• Low-cost marketing is essential in a down economymarketing image by dead_account from Fotolia.com
  
  The economy is tight and budgets are stretched thin to cover all of the necessities these days. This often means marketing budgets are cut short or cut out entirely. Business owners must look for ways to market themselves without breaking the bank. There are many ways to get the message to the public without spending a large amount of money. Targeted marketing is essential to marketing without wasting time, effort and money.
  
  

Community Service

• Volunteer your time at a local school, community event or fundraiser. You may also choose to sponsor a local fundraiser. Volunteering requires no money and you will be able to speak about your business or service to those who participate. This gives you visibility and lets the public know that you care about your community. That is key to gaining clients or customers. Sponsoring an event will obviously require an investment, but it will again give you significant visibility with the public.
  
  

Special Announcements

• Send a press release to the local media and coordinate an appearance on local morning TV shows to promote an event such as a special promotion or a seasonal change. This will allow you to get free advertisements with the publication of the story in the newspaper and its broadcast on television and radio.
  
  

Online Presence

• Building a website is inexpensive, as long as the site is simple and does not require multiple pages and is not overly interactive. An online presence is essential, because most people are online each day and this will increase your exposure immensely. You can advertise your products or services with a visual presentation. Also, establish a Facebook page to advertise your business. This is free and will enable you to reach out to potential customers or clients and advertise special announcements or events immediately.
  
  

Partnerships

• Create a partnership with a non-competitive organization or business in town and refer clients back and forth. For example, if you are a retail store, partner with a local seamstress. Refer clients for clothes that may need small alterations. She can refer clients whose garments cannot be fixed inexpensively. You can even post flyers for each other at your store.