business than anyone can possibly read.

b. The librarians will research and find the information you need. A real time saver.

c. Look the books over for two weeks and buy the ones you want to add to your business library.

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30. Use One Media to Direct Your Customer To Another

a. If the best way to reach your target market (i.e., Teens) is with radio, but you have a long story to tell, use your radio spot to tell them about your big sale ad in the paper.

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31. Invite Complaints About Your Business Or Product

a. Make it easy for your customers to complain about your business. Call them after the sale. Send a post card "Was everything OK?" "How're we doing?" etc.

b. If your product has a problem how will you know about it? Isn't it better to get complaint feedback right away rather than wait until you have hundreds of unhappy customers.

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32. The 100% Perfect Problem (Or the 90% Done Problem)

a. If you continue to work on an ad, brochure, mailer long enough, eventually you will get it perfect. This is false.

b. The reality is that no communications project is ever more than 90% perfect There's always something that could be revised and improved.

c. It is better to accept a 90% perfect project and finish it so it can begin to do its work, rather than keeping it caged while chasing the elusive 100% perfect goal.

d. If you have a new business or product, the important thing is getting some kind of message out there. You need customers or clients and you need them fast. Every day you delay the better chance your competition has to reach your customers. Your materials will go through several evolutionary changes over the years and you will never be totally happy with them.

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33. Start a "Swipe File."

A swipe file is a collection of ads and brochures that copywriters and artists collect, or swipe from other artists, for those times when they are stumped for a good idea. Don't copy them exactly, but many good ideas can come from what the guy down the street is doing. And if they're doing something, so should you.

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34. It's Important to Us, So It Must Be Important To Our Customers

a. Just because issues are important within an organization they do not automatically have relevance to your customers.

b. This is a by-product of "fuzzy-thinking" and the problem points to managers that lack experience.

c. When you consider any project look at it from the customers point of view, not the company. The rule is "take care of the customer and he'll take care of the company".

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35. Give Your Customers More Than They Expected

a. Instead of the 101 business tips you expected, you will get an extra 13 you didn't expect.

b. What small thing can you do for your customers that will surprise them without additional cost to the company?

c. Good service generally goes unnoticed, and does not receive a comment. Exceptional service does; so does exceptionally poor service.

Note: Avoid the customer service trap of trying to be all things to all people. You should provide a level of service that you can maintain consistently and profitably. Don't try to WOW them. If you do, how are you going to WOW them the next time? Or the time after that??

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36. Use Suppliers and Vendors For Information

a. Talk to your suppliers and salespeople who call on you, they know more about your competition than anyone else. Sometimes in the course of casual conversation they may, unknowingly, give you important information about your competition's future plans.

b. If your competition is a public company, buy stock. As a stockholder you will receive all their annual and quarterly reports.

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37. Pay Attention to People with disabilities.

They are becoming a big market. If you can serve some subgroup of that market effectively you may be able to capture a loyal and lucrative customer base.

Continued...

38. Know The Demographics of Your Sales Area

a. Demographics are the breakdown of the area you live in or plan on servicing. How many Whites, Blacks, Hispanic etc. What are the income levels? Number of homeowners, etc. This is important information because if the area can't afford or doesn't want your product then you're out of business before you even start.

Demographic information is available from the following: (These are not the only sources).

1. Local Newspapers - Ask for an advertising rate kit.

2. Local Chamber of Commerce

3. City planning commission

4. Public Library - Ask the librarian for assistance.

5. Local TV and radio stations

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39. Subscribe To Industry Magazines

a. Keep up with changing events in your industry by subscribing to trade magazines.

b. Lists of all available magazines are available at the library.

c. Many of these magazines do surveys of their subscribers that answer questions such as:

1. How much should I spend on marketing, advertising, insurance, etc. each year? How much should I charge for my product?

2. What age group buys the largest amount(s) of my product?

3. What is the most successful advertising medium to promote my product? TV, Radio, Direct Mail?

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40. Subscribe to Magazines That Help Your Business Self-Esteem

a. No matter what the state of the economy is people are always starting businesses. People are still running successful businesses every day of the year. Look for magazines that deal with positive business messages. There are plenty of them out there. Here are a couple to start with:

1. Success - Positive messages to keep your spirits up.

2. Inc. - The Magazine for Growing Companies.

3. Entrepreneur - The Small Business Authority.

These are available at most grocery stores, newsstands and the library.

