Mega-Marketing on a Meager Budget

It’s a dilemma that most small businesses and startups face: You must market and advertise, but you’re strapped for cash. Fortunately, ideas, energy and imagination can make up for meager marketing budgets. Whether you’re an established company or a nascent business, the marketing formula is the same. You’ll need to start with:

1. The right message
2. To the right audience
3. At the right time

Here are a few tips from the trenches:

• In a world of spam and impersonal emails, try sending personal, hand-written notes.
• Find a related but non-competitive partner and join forces to share marketing efforts.
• Do “grassroots” marketing research by talking to your customers one-on-one.
• Join newsgroups and online discussion groups to position yourself as an expert.

Lou Bortone is a former television marketing executive and freelance writer. Check out his new collection of marketing and promotion “how-to” reports at http://www.BizBoosterSeries.com.