Marketing and advertising a home business takes a lot
of time, commitment and work. Those who say all you
need to do is put up a website and watch the cash come
in couldn't be further from the truth!

We need to do as many things and try as many ways as
we can to get our name out there and establish our
business and reputation, whether it be online, offline
or both! This takes imagination, and perseverance!
Below are affordable and fairly easy ways you can
begin to build your home business.

1. Word of Mouth - talk to as many people as you can
about your business. Bring it into the conversation at
every opportunity. By doing this, you could be starting
a domino effect. Some of the people you talk to
mention it to others and so on & so on. Your business
has to become a part of you and your daily life.

2. Business Cards - When you are talking to all these
people, be sure and give them a business card. Business
cards are very important and do not cost a fortune. A
good place to get business cards for only a small
shipping charge is http://tinyurl.com/6t7mw . Take
advantage of the backs of the business cards as well for
sales, specials, catchy messages - anything to help make
you and your business more memorable. Business cards
can be left almost anywhere and can also be sent in all
your mail correspondence.

3. Prizes - Contact your local radio stations, stores,
etc. that have contests. There are many places online
that have sweepstakes and contests as well. Offer your
products/services as prizes in these contests. This is
a great way of getting a lot of affordable exposure.

4. Use Testimonials - Take advantage of what others
say about you. Have one on your business card, flyers,
etc. Use them whenever you can. Most people will put
a lot of stock in what other customers say.

5. Customer Service - For a lot of businesses these days,
this seems to be a lost art. You need to go the extra
mile for your customers and make them feel special
and appreciated. This will do a lot for your business.
These customers will give glowing reports of you to
their friends and family.

6. Flyers - Design and print flyers right from your
computer. Post them on bulletin boards at grocery
stores, churches, malls, post offices, banks, etc.
Use brightly colored paper to get people's attention.
Make the message interesting enough so they want to
visit your site.

7. Article Writing & Submitting - This can be a very
powerful method of advertising as it not only brings
people to your site, it builds your reputation as someone
who knows what they are talking about an this will bring
trust. I believe just about anyone can sit down and write
information on things they know. You do not have to be
a writer nor a college graduate to write effective articles.

After you have written your first article, start submitting
it all over the net. There are article groups, article banks,
and publishers who accept article submissions.
http://www.workathomearticles.net/
http://www.creativehomemaking.com/submit_article.shtml
http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Content/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Reprint-Articles

For more information:
mailto:articletips@getresponse.com
mailto:articlelibrary@getresponse.com

8. Networking Groups and Boards - Networking is when
you come in contact with as many people you can to
learn, share, promote, and form relationships with
prospective customers and associates. Get to know
others, learn from them, let them learn from you and
get to know you. This is an excellent way of building
a strong foundation for your business. Networking can
also bring you a lot of referrals from your associates.
http://selfstartersweeklytips.com/forum/
http://www.bizymoms.com/discus/
http://www.williecrawford.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi
http://bltshw.proboards37.com/
http://www.javajane.com/forum/index.php

9. Online Mailing List - Make sure you capture your
visitors' emails and mailing addresses, if possible.
Start a mailing list or newsletter for your visitors.
Keep them up to date on your products, services,
specials, etc. You might also want to give them some
useful information in your newsletter. For more info
on starting a newsletter sign up for this free ecourse:
ezine-publishing-ecourse@getresponse.com

10. Moving Billboard - Turn your car into a moving
billboard. Put a magnetic sign or decal on your car
so you can advertise your business wherever you go.
Be sure and have catalogs/business cards handy for
anyone who is interested.

11. Link Exchanges - Link exchanges can bring you a
lot of traffic and they can improve your search engine
ratings. For those of you who are not familiar with link
exchanges - this is when you and add a link to another
site on your site and they would add a link to your site
on their site, linking them together.

Choose sites that are complimentary to yours,
example: if you have a site that sells pet supplies, link
to sites that give info on how to care for pets, or where
to get pets, etc. Email the webmaster and invite them
to have a look at your site.

I hope some of these ideas help you get started with
an effective advertising campaign. They have helped me
tremendously!

Article Source: http://www.ladypens.com - Articles by Women

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Find lots more tips, articles, and resources for your home, family & business at www.SeymourProducts.com Terri and her husband Terry also offer a low-cost, wholesale distributorship with unlimited support, and a complete line of one dollar ebooks and software with full resell rights. www.seymourproducts.com/ebooks-resell
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