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41. Join Organizations That Can Help You

a. Most industries have organizations that support that industry.

For Example: Your local video store may be a member of the V.S.D.A. (Video Software Dealers Association).

b. I wonder where we can find a list of these organizations? The library, perhaps.

c. Talking to people in the same industry can give you a good idea of what to try and not try in business promotion. There is always someone at these meetings who can help you succeed. The organization exists to benefit your business or product.

d. Many organizations have conventions that are closed to the general public. The Video Software Dealers have one of the largest conventions in Las Vegas every year (sorry, Video Dealers only). Conventions are a gold mine of good information.

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42. What If I Can't Match A Competitor's Offer?

a. If your competitor is offering 50% off over a four day weekend and you can't afford the extra inventory or the mark-down for that long, what can you do?

b. Offer a better deal for a shorter time. Try offering 60% off on Saturday only. You will still drain off a lot of his customers on a busy sale day and you will be perceived as a better place to do business.

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43. Track Your Clients Special Needs

a. Create a form to keep track of clients requests for special services and products and whether you can meet these requests.

b. By studying these forms periodically, you can track interest in new products or services that you should offer.

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44. Make Sure Your Clients Can Reach You.

a. Print your company name, address, and fax number on all materials including, packing slips and invoices.

b. Provide customers with business cards and Rolodex cards.

c. Customers who have to search for your number may come across your competitor's number first.

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45. Learn More About Your Customers

a. Learn more about customers than just the business they're in.

b. Pay attention to local newspapers and let customers know you read about them.

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46. Be An Expert

a. Offer seminars, establishing your company as an expert on the subject.

b. Seminars help cement relations with current customers, attract prospects, and increase your company's exposure.

c. Choose a topic with broad appeal among your client and prospect base.

d. Follow-up with attendees by mail or in person.

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47. Write Sales Letters

a. With e-mail, fax machines and cellular phones most of us don't write letters any more. But they are an effective means of communication and unlike phone calls, almost always reach the intended audience.

b. Letters enhance a company's professional image, help avoid misunderstandings and often make a sale.

c. Write letters explaining your company's services, detailing how your company helped another well-known client or thanking a customer for an order. Hand write "Personal" on the outside for better response.

d. Keep a library of well-written letters for employees to use as models.

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48. Listen To Your Customers

Pay attention to questions new customers ask you. The may be telling you about an unpleasant experience they had with a previous company. If they ask about service, exchanges, return policies, etc. Have an employee meeting and go over some of the phrases that might be "red flags" to watch for. Armed with that knowledge you can let these customers know that you will solve the problem with no hassles or problems.

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49. Use Personalized Post-It Notes To Promote Your Company

a. Every office uses these little "sticky notes" and they stick them to everything. With Personalized Post-It notes everyone from the CEO to the receptionist will see your company name almost every day.

b. If they have a problem you can solve, your name and number are right there stuck to the page.

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50. Rate Your Customers For Surprising Results

a. Assign customers a category such as "A", "B", "C", "D", etc. based on several criteria. Include profitability, time spent handling orders and special requests.

b. You'll quickly realize that some high-volume accounts are not contributing significantly to the bottom line.

c. Develop a plan to inform all employees who the most profitable customers are and who should receive the best efforts of the company.

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51. Marketing is not a battle of products it's a battle of perceptions.

a. Campbell's Soup is number one in the United States but not in the United Kingdom.

b. Heinz Soup is number one in the United Kingdom but not in the United States.

c. It's a matter of perception Would you buy Pennzoil Cake Mix? Why not? Because we perceive Pennzoil to be a motor oil. They could make the best cake mix in the world and it would still be a very tough sell for most people.

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52. The best way to succeed is to ignore the competition.

Too many people worry so much about their competitors that they forget what they are doing. If you're confident in your vision, don't worry about your competition.

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53. Be tenacious in your vision

Don't be discouraged by setbacks. They aren't failures. Failure is simply failing to persevere. Whatever you are doing, if you are getting any kind of results, persevere.

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54. Tips for magazine advertising. (Also see #55)

a. A two-page spread attracts about one-quarter more than a one-page ad.

b. A full-page ad attracts one-third more readers than a half-page ad.

c. People respond better to illustrations or photos showing the product in use rather than those that show the product just sitting there.

d. Ads with people in them attract more attention than those without.

