I started my company about 5 years ago now, and, aside from word of mouth, 2 marketing venues stand out way above the others:
1. Chamber of Commerce: Several people mentioned social networks... well, your local Chamber is a social network of businesses, a perfect venue. 90% of my business my first two years came from my local Chamber. You have to work it, though. Join committees, go to luncheons, take the time. It works.
2. Postcards. I get more qualified returns from postcards than any other advertising venue, and it's easy to get the addresses of local businesses; go to your phone book. The only thing our phone book doesn't have is the ZIP code, so I just start up my trusty Microsoft Streets & Trips (or Mapquest.com would work too) and I've got it. Also, with color laser printers being so cheap these days, you can print your own and do some guerrilla marketing. I send out batches of targeted postcards every month, and always get calls back from them.
The networks like BNI seem to be good, but they are a bit constricting to me. The cost is sometimes high, and I've never personally seen a group with more than 10-12 people.
And I've never gotten any decent return off advertising in any newspaper, magazine, or other web site. Face it, our clients come to us becuase they don't know how to design web sites. I get maybe 20% straight from my web site. There are far more business people that don't have the time to search the web for a designer, so finding non-internet ways of marketing works best, and I say that from one of the biggest "wired cities" in the country. I get more Tacoma/Seattle business interest from non-internet marketing, by far.
I personally also design 1 web site out of 10 for little or no charge for local, non-profit community or Christian-based organizations. That's just me. I don't do it for marketing, just to give back what I get.
Hope this helps! God Bless!
Ty
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