Free Marketing - Bartering

Completely Free Marketing Tactics that Really Work... As Long as YOU Work, They'll Work!

What Makes a Good Free Marketing Tactic?

How Does Free Marketing Differ from Paid?

Elements of Successful Marketing Materials

The Stuff that DOESN'T Work

The Essential Assessment

The Pros and Cons of Do it Yourself Marketing

Good Tactics

Article Marketing
Directory Listings
Signature Lines
Event Participation
Link Trades
Ad Swaps
Bartering
Cross Promotion
Cooperation
Search Engine Listing
SEO
Viral Marketing
Opt-In Lists
Link Optimization
Print Downloads
Forum Participation
Blog Participation
Networking
Target Your Customer
Niching Your Business
Press Releases
Guest Appearances
Leveraging
Volunteering

Downloads

Bartering

It's not exactly free, but it won't cost you money either if you do it smart. It's different than a link exchange or ad swap too, because it involves trading a product or service for advertising.

I design websites. I'll give my clients a $100 discount if they let me put a link box on their site. I make it as painless as possible for them, and in return, I get good promotional returns.

I'll often swap SEO, website, or graphic design services for ad placements. When someone asks me for advice, and I give it freely, they'll often express a wish to compensate me (even when they cannot afford it). I'll ask them to give me a backlink - since it is a one way link, it is worth the time it took me to kindly answer their questions.

I've had offers of all kinds of barters for web services. I traded some services on a website for 3 new windows in my house, and a new driver side window in my car. One of these days I'll put together a proposal for a car dealership, and go get me a van, or for an RV dealership, and get our family the used RV trailer we have wanted for years.

The key to bartering is that you find someone who has what you want, who also NEEDS what you want. Get that, and you're in business.

A LOT of people are willing to trade for advertising. And it is also WORTH your time to trade a small service or product in exchange for a permanent link, because that link, while it is just a drop in the bucket, will go on working for you for a long time. I have links on other people's sites that I have bartered for, which are bringing me steady traffic every month. A combination of three of them brings me a significant percentage of my overall traffic. Those links have also been responsible for more actual sales than many other referrral sources also, because the sites they were on had a strong customer loyalty, so the link was tantamount to a good recommendation from a trusted source.

Explore your options, and keep an open mind. Be willing to give generously of your time, especially when you are starting out and time is all you've got, and just ask for a link in return. You'll be surprised how fast those links add up, and the eventual power that they have!

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Disclaimer: We provide this site for informational purposes only, we are not legal or financial professionals. We make no guarantees of success of any kind. Success is dependent upon factors which we have no control over, including individual effort and undertstanding, national and local occurences, and other elements which cannot be predicted. Use this site at your own risk!

Updated August 20, 2007