| When you need to post a classified ad, you may | | | | cases, you first have to pay for a set of ads, |
| think that your only option is your local | | | | and then earn a free ad and a later date. This is |
| newspaper. It was once true that classified ads | | | | not free advertising. |
| could cost an arm and a leg when you post them | | | | Monitor Your Results |
| with newspapers or other specialized advertising | | | | Although there is no cost for any ad that you |
| venues. You could pay up to $100 or more for a | | | | place, it is still wise to monitor any results that |
| week of advertising. | | | | you get. You want to get the exposure that you |
| How Do You Find Free Classified Advertising? | | | | need to achieve the goals that you set for |
| The Internet has opened up an entire new world | | | | yourself. |
| and has changed the way we live. The younger | | | | Other Free Venues |
| generation uses newspapers much less frequently | | | | New businesses need exposure without high |
| than older generations. Why use a newspaper | | | | costs. If you have just opened a business, and |
| when you can get everything for free on the | | | | you want to get the word out, use every free |
| Internet? | | | | option open to you. Social networking through |
| If you have something the world needs to know | | | | pages like Facebook and MySpace can help get |
| about, use a search engine to find free classified | | | | the word out about your business. You can make |
| advertising services. You will get several pages of | | | | your own short video commercial and post it on |
| responses back. The top few results will be the | | | | YouTube. You will just want to make sure that |
| most popular on the Internet. It is more likely that | | | | the headline matches your commercial content. |
| your advertisement will receive more responses if | | | | Create a blog on one of the free blogger sites. |
| you use one of these first few companies. | | | | Post interesting content every few days. Visit |
| Click on one of the advertised companies and visit | | | | Internet forums that have topics related to your |
| their website. You can choose to place your ad | | | | business. Post your comments to the forums, |
| immediately, or you can look at the website to | | | | making sure that your signature has a link to your |
| see what they have to offer. Once you decide | | | | business. Encourage visitors to subscribe to your |
| which company you want to place your ad with, | | | | blog. This will give you the opportunity to gradually |
| and ad can be up and running within about 30 | | | | build up a mailing list of potential customers all at |
| seconds. | | | | no cost to you. |
| Be careful when considering some of the different | | | | Free ads give business owners the opportunity to |
| companies that offer classified services to make | | | | create exposure to their business without |
| sure that there are no hidden fees. These | | | | breaking their budgets. Do everything you can to |
| companies may seem to offer free ads at first, | | | | keep the interest high in the people that visit your |
| but have costs hidden in the fine print. In some | | | | site. Eventually, they will buy your product. |