I've previously mentioned one way to market your business in a downturn -- write blog posts and articles. Thanks to Inside CRM, here are another 101 ways to market your business on the cheap.
The article lists websites where you can get...
- cheap business cards
- discounts on print advertising
- budget promotional emails, newsletters and giveaways
- low cost online advertising options
- top notch but affordable design
- ... and more.
I can personally vouch for iStockPhoto (#67 on the list). If you can't find the perfect picture to spice up your article or blog post, there's a good chance iStock will satisfy. It's been a great resource not only for $1 stock photos, but also for cheap vector illustrations to use in Web and logo designs.
AllFreelance.com (#101) is a decent marketplace of/for freelancers, but I prefer Elance. It seems to have a larger, more global pool of freelancers. The Elance process of choosing, hiring, and working with a contractor is super easy. If you wanted to, you can have a dozen providers from a half dozen countries bidding on your data entry, design, marketing, or technical projects within 15 minutes. I have been happy with the process and finished work for every one of the dozen or so projects I've contracted out to Elancers. (Here are my picks for the top 10 freelance marketplaces.)
Be sure to leave a comment if you have other low cost marketing tips to share! You can also email me at onlinebusiness.guide@about.com with questions, feedback, or whatever else is on your mind!