Marketing is essential to any business, whether online or off. Countless books have been written on creative and clever ways to market, but which ones work and which ones leave your business stranded? In this post, I’ll examine some ways to market yourself, your business, your blog, or all of the above—with a twist: they are all FREE!

1. Tell people. Okay, okay. You’ve heard this one before—telling people about your business yourself is the easiest and freest way of generating business, but you shouldn’t just tell anyone and everyone. You need to hone in on your target prospects by analyzing your target market(s), and pick a profile that you can approach and start a conversation with easily (if your business is a blog, figure out what your readers want, and use that as your market profile). Once you’ve decided on a person type to target, find someone you know who fits that profile (i.e. someone who could benefit from what you offer). All that’s left is to tell them about you and your company!
2. Online promotion. Use forums, social networks, and Twitter to promote what you’re doing. The key to online successful marketing is offering value to a network in return for a long-term relationship with that network. If you offer a free downloadable ebook when they sign up for a newsletter, you’ll be able to cultivate the relationship over a longer period of time and in turn sell more to them.
3. Ask for referrals. One of the best things you can do for your business is ask your current clients who might benefit from your products or services that they know. If you plan ahead and prepare a letter asking for referrals, all you have to do is maintain your relationship with the client and simply send them the letter somewhere during your business transaction. Provide an easy way to get back to you, either by supplying a self-addressed & stamped envelope or by providing a form to fill out that you can pick up at their convenience.

These are just three dead-simple ways to promote your offering. You know your business best—which small business marketing methods will work for you? Try out these methods and others you know of, and add your ideas here!

Related posts:

1. Online Marketing for Your Small Business: Networking and Social Media
2. Social Media Influence: 3 Steps to Boost Your Social Media Productivity
3. Online Marketing for Your Small Business:
   Bridging the Gap from Offline Marketing
4. Where Does Social Media Fit In With Your Marketing?
5. How to Use Social Marketing for Your Business

Blogging, Marketing For Small Business, small business marketing, Social Media