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Marketing and advertising a home business takes a lot of time, commitment and work. Those who say all you need to do is put up a website and watch the cash come in couldn't be further from the truth!

We need to do as many things and try as many ways as we can to get our name out there and establish our business and reputation, whether it be online, offline or both! This takes imagination, and perseverance! Below are affordable and fairly easy ways you can begin to build your home business.

1. Word of Mouth - talk to as many people as you can about your business. Bring it into the conversation at every opportunity. By doing this, you could be starting a domino effect. Some of the people you talk to mention it to others and so on & so on. Your business has to become a part of you and your daily life.

2. Business Cards - When you are talking to all these people, be sure and give them a business card. Business cards are very important and do not cost a fortune. A good place to get business cards for only a small shipping charge is http://tinyurl.com/6t7mw. Take advantage of the backs of the business cards as well for sales, specials, catchy messages - anything to help make you and your business more memorable. Business cards can be left almost anywhere and can also be sent in all your mail correspondence.

3. Prizes - Contact your local radio stations, stores, etc. that have contests. There are many places online that have sweepstakes and contests as well. Offer your products/services as prizes in these contests. This is a great way of getting a lot of affordable exposure.

4. Use Testimonials - Take advantage of what others say about you. Have one on your business card, flyers, etc. Use them whenever you can. Most people will put a lot of stock in what other customers say.

5. Customer Service - For a lot of businesses these days, this seems to be a lost art. You need to go the extra mile for your customers and make them feel special and appreciated. This will do a lot for your business. These customers will give glowing reports of you to their friends and family.

6. Flyers - Design and print flyers right from your computer. Post them on bulletin boards at grocery stores, churches, malls, post offices, banks, etc. Use brightly colored paper to get people's attention. Make the message interesting enough so they want to visit your site.

7. Article Writing & Submitting - This can be a very powerful method of advertising as it not only brings people to your site, it builds your reputation as someone who knows what they are talking about an this will bring trust. I believe just about anyone can sit down and write information on things they know. You do not have to be a writer nor a college graduate to write effective articles.

After you have written your first article, start submitting it all over the net. There are article groups, article banks, and publishers who accept article submissions.

• http://www.workathomearticles.net/
• http://www.creativehomemaking.com/submit_article.shtml
• http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Content/
• http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Free-Reprint-Articles

For more information:

• mailto:articletips@getresponse.com
• mailto:articlelibrary@getresponse.com

8. Networking Groups and Boards - Networking is when you come in contact with as many people you can to learn, share, promote, and form relationships with prospective customers and associates. Get to know others, learn from them, let them learn from you and get to know you. This is an excellent way of building a strong foundation for your business. Networking can also bring you a lot of referrals from your associates.

• http://selfstartersweeklytips.com/forum/
• http://www.bizymoms.com/discus/
• http://www.williecrawford.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi
• http://bltshw.proboards37.com/
• http://www.javajane.com/forum/index.php

9. Online Mailing List - Make sure you capture your visitors' emails and mailing addresses, if possible. Start a mailing list or newsletter for your visitors. Keep them up to date on your products, services, specials, etc. You might also want to give them some useful information in your newsletter. For more info on starting a newsletter sign up for this free ecourse: ezine-publishing-ecourse@getresponse.com

10. Moving Billboard - Turn your car into a moving billboard. Put a magnetic sign or decal on your car so you can advertise your business wherever you go. Be sure and have catalogs/business cards handy for anyone who is interested.

11. Link Exchanges - Link exchanges can bring you a lot of traffic and they can improve your search engine ratings. For those of you who are not familiar with link exchanges - this is when you and add a link to another site on your site and they would add a link to your site on their site, linking them together.

Choose sites that are complimentary to yours, example: if you have a site that sells pet supplies, link to sites that give info on how to care for pets, or where to get pets, etc. Email the webmaster and invite them to have a look at your site.

I hope some of these ideas help you get started with an effective advertising campaign. They have helped me tremendously!

© Terri Seymour of www.seymourproducts.com