Are you struggling to find ways to promote your business?

or maybe your budget is tight and you can’t afford to spend any more money marketing but you still need to get the word out about your service or product.

There is hope!

Below are seven totally free ways to promote your business… all of which you can do starting right now!

1. Fun with Blogs
Blogs are easy to set up, cost next to nothing (you just need an Internet connection) and let’s you write anything you want: product features and benefits, events, customer reviews.

Place a blog on an existing sale site, and you can improve your web ranking (because of the keyword-rich content) and encourage customers to regularly visit the site for updates.

They can also help you connect to your market (especially if you have a popular columnist) and answer questions posted by users. Get started easily at: http://www.Blogger.com
 
2. Announce It On Craigslist!
Craigslist is a centralized database for a particular city that has announcements on the local sales, job openings, property rentals, and even concert schedules. It is one of the most successful forms of free classifieds, getting 5 billion hits each month, 10 million registered members, and averaging a web ranking of 34.  It has also won several web awards.
 
Event postings are free, though you may have to pay $25 for job openings on the New York and Los Angeles pages (the a section called “Gigs” lets you post low-cost and unpaid jobs and internships for free). Post it now at: http://www.Craigslist.org
 
3. Web Directories
Unlike search engines, which usually group web sites according to keywords, web directories create their own categories and subcategories (like “Women’s Health” or “Insurance”).  Each category carries links; hopefully your website will be one of them.

One advantage of the web directory is that it serves niche market segments, so you will probably get the kind of customers or readers that matter to you. You can also attract readers who may never have thought of doing a web search on you.

For example, if you are promoting specialty diving tours in a little-known island in the Asia Pacific, posting it in a category called “unique honeymoon destinations” can pique the interest of couples who otherwise would’ve just went to Hawaii.

Many people feel that being included in web directories are more credible than ad banners, since the links pass through an “Editorial Board” that chooses the most interesting sites. You can submit your site for approval, or bid or pay to be included in the list. Go to: http://www.dmoz.org

4. Share the Love with Joint Ventures
By partnering with a company that shares your market and is aligned with your brand image, you “ride on” each other’s promotional efforts.  This is called a “joint venture” and can include co-visibility on each other’s sites, dividing the cost of an event, or forming a PR tie-up (i.e., a cereal company sponsors a free breakfast program for kids, providing food in exchange for the right to use the photos in a PR blitz).

The important thing to remember about joint ventures is that all agreements must be properly documented, including how to divide the cost, the commitments of the two companies to each other (i.e., marketing visibility, or division of costs).

Discover 7 Joint Venture ideas you might not have ever thought about:
http://www.terrydean.org/7-jvs-you-might-not-have-thought-about

5. Online Articles are Key
When people log on go to the Internet, they don’t think, “Oh, I want to look at an ad now.” They want valid content, and online articles provide that. Use it to improve your web ranking and draw readers to your site. How?

First, use key words so the search engine spider gives you a good ranking, but don’t do “keyword spamming”. This is when you do little more than flood text with key words so the sentences are nothing more than gibberish. They’ll quickly go to another website and never return again. Make sure that you give enough valid information to keep them reading once they’ve found you.
Submit articles for the best exposure at: http://www.isnare.com
 
6. Spread Word of Mouth
A good product will publicize itself. That’s because happy customers will rave about it to friends, and their objective opinion (after all, what do they have to gain for recommending it?) will work better than any celebrity endorsement.

On the web, word of mouth happens on forums, blogs and e-groups where people give their informal consumer reviews. You can initiate it by “seeding” the product to opinion makers, or people who have considerable influence over a target market, or at least belong to it. Giving away free samples is still cheaper than paying ads!

Another strategy is to infiltrate forums. Enlist writers or marketers to infiltrate discussion groups to gush about your product, promote your event, or praise your customer service. One of the most popular discussion groups online is: http://groups.yahoo.com/
 
7. Say it Loud with Press Releases
Press releases build credibility better than advertising. People want to read them, and they believe the information because the release has passed the scrutiny of the magazine, newspaper or web editor.

You can submit press releases to just about any publication, but the editor is free to reject it or may even ignore it together. To get their attention, make sure that the article is coherent and grammatically correct; concise, and most importantly, suits the readership and tone of the publication.

Don’t send mass, generic releases—tailor fit it to each magazine, newspaper or website. You should also provide research, interviews, or quotes that are relevant and unique. Ask yourself: “is this newsworthy? Will his readers be interested?” If it is, the editor will publish it. My favorite site I find most effective for sending press releases is: http://www.prweb.com 

Nancy Hayssen is an Internet Marketer, Private Pilot and World Traveler. She helps people save time & money in business. Nancy runs a successful Internet Business connecting people to and from the California Wine Country.

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