Coupons can help in the growth of you business

We all know that now isn’t the best time for business owners. Some companies are still thriving but there are many going out of business and filing for bankruptcy. While there are many big things you can do to potentially save your business, there are also little things you can do for yourself and your company to save a bit more money here and there, and to help generate awareness of your business. 

We all know how advertising helps business, so here are some ways to actually start advertising and saving.

First thing you can do is to look for ways of advertising for free. There may be many people out there wanting just what your business provides, but if you’re already struggling financially you may not be able to afford to pay for advertising. But that’s okay because there are ways to do the same for free.

One way to advertise for free is to use Google’s Local Business Center. Your business information will appear, for free and as an ad, when someone uses Google Maps, mobild or Google 411, and you get to choose what information you provide about your business.

Another way is good old fashioned networking. Tell people about your business. Exchange business cards with another business whose clients might be interested in what you’re offering, and vice versa.

Have a sale. Offer huge discounts, or minor ones, on things you think many people want but just aren’t willing to pay big bucks for due to the current economy. Tell as many people as you can about it. Find a positive spin on your product. People want to feel good and be happy, and if you can offer a dose of comfort along with your product people might be more willing to open up their wallets. Especially if your product is something that will give them their money’s worth.

Offer coupons. The great thing about this is that you have total control. You can choose everything from how much of a discount to offer and when the deadline for each coupon is, and you can hand them out anywhere. You can even create printable and online coupons for your business for free. Again, make a deal with another business and offer to advertise for them for free if they’ll help hand out your coupons to potentially interested consumers. You won’t even have to pay for the coupons because, as stated before, there are many free online coupon maker websites out there. You can create your own coupons on FreeStyleCoupons.com for free.

Another way to get some totally free advertising is to gain your client’s trust. Not everyone realizes how big of a factor trust plays into selling a product. If you’re willing to put yourself out there for the client before there’s anything in it for you, the client will know that you’re selling a genuine product and that you have their best interest at heart. So you really do need to trust in what you’re selling as well. If you’re just trying to get rid of some old junk to make money it’s going to show and no one will want to invest in something you yourself don’t truly care about.  

For other suggestions of where to advertise for free, consider social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Google +, and YouTube. Create a blog for your business and then circulate the link around Twitter. Tweeting is one of the fastest ways to get something out into the web. Find forum and message boards that focus on the product that you’re interested in selling. Get to know the people on the forum, exchange information and mention your business when the time seems right. Don’t bombard message boards with links to your business. People will find that to be obnoxious and they will most likely ignore you, especially if it’s coming from a total stranger who seems to be doing nothing but spamming the message board.

Look out for bonus coupons that you can use just for yourself. It doesn’t have to be related to your business. Saving money on other things will leave you with more to pour into your business. Keep your eye out for huge discounts and huge deals for free in your local paper. There are coupons all over the place, online, in stores, in magazines and newspapers, that will offer you business support without having anything to do with your business!

Lastly, keep in mind that many sites, such as FreeStyleCoupons.com, will allow you to place your own coupons on their site to help distribute them to a wider public. Things travel fast on the internet so take advantage of this whenever you can.