Five Great Small Business Marketing Ideas by Ellisa Brenneman

Every business owner wants to use time-proven, effective marketing tactics that build strong brand awareness and increase its clientele. Small business owners today may not necessarily have the tools to spend an insane amount of money on television advertising, radio spots, or other costly advertising avenues such as billboards emblazoned with state-of-the-art graphics. Other advertising methods exist that are cost-effective and have the ability to get the company's branding message across. We have looked at some of the most efficient and least expensive advertising measures from websites such as Business Knowledge Source for small business owners that we believe will fit in with your budget while helping to create a profitable business. These include:

1. Postcard marketing
2. E-mail blasts
3. Social networking sites (i.e. Twitter or Facebook)
4. Podcasting
5. Creating a website

It is no surprise that 163.3 million Americans use the Internet whether it is to find out new information, shop online, or learn about a business. For this reason, it is crucial for start-up and small businesses to leverage the power of the Internet instead of focusing on traditional advertising maneuvers such as print media and television advertising.

Postcard marketing may seem slightly outdated, but it is important to highlight the massive effect of postcards. Postcards printed on 4" by 6" index cards are highly noticeable in the mail because they can be flipped over and read in a matter of seconds. Immediately, the message is sent across to the end-user without them having to peruse through a pamphlet or packet that usually instills a lack of interest or frustration.

E-mail blasts are excellent for small business owners to send out to their network of contacts. Even better, they're excellent for building a database on a website. E-mail blasts should be kept simple, to-the-point, and underscore promotional offers to gain the reader's attention. Moreover, they can be sent out to multiple parties from the recipient, increasing word of mouth buzz.

Social networking sites have become a marketing phenomenon that is helpful for businesses in spreading their brand, mission, and services and/or products in the form of a user-profile. Also, sites such as Twitter.com and Facebook.com have changed the face of Internet marketing by establishing the online sphere as a word of mouth metropolis. Now is the time to take advantage of social networking sites.

Another helpful marketing suggestion is to create a simple podcast. Not sure how or where to start? Make sure your computer has a web cam. If it doesn't, these gadgets can be bought at inexpensive price at large computer and electronic retailers. Introduce your business concept through the podcast that is less than 30 seconds. Podcasts are an excellent marketing tool because they can be posted on a website, sent through e-mail, and posted on sites such as YouTube. According to Quantcast, YouTube averages 72.5 million users per month.

With the implementation of these media, businesses are likely to see an increase in interest. The next step would be to create an intuitive, user-friendly website that summarizes the concept of the business without too many graphics or distractions. For example Ethos Mentor (www.EthosMentor.com) offers affordable branding solutions for entrepreneurs. Following these steps can help an entrepreneur bolster their brand and reach their selected demographic.