Marketing on a shoe-string budget can be challenging. Check out this list of 25 free things you can do to market your business and jump-start your marketing efforts.

1. Post a free Ad on your local online free classifieds website (Craigslist, Kijiji, etc…)
2. Write a Blog Post and Share it on all of your social media pages. Be sure to include a compelling, and “shareable” image.
3. Give new life to old content. Promote an old blog post on your social media pages, and new blog posts.
4. Join and take part in Facebook groups relevant to your niche. Avoid straight-up advertising. Instead, focus on providing valuable content, and taking part in conversations.
5. Create an info-graphic. Check out Canva if you need some help designing one.
6. Build your list. Add an optin form to your website, and grow it by sharing free content. Think about what your niche might be interested in, and package it up as a bonus for signing-up for your newsletter.
7. Guest post on a popular blog.
8. Keep in contact with past clients. Keep your relationship with past clients fresh, by keeping in contact. Your past clients are an excellent source of referrals and repeat business. Ask for referrals and don’t forget to write a personal “thank-you” note for those referrals.
9. Call up some local businesses, and pitch your product. Yup cold-calling is not fun, but it can be a great way to spread the word about your business.
10. Run a Contest. Check out Rafflecopter for an easy way to run a contest.
11. Run a Webinar. Focus on providing valuable info. No need for expensive software or services, check out this article to learn how to run a webinar using Google Hangouts. Don’t forget to let everyone know about your webinar.
12. Attend local networking events. Check out your local chamber of commerce, or business groups for local events.
13. Join and take part in an online forum. Join forums that are attractive to your niche, and that you can provide valuable content in.
14. Press Releases. Write a press release, and submit it to the press.
15. Run a promotion. Think “adding” rather than “subtracting.” What service or product you can add to add value to your offer, instead of discounting the price? For example: Free photo album, with the purchase of a top-tier print package.
16. Shoot and publish a video.
17. Make a partnership with a complimentary business. For example, think about partnering with bridal shops if you’re a wedding invitation designer. What businesses are complimentary to your business without being competition?
18. Teach a live workshop or seminar. Reach out to your local chamber of commerce or business group for some ideas.
19. Ask for testimonials. Contact past customers for a review or testimonial. This is a great way to get back in touch with past clients, and you can use these testimonials to help market your business.
20. Resurrect old blog posts. Look through your old blog posts, and update and revise any outdated content.
21. Hand out your business cards. Be sure to hand out your business cards to people you meet.
22. Refer business to other businesses. Don’t be shy about sending your clients to other businesses.
23. Create (or polish up) your Google My Business Page.
24. Volunteer or Donate. Consider donating your product or services for local charities and events (don’t forget to write a press release about it).
25. Samples. Give away free samples of your product or service. Perfect for cross-promoting.  For example: For every customer that purchases a scented candle, give them a tiny candle of another scent, or a sample of another product with the same scent. You can even distribute free samples to complementary businesses for them to hand out to their customers (trade samples with each other).

Be creative! Mix these ideas up, add your own twist, and spread the word about your awesome business.

What are some free marketing ideas that you have used? Can you add to this list? I’d love to hear about it, please share in the comments below.