Grab some popcorn and watch Andrew's weekly WebTV show:
Visit: www.HelpMyBusiness.com
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
1
7
Killer Methods
for Marketing
Without Money
STRAPPED FOR CASH? DON’T WORRY!
Many business owners complain that they can't get ahead because
they don't have a large advertising budget. Well, you may be
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
surprised to know that marketing without money can produce
BETTER results than throwing money around in „random acts of
marketing‟. With that in mind, the following strategies can be very
effective, despite not costing anything but your time.
2
Post Comments on
1
Other Blogs that
Relate to Your
Industry.
This is a powerful strategy for getting potential customers to visit your website. Here‟s how
it works. When you submit your comment on a blog (which is just a variation of a website
that allows interaction), you‟ll be invited to include your website URL. When someone
reads your comment, if they click on your name, it‟ll take them over to YOUR website.
Pretty cool, huh?
As an example, suppose that you‟re in the business of
selling collectible posters. First, search Google for the
phrase “collectible posters blog” to find blogs in the same
niche. You can also go to blog directories such as
www.Technorati.com, www.AllTop.com, and
www.BlogCatalog.com. Look for the most popular
blogs in your niche because they have more visitors to draw
from.
Next, add an intelligent, helpful comment in response to a
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
post (a post is simply a short article or commentary), and
remember of course to include your website URL. In the
future, when other readers of the blog see your comment, if they resonate with it, they‟ll
click through to YOUR website to see what you have to offer on the subject.
Although it might be tempting to write a short sentence in your comment, remember that
your comment is an opportunity to PROVE that you can provide value. That's why it's
important to write something intelligent that adds to the discussion. Your aim is for visitors
to the blog to read your comment and think to themselves, "this person seems interesting,
I'm gonna' check out their website to find out more."
3
Submit a Weekly
2
Press Release to
www.PRLog.com
PRLog.com is a free submission service that‟ll broadcast your press release all over the
Internet.
The most effective press releases are those that are either (a) controversial, (b) tie in
with topical news, or (c) arouse curiosity. The most common pitfall with press
releases is to write them like a sales letter. That type of press release will either be rejected
or not get noticed. Instead, make sure it reads like a NEWS story you would read in a
newspaper. Make it factual, and avoid hype.
There's a fine line between self-promotion and creating a sense of excitement, so you might
need to get feedback from trusted friends. Of course, you always want to include your
website URL and phone number in every press release.
What kind of topics can be covered in a press release? Well, a press release can be written
for a significant number of events. For instance, if you've just launched a new website you
could send out a press release explaining how the site is useful to your customers. If you
launch a new service, a press release can be an easy way to encourage the curious to come
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
and look. If you've added a new line to your existing offerings, a press release can alert your
customers and potential clients to the good news. If you‟ve won an industry award, a press
release can help to instill a greater degree of trust in your company.
As you can see, a press release doesn't need to relate to a dramatic event, but the writing
style should never be boring.
Format your release in easy to read, short paragraphs. Try to tell an interesting story, with
specific details. Everyone loves stories! And don't forget to tailor the writing style to your
audience. A press release written for lawyers should sound different to one that's for
plumbers, obviously.
4
You'll learn a lot by reading press releases from other businesses, especially from press
releases that obtain huge exposure. Examine what they did to create the buzz.
Your headline and opening paragraph should aim to grab the reader‟s attention quickly.
Then, try and break down your message into the common questions like:
Who, Where, Why,
What, When & How. Other Ideas for
Press Releases:
Before releasing your release, get it proofread by Revolutionary new product
someone you trust. You'll be surprised at what they launch on your website
pick up on, regardless of how good your writing skills
are! Online seminar or course
you‟re hosting
A strange or funny story how
your business started
Announce your major
sponsorship or contest
giveaway
Online survey results and
statistics presented in the
form of a press release
Announce the recruitment of
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
your new CEO
A major joint venture with
another company
A new book being released
on your website
A fundraising event on your
website
5
Propose a Joint
3
Venture Partnership
with other Companies
in your Niche...
