Could there possibly be 51 things you can do for free (or practically free) to grow your business? Absolutely, yes! There are hundreds of thousands of small businesses in Arizona and unfortunately most do not survive or thrive. We're hoping these ideas may save a few and help get our business community back humming again. 

Also think about other great free and nearly free small business resources like Fast Trac (by Francine Hardaway, Ed Nusbaum and Phillip Blackerby), Greater Phoenix SCORE www.scorephoenix.org and Tucson SCORE www.scoretucson.org.

We've collected 51 free marketing tips, and here's 10 more.

31. Send holiday greetings.  During the Thanksgiving-New Year holiday corridor we all get loads of e-mails wishing us happy this and happy that.  Sorry to say that has gotten pretty lame.  Unless you're going to send something of real interest, the value to both parties is pretty low.  If you're going to do something like an e-mail, think about other holidays during the year to trigger your greetings, and provide something of interest and value that stands out. A snail-mail greeting card can work, too, but make it something memorable.  I know our Growth Nation cards stand out from the pack because they are high quality, and we've had recipients say so.  Harvey MacKay tells the story about how his daughter sends out her annual greeting cards around March or April. How's that for a memorable stand-out?  Whatever you choose, don't just go through the motions - do something special that makes you better and different.

32. Pay if forward.  Well this is definitely not free, but hopefully over time it turns into a net zero financially and pays other dividends. Pay for lunch or coffee with your best friends and connections.  Forget splitting things, just pay to thank them for all they do for you.  If you believe in karma, this is a no brainer. Our experience is that karma works most of the time, and so don't let some knuckleheads spoil your good karma - keep it going and others will follow.  And we've found that not only does it feel good, it pays dividends for your business, too.

33. Put your logo on your shirt.  This is so simple and is truly a good conversation starter.  Don't forget to get a good logo first!  In Arizona a logo on your shirt is a no-brainer because we wear shirts without sweaters and coats almost all year.  This is a near-free way of spreading the good word about your business in a low-key way. For ladies it gets a little trickier but you can find a good promotions person who will find some pretty amazing ways to get the word out on various items.  Let us know if you need help finding someone to help.

34. Sticky notes with your logo.  As long as we're talking about putting your logo on stuff, how about sticky notes?  This is ridiculously inexpensive and yet can really stand out as you put them on letters and other materials that you send or hand out.  Again a good promotions person can help - we have 3 we're working with that are amazing.

35. Sponsor an event.  There are plenty of local events that will get your name out there for your volunteer efforts.  People: it's free!  Find a group frequented by your target market and talk to the organizer.  What could you provide that has value to them and can get you mentioned on their website, in their e-mails or at their events?  We're trying to get your name mentioned by other people - and this is a great way that most people don't even try.  Of course some major events ask for $10K or more to get your name mentioned.  This can work for special occasions. Televerde here in Phoenix gave at least $30K to sponsor Ballmer of Microsoft to speak at a Tech Council event several years ago. They used the opportunity to speak with him in depth about their services, and that seemingly large investment turned out to be small compared to the business they eventually got from Microsoft. So be thoughtful and creative - and definitely don't just throw money at events and expect to reap benefits.

36. Add strategic partners.  Other businesses have and seek your target client.  Great!  Team up with them on marketing campaigns, events and other partnering venues to share the cost of adding and serving clients.  The amazing Lon Safko (The Social Media Bible) recently partnered with Ron Cates (Constant Contact) on setting up a series of events on social media all over the country.  Constant Contact will get the word out and benefits by being affiliated with the world's leading expert on social media.  Lon benefits because more people hear his valuable ideas on social media. Look for win-wins like this!

37. Slip your business card in where the shine don't shine.  Have plenty of business cards that have all your contact info - including social media sites - and tuck it in books, at restaurants and into the hands of everyone you meet. But don't be the person who just walks a room handing out cards.  Not cool.  Talk to people first, and then when you've understood what they do and how you can help them, hand them your card and explain when it makes sense for them (and people they know) to contact you. One effective approach is to add other info to the back of your card - like websites (besides yours) or other info like phone numbers of interest to your target client. The pennies per card cost will be well worth it if you do it right.  If not your card will end up in the dumpster and your brand will suffer.

38. Selectively give your product or service away.  If you're not totally busy, pick some strategic partners or clients and give some of your product or service away to prime the pump. This will give the recipient an idea of what you do and presuming they see value, they'll purchase the next time.  I was totally floored when after tweeting that I was headed to Roka Akor in Scottsdale for some hamachi kama, it was delivered to our table when we arrived - compliments of the owner for tweeting about the restaurant.  They confirmed for me that they are the best Japanese restaurant in Arizona from the food to the service, and I'm talking about them again right now.  A small investment pays dividends when people start talking about you and your business.

39. Enter business awards.  There are dozens of business awards in your town that are completely free.  Just find out what they are and apply, and the next thing you know, you're a winner!  What a great way of getting the word out on your business.  Two great examples this year are Advantage Urgent Care (Phoenix Chamber IMPACT Award and Arizona Companies to Watch) and Solugenix (Phoenix Business Journal Ace Awards and Arizona Companies to Watch).  It cost them nothing but a few minutes of time to apply, and both reaped plenty of free publicity and stage time as they collected their awards.  And again I'm talking about it here ;-)

40. Pull a publicity stunt.  OK, the balloon boy was tried and ultimately failed after a great run of 24 hours. Don't do that!  BUT, there are plenty of ideas out there that the media will be interested in that can get your business out there.  One of my favorites is Joe's Barbeque annual free day, which is always covered by the press before and after the summer event, and attracts hundreds or thousands of visitors lining up for hours to enjoy the spectacular taste of pecan wood-smoked barbeque in the heart of Gilbert.  Yes this is not 'free', but it is a nominal investment that gets people in the community talking about just how amazing Joe's is.  The Crab Cooker in Newport Beach pulled off a totally free stunt 40 years ago that still reverberates today. They denied President Nixon a reservation because they 'don't take reservations'.  On our last visit we heard the story 3 times while waiting in line to get in - 40 years later!!!  What can you do that stirs up the pot and gets people talking about your business in a good and free way?

Now that's the first 40 of 51 free marketing tips. Thanks for reading, and we'll sneak in the final 11 this month. Happy marketing and growing!

Thanks, Doug

Doug Bruhnke
CEO, Growth Nation
Scottsdale, Arizona
www.growthnation.com
www.twitter.com/growthnation