“35 FREE or Minimal Cost Marketing Tips!”

By Diane Probst, CCE

Updated by Lisa Bond, April 2018

#1

Flirty Flyers

  • Design something creative and eye catching.
  • Physically put it in the hands of your target audience.

#2

Real Estate Results

  • Team up with the leading sales people.
  • Distribute your product or service with their thank-you basket, card, etc. at each of their closings.

#3

Circle of Influence

  • Single out someone that fits our target audience and supply them with a monthly item that promotes your business.

#4

I Feel Good! …dun..na..dun..nun

  • Promotion of a Charity Donation.
  • What is close to you?
  • What is something that says who you are?
  • Type up a press release explaining how you are accepting donations for.

#5

Treats for Teachers!

  • Type up a flyer that promotes a teacher discount, day, etc.
  • There are over 300 teachers in our school district.
  • What are you doing to reach them?

#6

Easy Emails!

  • Collect the email address from every customer.
  • After visit or sale thank you note.
  • On their next visit they give them ____% off.

#7

Bag it!

  • “After purchase” card, flyer, etc.
  • Explain your business, what you stand for, what you offer.
  • Let them know you work hard and want their return business.

#8

Facebook is your BFF!

  • Post new arrivals.
  • Giveaway something to every 100 likes.
  • Look up each and every customer and create a following.
  • Ask your customers to like your page...

#9

Supplier Buy In!

  • Talk with your vendors and get them to give you something for your customers.
  • Get them to help you.
  • How do you feel when the Doctor gives you medicine samples or Mary Kay Cosmetics gives you a sample?

#10

Love, Love Social Events!

  • We love our Coastal Town and Coastal Living!
  • Have a Party!
  • Group of stores, like businesses, restaurant stroll, happy occasion to show off new product line.

#11

Flyers to Hotels

  • Single out event weekends.
  • Capitalize on the large number of people in town, captive audience.
  • Develop an eye-catching way to reach them.
  • Rockport Birding and Kayak Adventures does a great job with this...

#12

Place a Sign in...

  • Your Restroom, Fitting Room.
  • Print out something that will catch the eye.
  • RCC does this...

#13

Table Top Card at Local Restaurant

  • Lure customers.
  • Charlotte Plummers does this with TG's.

#14

Team up ...

  • You promote them, and they promote you.
  • Hair and makeup.
  • Essential Body Spa does great with this and a local Massage Therapist.

#15

Walking Billboard

  • Do you wear a name tag?
  • Do you like hats?
  • How are you recognized?

#16

Networking Nets Business

  • Do you attend Networking Events?
  • Always have your business cards handy.
  • Free networking events are great!

#17

Mascot Marketing

  • Freon is associated with what local business?

#18

Public Speaking Warrior

  • Become a speaking legend.
  • You have an audience, room full of people.
  • A captive audience to buy your product.

#19

Cold Calling

  • Yes, we know, nobody likes cold calling.
  • Suck it up! No amount of marketing will replace sales, so get serious about building your business.
  • Christine with Gonzalez Office Supply drops off a special pen. Let us know if you need any office supplies.....

#20

Video Vitality

  • Publish videos. Do you have something to say? Whether it’s about what’s happening at your company, in your industry, in the news or you’re answering commonly asked questions.
  • If you have a smartphone, you can shoot short, simple videos that cover a specific topic of interest.

#21

Pin It on Pinterest

  • Stay up-to-date on new trends and changes.
  • It’s a fantastic way to tap into the largest source of new customers.

#22

Elevator Speech

  • Killer Elevator Speech.
  • Start off with a bang.
  • Frame the competition.
  • Add in your personal touch.

#23

Old School Sidewalk Sale

  • EOMs. People who exchange a great deal of e-mail sometimes write a very short message in the subject line of an e-mail note and conclude it with: (EOM) end of message.
  • Moving merchandise.

#24

Profiles

  • What is a profile?Aprofile is a brief description of the characteristics of something or someone.
  • Update your profiles...mastering the art of a profile can immediately make your advertising more effective.
  • Your brand should show the real you.

#25

Rapid Referrals

  • Word of mouth advertising.
  • Send a Friend in with this coupon and get...
  • $10 off you and a friend...
  • Direct TV, when your friend signs up you get
  • $100 off...
  • Southwest Airlines... you get 25,000 points when your friend or family member opens an account.

#26

Sweet Saturdays

  • Lure customers in by offering something sweet to eat. Chocolate fudge...?
  • Why do the grocery stores have samples?

#27

Create Your Own News...

  • Cooking Class next Wednesday at 6 p.m.
  • Shoe Shining Class next Thursday at 7 p.m.
  • Travel Tips Thursday... show up and get...
  • April is Aroma Month... Aromatherapy.
  • Totally Tortilla Tuesdays... Learn to make your own!

#28

Front Door

  • What message is on your front door?
  • You may have a physical front door or maybe a web site.
  • Invite people in with an offer...

#29

Tweet..Tweet

  • Open a Twitter Account, develop a profile and start tweeting daily.
  • Debra Corpora, local birder, tweets a rare bird and gets retweets...

#30

Awards...Toot Your Horn!

  • Business of the Month/Year
  • BBB Torch Award
  • SBA Small Business of the Year Award
  • US Chamber's Blue Ribbon Award
  • Within Your Industry...

#31

Gift Catalog

  • Print up a list of great gifts for whatever season it is and slip a printed copy in their bag, email it out to your customer list...
  • Examples of a great gift list could be anything from a vacation rental, house for sale to a list of gourmet items, service, etc.

#32

Out of Sight, Out of Mind...

  • Monthly Email
  • Short and Sweet...

#33

Restaurant Row Concept

Are there other businesses you could team up with to draw customers to you?

Examples:

  • Official Houston CityPASS® | Visit 5 Houston Attractions for $59
  • Shopping Center
  • Medical Field... Healthy Kick?

#34

Create a blog.

  • Go to
  • Keep it short and sweet.
  • Pictures say a thousand words.
  • Post once per month for at least 12 months.

#35

Post Daily to Facebook

  • Photo of new merchandise, new customer, new happening, etc.
  • Interact with your friends.
  • They love it when you show off.

Diane Probst, CCE President/CEO

Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce 319 Broadway

Rockport, TX 78382

Lisa Bond