There's an old saying, "If you build a better mousetrap, the world will beat a path to your door." That's just not true anymore. There are plenty of wonderful mousetraps out there that no one will ever buy because nobody knows they exist.

And you don't have to mount some expensive marketing campaign to get the word out. The truth is there are plenty of ways to market that mousetrap even if the only thing in your pocket is lint.

1. Free Publicity

The world's appetite for news is insatiable. With 24-hour TV news networks, online newspaper coverage and all-news radio stations, media outlets have created a beast that needs constant feeding.

Don't wait to be discovered. Ask yourself a couple of simple questions: "What is my story and who is going to tell it?" You already built the mousetrap, but forget about catching mice for a minute. It's time to catch the attention of the right reporter.

Study your local news. Who's writing about home sales with the paper? Is there a business reporter with one of the local TV stations who would care about the latest sales trend? Pick up the phone and call them. Tell them why their readers or viewers need to know what you are seeing on the frontline. And if the reporter passes on the story, it's no big deal. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and call another one.

2. Public Speaking

Every service club and Chamber of Commerce on the planet needs speakers. In fact, most Lions, Rotary and Kiwanis clubs need 52 speakers a year. It's an audition for dozens of new customers and yet many clubs struggle to find a speaker each week.

Even Even if you don't think you're a gifted speaker, most people will do just fine if they're talking about something they're passionate about. Come up with a 15-minute talk about "Giving Great Customer Service" or "How to Make a Home Sell Faster" and tell your story. Talk about what you do to make sure the "Sold" sign goes up in a matter of weeks rather than months or what you do to thrill your customers so much that they end up becoming your biggest word-of-mouth marketers.

3. Email Newsletters

If you aren't collecting email addresses and keeping in touch with your customers, you're leaving money on the table. No longer do you have to lick stamps to send out a newsletter. These online newsletters known as "ezines" cost nothing to send. But be careful not to become just another piece of spam.

Send your customers a weekly or monthly email with a valuable tip that will make their life easier. Don't create a long boring newsletter. People won't read it. A brief business tip or life lesson is all you need. It's just a nice way of keeping in touch so that if someone happens to need a new mousetrap or knows of someone else who does; your mousetraps are top of mind. And if your information is valuable, your old customers will help you find new ones by forwarding your email. Many people have created email lists of tens of thousands of names reaching more readers than many newspapers.

Those are just three simple ways you can jumpstart your marketing efforts without spending a dime. Just try one idea. What do you have to lose other than perhaps your anonymity? And if you're marketing that mousetrap effectively, you'll find a long line of customers beating a path to your door ready to take the bait.

Published: December 10, 2007

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Jeff Crilley is an Emmy Award winning TV reporter in Dallas. During his 20 years in television news he has made hundreds of national news appearances including CNN, CNN Headline News, FOX News, The Discovery Channel, Good Morning America and The CBS Early Show. He has been recognized by his peers with dozens of national and regional awards including the Emmy, the National Headliners Award, the Edward R. Murrow Award, the Thurgood Marshall Award and in 2004 was named by the Texas Associated Press, "The Best TV Reporter in the state." Jeff speaks at no charge on marketing. For more information, visit JeffCrilley.com.