By Kevin Nunley
In the early days of the Internet, one of the best ways to market your business online was to appear often in UseNet Newsgroups. These are bulletin board-like discussions. They can still be a good and often-overlooked marketing opportunity. Blatant advertising is usually banned, but you're welcome to give advice, pass on information and include your four to six-line "sig" file of contact info at the end of each message.
Newsgroups are a good way to build a reputation with a limited, but influential, group of people in your field. Pick no more than two groups to participate in. Try to post messages at least twice per week.
Don't let the "Troll Under the Bridge" discourage you. Just about every Newsgroup has one or more Trolls. These are people who seem to live on the Newsgroup and make a career out of attacking anything you say. But a good string of Troll attacks can actually draw attention to you and send legitimate customers your way.
A second method of Internet promotion is to place an ad in the Ezines. Ezines, or email newsletters are the cheapest, fastest way to reach a LOT of people. For less than a classified ad in your local paper, you can reach thousands of highly-targeted readers. This ability to target certain groups very cheaply is what makes ezines so special.
Make sure you place ads in Ezines that target your best customers. The more closely you can match your prospects with the dominant topic of the Ezine, the more quality response you'll get.
Ezine ads generally don't have a subject line or headline. Instead, the first few words of the ad are often typed in all capitals. Use that highly-visible space to tout a benefit or point out a problem the audience cares about.
For example "EARN $7,000" started a very successful ad in a business opportunity section. "1,000s OF ACCESSORIES" is the beginning of a results-pulling ad in an automotive Ezine. Write your ad in quick, short blurbs and start sentences with action words to give them more zip.
As you begin experimenting with the Internet for promoting your business, give the above methods a try. They're a good first step in reaching that larger audience you seek.
Get Kevin Nunley's new book "101 Best Biz-Tips, Powerful Low Cost Ways to Promote Your Business." $14.95 ppd. You may reach him at (801) 253-4536 or through email by writing DrNunley@aol.com Write Nunley at:
Kevin Nunley 9699S 2810W S. Jordan, UT 84095
You may also visit his website: www.DrNunley.com
 |
|
 |
|
 |
