Advertising Tips

I spend no money on advertising. I have a link to this blog on my signature in my email and any forums where I'm allowed to do so. Don't be a spammer and just send out random ads, expecially to your family. They hate it! Just include a link with your signature, if they wanna click it, they will. Blogs are too easy. Mine is free! I'm not paying for something just so I can customize it a little more. I don't have time for that. I have joined forums that are for WAHMs and put my blog link there. I'm also active on the boards, I don't just go there for advertising. Don't be a bum, post answers to other people's questions and you ask some, too. Make sure and read the user agreement when you sign up, make sure you advertise where you are supposed to and follow all the rules.

Get some business cards. Click on my link for Vista Print You can get 250 free business cards and just pay shipping and handling. You can get postcards, magnets and all kinds of advertising stuff for free. Once you order something from them, you'll get coupons and deals for other free stuff all the time. I've ordered about 1000 cards from them and paid about 15 bucks. You just order 250 at a time, when you create your card on the site they'll save it for you and then you can just hit reorder to get more, still only paying s&h!

Another great thing about CafePress is that you can make unique items just for yourself and/or your business. You don't have to pay to start a basic store, seriously-zilch! You can put your logo on a ton of different items from shirts to bumper stickers and calendars. These are great marketing tools. Also, when you purchase items from your personal CafePress store(s) you get it at cost, no markup.

What I'm working on is scanning in my biz card from Vista Print and then putting it on note cards, tshirts, bumper stickers and tote bags. Let me know if you have any questions on that.

Also, leave your (free, so who cares) biz cards everywhere you go! Make some that don't have you phone number on them, if you want, just your link or email. Make some that are just for marketing (aka, blanketing your town) and some that have all your info on them for when you actually meet someone. You don't want weirdos calling at 2am.

Flyers are easy to make, too. Hang them on bulletin boards at day care or church or the library. You know, wherever people might go.

I do all kinds of work from home stuff, so it would be hard for me to advertise them all. So, I have this blog to keep everything in one place. On my cards I have my email and a link to my blog. I also make rosaries (offline), so I have cards for that and flyers that I hang at our chapel. Everyone's approach is different. I'm just throwing ideas out there that some people may not have thought of. Let me know if you have other creative ideas for advertising, I'm always looking for more.

Jeez, I'll shut up now!