1. Giveaways

Use your website, blog, or your presence in the local community to publicize a give-away. You don’t have to have hundreds of people participate, and you don’t have to give away anything expensive.

It can be a product or service you offer, or it can be something completely different, a fruit basket or book or gift card to a local coffee shop. It doesn’t really matter what, and the value could be less than $20: people still love giveaways. Even if you only have 10 or 15 people participate, that’s 10 or 15 who will be excited about you and your business, and 1 winner who will talk about the prize she won.

2. Flyers on every bulletin board

Old-school, maybe, but still a cheap and effective way of promoting your business. Make your own flyers or brochures at home. Use your desktop publishing software; make them clean and simple, easy to read, uncomplicated. Print them out and visit every grocery store and coffee shop and bookstore in the vicinity.

Make sure that you offer something interesting to people: you could have a detachable coupon, a funny question, a web address with the promise of discounts, or a great photo that leaves them wanting more. Make your contact information obvious and easy to remember. Be sure to check with management, too, before you put your signs up.

3. Niche social networking

Yes, yes, yes, everybody knows about social networking and has multiple accounts at all these social networking sites. That’s great, but sometimes the big sites are so big that it’s hard to make any waves. That’s where the niche social networking sites fit in beautifully.

Why? You pick the right one, and you’ve already got your target audience right there. All you have to do is participate, and you can start making contacts, meeting people, and promoting your business to a group that you know is already interested in the same topics. There’s a great list of niche social networking sites with reviews at Social Media Answers blog.

4. Business cards as coupons

Go past the traditional name, address, etc., and offer a discount, deal, or promotion on the business card. Make the coupon the main information offered, and then put your contact information, website, etc., below the “big deal.” People are more likely to follow through when they have something to gain.

5. Contest (photo, essay, caption)

Relate the contest to the service and/or product you provide. You could have an essay writing contest, a photography contest, a caption-that-photo contest, a name-the-ice-cream-flavor contest. Whatever.

Do something that relates to your business. Promote it with those flyers you have on bulletin boards across the area, and offer a cash prize. $50 is great, and makes it worthwhile for people to participate.

6. Local government meetings

Get to know your Mayor, Board of Aldermen, and city administration. These people know who’s who in the area, and it benefits you and your business to be a familiar face to them. Don’t be pushy, and understand that they are busy people. Simply start attending meetings, paying attention, and listening for ways to help. You’ll find opportunities to meet the people in charge and you might also find yourself able to help out in some way.

7. Trade for promotions

Talk to other businesses, unrelated ones, about trading promotions. Neither one of you has to spend any money, but you both gain new customers. You can offer complementary discounts, e.g., “Purchase my product and get 10% off at The Other Business I’m Promoting.”

8. Swap online ad space

The Internet obviously has huge potential, but getting ads can be costly. Target sites that are either local or that appeal to the niche market you’re after, and ask about swapping for online ad space rather than paying cash up front. If you have a decent website or blog of your own, you can simply swap web ads. Or you can offer to swap something else, something you’re good at, the products you have, whatever you can think of.

9. Talk to the Chamber of Commerce

Look up your local Chamber of Commerce and go have a friendly chat. Introduce yourself, tell them about your business, and ask how you can get help in promoting your business to the local community. That’s why they exist, and they’ll be happy to give you some ideas.

10. Donate to the community and non-profits

You can donate your time, your energy, raw materials that you might have around anyway, services, and other resources that are readily available to you but, perhaps, difficult for others to get a hold of. Find out what’s happening in the community and offer to help in some way that relates to your business. Find a non-profit you love and offer your business services to them for free.

11. Be an expert resource

Let your local newspapers and regional publications know who you are and what your business is, and that you’re available for interviews on your area of expertise anytime. Local journalists always need good sources and experts to quote, so send a friendly letter with your contact information, and be sure to return their calls promptly.

12. Participate in your target group’s events

You do know your target market, right? Well, once you know, find out what they’re doing. Where do they go? What movies do they watch? Where do they eat, hang out, go on vacation? Follow them. Hang out. Get to know people. Talk. Give away business cards.

13. Submit press releases

Press releases are brief information bytes that can be picked up by any number of news publications, both online and offline. Submit your press releases via any of the free sites, and be sure to do so anytime you have something somewhat momentous to talk about. [Need a little help? I write press releases.]

14. Be newsworthy

But in an unassuming way. Help an old lady across the street, host the girl scout’s annual campfire cook-out, bring in a great speaker for your church. Do things that people notice. Then submit a press release about it.

15. Everybody loves cookies

So make some, or get someone who loves you and can cook to make some, and then go drop them off where you think they’ll have the most impact. Police station, fire house, barber shop, insurance company. Pick one or two. Add a stack of your coupon business cards to the plate and leave them with a smile.

16. Visit your city’s economic development director

You’ll need to make an appointment, and be specific and courteous. This person receives a lot of work and is busy; don’t ramble on about your childhood and your future, simply introduce yourself and your business and start a conversation about how your business and your city can help each other. Be willing to give first.

17. Create videos

If you’re handy at all with a video camera and have a decent sense of humor, come up with some funny stuff and make brief, commercial-like videos to upload on your YouTube account, which should be linked to your business website. The videos need to relate to your business, somehow, and they need to make people laugh.

18. Patronize the same businesses

Get to know the people who work around you, whether in related or unrelated businesses. Don’t view everyone as competition. Visit the same businesses on a fairly regular routine and people will begin to recognize you, and you’ll start getting to know them.

19. Volunteer

At church, at civic organizations, at community events, at your children’s activities. Offer a morning or an evening to help out. You’ll meet people, people will talk to you, and you will be creating more contacts which is what networking is all about.

20. Be friendly and helpful

Always. Just be a nice person. Open doors. Wait your turn. Turn off your cell phone in the movie. Let other people go first. Talk to people. Smile. A little goes a long way, and people notice when someone is happy and helpful. I got a job offer once because I gave a quarter to the man in front of me so he could pay without pulling out his credit card. A quarter. It was a short-term job for a student, but I made a few hundred bucks working it for a month or so. From the investment of a quarter and a smile.

Any other bright & frugal marketing ideas that small businesses can use?