Here is the final list of ways of to advertise your business at low or no cost.
Cooperative advertising– This is another excellent cost-effective way to advertise your business. It can take on a number of forms. In cooperative advertising you and other non-competing businesses advertise the products or services of the other. You’ve probably witnessed this form of advertising. Many of the credit card companies and companies like Sears will insert ads for products and services with your monthly statement. If the big companies can do it why shouldn’t you?
Share advertising space– The price of advertising can be costly. One effective way to place your ad and not go bankrupt is to purchase, for example, a full page ad and then share the cost of that ad among several businesses. The publication won’t care, they’re selling the space and you can divide it anyway you want. A full page ad (or half if you don’t have enough interested businesses) can be divided in such a way to give everyone an ad roughly the size of a business card, perhaps a little more. Be creative, you’re limited only by the size of your imagination.
Sub-contracting for work. When you’re just starting out you may find it easier to get work by contacting larger firms and asking to sub-contract work. When I first started my writing service I was able to get work from a lady who had been in business for years typing documents for businesses. She had enough clients to actually rent a space office. Her problem was she wasn’t too computer literate when it came to things like creating charts and graphs. When I contacted her she had just gotten this large case study with tons of graphs and charts that she could not do. So she sub-contracted this work out to me (she did all the typing, while I created all the charts and graphs) and over the years I have done other work for her.
Joining a professional organization– Professional organizations offer many benefits including networking opportunities, and seminars and training. Invariably most will have a member directory and newsletter. These two tools can be your ticket to getting more business to business sales as well as referrals.
Unsold advertising space– Don’t be discouraged by the high costs of advertising. Publications want to sell advertising space at the rate specified on their rate card. However, if at publication time they have unused advertising space they will sell it to you at a fraction of the cost. All you have to do is ask. Have your ad ready when you make the call which should be done close to the ad deadline. You’ll be in a better position to bargain.
Overlooked markets– Don’t forget unlikely markets such as church bulletins. Also check rates at the colleges and universities school papers in your area and the weekly shopper or freebies.