by Paul Stanway

Created on: March 19, 2008

Since the Internet gained a widespread following, it has become considerably easier on the wallet of the small business owner to increase awareness of his or her small business. Viral marketing is now used in most industries and by both large and small companies when promoting their products and services. Contrary to a prevalent view that advertising can only be achieved if large amounts of money are thrown at it, in actual fact an effective advertising strategy can be designed by spending next to nothing. Here are a few tips on how to successfully promote your business cheaply and effectively.

1. Viral marketing: physical.

Viral marketing works on a grass roots level to increase awareness of the product. In the physical world this can involve as much as handing out business cards to businesses in the local area, to staging creative marketing gimmicks or appearing on local radio stations as a guest, to phoning people up who might be interested in the product, to leafleting or putting company details on the side of your building.

The efficacy of various physical viral marketing techniques depends upon the nature of the product. Always ensure that you have the potential customer in mind when designing a plan: you wouldn't want to stage an elaborate gimmick if your product is for a more serious audience, for example. Remember that being known may also contribute to notoriety as well as an increased customer base.

2. Viral marketing: virtual

Along with hundreds of other things, the Internet has proven extremely useful to small businesses looking to expand their profile and find new customers. One of the first steps to take in internet promotion is to set up a website. Website design is simple to do, and there are many software packages and templates available free of charge that will do this for you. In addition, there are also a number of free hosting solutions available online. Type "free web hosting" and "free web templates" into google for some examples.

Once you have your own website, you can direct potential customers to your website using viral marketing techniques. When you leave comments on blogs or in forums that are related to your business, for example, you could leave a link to your website underneath. Also, you could even set up your own blog which draws attention to your expertise and increases your reputation along with your awareness.

Type "free advertising" or "classifieds" into google and you will find a great variety of ways to promote your business cheaply. Do not spend money on internet advertising unless you know exactly the kind of exposure you will be likely to be getting. There are quite a few scams out there!

Overall, the only thing that is required for a successful advertising campaign is time, dedication and persistence. Always make sure that your advertising reflects the nature of the product; while it is common to see advertising as a way of lying to customers, in actual fact it is simply the promotion of what you do best. There are a number of ways to promote your small business online without spending a penny. Good luck!

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