http://www.free-business-plans.com/artic...
If your funds are tight and you can't afford a lot of advertising. The best thing to do is take advantage of the plethora of free advertising online. Online advertising is one of the best ways to be seen. If you have a free site, make sure it looks extremely professional, also create a Facebook page that can act as your website also, with contact info, phone number, address etc.. Make sure it looks extremely professional.
Use these free business listing directories:
Yelp
TripAdvisor
Angie’s List
Insider Pages
Manta
Citysearch
Google Places
Merchant Circle
Yahoo Local
Make sure to put your business listing with the local area you are marketing your business at.
Use some cheap offline options. Print up flyers that have your email address and phone number and look really professional in places where your target market would be interested in your services. For example, Church's, Senior Centers, Library etc..
I would disagree that you should with the person who said you should forget about advertising online. Search engines and some social networks are putting effort in to local.
I would get pretty active on social media, create profiles on sites like Google+, Yelp, CitySearch etc.
Also, I would optimize your websites title tags for local searches (i.e. include the locations you serve).
I would use social media like Facebook, twitter, google+ etc to get the word out to everyone about your business. To laser focus your promotion locally, I would consider promoting it on a local social board like Fonolive, http://www.fonolive.com via events, articles and also having it listed as a business.
For something local = advertise local.
One of the first things they teach you in business school.
Forget doing this online.
You need a website or blog. Then you need traffic to it. Most things "free" are not worth your time. I recommend this publishing platform: http://bit.ly/ENV2BB You get a website/blog with "authority". (that means that Google pays attention to it) It is inexpensive and will bring you business.
http://www.adagogo.com
Great for small, local business marketing & gaining customers or selling your items. You can advertise on 1000s on mobile apps instantly.
You can list your Business for free at http://tradepoint.in
I am apparently doing something wrong. I have been trying on craigslist and other free sites since I do not have much funds now. What can I try? My business is an errand and grocery delivery service.