...and split the profits of each sale with them. It‟s easy to find suitable candidates – simply
do a Google search using keywords that relate to your industry, and then look at the ads on
the right hand side of the page.
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
These paid ads prove that a company is willing to spend money promoting their product or
service, so it‟ll be easy to persuade them to try a method of making money that doesn‟t
require them to spend more money! Ideally call them on the phone with your proposal
(suggest that they offer your product to their customers, in return for a substantial share of
the profits).
Be friendly, and emphasize the merits of your product or service.
It may take you awhile to get through to the decision maker. Be patient and persistent,
without being a pain.
6
Here's an example of how you might format a letter to a potential joint venture partner in a
local market:
Dear X ,
I have a rather unusual proposition for you.
My name is {Your Name} and I’m a {your occupation} right here in {your city} since {date you
opened}. During this time I’ve been lucky enough to serve {#} {customers/families}.
Recently I was thinking of a way to market my {business/practice} in a cost-effective manner. I
realized I could do something that would be an excellent opportunity for you to gain enormous
goodwill from your {clients/customers} while we both benefit.
I am in the position to let you give away a very valuable service from me which will greatly
endear your clients to you - without costing you a dime.
Let me explain.
I would like to send a letter coming from you giving your clients a coupon for a free {product/
consultation/service} with me. During this time I'll {explain benefits of free gift} This service
normally costs {$xxxx}.
It would be perceived as a great thank you gift from you!
And it will not cost you anything or take any of your time. In fact, I will pay 100% of the costs
involved (postage and printing etc). Plus, I’ll write the entire letter for you and you can have
complete editorial control of it.
Please remember, this will in no way take away or be competitive with your services. I just
figured it would make an excellent gift you can give away to your clients for their business and a
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
way for me to get more people into my {business/practice}. There are no strings attached and
your clients have no obligation to ever use my {product/services} again.
If this sounds like a good idea (and it really is), I’d be happy to give you a free
{product/consultation/service} so you can see for yourself how great this {product/service}
really is.
Please call me at {xxx-xxx-xxxx} and I'll explain everything in full detail.
Sincerely,
{Your Name}
7
Post Classified Ads
4
on the Many Online
Classified Ad
Websites.
A frequently overlooked method of getting traffic to your website is posting free classified
ads online. Classified ad postings will attract people to your site AND provide you with
many „backlinks‟ from these websites to yours, which will help to raise the profile of your
website on the natural search engine rankings.
This is an ideal task to outsource because it‟s repetitive (and boring) work that anyone can
learn, but don‟t underestimate the value to your business.
So how does it work? Well, think of a classified ad in a newspaper. It‟s almost identical
online, except there‟s another benefit in that you‟re generating hundreds of quality
back links to your website when you put your URL in the ad.
Step 1: Register for your free account at each of the websites. It‟s useful to use the same
login information for each one to make it easier to remember in the future, but it won‟t be
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
possible for all sites so keep a record of all the sites and logins in an excel spreadsheet (or
just use a notepad and pen but keep it in a safe place).
Step 2: Prepare the ad. It should be brief and to the point. It should have an irresistible
offer, a compelling reason for the reader to respond, with clear instructions on what they
should do next if they‟re interested. Try and make it sounds as natural as possible –read
other ads to get an idea of how other people write their ads. Save the ad to a text file
8
(wordpad or notepad) so you can easily copy and paste it multiple times as you visit the
various sites.
Step 3: Login to the site and paste the copy from the text file when prompted to enter your
ad. If you want to remember the logins for each site automatically, use RoboForm (see
www.roboform.com), an inexpensive piece of software that manages all the logins.
There are some details to be aware of when posting ads...
