Cheap Marketing: 6 Ways to Attract Customers

Coupons and discounts are a simple way to get people's attention. Limited-time offers can get people to buy or sign up without you having to be a pushy salesperson. You can even create your own coupons with coupon free makers. There are also coupon sorftware making programs that you can download that give you multiple creative design options. Prospects can easily download them from your online site or print them out and give them to clients at your place of business, events, neighborhood mailers, etc.

To make it easier, let annual holidays, local activities or seasonal events be the focus of your discounted offers. At first, you may not know what type of offer your market will respond best to, so you can test a few offers. For example, a free trial, a 2-for-1 offer, a percentage discount, etc. Your coupon should have a expiration date, the location and contact information of your business, business name and just a little information about the products or services you offer. If you have a website, include that location too.

Social Events

You have lots of options when it comes to hosting events. Understanding your customer and what they want will help you decide which type of event to plan. Open house events and after-hour sales are ways you can have events "on location". You can also be part of community events, festivals, farmers markets, music events or charity functions. Rather than pay to be a vendor, you can sometimes volunteer your time and help put on the event in exchange for some free publicity.

Contests or Giveaways

Contests and giveaways are a great way to spark interest, curiosity and excitement in your products or services. Use a prize that many people will want, and note that the larger the prize is, the more people will take notice. If you make your contest crazy and interesting, you are likely to get free media coverage as well.

With a raffle event, you get names in exchange for raffle entries. Start a "preferred customer list" where you send out monthly newsletters or invitations for upcoming sales. Make sure you get permission from prospects to contact them again, and you can have a long list of prospects that you can use not only during this event, but for years to come.

Workshops

An office, store, local library, community center or city park can work as a location for holding a workshop. These events can cost nothing to organize and host, and they can be a comfortable way to meet potential clients face-to-face in a low-key environment. You do not have to worry about being a salesperson, because you are simply presenting information on a topic rather than directly selling products or services.

When people see that you are knowledgeable in a particular field, they are more likely to come to you when they need a product or service that you sell. There are always organizations who are searching for speakers to present at meetings or provide useful and interesting topics to their members. These associations can many times deliver a number of qualified prospects directly to you - and you don't have to go out looking for these people.

Cross Promotions

Partner with a business similar to yours but not in direct competition with you. Advertise each other's products or services to your clients, and it can be a win-win for both parties (for example a florist and an event planner, or a hair stylist and a massage business). In addition to being a source of free advertising, this is a quick way to directly reach your target market.

Press Releases

Writing a press release may seem overwhelming, but with a little research, many people can write a basic press release themselves. In this way, the cost of hiring a PR consultant can be avoided. You can find example press releases and instructions on proper press release formatting on the web by doing a simple search. Focus on presenting interesting and exciting news that people will want to read (news about your business, but also how it may affect the readers). The more interesting it is, the more likely it will be to get published.