Sharon

A: What surprises me actually is just how many different ways there are to market yourself or your franchise today. Whenever I give a speech or workshop that includes a marketing and branding component, I almost always end up learning something new from one of the attendees; something they have tried and used that I had not considered previously.

So while no, I don't have a favorite per se, I do have a bunch of new favorites, such as:

YouTube: I recently had the opportunity to do a shoestring marketing workshop with about 200 people. As we went through my usual suspects (co-op ads, pay-per-click, etc.) one gentleman told me how his consulting business exploded after he started posting on YouTube.

Here is what he did: Once a week he creates five, minute-long consulting tip videos around various topics he specializes in. Each video ends with his URL. He then posts one of these videos a day on YouTube. Cost: $0. Impact: Apparently high.

e-newsletters: Let's say the target market for your franchise is women who are about to get married. Sure, you could advertise in bridal magazines, but that is not cheap. Consider this alternative: Research the most popular bridal websites and find one that you like and which seems to match your desired clientele. The site almost assuredly will offer a free e-newsletter, and quite possibly more than one. Find the e-newsletter you like (and which contains ads.) Buy space in that e-newsletter.

Advertising in that e-newsletter should not only be highly effective, but pretty inexpensive to boot. Yet even so, you will be reaching a highly qualified list of brides-to-be who opted in to this newsletter and who look forward to getting it every week. Moreover, because you will be associated with this website, you gain instant credibility.

You could use this method with almost any industry.

Publishing your own e-newsletter: If you have valuable information to share, an e-newsletter allows you to

• Stay in touch with your prospects and customers


• Create credibility


• Develop brand awareness


• Build future business


• Sell space to advertisers (see above!)

Local e-marketing: Of course we all know the power of Google ads these days, but sometimes left out of the equation is the ability to use not only Google but many other sites to advertise locally. Many franchisees think they can't really use Google ads because they do not sell nationally. The good news is that, not only can you confine your online ads to a specific geographic region, but doing so is very cost-effective because the reach of your ad is limited to your area.

Here are just a few places to explore local online ad opportunities:

• Yahoo Local Listings


• CitySearch


• AOL's CityGuide


• Craigslist


• Local.com


• YellowPages.com

The publicity stunt: Maui Beverages changed the name of the title of its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to "Chief Entertainment Officer", and from its Chief Technology Officer (CTO) to "Chief Tasting Officer." The result? Plenty of good press.

In 2000, Half.com paid Halfway, Oregon $100,000 to rename the city Half.com for a year. Halfway also received new computers for the local school and other financial considerations. Half.com received immeasurable worldwide publicity.

The ability to build a brand and get ahead without spending big bucks is greater today than ever before.

About Steve Strauss

Steven D. Strauss is one of the world's leading experts on entrepreneurship. A lawyer, author, and public speaker, his latest book is The Big Idea: How Business Innovators Get Great Ideas to Market. Steve's columns regularly appear on USA Today.com, Workz.com, Bizland.com, and Staples.com, among others. You can sign up today for his free newsletter, "Small Business Success Secrets!" at his business web site - www.MrAllBiz.com.