Creative Online Marketing Solutions
Ezines are the online equivalent to the print magazine and can be a great advertising option. Most of the time, ad space can be had for free or very low ($2/ad) rates. Ezines are also a great place to looking for advertising/marketing jobs as they are normally distributed across a wide range of industries.
Article directories are another great way to gain exposure for a company for a limited investment. If you can write, then you can capitalize on this venue. Since you landed a job in advertising you can probably write, so simply write a few articles about the company, you represent and submit them to some of the high profile directories.
Blogs can be a hugely successful way of advertising for your client. Many advertising jobs are based solely on blogging and creating exposure through simple blog posts in the industry in question.
Create a website. There are a myriad of free website hosting services available and in most cases these can be free advertising with very little work on your part. Simply upload some of the company's marketing material to the site and submit it to search engines.
Hardcopy and Print Ads
In addition to the above-mentioned web sources, you can create a generous amount of interest in your company simply by taking advantage of circulating press releases to local newspapers and to online sources (industry websites, journals, etc.). This is normally a completely free way to gain exposure.
Printing low-cost yard or road signs can lead to a great deal of exposure as well, especially if the business you are promoting is a local firm. Signs are usually fairly inexpensive and easy to place along congested roads or in the yards of previous clients of the business.
Try to get the local newspaper to do a feature on the business. Call the editor and explain why the business is innovative and deserves a feature. This can generate huge interest in the business with minimal input from you.
Remember: Sell Your Self too!
The market for advertising/marketing jobs is extremely fierce, so it is always important to not only sell the company you are working for, but also be able to sell yourself as a marketing professional. Whether you are a freelance advertising specialist or simply want to keep your options open for future job leads, make sure to highlight the fact that you can save the company money. In your resume and cover letter that you supply when applying for jobs in advertising, be sure to point out your creative use of free or low cost advertising options whenever possible. Move your relevant under budget projects to the forefront of your resume and draw the reader's attention to your creativity with your cover letter. If possible, have your freelance clients allow you to include some contact information on you with each of their ads as well. This can lead to referrals and to even more advertising jobs.
