Advertising is an essential part of your overall marketing. Without reaching out to new customers you are limiting your potential market. The best marketing is creative and innovative - something that will make your customers remember your name and, thus, think of you again when they require your products or services. Also, as you might expect, advertising is expensive. You have to be absoultely sure that you will get a return on your investment (ROI) from the advertising you are paying for, or at least that some objectives are being met.

1. Newspaper Advertising

One of the most inexpensive forms of advertising is an ad in the local paper. With even a small advertisement, you can reach a large number of people. If the paper caters to a particular geographic region you can further target your advertising just to that region. The larger the ad, the more expensive it becomes. Most people respond to a small colurful ad rather than a full-page black and white ad.

2. Mailbox Stuffing

By investing in newspaper advertising or television advertising one must assume that the advertisement only reaches a segment of the total population. After all, not everyone watches television or reads the paper. To get the largest slice of the pie that you can, go directly to your population and fill their mailboxes with your advertisements or offers.

3. Offer Brochures

A brochure can explain much more about your company, products or services than a single newspaper ad. If your customers need detailed information in order to choose your business over your competition, consider using a brochure. It's good to have brochures handy at trade shows or stocked at the reception desk of your business.

4. Yellow Pages

Still one of the oldest ways of finding businesses is the yellow page directory. Every person with a telephone has a copy of their local phone book with business Yellow Pages. Directories are one of the most widely used forms of advertising. The telephone company advertising staff will give you help in designing an ad that will present your business in an effective manner. Be aware that directories are published at various times of the year. Call the phone company to determine the publication deadlines. A home-based business may wish to omit the address from the ad. Phone calls can be screened and clients can be scheduled so the neighborhood is not disrupted by an increased flow of traffic.

5. Business Cards

Another inexpensive way to communicate with your customers are business cards. Always keep a few handy to give out during shows, at meetings, and after a job well done. Think of it as a miniature billboard for your business. It needs to contain essential information such as the name of your business, your name, and essential contact information such as, at the very minimum, your address and phone number. Many people like to add a slogan or logo to their card as well.

6. Others

Pens, keychains, balloons, t-shirts, you name it. These are marketing materials that fall under this category. Usually inexpensive promotional gimmicks, most people find that useful items like pens are more effective than items with no purpose other than to carry your logo (ex. balloons).