There are several ways to advertise and get the word out about your business online and the best of them include free search engines, pay per click search engines, writing articles, utilizing press releases, doing joint ventures/ad co-ops, and posting to message boards and forums related to your target market.
But one advertising method that's neglected by most online marketers is off-line advertising.
There are several low/no cost ways to advertise off-line and I want to share 3 of them with you.
1) Business Cards
If you are serious about your business you must have business cards. They are cheap and are a great way to attract potential prospects or customers. Simply hand them out to people who you feel may be interested in your business.
Also, whenever I visit a restaurant, bar, or club, I'll leave my business cards in all of the bathroom stalls. (Just make sure nobody is in there of course... lol!)
And don't laugh at this! It really works. When I visit the bathroom an hour or two later, I'll find that all of my business cards are gone and I'll have a fresh new set of sales the very next day.
2) Flyers
With today's technology, flyers are very easy to make. You can simply design a flyer online and just print it out and make copies. Then you can post them in area businesses where you feel your potential customers may hang out. (Just make sure you ask permission from the business owner.)
Or simply hand out your flyers to people you meet on the street. Many bars and clubs don't have a problem with posting flyers in their establishments either, especially if you are a patron.
And don't forget about supermarkets! Many have bulletin boards, at least here in New Jersey where I live, and you can post your flyer there. There are hundreds of people walking into supermarkets everyday and they are in a buying mentality. Take advantage of it and post your flyers often.
3) Automobile Advertising
What... ? Yes you read that right! Your car is not only a driving vehicle but a great advertising vehicle as well. You can stick magnetic signs or plates on your car with your company name and/or domain name for all to see.
Your business can be exposed to hundreds, if not thousands of people every day whether your car is parked, you are driving, or even when you are stuck in traffic. It's fairly inexpensive and a great way to "drive" home your message.
10 Classic E-zine Advertising Tips
1. Target your advertising.
The more targeted the e-zine is for your offer, the greater your response will be for your proven ad.
2. Track your ads.
Don't leave your ad campaigns to guesswork. Use ad tracking to show you exactly which e-zines and ads are most profitable.
3. Run your ad for multiple issues.
You'll get a better response, and possibly save money as many publishers offer special deals on bulk advertising.
4. Spend lots of time writing your headline.
An effective headline will successfully grab your reader's attention and target your audience.
Your winning headline will also get people to read the rest of your ad, leading to more traffic and sales.
5. Don't try to sell your product from your ad.
Write your ads to create interest and get people to visit your site.
From here, your powerful sales page will do the selling for you, and you'll be able to get people to join your e-zine or mailing list for successful follow up.
6. Don't use all caps in your headline.
You'll appear like your yelling at your reader, and your ad will come off as amateurish.
7. Include a "call to action."
At the end of your e-zine ads, include a call to action that tells your reader what you want them to do next (i.e., visit your site or subscribe to your e-zine).
8. Don't be cute or funny with your ad.
You might put your reader in a good mood, but don't count on that translating into more visits to your site or more sales.
9. Offer something for free.
Provide an incentive for visiting your site such as a free eBook, sample chapter, or trial.
10. Subscribe to or view the archives of the
e-zines you would like to advertise in.
You'll be able to see the quality of the content provided, how many ads are published in each issue, and you'll get a good idea of the products those readers are interested in by the ads being run.
