Cost effective ways to promote/advertise your business on a shoestring budget

Where I have just recently started by business I have found cost effective ways to advertise my business.
The first thing I did was design and order my business cards through VistaPrint.com. I have printed up fliers(had copies made at Staples which is cost effective) with pull tabs and have posted them in high traffic areas that have bulletin boards.

I Twitter, Facebook, Gather, Hubpages, Blogger, Yahoo, Multiply, Tagged, Ning, where I post blogs with useful content and also blog about my business. All of these sites are FREE.

I took a walk downtown and passed out samples of my product which was accompanied with my business card.

I keep samples with me, you just never know who you are going to strike up a conversation.
I swap business cards with people that are already successful or have a business who are looking for other ways to increase their income.

I have started to build a page in Weebly.com still under construction, that has an opportunity video on the page and will soon have the most recent 30 second clip that was released by corporate that is eye catching and entertaining. I will be spending more time in there reorganizing. I do have a comment box (capture) where people can send me a message and request more information.

I am also working on a Youtube page.

I have been religiously making a presence on different sites especially Twitter and Facebook which has generated leads, as people come to me asking questions about my business.

I take time to study study study, watch watch watch, and learn learn learn from the rockstars of network marketing. I study infomercials to learn more about human nature and what drives them.
All of this on a shoestring budget!! I can laugh about this because my bank account is in the negative right now!!

The most important thing, is I sit and read a few pages out of "Think and Grow Rich" Napoleon Hill...so that I do not lose sight of the gold that I know is only 3 feet away.

I also utilize a site designed for reps which has a capture page and auto responder, that generates email to interested prospects. I pay a nominal fee of 19.00 a month for this automated secretary.

I also use MySpace and have one account dedicated to my business with videos, a blog and links to my capture page.

I have also launched a community for other reps with my company to get to know one another and share what works and and what doesn't as we all want to see each other succeed.

I set up a table at the local farmers market and pass out samples and soon I will doing the same at the flea market. I have a giveaway where I capture peoples information voluntarily in return for a chance to win a basket with the product in it and a 15.00 first order gift card as well as a 5.00 cert to a local coffee shop.

Finally and most importantly, I use the product. How can I be passionate about something if I am not in love with it myself, word of mouth and a story shared is the best advertising of all and the cost FREE!

These are just a few ways I advertise for less than pennies on the dollar and most of them completely FREE.