FIVE FREE WAYS TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS IN A DOWN ECONOMY...

With the recent downturn in the economy you may be wondering how to keep your business afloat; as a result, a marketing strategy may be the furthest thing from your mind. However, in a time when most companies are cutting back, you can remain on the forefront if you keep your business visible using advertising strategies that are smart and effective.

“Marketing is muscle, not fat; be careful about cutting it,” says Steve McKee, president of McKee Wallwork Cleveland Advertising. In his recent article, Five Don’ts for Marketing in Tough Times, he explains that recessions are often the best times to pick up market-share. While the downturn in the economy may provide opportunity for visibility, you should also be savvy when mapping out your marketing strategy—don’t skimp, but don’t blow your budget either. Be smart with your strategy. The Internet has opened up a number of ways to market your business that can increase your customer base and help you keep money in your pocket. With that said, we have a few recommendations of our own:

BIZNESSDOOR.COM’S TOP FREE PICKS FOR ADVERTISING IN A DOWN ECONOMY

Advertise in Free Online Directories
If you rely on local business, it can only become beneficial to educate yourself about local search. You can find a list of local search engines, directory sites, and yellow pages sites at LocalSearchGuide.org. Submit your site if not already included, and take advantage of free listings when offered. A few good places start include:
• business.com
• yellowpages.com
• superpages.com
• BiznessDoor.com

Create a Blog
According to New York Magazine, Blogging first made its way into the world in 1994.
While Blogging has been around for some time now, it’s a relatively new practice for a lot of individuals. In short, a Blog is a journal that is available on the web. The activity of updating a blog is "blogging" and someone who keeps a blog is a "blogger.”

Because technology has made it simple to create, maintain and publish a blog, it also takes discipline. You must write consistently and write content that contains something of substance for your intended audience—with a little time and patience, the rewards can be big. Several websites will offer to post your blog for free, helping you become recognized as an industry expert or just enabling you to share your ideas and opinions about particular businesses, business practices, laws, etc. We recommend the following articles and guides to help you get started with creating and publishing your own Blog.

• Guide to Marketing Your Business With a Blog
• Promote Your Business With a Company Blog

When you create your blog, be sure to post it to several business related websites, including BiznessDoor.com, to help spread the word about your business and your insight.

Join a Social Network
Because you're already utilizing sup.biz, you're already aware of the benefits of social networking. Social Networks are fast growing in popularity as a way to connect with people you may not otherwise have contact with and can be a great way to help build professional and business relationships. Social networking is generally a way that users build an online network of contacts and interact with those contacts, personal or business, in a secure environment. Aside from building business relationships, many social networks enable you to ask questions and get answers to questions and network with industry peers without the necessity of physically being present in a location. With the rapid changes in technology, adding Social Networks to your marketing strategy is not only wise; it’s free.

Create a Viral Marketing Campaign
So what is viral marketing anyway—in general, viral marketing is a strategy that encourages email recipients to pass along messages to others in order to generate added exposure; in short, it’s the online version of word-of-mouth. It’s powerful, it works, and in most cases, it’s free. To create buzz about your business, you’ll want to be sure to have more than one viral marketing channel. These channels can include:
• Blog(s)
• RSS Feeds to subscribe to your blog(s)
• Social Networks
• Email campaigns
• Tell a friend campaign(s)

Offer limited time Promotions and/or Discounts
Everyone loves a deal. Generate new customers and retain loyal customers by offering special limited time offers on a signature product or service. Promote those discounts online or push them through a simple email campaign to your existing customer base. BiznessDoor.com offers a free online template to promote special offers and discounts.
With a little time and patience, the economy will get better, and your marketing strategies will pay off.

Recommended Articles
• Online Social Networks Go to Work
• Make Social Networks Work for You: Advertising Age
• Can Paid Blog Reviews Pay-Off?


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