Need a marketing tip which will cost you practically nothing, but will have far-reaching benefits for you and your client'

Instead of spending $$$ on advertising, think about providing a product or service for free to a charitable or non-profit organization or a local community group with little funding.

This offer has a two-fold effect -- your client doesn't have to pay, so they will be thrilled -- and they will likely tell EVERYONE about your kind gesture so you will become better known and be respected. Remember to do this with kindness in your heart, not just as a way to get publicity, however, because it's easy to see through a a gesture that is not genuine.

Ask them if it's okay for you to write and distribute a press release (show it to them if they'd like to see it), then contact your local radio, TV, newspaper and business groups to pitch a story. Include a written testimonial from your client, and get a photo of the two of you if possible (with the product would be terrific).

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MAKE A CATCHY HEADING

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Make sure the press release has a very catchy headline to grab the media's attention, and you'll probably discover at least a few media will contact you for an interview or publicize your kind gesture by printing (or announcing) your release.

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SEND THEM TO YOUR *NEWS*

PAGE ON YOUR WEBSITE

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Include a link for your website in your press release. This will lead the media and its readers to your website where your other press releases and news links appear.

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MAKE IT EASY TO READ

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Make it easy for people to read your news -- don't make them all PDFs unless you really have to. If you feel you must create your releases in PDFs instead of a simple web page, make sure you put a note on the download page that tells them the documents are PDFs. You don't want to surprise your visitors by giving them a download if they think they're clicking a link to a page.

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PUT PHOTOS ON THE PAGE

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Make sure you have some great photos of your website on this page, with a comment stating higher quality images are available to use in print publications.

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TONS OF BENEFITS!

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You will feel great about doing a good deed for a worthy group or individual, and the benefits will keep coming back to you over time. This technique has really worked for me. I contacted two art groups on opposite sides of the world and offered my services to build their websites for them -- for free. It made me feel great to be able to help nn-profit groups I was interested in, and they were thrilled to have a better internet presence.

By doing this I was able to put a link to my own website on their websites. That has brought many website visitors over the past few years, and has resulted in clients I wouldn't normally have been able to reach.

Don't forget to let me know if this tip works for you!