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55. Is bigger better?

a. Should you use your limited advertising budget to create larger, more visible ads that restrict you to advertising less frequently, or smaller, less visible ads that you can then afford to run more frequently?

b. The Answer: smaller ads more frequently. Most people even those who are likely candidates for your products typically don't respond to ads the first time they see them.

c. Prospects may need to see the ad a number of times before they take action.

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56. When emotion and reason come into conflict, emotion always wins!

While people like to believe they react rationally to offers, etc., the truth is they react emotionally and then look for the rationale to confirm their decision. So, the smart marketer will acknowledge the motivator and the need to rationalize in presenting his/her product or offer. Have you ever bought a CD just to get one song? Have you ever considered the color when buying a car? Is that logical?

Continued...

57. Look outside your industry for the best in-class examples.

What firm has the best billing system? The best sales force? The best customer service? If you only measure yourself versus your competition, you'll only be as good or a little better than they are. But is that who you're competing against? No. Your customer is experiencing those best in-class processes from someone and they are measuring your delivery against those some ones.

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58. The two basic tenants of selling.

a. People buy from other people more happily than from faceless corporations.

b. In the marketplace, as in theater, there is indeed a factor at work called "the willing suspension of disbelief."

Who stands behind our pancakes? Aunt Jemima. Our angel food cakes? Betty Crocker. Our coffee? Juan Valdez. It's all myth but the myths are comforting.

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59. The most important order you ever get from a customer is the second order.

Why? Because a two-time buyer is twice as likely to buy again as a one-time buyer.

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60. Catalog rule #1 Best seller in the upper left?

Turn the page of any catalog and the first thing you look at is the upper left hand corner of the spread. That's where to place your best seller, your bread and butter, right? Well, what if your best seller is a visual dog? What if, for instance, your mainstay is black shoes? Kill the rule, raise another flag. Put a pair of wild socks in the upper left for stopping power and direct your reader to the old tried and true elsewhere on the spread.

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61. Know your audience. Then write to one individual within that audience.

Don't address the sea of 500,000 nameless and faceless people who will receive your info. In your ads, brochures, mailings etc. pick one customer you know and like and write the copy to that one individual as though you were sitting down and having a conversation about your business.

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62. Get on the ball

Be ready to be where your customer wants you, when your customer wants you, with what your customer wants. Just-in-time marketing is crucial as people become spoiled by 24-hour, seven-day-a-week customized products and services.

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63. Beware of the negative

Make sure you deal with all your customers in good faith and with integrity. Negative word of mouth, especially on computer bulletin boards and systems like the Internet, can cripple your business even more than positive public relations can help it.

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64. Focus on the smaller market

For every trend, there is at least one counter trend. It's sometimes better to focus on a smaller market one nobody is serving because they're all off catering to the bigger trend.

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65. Direct Mail

Pick up any business book, by any author, and they will tell you there is no other way to sell a product that is cheaper and more successful than direct mail. PERIOD!! Forty-six per cent of all Americans have purchased something by direct mail. If you think of it as junk mail, think again. It's Solid Gold mail.

Here's a simplified version of how it works:

1. A full page ad in Time magazine is approximately $80-$90,000 and reaches 2 million people.

2. What if we could have two pages, three pages, eleven pages to tell our story? Could you tell the story of your product on 11 pages?

3. However, not all of the 2 million readers of Time have a need for our product. These people go right past our ad without a second thought. The money we've spent to reach these people is wasted.

4. Wouldn't it be nice if we could only have our 11 page ad delivered to the Time subscribers who were interested in our product?

5. The answer: A mailing list and direct mail. A list of people who should buy our product based on our product position and their past buying behavior. If we sell baby products, wouldn't a mailing list of prospective new mothers be nice. How about first-time mothers?

6. Now we can send our eleven page ad for substantially less than the Time ad, we don't have to compete with other ads in the same magazine, and our message is reaching a target audience that has demonstrated that they have a definite need for our product and a history of buying it.

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66. Newspaper Specials

Each year newspapers often do special inserts or sections on topics of local interest. Bridal Fairs, Real Estate Home Shows, Craft Fairs etc. These sections usually have a larger readership than the regular newspaper and your ad can generate more business. Note: Look at last years edition and check with advertisers and see if the response was worth going in these sections. In many small towns, it is.

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67. Newspaper Placement

Where your ad appears in the paper can have a dramatic impact on how successful it will be. Many people, even if they don't believe in it, read their daily horoscope. Depending on your product, being near the horoscope will increase your ads exposure.

