Utilize social media to promote your business. The process requires a front-end loaded investment in time, but it is well worth the effort when using free or very low cost utilities on the Internet. The return may surprise you.
Set up a free Google or Word Press blog as an extension of your business. A blog is quite different from a web site. Provide good, solid information free of charge and use blog searches for synergistic businesses to team with. Teaming is an absolute necessity
Networking is a vital tool in achieving an image/brand. Establish a network like a wheel. The hub is core content (web site, blog, books, articles, useful materials). The spokes leading from the hub are the tools to network content that is linked to the hub.
Contacts are the engines that power the wheel.
Content is the fuel that feeds the social networking contacts and powers the wheel.
As the wheel turns, the quality of the networking improves with feedback and the wheel climbs the optimization hill of the major search engines (SEO).
Limiting factors are the quality of the core content and knowledge/persistence in networking.
Be prepared to provide information, samples and valuable service gratis as a marketing tool. Introduce yourself and then immediately engage the client or potential teaming partner with your presentation tools available to bring your expertise to whatever topic they are interested in.
Let them take you where they want to go with their concerns and their needs. Apply your presentation tools and expertise dynamically The idea is to refer clients to article links at your web site and your blog to avoid having to repeat yourself over and over in new business marketing, thereby keeping yourself available for specific inquiries and closing deals.
Link everything together and begin answering questions as well as registering at many of the free applications for networking web sites on the Internet to see how that can benefit your product and services. Utilities like Twitter, Alignable, Pinterest and About Me will serve your site well.
You may wish to consider Google Ad Sense for cash flow. It is free and could supplement your income with ads in the margin of your blog.
Integrating and networking platforms together is the best approach. Most of the free applications of the type discussed here have profile features to link back to your blog and many will automatically publish your content on their site, once linked.