Most businesses could benefit from free, or really inexpensive marketing solutions. In this article, I'll go through some examples of how you can make networking & cheap marketing work for you.
Webrings
Webrings, like the one I post below, are one of the classic ways people on the internet have used networking to market their websites and interests on the web. You sign up, place a piece of code on your site, and the webring navigation shows up on your page. Your site is assigned a number in the rotation of sites, and members patronize each other and usually share a like interest. While often considered an older way to network market online, many webmasters still include these in their networking plan.
Link Exchanges
I do make a distinction between services like Text-Link-Ads & sponsored link exchanges and what I'm talking about here.
What I'm talking about in this article are the link exchanges that happen naturally, from a mutual admiration of another's work.
You may have done a link exchange with yourself, already... let me explain... You may have a blog, a website & a squidoo lens. They probably all link to each other. It's the same kind of idea.
When you come across a blog or a website that you think would be good to network with, suggest a link exchange. If your site has quality information and isn't spamming or utilizing "black hat" techniques on visitors, many websites will agree to exchange links with you.
Social Networking
Sites like Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon, Del.icio.us, and the like allow users to share what they like, check out what others like, and share reviews with each other.
Getting yourself seen, read, and known on social media sites is a great way to market yourself for free. Be careful however, that you only share your pitch with those that want it. Otherwise, no matter how great you are or your product is, you'll be labeled and likely banished as a spammer.
There are a number of ways of getting slightly famous online. And the thing that you want to take away from this is - the more people that see and get to know you and your business, the more they are likely to share what you do with their network. And the more people that know about you, the more clients you are likely to get. More clients mean more money.