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68. Newspaper Ad Design

When running newspaper and /or magazine ads the salesperson will sometimes recommend they do the design of your ad as a money saving option. This is usually a bad idea. Not because they can't do it, or don't have the ability, but because newspaper designers are under a deadline to create many ads in a short amount of time. In most cases your ad won't receive the care and attention to detail it deserves because of the time constraints.

If you doubt this pick up almost any paper and proof read the ads or look for corrections and retractions of past incorrect ads. Even though it may cost a little more, have a professional design your ads.

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69. Save with the professional designer

When doing newspaper or magazine ads have your designer create pieces of advertising. Your logo, text for upcoming events, etc. You pay one fee for all the pieces and assemble the pieces needed for each ad you place.

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70. Some tips to remember when using photos in the newspaper

1. Make sure the photos are not too dark or too light.

2. Take the photo to a print shop and have a PMT (Photo Mechanical Transfer) made. The printer can lighten and darken each photo as needed. The cost is about $5.00 each in most markets.

3. If the photos are similar in lightness and darkness, the printer can "gang" the photos. He can shoot several photos on one page for one price.

4. If you need to make a "head shot" for the paper, ask the photographer to use a light background instead of a gray or black background. Your photo will show up much better.

5. If you're using photos of your building, keep in mind the image you want to project to the reader. Does your business look open or closed? Are there cars in the parking lot? Does the business look prosperous?

6. If you are using a photo of your employees, the common mistake is to take the photo from too far away. For some strange reason people feel we must include the full body in the shot and the faces of the employees are lost. Arrange your employees in two or three rows with the back rows standing on curbs or boxes. Move in so the bottom of the picture hits the bottom row of employees about chest high. This way the reader can see everyone's face clearly and the ad will be much more effective.

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71. Look like news in the newspaper

Make your ad look like a news story complete with headlines and columns. The newspaper will require the word "advertisement" at the top of your ad but if you use a catchy headline and an attention grabbing first paragraph people will quickly forget they are reading an ad.

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72. Service business and home based businesses

Many small town papers have a service or business directory. This is the section people often turn to for plumbers, landscapers, and computer help.

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73. Use Scan Ads

Every state has a State Newspaper Association and offer what are called "Scan Ads". A scan ad is a small classified ad that is placed once with a member paper and appears in hundreds of newspapers in that state. For example, in Montana scan ads run about $100 dollars for 100-120 state and local papers. In California scan ads are in the $400 - $500 range but appear in papers with an estimated readership of several million people.

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74. Use the service organizations you belong to.

When news of your business is published be sure to send a copy to any trade organizations you belong to so they can include the news in their magazine or newsletters.

Continued...

75. Say thanks for the memory

If you do get an article printed about your business be sure to send a thank you card or letter to the reporter. Let them know you would be pleased to be a source in any future articles on your subject.

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76. There is always two sides to any story

If your paper prints a story regarding your business or industry that is negative, prepare a press release that shows the positive side of the story. If the topic is controversial it may spark a positive article with your company portrayed in a positive light.

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77. There's more than one paper

Just because you're in a small town doesn't mean your local town paper is the only print option. Many people and businesses subscribe to papers from your states larger cities. In Bozeman, MT we have the Bozeman Chronicle but many people also subscribe to the Billings Gazette. If you're doing business throughout the state this may be a better advertising option. Get the subscription numbers for these papers in your area. They may be more economical and reach more customers.

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78. Walk a mile in my shoes

Reporters have no idea what your average work day is like and how your business works. Invite them to spend the day or part of a day with you so they can write the story from actual first-hand observation.

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79. Make it easy

Most of us want our lives to be easier and less complicated. If your product or service saves time or makes life easier, that may be more important to some customers than saving money. For example, cheese, sliced and individually wrapped in cellophane, for more money. Imagine the first response to that idea. Nobody's too lazy to slice their own cheese. It'll never sell.

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80. Weekly Info

Contact your local radio station if you have daily or weekly information people need. We live in ski country and three different resort areas deliver snow reports on one of the radio stations. A stock broker reports on the market numbers daily.

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The Net

See: How To Beat The Web Retailers

81. How to get serious shoppers to visit your virtual sales room.

Most valuable Web content features:

1.) 71%-Easy to navigate.

