Low-budget, high-impact marketing key to bootstrap
About.com's small business information guide Darrell Zahotsky has this advice for those seeking a bootsrtrap solution to getting your message out.
Think low-budget, high-impact marketing.
Zahotsky suggests:
• Hitching a ride on the marketing of another company can save your small business time and capital.
• For a low-budget high-impact marketing plan to work, find customers who are easy to identify and affordable to reach.
• Make Yourself News Worthy: A mention of your company in the right media can help deliver your marketing message in a low cost manner.
• Joint ventures are too powerful for small business to ignore. Forging an alliance with a group of small companies or a large corporation can give your marketing plan the ultimate "bang for the buck."
• The most cost-effective method of reaching new customers is by referrals from satisfied customers.
The crux of Zahotsky's advice when thinking about a marketing plan?
–A single expensive media blitz doesn't necessarily bring in customers
–Your message needs to reach the right people and be repeatable enough times to get the desired result (Zahotsky suggests seven is the magic number here)
–The best way to reach customers is through multiple marketing channels
Some really low budget marketing solutions that come to mind?
 Pin up business cards and flyers on local free bulletin boards.
 Have family, friends and even satisfied customers wear T-shirts or place bumper stickers on their car emblazoned with your logo and message. (These are more inexpensive than ever before to design and manufacture in small quantities from sources like CafePress.com)
 I even came up with the idea of donating T-shirts and other apparel with a cleverly designed logo to local thrift stores in my target area. Buyers become marketers.
 Blogger Darren Barefoot may have come across the most bizarre marketing plan imaginable in this category.
 Blogs themselves may be another great option for promoting the right small business.