Know of any free or low cost advertising options?

I am looking to promote myself and my art.
I don't have any money right now to do this though.
I would like to know of different ways to do this
(internet especially).
When I lived in Phoenix AZ I had no problem selling
or getting commissions, but now that I live in
central Illinois, times are tough.
All suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

You can create a free blog at blogger.com and post your promotion there.

Have you heard of Google Adsense program? You can make some legitimate money if you have a blog at Blogger.com of a free website like Google pages which will allow you to publish Google Adsense. http://tashi.web.design.googlepages.com/website-sponsor

It's very personal and it depends on how you define a good career or business. First, set a goal for what? do you want in life. Plan what you will do to reach your goal.

I always tell people this, 'You can make money if you can create website or blogs'. by providing free and good information.

I'm 41 now, work from home in shorts and T-shirts and sometimes topless. I set my target as low as to make 1 dollar/page/day. I strive to create a new page for my websites everyday but I have all the freedom I need and making money 24/7 on the internet with Google Adsense and some affiliate programs. The only thing that tie me down is 'how much income I want or need'. Because the more websites and traffic I have will determine how much income I can much.

Anyone who can create websites or blogs to provide lots of good information can make money from Google Adsense. Blogger.com and Google pages lets you create blogs for free and allows you to make money too.

You can also post your comments here in this 2 blogs together with your business link.

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my friend i have the perfect website for you. it includes over 1000 links to free advertising websites including free directories, free search engine submissions, free viral marketing, free top keywords and much much more
http://www.freeaddsgalore.me.uk
investing in the big daddy search engine and program hoppers will prove very profitable

Learn a variety of ways to market and promote yourself by checking out the site below!

http://excelyourbiz.com/MarketYourWebsite.html

I used to participate in all the local art shows with my watercolors, and joined up with some local art clubs. However, the shows were sporadic, and certainly not often enough to really sell a lot.

Websites are the way to go, where you can place quality photos of your work. Try this site:
https://ecommbiz.net/Websites.html

Once you have a website or blog to show some of your work, you might consider some inexpensive advertising such as targeted emails to known art collectors. These are major companies with offices in your city. They generally like to participate in the local art scene.

For wider audiences, you might consider this silly but effective advertising medium:
http://www.InstantBuzz.com/r/?Bryn

I've always been skeptical of free advertising, thinking that you get what you pay for. However, I was quite amazed at the results this silly little program gives. More importantly, it's free, so if you don't like it, just quit, and there's no obligation.

Good luck, I hope this helps.

Getting traffic is a combination of a lot of things. The key to success is to create great content that visitors want to use, search engines will love and other websites will naturally link to. Of course, it's easier said than done.

You can use pay per click advertising in the search engines to reach audiences looking for your products. You can use Google Adwords http://www.google.com/adwords or Yahoo http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com

Here are some shoestring marketing ideas that can help you get the visitors you need at the least cost possible:

1. Create the best content you can with the best products you can possibly offer. Your content is your best advertisement - if visitors love your content, then they will go back and spread the word to others.

2. Make it easy for users to recommend your site. Viral marketing is very important -- and easy to tap on the Web. But give your users the tools. Get a Recommend this Site script from websites such as cgiscripts.com and similar directories of scripts. Some even go as far as giving incentives to those who recommend the site to their friends. If only 10 people go to your site, but these 10 people invite 10 more - that's additional traffic that you get for FREE!

Recommend Site Scripts (various) http://php.resourceindex.com/Complete_Scripts/Website_Promotion/Recommend_Site/
Big Nose Bird Recommend this Site http://bignosebird.com/carchive/birdcast.shtml
CGI Resource Index http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Programs_and_Scripts/Perl/Website_Promotion/Recommend_Site/
Hostscripts http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/Site_Recommendation/index.html

3. Rank well in the search engines (organic search results, not the pay per click). SEs can be a big source of traffic. The key is to create the best content in your niche. If you have good content, other websites will gladly link to you and offer your site as a resource to their audience. Check the on-page factors and be sure to get linked from authority sites in your topic area.