2.) 64%-Updated information

3.) 57%-New product information

4.) 53%-Links to other sites

5.) 41%-Local dealer locations

6.) 40%-Graphics

7.) 25%-Java Applets

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82. Users go off-line to ring up high ticket sales, but the web is where they make up their minds.

These people are not just "window shoppers".

1.) 71% bought at least one high ticket item they researched on-line (up from 46% last year),

2.) 79% shopped for computer products, 46% purchased retail

3.) 70% researched airline ticket prices, hotels or car rentals; 46% made reservations off line.

4.) 44% shopped for a car, 26% bought.

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83. Make your page fast

Slow downloading time is the most frequently cited reason for leaving Web sites.

50% of on-line users have 14.4 modems.

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84. Why do customers go to Web sites?

Netsmart found the primary reason consumers go to commercial Web sites is to be informed (97%), not to be entertained. They are on a mission. They go to your site to find out more about your product or service.

Eighteen percent of high ticket items go on-line first when planning a purchase,

69% report Web site info is a crucial factor in their final purchase decision, only 15% go on-line to compare prices.

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85. Don't overdo the technology

Don't let "hipper-than-thou" Web site builders throw your marketing know-how out the window. Avoid the hot new technologies like VRML, Active X, Java, etc., unless you are targeting a true high-tech audience.

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86. Bring' em back for more

Provide valuable added extras that will enhance your image as the industry leader. Make your site a must-visit for the latest breaking news and update it frequently. If there are no new products lined up, provide industry updates, gossip, trends and forecasts. This will bring visitors back and motivate them to spread the word on the Internet grapevine.

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87. Use Banners and Links to get noticed

a. How to get folks to use your banner? Include the words "Click Here", this is a banner for "newbies" and is a psychological call to action.

b. Netsmart survey found 41% discover new sites through banners and links.

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88. Put your Web site address everywhere.

Your Web site address should be on every piece of material your customer will see. Business cards, brochures, postcards, flyers, ads, signs, delivery vehicles consider a tattoo?

Well, let's not go overboard.

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89. Can you animate your ad?

In evaluating the performance of some 30 ads over the last five months, ZD Net of Cambridge, Mass., found that animated ads generated click-through rates at least 15% higher than static ads, and in some cases as much as 40% higher.

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90. Copyright your web page.

Make sure you include the ( © 2004 Your Name ) on all your Web pages. This will protect you if some one else decides to download some of your graphics and use them on their site. The web is protected just like any other visual publication.

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91. Search Engines

Register your Web site with as many search engines as possible. In fact, do a search on search engines. You will find several hundred. The largest, Yahoo! (www.yahoo.com), and Lycos, (www.lycos.com) will register your site by contacting them at the sites shown. There are also sites such as Submit-It at www.submit-it.com that gives free registration to many web sites.

One important point, you can't rely completely on search engines to publicize your web site. You must advertise it whenever and wherever you can. Business cards, brochures, all your advertising must include your website address. I had a sign made for the rear window of my automobile with my web site address. www.smalltownmarketing.com.

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92. T's and C's

Also known as Terms & Conditions. If you are going to sell or market products on the web, it is important that your site have certain legal positions spelled out in legal language.

For example, you may want to notify customers about your site security if you are using credit cards. What actions are you liable for and what are the risks the customer takes. Spelling these out in advance and posting them as part of your site can head off legal problems down the road.

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93. Include a Guest Book

When people visit your site ask them to sign your guest book. Why? Here are a couple of reasons:

1. Demographics - what cities and countries are your hits coming from?

2. Future advertising on your site. If you know the demographics of your site you can then provide this information to other companies who may pay you to post a banner on your page or a paid link to their page.

3. Keep track of frequent customers and big spenders and ask if you can e-mail them with any special sales or promotions you have planned.

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94. Update your site often

The only reason people return to sites is for new information. People will stop returning to a site after a few times if there is no new information. Update weekly, daily if possible, and be sure to note on the first page the date of the update.

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95. Ads and Banners

Before you decide to place an ad or banner on another Web site monitor the site for about a month. Look for changes and how often the site is updated. (See Above) If the site has nothing new to offer the traffic will slow and your ad will become ineffective.

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96. On-Line Publications

Many publications like Time or Newsweek have an on-line presence. See if your industry publications have a web site. Check their web sites for past articles on your business or industry and contact them via e-mail about your page.

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97. Holidays and Special Events on the Web

Change your page to reflect what's going on in the world. At Christmas time decorate your web site just like you would decorate your own storefront. The nice thing about this is once you've created the decorations they can be reused year after year.

