Everyday Marketing Ideas

10 Free Marketing Tips For Your Business

1. Write Articles for Others to Use in their Newsletters. Write articles in your area of expertise and distribute them to newsletter editors as “free content” for their e-mail newsletters or their websites. Request that in exchange, a link to your website and a simple, short description of what you offer be included. This is an extremely effective viral marketing approach and brand-building that can produce hundreds of back-links to your site.

2. Include Your URL on Everything: Stationery, Cards, Email and Literature. This is a no-brainer that is overlooked. See that your printer gets the URL syntax correct. In print, we recommend leaving off the http:// and including only the www domain com portion.

3. Give A Simple Service For Free. It’s boring and frankly, ineffective, to invite people, “Come to our site and learn about how our business got started.” It’s quite another to say “Use the free rate calculator available exclusively on our site.” Your free service must be closely related to what you are selling, so that you target the right customers. Give visitors multiple opportunities via links to purchase.

4. Exchange Ads with Complementary Businesses. Exchange e-mail newsletter ads with complementary businesses to reach new audiences. Be sure your partners are careful where they get their mailing list or you could be in trouble with the CAN-SPAM Act. Regular website banner ads get such a low click-through rate (0.2%) these days that we don’t recommend them.

5. Begin an Affiliate Program. As a retailer or e-commerce site, an affiliate program pays a commission to other sites whose links to the retailer result in an actual sale. The goal is to build a network of affiliates who have a financial stake in promoting your site. An affiliate program is a win-win for you and your affiliates because you get “no-risk” advertising (you do not pay commission until they earn a sale), and the affiliate has the opportunity to make extra money without having to procude, manufacture or store a product.

6. List Your Products. Use shopping comparison and auto bot sites for free. Shopping bots compare your products and prices to others. Google’s Froogle is free, so be sure to list your products there. Also use Google’s Shopping Cart, Yahoo! Shopping and AOLShopping.

7. Announce a Contest. People like getting something free. If you publicize a contest or drawing available on your site, you’ll generate more traffic than normal. Make sure your sweepstakes rules are legal in all states and countries you are targeting. Prizes should be designed to attract individuals who fit a demographic profile describing your best customers.

8. Guarantees Guarantee Sales. The best way to stand by your product or service, and gain trust, is to offer a guarantee. If you have a product or service that you don’t feel comfortable using a guarantee on, then you should think twice about selling that product or service. Virtual Assist USA offers a 100% money-back guarantee on any work that is not up to standards, and we are proud to say no one has ever used it.

9. Mind Your Manners and Thank Everyone Sending a thank you card to everyone of your prospects, even if you don’t do business with them, speaks volumes about your integrity and the way you do business. Sending a thank you note, simple and hand-written, tells people that you care about them and value you their time.

10. Give Your Business Card to Everyone. Leave your business card at every business that you visit during the day – even leave it with the check when you pay for your lunch. Simply ask for referrals, say “Who do you know that my service can help?”. Never say, “Do you know anyone?”, because that is a “yes” or “no” question. People will surprise you; they love being resources to their friends and family members, and if they can recommend you, they will!

Virtual Assist USA is the fastest growing multi-virtual assistant firm in the country. Busy business owners outsource tasks to us such as marketing, phone/email management, search engine optimization, public relations, bookkeeping and web design. The business owner receives a dedicated, knowledgeable and efficient team. We add value to companies by saving them up to 30% on the cost of an employee and by bringing our technical and creative expertise to their business. http://www.virtualassistusa.com