Setting aside funds for advertising and marketing is always going to be a contentious issue. Once money is spent in this area, results from advertising and marketing campaigns may take a while to materialise...or at worst, remain intangible well into the next financial year or beyond.

Acquiring customers though does not have to cost the earth. There are cost-free ways that can be used by most companies to produce results. Here are some ideas...

Articles: Writing an article or having an article written about your company is one of the easiest ways to attract new customers.

If you're looking for a journalist to get interested in your company, writing a press release is the traditional way of grabbing their attention. The press release should focus on a newsworthy aspect of your operation, such as the launch of a new product, the establishment of a new business venture or an aspect of your business that has resonance with topical news coverage.

There are many free resources available to help and advise on how to write a press release. Once written, the release can be distributed by e-mail or fax to select media contacts. If you're looking to reach a wider audience why not try one of the free online press release distribution services?

Online Directory Links: For businesses looking for cost-free ways to advertise online, directory sites and portals offer a good starting point. No matter what your industry or specialism you'll find literally hundreds of directory and portal web sites that allow you to add a description of your business and web site link for free.

If you have the opportunity to list your web site then make sure you do. Search engines such as Google like to see links from other sites that point to yours - especially sites with whom you have a natural synergy. Get enough of these links in place from directories and you'll see a big improvement in your web site search engine ranking.

Joint Ventures: A tried and tested way to market your business, whether offline or online, is through the creation of business collaborations, strategic partnerships and joint ventures. By finding other companies whose products and services complement those of your own business, you could expand your operation quickly and without cost. This could be achieved through agreements to share customer lists, upsell a partner's product/service for a percentage of the profit or simply create a distribution network for your own products or services.

To find joint venture partners visit http://www.jvbase.com

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Content is provided by Seb Jay on behalf of http://www.jvbase.com