Continued...

98. Surf The Web

Start setting aside time to surf the Web for pages about your industry and see who is linked to who and where the links go. What you're looking for is a community of sites within your industry that have linked together for the good of all. Once you find them see if you can join the community.

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99. Expect Criticism and welcome it

Criticism will come from those who want you to improve your site. Don't take it personally. Treat it as valuable research and listen to the majority. If you don't fill the void for the browsers then they will stop coming to your site. Expect feedback and welcome it.

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100. Intellectual Property

Intellectual property on the net is defined as: software, patents, books, videos, music, photographs, trademarks, fictional characters, copyrights and Web Pages. Protect your web site and the information there.

Keep in mind copyrights don't apply to ideas or ways of doing things. Probably the best example of this is clumping cat litter. The guy who invented clumping cat litter just had a good idea that he couldn't protect. Pet supply companies called down to research and development and asked how many formulas they could use to make clumping cat litter. Answer: maybe 10,000 different kinds of ingredients and formulas.

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101. Don't Forget The Kids

There may be times when you have a special project that requires temporary help. A clean-up campaign, an in-house mailing or help moving the business to another location. Instead of hiring part time workers from a temp agency check the local high school or university. There are always groups of responsible and dependable youth who are raising money for some school project. When you do this two things happen: 1. No payroll taxes. 2. A tax deductible donation (check the cause and with your accountant) for your business.

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102. Sponsor Teams

One great way to get involved in the community is to sponsor a sports team. The parents of the team members will certainly frequent your business. We have a local hockey team that's doing well and many businesses associate themselves with the team. Don't forget to add your web site address on any team literature or signage.

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103. Uneven workloads

Some businesses are under real strain during certain times of the year. Sometimes they overstaff with too many full time employees. Hire part timers at higher pay for less hours. Savings result from not having to pay benefits to part timers coupled with the need for fewer full time employees. Result: higher quality part timers who remain with the company longer.

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104. Make sure employees see the Big Picture

It's hard for small, growing companies to pay people as much as some larger companies. The cost of insurance and other benefits are high and employees usually don't understand the cost of keeping them on the payroll. Make sure when you hire an employee they know the score. If their base salary is $25,000, let them know with insurance and benefits the total package may be $36,750.00. When raises come around, an 11% increase may amount to 4% salary and 7% increase in benefits. This way the employee is more in touch with the actual earnings and the sacrifice made by the company.

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105. If they helped, pay `em

Many companies seem to feel that they shouldn't pay any type of bonus to part time employees. Keep in mind that these folks helped with customers, production, delivery, and talk about your business in their private everyday lives. If they're on your payroll they are necessary and should be made to feel so.

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106. Student Bonus

Tie salaries to grade point average for high school and college students you hire. Give a progressive bonus if the student excels in the classroom. In most cases you will find more responsible disciplined workers who will enhance your business.

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107. Respect your customers time

1. E-mail First

2. Fax Second

3. Phone Third and last resort

Customers are busy too. Their time is valuable. Most will read the e-mail and look at the faxes in a timely manner. Be patient.

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108. Special Customers

Each day call five of your best customers and offer them a special deal that is only for them and only today. They may not buy but we all like to know we can get something special that someone else can't.

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109. Use a motto

"Winston tastes good..." Can you fill in the rest? Most people can... "Like a cigarette should!" That campaign hasn't been used in 25 years but its still a powerful advertising message. "When you care enough to send the very best". Hallmark has used this motto for years and has made sending Hallmark cards a measure of how important the card recipient is.

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110. Create a bulk mailing package

If you are on a downtown block. Contact all the businesses on your block and see if they would be willing to package a postcard ad campaign with you.

Five or ten businesses would send postcard packages by bulk mail and share the mailing cost which will be cheaper than each store mailing out their own individual postcards.

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111. Use last year for this year

If you've been in business more than a year you have some idea of what to expect in year two. Use last years information to plan this year. If you have five years its even better. Keep in mind business forecasting is like the weather. Just because there was a storm on this day last year doesn't mean it will happen again this year.

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112. Five and Ten Philosophy

Every business day try to contact ten new customers or clients. From the 10 get at least 5 referrals of other potential customers to contact. You will never run out of potential customers.

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113. Look how we did it

If your business solves peoples problems a powerful method of advertising is using testimonials. Letters from people who used your service or product and their lives are better for it.

