Instead of putting a 39-cent stamp on an envelope,
consider putting 39 1-cent stamps on the front
of an envelope. One of the principles of direct
mail is to stand out to get the attention of the
receiver so your mail isn't thrown away or
ignored. Attention, interest, desire and action
lead to a successful direct-mail program. And
anything you can do to get attention increases
the probability of action being taken. Best of
all, in this case, you won't even rack up any
additional costs.
Every month, give customers a chance to win a
free lunch or a compliments of your business.
Everyone likes a chance to win things. An
incentive like a $10 gift card for lunch at a
local restaurant might be enough to influence a
customer to order from you now, rather than later,
or choose your business instead of your
competition. You could also consider other offers,
like a Starbucks or shopping vouchers. The goal
is to entice them with rewards.
Make a donation to charity for every purchase
made during a particular month. If your orders
average more than $100 each, donate $10 per order.
If that doesn't make sense for your prices, find
another dollar amount that's a good fit. Your
donations will be well worth it if they
accelerate orders or increase volume.

Use lottery tickets as incentives for referrals.
You could market your giveaway as a chance to win
a million dollars (or whatever the grand prize is
for the lottery in your area) for all referrals
received during a particular period of time.

Hold a contest for prospects and customers. Here
is an idea. How about "Guess the serial number on
a $10 bill and it's yours"? It's not a lot of
money, but people who stop by your place of
business will have fun and will remember the
contest. And if they win, they'll tell people
about it--even for just $10.

Be creative and innovate if your marketing budget
is low. Try these ideas and see if it works.