Hear ye.

If you plan to post a 50-character advertisement in a widely-read newspapaper for its Sunday publication, better prepare 4 bills with Benigno Aquino, Jr.’s picture on it. Otherwise, just print thousands of flyers at the nearest photocopying center for P.50/leaf and hire people to distribute them all over the metro. Either way, reaching your market through print advertisement will mean money, money, and yes, more money out of your pocket. But for smart individuals out there, this is no longer the case. Like some good things in life, advertising may come for free -- with the help of the Internet.

Free classified ad sites like www.olx.com.ph, www.sulit.com.ph and www.philbuysell.com are slowly gaining popularity among house & lot/condominium owners in securing buyers or tenants at a lesser cost. Not only do they get to advertise for long periods for free, but they also spare themselves from the frustration of constantly paying their broker’s fees. This time, they deal directly with interested parties and are able to seal the deal themselves. Moreover, through the filter features of these cyber-avenues, people looking for a place to purchase or lease are able to zero-in to advertisements which match their preference (ie. unit space, amenities, location).

Social networking websites such as Facebook are another set of commonly used
means to advertise one’s products free from charge. Small-scale businesses, from those selling home-made cakes & pastries to those importing Korean line of clothing, usually spread the word by uploading pictures of their products and tagging their contacts. They utilize the website’s features, similarly offered to the accounts of actual individuals, to their proprietary advantage. So far, this has been working as their network keeps on growing.

As shown above, advertisements do not have to be worth spending on. It only takes an open mind and an enterprising spirit to see and utilize the opportunities which the Internet has to offer.