Business Empire Magazine provides how to's and articles for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs

One of the largest expenses when starting a business can be advertising and marketing to bring in customers. This can seem a daunting expense for those who are newbie's to the online business arena, and are trying to start a business on a budget.

It doesn't have to be that way! There are many ways to advertise your business without spending a dime; here are the top 3 free advertising and marketing ideas for an online business.

1. Write articles about your topic of interest. This is the number one way I drive traffic to Women on the Net and my other sites. In fact, the article you are reading right now will send me thousands of visitors over time. It's not hard to write a how to article about your chosen topic. You just need to be conversational in your language. Act like you are explaining the solution to a friend's problem, and write it just that way. Now find sites that might be interested in your information, and write the editor asking if they would like to reprint the article for free, in exchange for a live link and short bio of you and your site at the end of the article. Also submit your articles to article banks to allow other publishers to access and reprint your articles, for the same bio and live link. My favorite article banks are EzineArticles, Businessempiremag and IdeaMarketers, although there are many. Make sure you add new articles every week, and your site will also get the added benefit of receiving more traffic from search engines.

2. Exchange ads with other list owners. There are many websites with newsletter lists who are in the same boat you are...no money for advertising! Don't be afraid to offer an exchange of advertising to help each other out. Obviously you don't want to choose a close competitor. But think outside the box a little. I have traded ads for my decorating site with sites for stay at home moms with great results. Not a home and garden competitor, but still has a target market that works for me as well.

3. Find popular forums and message boards in your area of expertise, and participate! Answer questions, join in conversations, and be SURE you have a signature line below your name after every post, with a link to your site and a one line description of what you do. For instance, my sig line for home decorating forums might look like:

Kathy Wilson

"Home Decorating with Creativity, Not Cash!"

(Your url Here)

That's it, just a subtle sig line. People will start to quickly recognize you as a helpful expert and will visit your site to see what you offer. The one thing you DO NOT want to do is actively promote your site within your message. If people ask you about it, suggest they email you off list. Most forums have rules against promoting your own site, and it's just annoying. However, sig lines are almost always allowed. In addition, you might make some friends or network with some associates in the subject area you love! A real plus for those of us who work at home all day, and are somewhat isolated.