Guest post by Terri Seymour of SeymourProducts.com
There are numerous ways to market your business online with a lot of them being free. In this article, I have detailed five of the newer marketing methods as well as five of the old tried & true methods that still can do a lot for your business!
Five Newer Marketing Methods
Video Marketing – Video marketing is a powerful and versatile tool for your online business. You can introduce yourself, detail what you offer on your site, demonstrate your products/services, offer free instructional videos, etc. Use your imagination and propel your business forward!
Online Radio – Radio has always been a powerful medium and it continues to be on the internet. Make yourself available to do online radio interviews. This is very cost effective and can get you and your business established all over the world. One place you can find online radio shows is the BusinessResourcesPodcastDirectory.com.
RSS Feeds – RSS meaning Really Simple Syndication is an easy way for you to distribute your articles, blogs, and other content all over the net. You need to set up your feed and then maybe start with a weekly article until you get used to it. You need to promote your feed so people subscribe to it, and you can also make your feed available to other websites for more exposure. One good tool for getting started is the RSS Channel Editor.
Social Networking – This marketing method has hit the internet like a tornado! There are numerous social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Ryze, StumbleUpon, LinkedIn and many others. These sites allow you to open an account, add your info and network with thousands of other people. They can really bring attention to your website/business.
Blogs – Although blogs have been around for awhile, they are one of the newer online marketing techniques. Blogging is becoming a very popular method of publishing as it does not require any technical knowledge and it can greatly increase the popularity of your site. Some blogs allow the visitors to post and enter their thoughts and opinions as well.
A blog keeps people coming back to your site and a blog is also very helpful with the search engines because of the ever changing content. Search engines love new content! A good free blogging tool is WordPress.org.
Five Old Tried & True Marketing Techniques
Article Marketing – Article marketing is a powerhouse technique in the marketing world! Although, it has been around for many years, it has not lost any of its effectiveness. Writing and submitting articles to ezine publishers, website owners and article directories is still one of the best ways to build your business.
Ad Swaps – I have participated in ad swaps since the beginning of my internet marketing career over ten years ago. Not only is this a good way to get free advertising, but you also make new business contacts and friends as well. Find quality ezines and contact the publisher, asking them if they would be interested in a joint venture. Swap top sponsor ads, solo mailings, etc. Search ezine directories and search Google as well. There are thousands of ezines being published so there is no shortage of quality publications for ad swapping!
Link Exchanges – Link exchanges is something you hear conflicting reports about. Some people think they don’t do any good – some people think they are only effective if done a certain way, etc. In my opinion, link exchanges can be very effective if done consistently. Exchange with quality sites that have a well-organized and categorized links section. Don’t exchange with “link farms” or sites that just have one big page loaded with every kind of link imaginable. Be selective and don’t offer your link to just any site.
Ezine Advertising – Ezine advertising can provide your business with a substantial boost! Finding quality ezines to advertise in can be one of the harder steps of ezine advertising. After you find the ezines you want, subscribe to them to get an idea of the consistency, reliability and quality of the ezines. Make sure the ezine is mailed out when it is supposed to be and that it contains quality content. You do not want to advertise in a big list of ads. This will lower the value of your ad by quite a bit. Does the ezine contain feedback from the other subscribers and if so, what do the subscribers say? These are all ways to indicate whether the ezine publisher is trusted by the subs and whether or not you can trust and believe in the publisher. This is VERY important!
Once you make the decision and choose an ezine or two to advertise in, you must write an effective ad. The main points to remember when writing an ad are:
- Keep it brief.
- Grab their attention in the headline.
- Emphasize the benefits to the purchaser.
Yahoo Groups and Message Boards – Visit message boards regularly and join some good email discussion groups. Networking on boards and groups can do a lot for your business, but you must follow the guidelines for posting and offer help and advice as often as you can. Don’t just post your business info and then never come back. This will just brand you as a spammer!
By working on these marketing techniques consistently and efficiently, you are sure to build your business and your reputation which in turn will increase your income. These days, that is one goal we all need to obtain! Much success to you!
About the Author
Terri Seymour has over ten years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site at http://www.seymourproducts.com for resources, $1 resell ebooks & software, free tutorials, affiliate programs, and a free ezine with bonus report: 77 Ways to Get Traffic! [email protected]
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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