Since many companies may be reluctant or won't take the time to do this, I sometimes offer to write the letter myself and have them OK the wording and sign it. Many customers are so pleased with your service they will often agree to do this for you.

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114. Advisory Boards

If you have created your "Board of Champions" (See #25) ask them to allow you to use their names on your stationary as an Advisory Board. This will give your business a certain amount of credibility .

Resources:

Egelhoff, T. (n.d.). 101 Small Business Marketing, Advertising Ideas, Tips & Tricks. Retrieved March 10, 2008, from http://www.smalltownmarketing.com/101page.html

1. Make sure to edit your writing (unlike what im doing :D).

2. Comment on other related blogs.

3.Make a custom 404-error page for your website. You can provide a link back to your main website or even try to monetize it by offering a related affiliate program within your niche.

4. Sponsor a charity, most charities will link back to your website, and you are also doing a good deed :).
5. Sell an item on eBay as a charity auction. Most charities will link back to both your auction and your main website.

6. Start a publicity campaign, do something that individuals in your niche will take note of.

7. Brand your website with a logo and a slogan/catch phrase. Think IBM.

8. Hold a crazy contest that people in your niche will talk about. This will equal more links and traffic to your website.

9. Build a tool that individuals in your niche will love and enjoy. Then give it away for free. If the tool is helpful, then you will get quality one-way links to your website.

10. Contact small newsletters sources offline and submit articles to them.

11. Become friends with editors of an offline publication.

12. Give speeches offline. Start small and local. Also, do not forget to participate in toastmasters meetings in your area.

13. Have a GREAT product. All of the marketing/advertising in the world will do you NO good if your product is sub par.

14. Make something innovative. If you are selling information, what makes your content something you cannot get from the local bookstore, Barnes and noble or even eBay for that matter?

15. Is your product groundbreaking? Will you leave individuals with no choice but to talk about your product or service?

16. Are you selling something that wide groups of people want to know about but there is limited/scarce knowledge?

17. Write good content, if your writing is good then people will share it with their friends. In addition, webmasters will use it as content on their website with a reference back to your article, or at least they should.

18. Spark emotions. If you get people emotional about something then they will most likely talk about it.

19. Get a custom t-shirt made with your website url on it, and wear it often.

20. Build a list of subscribers. Your list is like a golden asset to you if utilized correctly.

21. Write tip articles, such as "Ten easy tips to blank-blank-blank."

22. Buy traffic from the search engines by utilizing one of their PPC campaigns.

23. Open up a myspace account and find targeted friends so that you can promote your services to them. Do not spam people, myspace is cracking down on spammers and are starting to sue people.

24. Solicit a link from your local chamber of commerce

Resources:

Educationman. (n.d.) How Can I Generate Traffic to My Website? Retrieved March 10, 2008, from Yahoo Answers Web site: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoKbkJcknkV.oM8cYx8Sn.ojzKIX;_ylv=3?qid=20070130161634AAn5GTQ