Firstly, on some sites such as Craigslist there are
numerous geographic regions to choose from. In other Sites that allow classified
words, you can‟t post one ad that covers the entire ads for free include:
country, it doesn‟t work like that. You MUST select a www.Craigslist.org
region in order to place the ad, so always choose the
www.Kijiji.com
areas with the largest population first – that way
you can reach the maximum number of people. In the www.Loot.com
USA that would be New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, www.Backpage.com
San Francisco, Miami, Boston, Washington DC etc.
www.Gumtree.com
Be aware that under normal circumstances you‟re not
www.Oodle.com
allowed to post ads in more than one geographic area.
The way to overcome this is to use a different email www.Local.com
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
address for each posting (register multiple free Gmail www.Usfreeads.com
accounts). Also, vary the ad descriptions each time
(change the order of the words or sentence structure).
Try to select an appropriate category when given the
option. Sometimes ads will be removed if they‟re not seen as a good fit for the category
they‟re in. Finally, post ads consistently. Schedule this task every week.
Make your message brief, to the point, with a compelling reason for the prospect to
respond. Ideally, offer something of value, such as a free report, audio CD, DVD etc.
9
Start a Blog that
5
Helps and Educates
People rather than
trying to Sell.
You can setup a free blog using services
such as www.SquareSpace.com or
Popular Blog
www.Weebly.com. Alternatively, you
Directories:
can use a free web hosting service such as
http://blogs.botw.org www.Doteasy.com, and install
http://www.blogcatalog.com WordPress, a blogging platform which is
also free.
http://www.bloggeries.com
The most important key to success with a
http://portal.eatonweb.com
blog is to provide value to readers, rather
http://www.ontoplist.com than trying to persuade them to buy. Offer
value first, build a relationship with them
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
http://www.blogged.com
so that they get to know, like, and trust
http://www.globeofblogs.com
you, and you‟ll soon find that people will
http://www.bloguniverse.com naturally ask what they can buy from you.
Oncehttp://www.blogsearchengine.com
your blog has at least 20 posts on it, submit the URL to popular blog directories to let
them know you exist. These include:
http://www.bloggapedia.com
This method of marketing takes time, but it‟s a solid approach to building a long-term
business.
10
Offer to help other
6
influential business
owners in your niche.
Not only will you develop valuable relationships with people who are already successful, but
there‟s a hidden „marketing‟ benefit that will occur. When you help someone else, you
trigger a psychological rule called „reciprocity‟. In essence, this means that when you do
something good for someone, they cannot help but want to do something for you in return.
It works every time. You‟ll feel good about helping them, and they‟ll feel great about
helping you in return.
How, specifically can you help others? Well, what skills do you have that
could be of benefit to others? If you're an expert at WordPress, you
could suggest some helpful plugins that would enhance the person‟s
blog. If you're an expert writer, you could offer to write some articles
to help promote their business. Use your imagination and get creative.
Everyone has skills and abilities that are useful, don't take that for granted!
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
I know a number of people who have used this free marketing method effectively. As a
result of them offering assistance to others they've become good friends with very influential
business owners who have reciprocated far beyond the value of the initial help given. Again,
your only commitment is time, a willingness to use your skills to help someone who might
help you in the future.
11
Create a Facebook
7
Profile, LinkedIn
Profile, and Twitter
Acount.
These are the best social networking sites for business owners to have a presence on. Simply
listing your website URL within your profile for each of these sites will give you high quality
back links to your site. In addition, add your photo, a description about what your business
does for others, and some personal information that makes you seem more human and
likeable!
Also, you should use these networks to network! They're great tools for making useful,
profitable connections.
Never try and directly sell through these channels because you'll be viewed like the MLM
"guest" at a party who becomes a pest because they won't stop pitching their product! Be
human, engage and interact with others who share similar interests, and always aim to
provide value to others FIRST. Do that, and they'll most likely want to reciprocate without
you even asking.
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
Be careful with Twitter, it can suck your time like a vampire. Use it sparingly and to
provide value to others, for example to share web tools and resources that you think others
might find helpful or useful. Never pitch. The more value you provide others, the more
they'll want to listen to you, and help you in return.
