The internet means that no one knows whether you're a one-man band or a multinational. Oh really? Check out the quality of the respective websites and you'll soon spot the amateurs. But there is good news: the internet does enable a small company to do the kind of marketing that the big boys find awkward or impossible. Some people call this "guerrilla marketing", though that term has been hijacked for stunts like FHM magazine's projection of a naked Gail Porter on to the Houses of Parliament. But here are a dozen top tips for low- or no-cost marketing tactics that any business can use:
· Go back to basics. Leaflets are cheap; give the punters a reason for reading them, highlight your website and email address, then distribute outside high-profile events like trade shows or pop concerts. Flyposting is illegal but effective for some audiences. Classified ads in local papers, postcards in newsagents' windows, bumper stickers, magnetic vehicle signs... Don't be embarrassed to use anything that works.

· Make it easy for them to find you. Direct mailers need reply-paid cards or envelopes, literature should have easy-to-spot freephone numbers, websites should have contact information "above the fold" - on the top half of the screen, no scrolling required to see it - along with that big button labelled BUY NOW.

· Collect names. Garner them from inquiries, purchasers, anyone who registers a guarantee, your website, newsletter subscribers, trade show visitors, telephone callers, market research etc. It's easier to talk to someone who already knows your name, so these people are your hottest prospects for postal or email marketing.

·Give something for nothing. Obvious direct mail incentives include freebies and product samples. But make it something that arrives regularly with usable information and you instantly improve your standing. Easy solution: a regular emailed newsletter - cheaper to produce and distribute than the paper equivalent and a lot more versatile. Don't forget to include a prominent "sign up for free newsletter" button on page one of your website.

· Find a simple-to-use domain name. Make it easy to remember, ideally short and in plain English. Register a few alternatives that redirect the visitor to your site, just in case people misspell it or put in unnecessary hyphens.

· Work at your website. It's a 24-hour internationally available brochure, salesperson and character reference. Tell everyone about it. And make sure it's worth visiting. For that you need real content, refreshed regularly. Offer a newsletter, comment, case studies, copies of press releases, a privacy policy, your customer service policy, user surveys. The design and copywriting have to be dead right, too - the web isn't like a paper document, and people react differently to something they're seeing on a screen. Use a pro if anyone around you thinks your website looks (gulp) amateurish.

· Optimise for search engines. That means adroit use of meta tags for content keywords, clever copywriting (the same keywords should appear frequently in your web page's text), link exchanges (several search engines increase your ranking if other websites reference yours), and appropriate page design: frames, Flash and lots of JavaScript can impede your visibility to search tools. Spend time learning about search engine optimisation, or pay for specialist advice. And do it right from the start, not as an afterthought. Apart from anything else, you should allow three to six months to achieve a really high ranking.

· Say "thank you". Make it a habit to write personal thank you notes to clients, colleagues, suppliers. It won't cost you much and they'll remember you the next time.

· Tell the team. Make sure everyone collects names (for the list) and comments (for testimonials) as a matter of course; that everyone knows about the promotions and special offers you have running; that everyone understands your USP and can talk about it easily.

· Try viral. We're talking about word-of-mouth campaigns, email attachments, free mobile-phone games or ringtones, PC utilities and screensavers - all of which can be passed on from one person to another at no cost to you. Yes, you need to get things started with a seed distribution of some kind. And no, there aren't any hard and fast rules about what works and why. So think laterally, try a few alternatives, encourage the pass-on, and have fun.

· Use PR. Provided you're prepared to take the long view, it can be very effective to run a press campaign: press releases, contacts with selected journalists, the occasional stunt or party. Local papers are good for local stories and industry magazines take the view that they should print as many news items as possible, but you'd better have something pretty remarkable to get into the nationals or the bigger monthlies. One tactic: be controversial, because pushy soundbite-sized comments make good copy. Argue about proposed legislation, the actions or comments of any large competitor, anything any politician or industry body says or does. React to news items with a letter to the editor if you can't reach a journalist directly to offer a proactive quote.

· Use testimonials. It works if your target audience can identify with the people you're quoting. Encourage customers to tell you how much they like you: enclose a reply-paid comments card with every order, ask people what they think of you when they phone up, get their permission to quote their name as well as their praise.