By Melanie Marten
1. Post informative and entertaining posts on forums to increase both personal and brand recognition. Personal recognition is useful to establish yourself as an expert in your field, whether it be internet marketing, fashion, or parenting. The large group of forum posters will get to know you as both a source of information and as a friendly, helpful person. These impression will do much to create positive views of your business.
2. Use a memorable anchor test for your website link, a catchy motto, or even a graphic logo from your business as an avatar, and your business will stick in the minds of the other forum visitors.
3. Include a link to your website with a graphic or small amount of information in a signature file. This signature will be automatically added to each post you make. This link and blurb or graphic will attract interested people who will click on the link and visit your website. Posting regularly on a forum will continuously promote your business online.
4. Network with other online business owners and marketers. Not only can you establish friendships, you can also trade advertisements and links on websites, and learn new methods to promote your business online. Social networking is the catch phrase for online promotion these days, and forums are one of the best places to do it.
Showing posts with label Online Business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Online Business. Show all posts
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
6 Simple Ways to Promote Your Online Business Offline
By Laura Spencer
1. Introductions
Pay attention to what you say about your work when you meet someone new. Whenever I met someone I used to simply say, “I’m a writer,” or “I work from home.” Those responses did absolutely nothing to promote my business. Most people think that a writer is the author of a novel and working from home could mean that I telecommute. Now when I meet someone I say, “I own a business that provides web content, writing, and editing services.” With that response, the person that I’m talking to gets a much clearer picture of what I actually do.
2. Friends and family
Make sure that your friends and family understand your business. I know that this can be a tough assignment. Sometimes family are the very last people to “get it” when it comes to how a freelancer earns money. However, if your friends and family do get it, then when they meet someone and describe your work to them that description will be accurate. How many times have you heard someone say that they got a project from a “friend of a friend?” That can only happen when the friend knows what to say about your business.
3. Business cards
Have one and share it with others. It’s amazing how many freelancers don’t even bother to create a business card. Yet, for many people getting a business card makes a business seem more legitimate. When you create your business card make sure to include your name, your website URL, your e-mail, and any other contact information that you may have. Once you have a business card, hand it out whenever you meet new people, enclose it with letters that you send, and give it to friends and family members.
4. Advertise
Advertising doesn’t have to be expensive. You can take out an advertisement in back of the business section of your local newspaper (look for a smaller paper). You may also be able to place an advertisement in a small, regional magazine. Often, sports teams from local schools and civic organizations are looking for sponsorship. For a small donation, the team is often willing to place an ad for your business in their program. Finally, don’t forget to explore the possibility of placing an advertisement in your local telephone directory.
5. Join a group
One of the easiest ways to promote your online business offline is to become part of an offline group. This expands your network of contacts. Most towns and cities have business-oriented organizations such as the local Chamber of Commerce that you can join. However, an organization need not be business-related for you to engage in networking. If you have a hobby or other special interest, then you can join a group that focuses on that particular interest. Even though your fellow group members may not be potential customers, they may know of someone else who can use your services.
6. Direct mail
Prepare an informative packet for a small, targeted group of businesses (or customers) in your local area that could use your services. Personalize each packet with a letter describing specifically how your business can be of help. Mail the packets out and follow through in a few weeks with a friendly call to see if the potential customer received the packet. Ask if they have any questions about the information that you provided.
1. Introductions
Pay attention to what you say about your work when you meet someone new. Whenever I met someone I used to simply say, “I’m a writer,” or “I work from home.” Those responses did absolutely nothing to promote my business. Most people think that a writer is the author of a novel and working from home could mean that I telecommute. Now when I meet someone I say, “I own a business that provides web content, writing, and editing services.” With that response, the person that I’m talking to gets a much clearer picture of what I actually do.
2. Friends and family
Make sure that your friends and family understand your business. I know that this can be a tough assignment. Sometimes family are the very last people to “get it” when it comes to how a freelancer earns money. However, if your friends and family do get it, then when they meet someone and describe your work to them that description will be accurate. How many times have you heard someone say that they got a project from a “friend of a friend?” That can only happen when the friend knows what to say about your business.
3. Business cards
Have one and share it with others. It’s amazing how many freelancers don’t even bother to create a business card. Yet, for many people getting a business card makes a business seem more legitimate. When you create your business card make sure to include your name, your website URL, your e-mail, and any other contact information that you may have. Once you have a business card, hand it out whenever you meet new people, enclose it with letters that you send, and give it to friends and family members.
