WOMEN MEAN BUSINESS - Blog

No cost ways to market your business - TWITTER

Open a Twitter account for free publicity. You've probably been aware of all the fuss about Twitter. I feel more "at home" on Facebook but again, as Twitter is free and high visibility you could be missing out by not joining in. Open an account and do follow me at "Shona Partridge". And you can link your blog and Facebook accounts to post automatically to Twitter!

No cost marketing - ON-LINE GROUPS

Commenting on relevant chat rooms and online groups can boost your business credibility and visibility at no cost to you.

It really pays to research the groups online who would be your ideal audience. The world is chatting online today so why not be a part of it? Find busy blogs and groups and start posting relevant comments.

No cost marketing - TESTIMONIALS

If you haven't been asking your clients for testimonials, get started now!

There's no cost to you, but huge value. What your clients say about you has far more power and credibility than what you say about yourself.

Read more about testimonials here.

No cost ways to market your business - FACEBOOK

Open a Facebook account

I'm a big fan of Facebook and it's totally free to join. Start with a personal account to find your way around and grow your contacts. If you want to use it for business keep the very personal stuff for direct, private messages.

Then, once you've got used to being on Facebook, set up a  fanpage for your business. I set up a business “fanpage” for Women Mean Business at the end of last year. I was amazed how quickly I was able to grow my "fan base." Now I wish I'd done this sooner! Again, this is totally free!

PS - my blog posts go directly to my Facebook account, so if you're reading this there - do check out the Women Mean Business fan page!

No cost marketing - WRITING ARTICLES

Get into the habit of writing articles on your special topic for print publications and for online sources. Any time you write something for your own newsletter or blog, consider turning it into an article for targeted on-line article banks and blogs.

Re-purpose everything you write from now on. Cost to you - zero, and of course you could get paid in some cases.

Lear more about writing for business

No cost ways to market your business - SPECIALISE!

Be a specialist rather than a generalist

I know I do go on about finding your niche and specialism but it can make a huge difference to your marketing. Most people would prefer to work with an expert or specialist, rather than a generalist and it makes marketing your business much easier as you’re able to target your ideal audience. This year, make a decision to specialise and simplify your marketing.

Read more about finding your niche.

No cost ways to market your business - SPEAKING

Public speaking is one of the most effective ways you can build your visibility as an expert in your field. Many groups are looking for speakers and you may get a fee or your expenses paid too. Even if you don’t get paid, think of it as great free publicity for you and your business.

As the speaker at the front of the room you're going to be much more memorable than just one of a dozen business cards people pick up.

Read this earlier post on dealing with speaker's nerves

No cost ways to market your business - networking

There are still some free networking events out there if you look hard enough. Check out your local Business Link and other publicly funded organisations to see what's on offer. It’s also possible to visit many networking groups once or twice before they expect you to join. You will have to pay for the visit but not an expensive annual membership.

See an earlier blog post for more networking tips

Set aside scheduled time to market your business

I don't usually work on weekends, but today I'm having lots of ideas for blog posts. So I've decided to make the most of it and get all my ideas written down and stockpiled for future use! I'm a great believer in blocking your time so that you can work on related tasks in pre-assigned chunks of time.

For instance, my days for working with clients and running classes are Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. On Wednesdays I also set aside a couple of hours for concentrated writing projects. Fridays are my business building days where I work on new ideas and marketing plans for Women Mean Business.  I also devote time each week to my own continuing business development by learning new things and working with my own mentors.

Make sure you set aside ring-fenced time to work on your marketing. If you wait till the mood strikes you or you have "enough time" it may get pushed onto the back burner. Why not take out your 2010 diary and schedule a set time every week to work on marketing your business?

No cost ways to market your business - blogging

Times are still challenging for small businesses, but with this new series of suggestions, there's no reason to stop marketing. Even if you have no money in your marketing budget there are lots of things you could be doing for no cost that can keep your business profile and your morale high! I've included the "upgrade" version too for those of you with some budget availability.

Blogging

One of the most effective no-cost or low cost ways to market your business is with your own blog. There are free blogging platforms out there like Blogger and Wordpress. I use Typepad for all my blogging and even for my websites. Blogger is a good starting point but is not flexible enough for my requirements. Search engines love blogs so get blogging.

5 Great Reasons to Start a Blog:

1. Search engines love blogs
2. You’ll be creating valuable content on a regular basis
3. It’s the easiest and quickest way to create a website!
4. You’ll be seen as an expert in your field
5.  You can blog once and appear in several places

See my recent post on 5 Reasons to start a blog for your business  for more information.

(c) Shona Partridge www.womenmeanbusiness.co.uk