If you are going to read only one piece on search engine optimization, I suggest you read Brett Tabke of WebmasterWorld.com's "Successful Site in 12 Months with Google Alone: 26 steps to 15k a day." http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/2010.htm

4. Send out press releases. While outfits charge as much as $650 per release, there are free press release submission places on the Web. Press releases allow you to (a) attract media attention; (b) get more back links to your website without sending each website an email request; and (c) get more visibility especially if your press release gets in Google News or Yahoo News.

http://www.prleap.com/sign_up.html
http://i-newswire.com/
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/
http://www.pressbox.co.uk/cgi-bin/links/add.cgi
http://www.pr.com/press-releases
http://www.prfree.com/
http://www.clickpress.com/releases/index.shtml
http://www.theopenpress.com/
http://www.przoom.com/
http://www.prweb.com
http://www.newswiretoday.com/
http://www.free-press-release.com/

5. Submit articles. Write articles and submit them to websites accepting author submissions. You get exposure for your business; establishes you as an authority in your field, and allows you to get backlinks for your website. If 50 websites publish your article and it contains a link back to your website, then you easily get 50 links from a single article. The more links you have, the greater your chances for increasing your search engine rankings.

Here is a comprehensive list of where to submit your articles http://answers.yahoo.com/question/;_ylt=AhzreGmnCUicOoyedqypscUjzKIX?qid=1006022407481

6. Post a link to your site for free where it is allowed (always read the Terms of Use). Examples are:

Craigslist http://www.craigslist.com
Google Base http://base.google.com
Classifieds for Free http://www.classifiedsforfree.com/...
Text Link Exchange http://www.txtswap.com/
Recycler.com http://www.recycler.com/
Yahoo Classifieds http://classifieds.yahoo.com/
US Free Ads http://www.usfreeads.com/

Try the local chamber of commerce.

Hi,

I too am an artist in a similar position. Five galleries went out of business leaving me out of work. This was how I was making a living.

Assuming you already know the basics like decorating café’s for free and the like, I will skip them. Problem is, art doesn’t sell it’s self. It needs to be sold. So unless a wait staff is mindful to sell it, your efforts will only serve to brand yourself.

First change your mindset. You’re in business to collect collectors. You’re not in the business of making art. Separate being an artist from being a business person.

With that mind set, start advertising for collectors.

The best is business cards. Don’t order just a thousand. Order two or four thousand cards. Put one of your most popular designs on the front. Better yet, put one that’s for sale. Then pass them out to everyone you can. Gas station, grocery store, where ever you are. Make a goal to get out at least 500 per month or more. (Don’t buy the free ones, it’s unprofessional) I can recommend places that have great prices if you post me.

Then start sending out press releases.

They are free. If you don’t know how, I have a free link on my home page of my Speechmastery site that will give you 89 tips on how to create and make work your press releases. These will hopefully get you in front of a reporter who will want to do an article.

If you do get an article, don’t ask to see it before it is published. That is in bad taste and can kill your chances at free publicity. Instead ask if they would mind if you did a fact check before it’s published.

Sometimes they will say NO! Tell them that’s fine. I just know of an artist who had a story written about him and the reporter wrote “he paints on acrylic canvases.” It was unfortunate but nobody caught the transposed words that should have been “He paints IN acrylic ON canvas.” It was so embarrassing to that poor reporter since he was new to writing on the arts scene.

I was the artist by the way.

There you have it.

One last thing. Don’t buy any marketing or PR info on the web until you have exhaustively searched. Everything you will need is free. If you don't follow this advice, then before you buy, find a few other artists who have bought and like the product first.

Also, if your thinking of getting a free web site, don’t. I did, it was a waste of money.

Once learning how to build a site that gets organic traffic, I discovered creating an art web site that will get it’s own free traffic will be very difficult. No, make that very, very difficult. It can be done. It will be a lot of work.

I just talked to another artist who was elated for hitting 3,000 total visitors to her site after several months. She is a brilliant artist and also computer savvy. Contrast this to my over 4500 unique visitors just the month of October. And even that is low. My goal is 1000 per day.

If there is anyway I can help, contact me through any of my submission pages. I have lots of free places to go on the web to help with your marketing. There are quite a few of us. From this point on, you are now what’s known as a “Self Promoting Artist.”

Wishing you success and many happy collectors,

Steeleyjon

Try traffic exchanges:

http://www.amazingsystem.ws

This is really an excellent question as many new business people don't know how to get free publicity. First consider getting to your local newspaper publisher and ask if you can write an article that is in line with your expertise. This can be done all over the web, in print, through sponsorship at art fairs and places where you can volunteer your services, auctions, etc. Get your name out there.

Obviously you must have a web site. If you don't get one. List with the search engines and even consider paying for some links if they benefit you. The major expenses come in the first year of business so use the above first. Get business cards and pass them out. Write your parents and ask them to tell the whole family what you are doing and ask them to support your efforts, You extended family too.

Keep pluggin' at it and you will be heavily exposed and soon be reaping the rewards. GOOD LUCK!

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