Now that you’ve laid the foundation of your marketing plan, outline the strategies you’ll use to achieve your objectives. List those that seem most promising. Write down what you hope to accomplish with each one.

Your marketing strategy is limited only by your budget and your creativity. A hefty budget certainly helps, but plenty of marketing options cost very little. Build your action plan around strategies that offer the most promise for influencing your target audience and that won’t blow your budget or overburden your staff.

Consider the following options, always keeping in mind their effectiveness in reaching your primary markets:

• Buy advertising. The downside of advertising is its cost. But in return you gain control over the message and its delivery. Place your ads with media outlets that have a proven ability to reach audiences with your target market’s demographics.

• Collateral materials such as brochures, newsletters, fliers and posters are low-cost tools that can help raise awareness of your offerings. Send them out through direct mail. Make them available in your store. Place them in libraries, community centers or the chamber of commerce office. Give them out at community fairs.

• Reserve a booth at trade shows, job fairs, home shows and other gathering places. Shows are great places for handing out coupons and free samples as well as promotional materials such as pens, caps or bumper stickers.

• Give talks to community, business and professional groups.

• Develop story angles for local media. Send out press releases and press kits.

• Sponsor events that demonstrate your commitment to the community—fun runs, charity car washes, senior citizens’ gatherings. Or sponsor a sports team or a cultural event such as a concert or play.

• Join business networking groups and trade associations. Take every opportunity to learn from others and to tell them about your business.

• Use the Internet. Invest in a Web site for your company so that consumers who rely on the Internet can find you. Search out related topical sites and ask them to link to your company’s home page. Talk up your company on Internet bulletin boards related to your field.