Let’s face it. The world of having your own small business is tough. Expenses are large, and often, revenue and cash flow are not. So the entrepreneur in the small business world always has to find ways to be creative in how he or she markets and advertises, with the goal of finding new local customers and better ways to increase local sales. It is an added bonus for the business owner when publicity comes his way. Hopefully it will be positive in nature, and more than likely, it will be free. The key to making this work for you, the small business owner, is to develop ways to generate positive publicity about your small business, and therefore, increase your cash flow. There are several different ways this can be done, and with a little work and steadfastness on your part, you will find a way to turn local small business publicity into a profitable venture for you and your family.1. Become a Feature StoryOne of the easiest ways to generate a little bit of talk about and interest in your small business is to invite a local newspaper, magazine, or news channel to feature a story about you and your company. This should be of no cost to you other than some persistence in calls to get someone interested in your tale. These types of publications and local news shows are always looking to feature someone from the community who has a success story or some advice to offer to others, and if you can find just the right angle to catch and interest readers and viewers, then they will love to publish your story for free. On-air interviews, via television or radio, also work well as this gives local viewers and listeners the opportunity to see or hear with whom they would be working if they were to patronize your business. This type of publicity is free and advantageous to all parties involved, and can typically help your business locate new customers and hopefully spark new interest in the services that you have to offer.2. Become Active in Your CommunityIf you are not already, look for ways to get your voice heard within your town and neighboring communities. Any time you have a public forum in which to speak, you must do this. This is an absolutely free way to get your name, face, and name of your business out there and to get people talking, and you may even be compensated for your time by whomever it is holding the event. Local Chambers of Commerce are always hosting programs at which they love having small business owners attend and speak, as do Rotary Clubs, schools of many varieties, and possibly even churches and other places of worship. Speaking at these types of events is an easy and often quite profitable way for a small business to get some publicity, and in turn, free advertising.3. It’s the Small Things That CountHow many times have you been driving down the road these days and seen vehicles painted or emblemized with a company logo? We see that every day and often, those things really stick in our heads. What an easy and cheap way to advertise for your small business! This type of publicity draws people in, and is a great way to advertise your company logo, phone number, and even web address. Make everything you do a way to advertise for your small business. Wear company T-shirts, put your logo on your car and your laptop, but get that name out there and exposed to the public.4. Use the InternetThis sounds easy enough, but you would be surprised at the numbers of small businesses that are not taking advantage of the Internet and the multiple small business Internet marketing tools that are available to them. Many on-line forums will allow you to join the group and give you space for free introductions. This is a great chance to work your company name in and have it introduced to a brand new group of people.
You Tube is available for free video for your company, and networking in general is just so important. Once you establish some contacts, offer to have a link established on your website to others if they will return the same favor to you. This is a win-win situation for all who are involved.5. FreebiesBe willing to give a little of your time. Offer free estimates, customer referral plans, and other such incentives that will encourage more and more people to support you and your small business venture. Furthermore, make sure that you get yourself and your company listed in any free local directories that are available.The small business world is tough, but manageable, with the usage of these five simple tools that can help create a buzz about your business and provide publicity and free advertising. Of course, advertising is so important in the business world, and if you utilize these things along with your paid ads, your business is sure to profit and remain a hit for many years to come.