12
3 BONUS STRATEGIES:
Create a Video and
Distribute it Using
8
TubeMogul.com
Video online is hot, hot, hot, ESPECIALLY when the
video contains useful, practical content. The world's most
popular video website is of course YouTube.com, but there
are many others that will accept your video without charge, that's
where TubeMogul comes in. TubeMogul.com is a free service that will distribute your
video to more than a dozen video websites that get lots of
traffic.
Creating your video is also easier than most people realize.
At the simplest level all you need is a webcam attached to
your computer via a USB connection. Most webcams come
with free recording software that enables you to record
directly without any other equipment. Alternatively some sites like YouTube allow you to
record directly into their site. Just create an account and look for the 'record video' option,
it's really easy to do. If you have a Flip camera or a Kodak Zi8, that's even better than a
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
webcam. The Kodak is especially good because it has an input for an external microphone.
Remember to primarily provide value in your video. No one wants to watch a pitch,
obviously. Think about how you can HELP rather than SELL. If your information is good
quality, people will naturally want to seek you out for further help. Also, it's important to
include your URL at the start and end of the video. For example at the start you could say
something like, "Hi I'm Bob Jones from www.CopywritingAcademy.com and I want to
share with you a quick tip for...." Get the idea?
13
9
Write a Short
Article Each Month.
An article contains about 500 words; it's a short summary of a specific topic. It's similar to
a press release, but your goal again is not to pitch your product or service, but to provide
value. Often articles are 'how to' in nature. If you don't consider yourself much of a writer,
don't worry. It's easier than you think.
Start with the theme "7 Quick Tips for..." and fill in some aspect of your industry or niche.
For example, a printer might offer an article on the topic, "7 Quick Tips for Making
Your Artwork Look Great Every Time", or "7 Quick Tips to Find a Reliable
Printing Service." Can you see how those articles would be helpful for the target
demographic?
Make sure you include lots of keywords about your niche within each article. Don't
artificially 'stuff' keywords into the content, but read through to make sure that there are
useful words that search engines can pick up on to index your article so that the widest
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
possible audience will see it. For example, if you're a chauffeur
service, you'd want to include words like chauffeur, limo, car
service etc.
When each article is ready, distribute it for free using
eZineArticles.com, the most popular directory for articles
online.
14
Become an
10 Attention seeker!
Sir Richard Branson of the Virgin brand is a great
example of someone who's done exactly that.
When Virgin Brides launched, he dressed up as a
bride in a white wedding dress and garnered huge
media publicity. He's a master at being an
attention seeker. Don't be afraid to go out on a
limb and adopt a controversial position within your
industry - as long as it's something you genuinely believe! Those who shout loudest get
heard, so controversy is a really useful tool to do just that.
If you're stuck for ideas, look at what your competitors are doing to promote their business.
Look for commonalities, and then try to go in an opposite direction. Most people conform
to 'industry norms' so you'll definitely stand out from the crowd by bucking that traditional
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
approach. Can you find a common enemy to unite people against? For example, a small
independent car dealer might throw rocks (figuratively) at the large national dealer
conglomerates, persuading customers about all the benefits of using a small, agile dealer.
15
Final
Note:
Marketing without money is not a problem, it's actually a benefit! That might sound odd
but many successful companies today started out with little or no money to spend on
promoting their business. Having money to throw at the problem tends to lead to lots of
money being wasted. Being creative with marketing on the other hand requires more
thought and discernment. I encourage you to try all of these strategies in your business.
All you need is a willingness to go out of your comfort zone, your time, and a strong desire
to succeed. Go get 'em!
If you enjoyed this report, by all means share it with others.
Regards,
Andrew
7 Killer Methods for Marketing Without Money
P.S. Don't forget to watch the weekly episodes of the #1 show for
entrepreneurs and small business online: "Help! My Business Sucks!" at
www.HelpMyBusiness.com
P.P.S. Join the community at www.NiftyClicks.com to discover hundreds of
little known web tools and resources explained via video.
16