4. Advertise
Advertising doesn’t have to be expensive. You can take out an advertisement in back of the business section of your local newspaper (look for a smaller paper). You may also be able to place an advertisement in a small, regional magazine. Often, sports teams from local schools and civic organizations are looking for sponsorship. For a small donation, the team is often willing to place an ad for your business in their program. Finally, don’t forget to explore the possibility of placing an advertisement in your local telephone directory.
5. Join a group
One of the easiest ways to promote your online business offline is to become part of an offline group. This expands your network of contacts. Most towns and cities have business-oriented organizations such as the local Chamber of Commerce that you can join. However, an organization need not be business-related for you to engage in networking. If you have a hobby or other special interest, then you can join a group that focuses on that particular interest. Even though your fellow group members may not be potential customers, they may know of someone else who can use your services.
6. Direct mail
Prepare an informative packet for a small, targeted group of businesses (or customers) in your local area that could use your services. Personalize each packet with a letter describing specifically how your business can be of help. Mail the packets out and follow through in a few weeks with a friendly call to see if the potential customer received the packet. Ask if they have any questions about the information that you provided.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
10 Winning Ways To Promote Your Online Business
By Kristie Tamsevicius, author of the ebook, The Ultimate Guide to Creating and Marketing eBooks.
You've got your website built, it's got all the gizmos and gadgets, and your website is "live" on the server. Now what? How do you get customers to your site? You can register with the search engines and directories. There are several good services out there to choose from. How else can you market your website to make it stand above the crowd? Here's some tips I've picked up along the way.
1. Write A Newsletter.
Newsletters are one of today's best marketing tools. They have great pass along value; if someone likes your newsletter it's easy for them to email it to a friend. It is a credible source of information. The key to doing a good newsletter is to give your readers information they can use. Make it worth their while to read. Be careful not to make it one big ad for your company. That will turn people off.
Newsletters let your readers get to know you. When people trust you they are much more likely to BUY!! Lastly make sure you only send your newsletter to people who want it. People are very turned off by spam. The last thing you want to do is turn off a potential client.
Want to promote your new newsletter? Write a paragraph describing your newsletter and submit it to a newsletter announcement site. Here's one to try: http://www.list-city.com/. If you are interested in writing a newsletter the foremost authority on newsletters is Mershon Bell, at http://www.mershonbell.com./
2. Submit An Article To Other Newsletters And Ezines
Subscribe to their newsletter before you pitch your article to them. When you pitch the author, tell him why your love his newsletter before you ask him to publish your article. Tell him why your article will interest his readers. Keep your article short and the self promotion minimal. Offer to promote their newsletter in turn for them promoting yours. Be sure to thank folks who do publish your article. A little thanks goes a long way!
3. Newsboards And Email-Discussion Groups
Post a paragraph about your products and services and items of interest on your site at newsgroups. Listz is a great newsgroup directory. Dejanews is a top rated newsgroup you shouldn't miss!
4. Links On Your Web Pages
Links are a very cost effective way to increase traffic to your site. Sites you link to should be sites you like, complement your services, and add value to your site. Don't just add links for the heck of it. This will junk up your site and you'll lose the credibility of your visitors. Reciprocating links are a fantastic way to drive traffic to your website. Be nice: don't link to someone's site without their knowledge. A recent survey of ten ezine publishers shows that 80% of their traffic comes from links in other newsletters or at other websites. Many major search engines ranks sites according to the number of sites linking to yours.
5. Give Aways
What "gift" can you give readers who come to your site. Is there a fun quiz for them to take, a helpful article they can read, a bit of humor, a quote, a great book you read, or resources they can use? Make sure that visitors feel rewarded when they visit your site. Change the "gift" now and then. Give them a reason to keep coming back to see what's new and tell their friends about your great site.
6. Email Signature
An Email Signature is a few lines of text that goes at the bottom of emails you send. It acts as your online business card. A good signature will be brief, list your name, company name, what your business does and why it's better. It should also include all ways for people to reach you including e-mail address and your URL. Be sure to make it a hyperlink so folks can click right over to your website!
Here's your chance to mention new products, or your newsletter. Keep it fresh so it captures your readers attention. Use borders to make it visually exciting! Use your imagination, play with the characters on your keyboard. Here's a few ideas for you:
~~~~~~~~~
*~*~*~*~
<><><><>
************
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
'''''''''''''''
7. Banner Exchanges
This is a great way to advertise your site! And many of them are FREE! Here's some to try: TrafficX, Link Buddies, Smart Clicks.
8. FREE LINK PAGES: Free Link Pages
List a link to your site for free on a link page! Try Link Booster.
9. Free Advertising
Take advantage of free classified ads. These are a great way to BE SEEN. Most ads are free with upgrades available for a fee. A hassle free guide to ezine advertising is The Directory of Ezines.
