When you own your own business, you own the marketing of that business. Not everyone enjoys traditional marketing but there are some powerful, effective and FUN ways to get much better results.

1. Target your market very narrowly. You may think this will limit your potential customers, but in fact it has the opposite effect. It is very easy to find the right people and get your message across to them if you have identified them.
2. Put yourself in your prospect's shoes. You may guess what he/she is thinking or feeling, or in some cases you can ask them or conduct a survey. If you really know how your prospect is feeling, you will build trust with them on an emotional level and you will be much more likely to do business with them.
3. Think carefully before spending any money. That's right, I said 'any' money. Even £15 per month soon adds up and if you don't know the return you are getting on your marketing budget, you may be wasting it.
4. Have a plan and stick to it. If you don't, you are likely to get roped into extra campaigns, advertising and events which were not in your original budget. If you exceed your sales targets, you can always increase the budget next time.
5. Get feedback. You may think the brochure or advert looks great, but before you go to print, see what other people think, ideally your customers. It could help you improve the results you get and save you from wasting effort and money.
6. Outsource whenever you can afford it. In the early days of your business, you may really believe that you cannot afford to pay anyone else to do your marketing but as your business grows, you need to stick to that and let others take over the promotion. That way everyone is doing what they do best.
7. Track your results. At least once a year and ideally after every major campaign, you should measure the results and see what things are working for you and what is not. It can be hard to be objective, so you can get assistance from your accountant, business advisor or a good friend.

Mindy Gibbins-Klein, The Book Midwife
http://www.bookmidwife.com