1. Write and submit articles to the article directories.

2. Leave comments on other people?s blogs with a backlink to your site.

3. Answer people?s questions on www.answers.yahoo.com.

4. Post in forums and have a link to your site in your signature.

5. Write a press release and submit it to www.PRWeb.com.

6. Advertise your website in the appropriate category on www.CraigsList.com.

7. Give an unbiased testimonial on a product/service that you have used in exchange for a backlink to your site.

8. Start a blog and submit it to the 100?s of free blog directories.

9. Manually submit your website to the major search engines.

10. Optimize each page of your website for a particular keyword or search phrase.

11. Add a link in your email signature to your website. It?s a free and easy way to get a little more traffic.

12. Make a custom 404 error page for your website redirecting people to your home page.

13. Use PPC search engine advertising.

14. Add a ?bookmark this site? link to your webpages.

15. Have a tell-a-friend form on your site.

16. Send articles to ezine publishers that includes a link to your website.

17. Hold a crazy content and make it go viral.

18. Give away a freebie (ebook, report, e-course) to keep people coming back to your site.

19. Add an RSS feed to your blog.

20. Submit your site to any related niche directories on the net.

21. Participate in a banner or link exchange program.

22. Create a software program and give it away for free.

23. Purchase the misspellings or variations of your domain name, or those of your competitors.

24. Buy a domain name related to your niche that is already receiving traffic and forward it to your site.

25. Pass out business cards with your domain on them everywhere you go.

26. Start and affiliate program and let your affiliates send you visitors.

27. Start a page on social bookmarking sites such as www.MySpace.com.

28. Submit a viral video to www.YouTube.com

29. Conduct and publish surveys to your website.

30. Find joint venture partners that will send you traffic.

31. Start your own newsletter or ezine.

32. Use a autoresponder or email campaign to keep people coming back to your site.

33. Purchase ads on other sites.

34. Send a free copy of your product to other site owners in exchange for a product review.

35. Sell or place classified ads on www.eBay.com with a link to your site.

36. Post free classified ads on any of the sites that allow them with a link to your site.

37. Exchange reciprocal links with other related websites.

38. Network with other people at seminars or other live events.

39. Purchase advertising in popular newsletters or ezines.

40. Advertise on other product?s ?thank you? pages.

41. Create a free ebook and list in on the ?free ebook? sites.

42. Buy and use a memorable domain name.

43. Do something controversial.

44. Create an Amazon profile and submit reviews for books and other products that you have read.

45. Start a lens on www.Squidoo.com.

46. Use a traffic exchange (low quality traffic, but can sometimes be worthwhile).

47. Get referrals form similar but non-competing sites.

48. Create and sell a product with resell or giveaway rights and include a link to your site in it o others pass it around for you.

49. Email your list. If you don?t have one, get one.

50. Buy a pair of sandals; get your website engraved on the bottom and walk on the beach, stomp in the mud or play in the snow.

Resources:

Michie, J. (2007). 50 Tips On Getting More Traffic To Your Website. Retrieved March 10, 2008, from http://warriorforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=141726

1 - Nothing beats word of mouth. I suggest reading the book "Buzzmarketing" by Mark Hughes

2 - Snail Mail still works. Mail out fliers

3 - Join forums and put a link in your signature. Make topics related to your website

4 - Good ole fashioned link exchanges still work

5 - Post flyers around town

6 - Cold call

7 - Post reviews on other websites, leave your URL

8 - Write articles

9 - Write an eBook

10 - Write a book

12 - Adjust your meta tags and submit to search engines

12 - Bug your friends to bug their friends

13 - Sponsor an event

14 - Sponsor a charity

15 - Publish regular articles on your website

16 - Create business cards with your URL. Leave them in bathrooms, tables, wherever you can.

17 - Create a brochure

18 - Host a fundraiser

19 - Throw a party for your clients. Have them bring friends

20 - Instruct a class as a guest teacher

21 - Instruct a class as a regular teacher

22 - Be a guest speaker at an event

23 - Rent a booth at the local fair or flea market

24 - Hand out custom chocolates with your URL

25 - Make sure your site is user friendly and search engine friendly (try Spaggle.com)

26 - Send out monthly newsletters

27 - Write guest articles in related website's newsletters

28 - Create a blog

29 - Write press releases and submit them to PR sites (PRWeb.com)

30 - Join social bookmarking sites and bookmark your URLs (Digg.com, StumbleUpon.com, etc)

31 - Send out cards or e-cards on holidays/anniveraries to customers to show them you care

32 - Send unhappy customers gift baskets

33 - Advertise in the services area of your local newspaper

34 - Write a guest article for your local newspaper

35 - Give away free samples of your service or product

36 - Hold a contest

37 - Simply ask people to bookmark your site

38 - Create an affiliate program. People like money

39 - Add your product to Froogle, eBay and Yahoo Shopping

40 - Write about a controversial topic and host it on your site. Without offending people, of course

41 - Get T-Shirts made (Cafepress.com). Pass them out to your friends and family

42 - Sub-Contract for related but non-competing businesses/individuals

43 - Give away free trials

44 - Write an online advice column

45 - Volunteer within your community

46 - Keep your website updated

47 - Join social websites such as LinkedIn.com, Ecademy.com and MySpace.com

48 - Attempt to make a personal, yet professional connection with potential customers

49 - Research your competition. Find out how you're better than they are. Flaunt the fact

50 - To get indexed in search engines faster and better, purchase an existing domain from an individual versus a new one. Make sure it's at least two years old with existing PR

51 - Raise awareness to an event or public concern

52 - Donate a percentage of your earnings to help schools. Display this on your website

Resources:

Wood, T. (2006). 52 (Almost) Free Website Advertising Ideas. Retrieved March 9, 2008, from http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/93052/52_almost_free_website_advertising.html?page=2