Let’s face it—sometimes you have to spend money to make money. While advertising can be a costly venture, there can be free opportunities to get your name out there just about everywhere you look — even in your own back yard.
Recently, I received a phone call from the management of our local golf course, asking if they could hang a sign on the side of the building for the business my husband and I own to advertise their clubhouse restaurant.
“I was riding down the road and looking for billboard space,” the manager said. “Then I got to your building and saw a huge vacant space where our branding could be.”
“Of course,” I thought. This could be a perfect opportunity to place an ad for the thousands of beach-goer’s who travel up and down the highway where our business is located. It’s the size of a small billboard without all the fees and permitting that would be associated.
I told her that she was welcome to use our building for advertisement. We worked up a deal to place an ad for my family’s business in the golf course’s community newsletter. She is providing us with co-branded bags to package our goods, saving us on a bottom-line expense, and putting our name as a supporter on the restaurant menu in the clubhouse.
While I admit, an opportunity like this may not come along every day, it’s important as a business owner that you establish positive relationships with other local businesses and look for advertising opportunities even in the most unlikely places—even on the side of the road.
Check out next week’s blog for a list of some free advertising opportunities that could help your business grow.
