Many artists have remarked that having constraints (like deciding to use only two colors in a painting or no more than 1000 words for a short story) often leads to more creative results than unlimited freedom does.
Few have thought that constraints (such as a limited budget or limited time) relating to how they market their work could be an advantage, too. However, that can be the case. For example, let's say you're a self-published author who wants to promote your e-book.
What you don't have is an inside track to anybody in the media, a lot of money to spend on marketing, a marketing background....actually, probably the list is long, so let's focus on what you DO have and how that could be put to use.
A CAR. You could put an ad for your book on the car. Will the ad sell many copies? Probably not. Will it get attention from local media? Quite possibly.
CLOTHES. You could get some t-shirts made up that promote your book. What events in your area are likely to be covered on TV? How can you be sure you're right up front?
FRIENDS AND RELATIVES. You could organize a brainstorming pizza and beer night. You supply the pizza, they brainstorm how they could help you get attention for your book. Who do they know that might be useful? Do any of them own a business (like a coffee shop) where your book could be on sale?
A LIBRARY. Find out whether the library would be interested in having you give a talk about your book and the writing process.
A LOCAL BOOKSTORE. All right, sadly not everybody has one of these, but if you do, check whether they'd like you to do a talk/signing. Again, it may not sell too many books but might get you coverage in the local paper.
A SENSE OF HUMOR. Can you make an amusing video about your book to put on YouTube, your website, and other sites? Will it go viral? Probably not...but you never know.
STUFF YOU WANT TO GET RID OF. Instead of a yard sale, how about sponsoring a giveaway with intentionally crappy prizes? Again, the kind of thing that might get some media coverage if it's creative and amusing enough.
A LOCAL RADIO STATION. Local radio talk show hosts get desperate for something to talk about. Probably they're not eager to talk about a book, but pull a stunt like the ones mentioned above and they may be. Don't underestimate the value of getting coverage from a local newspaper or radio station. Larger media often pick up stories from local outlets.
A BRAIN AND CREATIVITY. You are creative enough to write a book (or paint a picture, or whatever you do). How else can you get creative about marketing what you create?
(I've written two books you might find useful: Do Something Different, published by Virgin Business Books with an introduction by Sir Richard Branson, and Marketing for Entrepreneurs, published by Pearson. Both are available from your favorite bookseller.)
