PART 2: Promote Your Business Inexpensivly

Scratch scratch the pens makes the paper speak...

Writing articles on topics related to your business expertise is an excellent business promotion technique.

Articles can provide free advertising and build positive word-of-mouth. If you're a realtor, for instance, you could write a piece on preparing your home to be shown. If you're a Web site designer, you might write a piece about assessing Web site usability. The more specific your topic, the better.

Write a short biographical note, or "blurb" about you and your business to go with the article. As the goal is to promote your business. Realistically, you may have to send it to a publication that accepts unsolicited work from unknown authors Magazines generally have a long lead time, so I would focus my first efforts on the 'Net.

There are an astronomical number of e-zines and sites with newsletters that are hungry for content. One place to look for e-zines to send articles to is The Internet's Best E-Zine Directories. E-zines also provide excellent advertising value; the trick is to find the right e-zine for your target audience.

Freelance writing sites also provide a great deal of information on all kinds of publications that might publish your efforts. Make your research easier by starting with a great site that provides all kinds of lists and information on markets such as About Freelance Writers, or FreelanceWriting.com.

Newspapers are also excellent places to place your business promotion article, as they too have a much shorter lead-time than magazines, and are always looking for material. Try contacting the Business editor of your local paper and pitching your article.

Then again you could always start a Blog to get your thoughts out to the world that way. The "important part" is to be consistent and get a new post out at least once a week if not more. Your blog is an important tool and there are lots of was to leverage the content.

One of the best ways is to use it at a knowledge archive. This way when people ask you questions in an e-mail or even in a networking situation you can say you will e-mail them back saying that you have written about it in your blog couple of month ago and here is the link. This is also a great excuse to ask for there business card and have a good reason to contact them the next day.

Remember to enjoy the writing and research for writing proses and soon it will become part of your weekly Fun-things-to-do-list.

Twisty Cool Things

This guy has a bent sense of hummer.

Check out his talk on this blog

Terry Border - Artist of Bent Objects

Everyday objects take on surprising and often hilarious roles in Terry Border's hard-to-describe project. For years now, this unassuming photographer-sculptor-bargain-bin-shopper has worked with snack foods, office supplies, toys, and other items to create evocative and bizarre scenes. Making something great out of "throwaway" objects is a recurring Gel theme, and Terry's work is a perfect match.

To really get it, just watch the presentation.

A New Way to Learn

Learning is about to change forever

Now this is way cool and has a lot of implications for many new ways to interact with data.

About this talk
MIT grad student David Merrill demos Siftables -- cookie-sized, computerized tiles you can stack and shuffle in your hands. These future-toys can do math, play music, and talk to their friends, too. Is this the next thing in hands-on learning?

About David Merrill
David Merrill works on Siftables, tiny computer blocks that interact with each other to make networks (and music).

Some Comedy to lighten your week

There is always room for more fun in your life.

This guy is funny...

...but it is more than just fun. It is a wonderful series of examples that illustrate how simple, clear language can make you stop and think. Watch till the end....

Now think about how you could improve your communication by saying less and working on your timing. Remember that marketing is a way of life... sort of.

PART 1: Promote Your Business Inexpensivly

I wonder if it's a cheque or a bill?

Business Promotion Starts With You

Business promotion is critical for your business to grow and prosper. You need to be doing it all the time, and you need to be as consistent as possible regarding your promotional projects.

Lets face it building contacts may not be a thrilling activity in itself, but you just have to do it. You should spend at least an hour a day on business promotion or planning how to promote your business.

You promote your business by getting the word out. Don't think that, because you are meeting a bunch of people each week that this alone will build your business. You have to be proactive and work at reconnecting with people and reestablishing conversations as often as possible.


1) Use every outgoing piece of paper, and every electronic document for business and branding promotion.

You have business cards, but you also put out a lot of other documents in the course of doing business. Check these to make sure you're using their promotional possibilities to full advantage.

For instance, business stationery is an ideal business promotion tool. Is your business name, logo, contact information, and slogan on your envelopes as well as on your letterhead? Or are your envelopes only printed with your business name and return address? What a waste! Your phone and fax numbers, your URL, and even a memorable slogan should be there, too. It's not just an envelope, it's a business promotion tool. You're sending it out anyway, so why not make it work for you? If having an expensive color envelope printed does not work for you, have a variety of stickers printed up with different core messages on them and stick them on the envelope yourself. This can be expanded to special offers your company may have as well.

The same goes for outgoing faxes, bill payments, receipts; whatever paper you send out should carry your full company message. And don't forget to make sure that your email has a complete signature that provides all your business information and a promotional tag-line.

Electronic documents, such as email, are also easy to update with your latest business promotion information, whether it be a special price on your product or service, or letting people know that your company has won an award.

Articles and press releases are also excellent business promotion tools. In my next post you will learn what types of articles and press releases you should write and tips on where to send them to promote your business effectively.