10. Teleclasses
Offer a free teleclass to visitors. Know someone who's a real expert in their field? Ask them if they'd teach a teleclass with you. Renting a telebridge is pretty inexpensive. This is a powerful tool for attract potential customers. You can offer a follow up coaching group on the subject.
This is a great way to add more value, get closer contact with potential customers, and even make some money!
You've got your website built, it's got all the gizmos and gadgets, and your website is "live" on the server. Now what? How do you get customers to your site? You can register with the search engines and directories. There are several good services out there to choose from. How else can you market your website to make it stand above the crowd? Here's some tips I've picked up along the way.
1. Write A Newsletter.
Newsletters are one of today's best marketing tools. They have great pass along value; if someone likes your newsletter it's easy for them to email it to a friend. It is a credible source of information. The key to doing a good newsletter is to give your readers information they can use. Make it worth their while to read. Be careful not to make it one big ad for your company. That will turn people off.
Newsletters let your readers get to know you. When people trust you they are much more likely to BUY!! Lastly make sure you only send your newsletter to people who want it. People are very turned off by spam. The last thing you want to do is turn off a potential client.
Want to promote your new newsletter? Write a paragraph describing your newsletter and submit it to a newsletter announcement site. Here's one to try: http://www.list-city.com/. If you are interested in writing a newsletter the foremost authority on newsletters is Mershon Bell, at http://www.mershonbell.com./
2. Submit An Article To Other Newsletters And Ezines
Subscribe to their newsletter before you pitch your article to them. When you pitch the author, tell him why your love his newsletter before you ask him to publish your article. Tell him why your article will interest his readers. Keep your article short and the self promotion minimal. Offer to promote their newsletter in turn for them promoting yours. Be sure to thank folks who do publish your article. A little thanks goes a long way!
3. Newsboards And Email-Discussion Groups
Post a paragraph about your products and services and items of interest on your site at newsgroups. Listz is a great newsgroup directory. Dejanews is a top rated newsgroup you shouldn't miss!
4. Links On Your Web Pages
Links are a very cost effective way to increase traffic to your site. Sites you link to should be sites you like, complement your services, and add value to your site. Don't just add links for the heck of it. This will junk up your site and you'll lose the credibility of your visitors. Reciprocating links are a fantastic way to drive traffic to your website. Be nice: don't link to someone's site without their knowledge. A recent survey of ten ezine publishers shows that 80% of their traffic comes from links in other newsletters or at other websites. Many major search engines ranks sites according to the number of sites linking to yours.
5. Give Aways
What "gift" can you give readers who come to your site. Is there a fun quiz for them to take, a helpful article they can read, a bit of humor, a quote, a great book you read, or resources they can use? Make sure that visitors feel rewarded when they visit your site. Change the "gift" now and then. Give them a reason to keep coming back to see what's new and tell their friends about your great site.
6. Email Signature
An Email Signature is a few lines of text that goes at the bottom of emails you send. It acts as your online business card. A good signature will be brief, list your name, company name, what your business does and why it's better. It should also include all ways for people to reach you including e-mail address and your URL. Be sure to make it a hyperlink so folks can click right over to your website!
Here's your chance to mention new products, or your newsletter. Keep it fresh so it captures your readers attention. Use borders to make it visually exciting! Use your imagination, play with the characters on your keyboard. Here's a few ideas for you:
~~~~~~~~~
*~*~*~*~
<><><><>
************
^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^
'''''''''''''''
7. Banner Exchanges
This is a great way to advertise your site! And many of them are FREE! Here's some to try: TrafficX, Link Buddies, Smart Clicks.
8. FREE LINK PAGES: Free Link Pages
List a link to your site for free on a link page! Try Link Booster.
9. Free Advertising
Take advantage of free classified ads. These are a great way to BE SEEN. Most ads are free with upgrades available for a fee. A hassle free guide to ezine advertising is The Directory of Ezines.
10. Teleclasses
Offer a free teleclass to visitors. Know someone who's a real expert in their field? Ask them if they'd teach a teleclass with you. Renting a telebridge is pretty inexpensive. This is a powerful tool for attract potential customers. You can offer a follow up coaching group on the subject.
This is a great way to add more value, get closer contact with potential customers, and even make some money!
