When you run any type of business, the budget is often depleted by seemingly important things, sometimes overnight. Suddenly there is nothing left to trade with. Since marketing is everything, how do you consistently get your message across to your audience without emptying your bank account?

Here are three very effective and low-cost ways to get your name out there without breaking the bank.

1) Marketing articles on the Internet

One of the main ways you can drive traffic to your website is to position yourself as an expert on the subject. You can do this by writing articles.

Article marketing simply means creating informative articles on a topic that is relevant to your audience, based on your keyword research. You can then submit or post your articles on:

– online article directories,

– your blog,

– related business blogs

– your websites.

Now, there are two options here: you can write the articles yourself or hire someone else to write the articles for you (with you as the author). The second option is good if you’re short on time, but it will come with a fee, of course.

The hardest part of writing an article is getting started. There’s also a common misconception that you have to be a professional writer to do this; You do not.

You Will I want to do some research on tips for writing good articles, but don’t do too much. Remember, you have something to say, and the best way to start is with a few sentences about your topic. Then formulate some advice by asking yourself questions. For example: “How to Grow the Best Tasting Tomatoes” or “5 Tips for Growing the Best Tomatoes”.

Start filling in the blanks, and before you know it, you’ll have your article.

Then submit your articles to the top directories, at least three. Once you have submitted several articles, you will be considered an authority and begin to attract an audience interested in your topic. From then on, there is a great chance that they will become potential customers for your business.

2) Online SEO Press Releases

Online SEO press releases are different from standard press releases. An online SEO press release is written so that keywords are scattered throughout the release copy. These press releases are then distributed online, posted on the company website, blog, etc., all for the purpose of driving traffic to your website and gaining high search engine rankings.

Write your press release in the third person and submit it to a paid service like PRWeb or to various free distribution sites.

There is a lot of “news worthy” stuff going on in small businesses. If you’re not sure what to include or how to do it, read other press releases or you can outsource it.

3) blog

Business blogs are extremely important in your marketing. Why? They are the number one way to drive traffic to your website, which is traffic that you then have a chance to convert into a sale.

One of the reasons blogs are so successful is because blogs are constantly being updated with new content, and search engines love new content. That means you rank higher on the organic side of search engines (the left) that you didn’t have to pay for. Again, use keywords and build your posts around topics that interest your audience.

Post to your blog two to three times a week. Add pictures, videos, video blogs (also called “vlogs”). Constantly ask yourself how you can help someone else solve their problem. So write about it.

This will keep visitors (and search engines) coming back to visit… your goal.

There are other low-cost forms of marketing, but I’ve found these three to be highly effective and will get you on your way quickly. You can use any or all of them, but the key is to be consistent and you will drive a lot of high-quality traffic to your site.

And the best part is that it won’t cost you anything except a little bit of time!