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Dr. Ande’s Guide to the Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Ads
30 JanHappy birthday to me!
I decided to share my birthday with all of you and give you some tips to boot! These are to help you with your business advertising and marketing. After all, if you don’t market you’ll get no income!
So here it goes 44 Tips on Ad Writing:
- DO WRITE OUT ALL DETAILS in your ad offer!
- Read it, edit it, and re-write it until it’s a shorter, money saving effective ad. “Think small”.
- DO FOLLOW ALL THE RULES when writing your classified ad. Use these ideas.
- Attention Interest Desire Action
- DO USE A NAME with each classified ad including your envelopes.
- DO NOT CHARGE for sales letters or circulars.
- DO BE HONEST with all your classified ad claims.
- DO IDENTIFY your product.
- DO WRITE YOUR CLASSIFIED AD simple, clear and direct.
- DO USE WORDS EVERYONE KNOWS and everyone will understand what you are saying.
- DO USE A WORD that will benefit a reader.
- DO NOT OVERPRICE your product.
- DO ADVERTISE FREQUENTLY. