Marketing Ideas on a Shoestring Budget

Promote Your Achievements

Isbell: Advertising awards and recognition of any kind can be a valuable and inexpensive tool. Press releases in local newspapers or parent organization publications can be effective as well.

Selling Promotional Products

Rotert: About four years ago we started selling promotional products. It took some trial and error to find out we couldn't put a very high mark-up on the products, but it has turned into our own very strong marketing tool. Departments are thrilled to avoid the hassles of shopping around, and we are able to provide personalized service in a typically impersonal line of business. Promotional products are a foot-in-the-door to talk to departments about all of our available services. We also stress the importance of –branding consistency combining print, Web communications and ad specialty products.