How can you get exposure for your business if you don't have any money to spend on marketing?

Is it possible? Absolutely!

In fact, you can get others to promote your products or services to your ideal customers, at no cost if you know where to look.

All you have to be willing to do is give away some of your products or services for free. Not only will this generate free marketing, it's also a great way to introduce a brand new product or service and get people to try it and give you testimonials. Testimonials you can use to market to others.

When you're looking for places to donate, make sure the people your product or service will be exposed to are your ideal clients. Look for organizations, events or people that have members or attendees that are the kind of people you'd love to have as clients.

Ask them a few questions such as:

Will they talk about your product or service in front of their group?

Or, will they give you the chance to talk about it?

Will they include promotion of your product or service in their event program?

Find out what kind of exposure you'll receive in exchange for donating your product or service.

Make sure it's worth it before you start giving away your valuable products or services.

Not sure what types of events, organizations or people you should donate to?

Here are 10 ideas to get you started:

(1) Charity or Non-Profit Fund Raisers

(2) Auctions

(3) Industry Association Meetings

(4) Networking organizations or meetings

(5) People in related or complementary businesses

(6) Golf Tournaments or other events

(7) The media (for a product or service review)

(8) Chambers of Commerce Events

(9) At Your Own Speaking Engagements

(10) To industry experts (for a product or service review)

Using your actual product or service as a marketing tool by giving it away is a great way to introduce it to your ideal prospects, generate free exposure and start creating a buzz.

(C) Copyright 2006 Debbie LaChusa, 10stepmarketing

Debbie LaChusa

Debbie LaChusa is a marketing veteran with 20 years in the business. After 13 years in the advertising and marketing agency business, Debbie founded DLC Marketing, Inc., a marketing consulting and coaching business. Her goal? To give entrepreneurs and small business owners affordable access to the same high-level strategic marketing and advertising expertise that typically only large companies with big budgets can afford.

Debbie's commitment to making marketing expertise accessible to small business also led her to pursue speaking engagements and teaching. She has spoken at meetings and conventions across the United States and in Canada. She also is on the faculty of Wellcoaches Corporation, where she teaches wellness coach trainees around the world how to successfully market their new coaching practices.

Debbie has written and self-published two marketing workbooks, "A Step-by-Step Marketing Guide" and "A Step-by-Step Marketing Guide for Your Fitness Business" which have sold copies worldwide. Her advice is also featured in Entrepreneur Magazine's "How to Start a Personal Training Business," part of the magazine's Business Start-Up Series. And she is a contributor to the San Diego Business Journal.

Debbie created The 10stepmarketing? System to provide small business owners, coaches, consultants and other independent professionals with all the tools they need to market themselves.

This simple, step-by-step system, features an easy-to-use question-and-answer format that walks business owners through every step they need to take to develop and implement their own marketing plan designed to achieve the success they desire and deserve.

On a more personal note, Debbie LaChusa is a fraternal twin. In 2004 she launched Twin Connections, a web site that celebrates the unique and mysterious bond shared by twins. She collects twin stories and hopes to compile them into a book.