Many writers, graphic designers and other freelance service providers often don't have a large budget for marketing. Low cost or no cost marketing techniques become key to building your reputation and your revenue tream!

Just a few simple techniques using technology that you probably already own, may make a big difference in your marketing results, according to Chris Brown, president of Marketing Resources & Results, a marketing consulting firm in Hudson, Ohio.

She recently shared these tips with freelancers, entrepreneurs and business owners during a seminar for companies from Cleveland and Akron Ohio.

Your Internet Website:

Just like every business has a phone number and business address,you should have a URL address for your customers to locate you on the internet.Your company's home page describes who you are to help set your image, branding & the category of business for your potential customer.

Use a web page to sell and cross sell your products and services. Trade hot links with other sites of non-competing companies reaching your target market.

Use your internet web site to help you to establish credibility. Post your press releases and articles that you've written on an 'In the News' page. Archive past articles. Quoted or mentioned in a magazine? Post the link on your Media Page.

Take the time to obtain testimonials and permission to post them on your site from your best customers. When you post them, use your customer's name and a link to their web site. This helps your potential customers to know how they can benefit as well. Comments from customers provide tangible word- of-mouth advertising.

'Contact Us' page will help your customers and potential customers find you. Be sure to include your email, phone, fax & regular mailing address. Put this on the bottom of every page.

Many people use www.google.com search engine or www.switchboard.com phone directory searches rather than looking up a name in the phone book. If you've advertised in the yellow pages in the past, you should consider advertising on the web sites your potential customers use often. Ask your customers which search engines or directory sites they use. Don't assume you know.

Need to conduct a market research survey quickly? You can do it inexpensively, and effectively using www.surveymonkey.com. For a small fee anyone can make a professional survey, gather the information and analyze the results.

Use your Intranet to post projects for your customers to review. Post proposals, special pricing, inventory levels, exclusive product photos -- anything you'd like to share with your customer. Set it up so each customer gets a log-in account number so that they only see what you want them to see.

Using Email:

Make sure you always use a descriptive subject line in order to get your email opened. Be aware of many of the words that spamming companies use and don't use those in your subject line or your message may be blocked. For example, the subject line of 'Hot New Product' will probably be blocked because of the word 'hot'. Avoid HTML and large, long emails.

If you use Outlook to send your mail, take time to program your name into the return address. Your clients and customers will feel more comfortable opening an email from someone they recognize. If you'll be out of the office, consider using an automated response so they don't wait for your reply.

Use the signature feature in your email. It's easy to include your name, company name, tagline, phone, email, and web site in every email. This is not only a good reminder of your services, it gives your customer choices on how to contact you, using the phone, fax or email.

Consider putting together a weekly Email newsletter or E-Zine. Make it monthly or quarterly if you feel you don't have enough information. Use a legitimate e-mailer to send it out for you, otherwise you'll either have problems with the spam blockers or never get around to doing it. Make sure your newsletter is filled with very short, helpful information. Be sure to have a link back to your website in every issue.

When your mailing list for the news-letter is sent up, be sure that you allow current customers, potential customers and the group of people that refer business to you to opt in. Don't spam.

Consider offering something in addition that they need to email you to find out more. This helps to create a two-way conversation.

A Personal Digital Assistant gives you some advantages. By using a Pocket PC or a Palm PDA your database list of customers and potential customers is always with you. Use 'Documents to Go' to carry Excel price lists or Word files with you. Take notes with each customer's record. Depending on the PDA, a built-in phone can make it easy to quickly place a call, without juggling.

Back up your Mailing List often, with every mailing. Do frequent back-ups by burning a CD or keeping it on a smart chip. Your list is one of your most valuable marketing tools.

Put your Press Kits on CD. Many information kits and press kits are now distributed on CD-Rom. This allows you to provide information electronically (photos as jpgs and press releases as word documents.) This lets the editors copy, cut and paste. CD's make for easy editing! You can also provide links to your web site, video clips and other information very neatly. Less expensive to make than cassettes, CD's also ship easily.

Software Speeds Marketing:

Making use of software is necessary for just about every facet of marketing. Using Excel and Word together for mail merging makes executing a small direct mail project much easier. Publisher can help you with simple fliers and brochures. FrontPage can help you maintain your web site by letting you post news releases and make changes without having to contact your web administrator. ACT database software is easy to use to for mailings as well as keeping track of customer contacts and appointments. Salesforce.com is also popular.

Use the Phone for your Marketing:

Your voice mail message should be cheerful and professional. It should identify your business as well as yourself. Maximize the “dead” time by recording an “On Hold message.” If you have an automated response, keep instructions VERY brief and state the action first, then the number. When you leave a message record your phone number SLOWLY and leave the extension.

Fax Machine and Cover Pages:

Your fax cover page should include tag line and a brief product or service description. A fax machine on your PC will reduce paper and increase productivity. Using www.jfax.com is cost effective.

Author: ChrisBrown began her career in marketing new products, first as a promotion managerwith Kraft and later as a brand manager on G.I.Joe, Transformers and Playskool.In the early 90’s she was recruited to Rubbermaid to direct the branding andmarketing communication efforts at Little Tikes, one of their largest divisions.
She can be reached at330-656-9793 or via email at CBrown@resources-results.com.