There are actually places you can advertise for free if you know where to look. Sure, some of them may not be as targeted as you might hope. However, the fact that they are free means you don’t have to worry about this, as your only expense will be a flyer or business card (which you should already have for use with some other methods) or a little time.
Local Saver Papers
Most locales have a saver paper that is full of local ads and coupons. This could be called something like:
· The Thrifty Nickel
· The Thrifty Saver
· The Budget Saver
You get the idea. These local papers can be a goldmine of free or very low cost ads, and if your product even remotely has mass appeal, they can be a great source of free leads. This is especially true if you have a great squeeze page and offer.
Online Classified Ads
Sites like Craigslist can be a good fit, especially if your product can fit into one of their categories and you can keep from having your ad marked as spam by users.
Be sure to include something like “free report” in your title so that people don’t feel misled by your ad. This will draw more negative attention to you. Don’t give people a reason to report you.
You can try putting your ad into “free” under the “for sale” section if you don’t find that your niche fits elsewhere.
If you’d like the offline version of this, simply place ads in your local newspaper.
Bookstores
You’ll need to get permission for this one. Otherwise, you could end up getting banned from your local bookstore, which is no fun for anyone.
But you can get postcard-sized or bookmark-sized ads printed that you can slip inside books that relate to your target market. Just slip the ad inside the front cover of the book. Not only will the eventual buyer see your ad, but potentially dozens of browsers as well.
Hotels
If you have a product that has mass appeal, hotels and motels can be a great source of subscribers. This is especially true if your product would appeal to travelers.
The best place to locate your ad is inside the nightstand drawer or on the desk inside each room, however you’ll definitely need permission for this from the hotel’s manager.
You could also slip ads under the door or leave them on the counter in the lobby. You should also get permission for this, but I’ve noticed a lot of people don’t bother.
Restrooms
This is also for products that have wide appeal, however you could also target establishments that might cater to your target market. For example, if you target young women, restrooms in clothing stores and shopping malls might be a good fit.
To make use of restrooms, simply leave a handful of your marketing
material on the counter, ideally a good distance away from the sinks so it isn’t destroyed by water.