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[MaryG]

I was wondering what are some good strategies to get customers to your business?  Some businesses advertise in the phone book.  Others advertise on the radio or television, but are there any other ways to get your business name out there? 

[lilo]

The means mentioned by you are the most encountered, but in my opinion they are beginning to become redundant. Nowadays, the Internet does the whole job. Aggressive advertising using Internet means of promoting a product is far more efficient.

[Greg]

I agree, the Internet is the new way to promote your business, but you can't just have a web site.  By this I mean, people need to find the web site.  Some people find a web site through search engines, web links, or signiture advertising. Having a web site requires a lot of work to make sure people can find your web site and keep coming back.

[freeform]

It's much more about the business, the market, the product etc... than any individual marketing idea. The Internet can be a great way to get your business noticed but it's not going to be the best bet for every business.

To figure out what the best marketing method for your business is you need to answer a few questions:

1. What is my message? - i.e. what makes your business unique, what problem does it solve, why would people buy from you and not the competition - this could be price, quality, service, your expertise - once you've determined this you need to craft an offer that plays to those strengths

2. Who is my most likely market? - these are the people who could most benefit from the problem your business solves and who are most likely to respond to your offer

Once you've got those two questions answered choosing the right marketing methods is as simple as deciding the most cost-effective ways to get Your Message to That Market

For example, if I sell fish food, the types of fish food I sell might be identical to what other people sell so what's unique about me might be my expertise in finding the right type of food for your unique breed of fish. My most likely market might then be people who keep unique types of fish and the people most likely to respond would be those who I can speak with directly and who take a keen interest in all things fishy.

A website might be a good idea but perhaps more effective would be writing a column in Fish Fanciers Monthly - it allows me to demonstrate my expertise and only people who take a keen interest in fish will be reading - getting my message to my market - and it's free.

Of course, you don't have to limit your self to just one marketing method so if you're looking for more ideas you can grab a free 19 page marketing report here and if you think we might be of some help feel free to pop over an email

[Timber]

I had a friend that would advertise his business by putting up flyers in local banks, restaurants, coffee shops, etc.  Many of these places have a spot for people to put up their flyers.  My suggestion is to use colorful paper that stands out from the other flyers.  People will notice your flyer better and it will grab their attention faster.