If you are running a home-based business, chances are that your marketing budget is very low or non-existent. Don’t be that entrepreneur who gets jaded by initial success or disheartened by initial failure. Instead, try these easy, low-cost methods to promote your business and get the word around.

Build a blog : A blog is your own spot n cyberspace to build your brand and make it known. Share your thoughts, ideas, write about what you do, share some tips for customers- there’s a lot you can do with a blog.

Be a social butterfly : Initially, it might be a great idea to throw a few mixers-invite your peers, possible clients, even people you might want to partner with in the future. Beside this, use tools like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram to promote your business. A lot of awareness and networking today takes place on the internet.

Buy an ad : We know that you want to try and save money. We are talking about locally placed ads like flies with newspapers, ads in local magazines or a smaller space like a park bench or another public spot. Try teaming up with local events that could be related to your industry or about your industry. Teaming up with events lets you network too. Local cafes are a great place to put up posters too.

Self-promotion : Send out press releases to local newspapers and other local media. And when they come knocking for quotes for a story pertaining to your industry, talk about it at length. Build up your profile as a professional with sufficient industry knowledge. Again, we cannot emphasize more about this- network, network, network!

List it : List your company and services on sites like Mediabistro, yellow pages, Hire my Mom, Elance etc. These sites reach out to a large crowd looking for local services/products. These sites also allow you to post your portfolio which gives future clients a look see at your work and contact you if they feel you meet their requirements.