Monday, December 15, 2008
COST EFFECTIVE MEANS OF ADVERTISING
I’m really curious to know what cost effective means of advertising my fellow entrepreneurs are using in order to attract customers to there Online Businesses. Some of the things that I try to use to attract more customers to my Online Store are as follows:
1. I had some business cards and flyers made which I give out to people every chance I get.
2. I always include a flyer or business card in all the packages that I mail out to my customers.
3. I always upload all my items on Google base.
4. I submit my store url to as many search engines as I can.
5. I advertise my store on my blogs.
6. I advertise my items on forums every opportunity I get.
7. I use my store banner as my signature on all my out going e-mails.
If there any other suggestions out there please feel free to share them, I would really love to hear them.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
10 Rules for Building a Successful Business
I have an online business and sometimes business is so slow it's discouraging! I can't say how many times I've felt like giving up and just closing my business. However, I'm still hanging in there, giving it my all. I came across this and found it very interesting, it actually motivated me to keep on doing all that I can to make my business grow. It also helped me realize that success does not come easy and sure doesn’t happen over night.
Believe it or not a lot of these big time business men and women that we sit down and admire today did not start from the top. They started from the bottom and worked there way to the top, which was not easy, at some point they were where we are today. But Guess what? They never gave up on there dreams, they faced there challenges and found a way to make it happen.....and look at where they are now! I just thought I should share that with everyone. Hope you find it as inspiring as I did.
Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, grew up poor in a farm community in rural Missouri during the Great Depression. The poverty he experienced while growing up taught him the value of money and to persevere.
Today, Wal-Mart is the world's #1 retailer, with more than 4,150 stores, including discount stores, combination discount and grocery stores, and membership-only warehouse stores (Sam's Club). Learn Walton's winning formula for business.
Sam Walton: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Business
Rule 1: Commit to your business.
Believe in it more than anybody else. I think I overcame every single one of my personal shortcomings by the sheer passion I brought to my work. I don't know if you're born with this kind of passion, or if you can learn it. But I do know you need it. If you love your work, you'll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you — like a fever.
Rule 2: Share your profits with all your associates, and treat them as partners.
In turn, they will treat you as a partner, and together you will all perform beyond your wildest expectations. Remain a corporation and retain control if you like, but behave as a servant leader in your partnership. Encourage your associates to hold a stake in the company. Offer discounted stock, and grant them stock for their retirement. It's the single best thing we ever did.
Rule 3: Motivate your partners.
Money and ownership alone aren't enough. Constantly, day by day, think of new and more interesting ways to motivate and challenge your partners. Set high goals, encourage competition, and then keep score. Make bets with outrageous payoffs. If things get stale, cross-pollinate; have managers switch jobs with one another to stay challenged. Keep everybody guessing as to what your next trick is going to be. Don't become too predictable.
Rule 4: Communicate everything you possibly can to your partners.
The more they know, the more they'll understand. The more they understand, the more they'll care. Once they care, there's no stopping them. If you don't trust your associates to know what's going on, they'll know you really don't consider them partners. Information is power, and the gain you get from empowering your associates more than offsets the risk of informing your competitors.
Rule 5: Appreciate everything your associates do for the business.
A paycheck and a stock option will buy one kind of loyalty. But all of us like to be told how much somebody appreciates what we do for them. We like to hear it often, and especially when we have done something we're really proud of. Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They're absolutely free — and worth a fortune.
Rule 6: Celebrate your success.
Find some humor in your failures. Don't take yourself so seriously. Loosen up, and everybody around you will loosen up. Have fun. Show enthusiasm — always. When all else fails, put on a costume and sing a silly song. Then make everybody else sing with you. Don't do a hula on Wall Street. It's been done. Think up your own stunt. All of this is more important, and more fun, than you think, and it really fools competition. "Why should we take those cornballs at Wal-Mart seriously?"
Rule 7: Listen to everyone in your company and figure out ways to get them talking.
The folks on the front lines — the ones who actually talk to the customer — are the only ones who really know what's going on out there. You'd better find out what they know. This really is what total quality is all about. To push responsibility down in your organization, and to force good ideas to bubble up within it, you must listen to what your associates are trying to tell you.
Rule 8: Exceed your customer's expectations.
If you do, they'll come back over and over. Give them what they want — and a little more. Let them know you appreciate them. Make good on all your mistakes, and don't make excuses — apologize. Stand behind everything you do. The two most important words I ever wrote were on that first Wal-Mart sign: "Satisfaction Guaranteed." They're still up there, and they have made all the difference.
Rule 9: Control your expenses better than your competition.
This is where you can always find the competitive advantage. For twenty-five years running — long before Wal-Mart was known as the nation's largest retailer — we've ranked No. 1 in our industry for the lowest ratio of expenses to sales. You can make a lot of different mistakes and still recover if you run an efficient operation. Or you can be brilliant and still go out of business if you're too inefficient.
Rule 10: Swim upstream.
Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everybody else is doing it one way, there's a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction. But be prepared for a lot of folks to wave you down and tell you you're headed the wrong way. I guess in all my years, what I heard more often than anything was: a town of less than 50,000 population cannot support a discount store for very long.
Believe it or not a lot of these big time business men and women that we sit down and admire today did not start from the top. They started from the bottom and worked there way to the top, which was not easy, at some point they were where we are today. But Guess what? They never gave up on there dreams, they faced there challenges and found a way to make it happen.....and look at where they are now! I just thought I should share that with everyone. Hope you find it as inspiring as I did.
Sam Walton, the founder of Wal-Mart, grew up poor in a farm community in rural Missouri during the Great Depression. The poverty he experienced while growing up taught him the value of money and to persevere.
Today, Wal-Mart is the world's #1 retailer, with more than 4,150 stores, including discount stores, combination discount and grocery stores, and membership-only warehouse stores (Sam's Club). Learn Walton's winning formula for business.
Sam Walton: 10 Rules for Building a Successful Business
Rule 1: Commit to your business.
Believe in it more than anybody else. I think I overcame every single one of my personal shortcomings by the sheer passion I brought to my work. I don't know if you're born with this kind of passion, or if you can learn it. But I do know you need it. If you love your work, you'll be out there every day trying to do it the best you possibly can, and pretty soon everybody around will catch the passion from you — like a fever.
Rule 2: Share your profits with all your associates, and treat them as partners.
In turn, they will treat you as a partner, and together you will all perform beyond your wildest expectations. Remain a corporation and retain control if you like, but behave as a servant leader in your partnership. Encourage your associates to hold a stake in the company. Offer discounted stock, and grant them stock for their retirement. It's the single best thing we ever did.
Rule 3: Motivate your partners.
Money and ownership alone aren't enough. Constantly, day by day, think of new and more interesting ways to motivate and challenge your partners. Set high goals, encourage competition, and then keep score. Make bets with outrageous payoffs. If things get stale, cross-pollinate; have managers switch jobs with one another to stay challenged. Keep everybody guessing as to what your next trick is going to be. Don't become too predictable.
Rule 4: Communicate everything you possibly can to your partners.
The more they know, the more they'll understand. The more they understand, the more they'll care. Once they care, there's no stopping them. If you don't trust your associates to know what's going on, they'll know you really don't consider them partners. Information is power, and the gain you get from empowering your associates more than offsets the risk of informing your competitors.
Rule 5: Appreciate everything your associates do for the business.
A paycheck and a stock option will buy one kind of loyalty. But all of us like to be told how much somebody appreciates what we do for them. We like to hear it often, and especially when we have done something we're really proud of. Nothing else can quite substitute for a few well-chosen, well-timed, sincere words of praise. They're absolutely free — and worth a fortune.
Rule 6: Celebrate your success.
Find some humor in your failures. Don't take yourself so seriously. Loosen up, and everybody around you will loosen up. Have fun. Show enthusiasm — always. When all else fails, put on a costume and sing a silly song. Then make everybody else sing with you. Don't do a hula on Wall Street. It's been done. Think up your own stunt. All of this is more important, and more fun, than you think, and it really fools competition. "Why should we take those cornballs at Wal-Mart seriously?"
Rule 7: Listen to everyone in your company and figure out ways to get them talking.
The folks on the front lines — the ones who actually talk to the customer — are the only ones who really know what's going on out there. You'd better find out what they know. This really is what total quality is all about. To push responsibility down in your organization, and to force good ideas to bubble up within it, you must listen to what your associates are trying to tell you.
Rule 8: Exceed your customer's expectations.
If you do, they'll come back over and over. Give them what they want — and a little more. Let them know you appreciate them. Make good on all your mistakes, and don't make excuses — apologize. Stand behind everything you do. The two most important words I ever wrote were on that first Wal-Mart sign: "Satisfaction Guaranteed." They're still up there, and they have made all the difference.
Rule 9: Control your expenses better than your competition.
This is where you can always find the competitive advantage. For twenty-five years running — long before Wal-Mart was known as the nation's largest retailer — we've ranked No. 1 in our industry for the lowest ratio of expenses to sales. You can make a lot of different mistakes and still recover if you run an efficient operation. Or you can be brilliant and still go out of business if you're too inefficient.
Rule 10: Swim upstream.
Go the other way. Ignore the conventional wisdom. If everybody else is doing it one way, there's a good chance you can find your niche by going in exactly the opposite direction. But be prepared for a lot of folks to wave you down and tell you you're headed the wrong way. I guess in all my years, what I heard more often than anything was: a town of less than 50,000 population cannot support a discount store for very long.
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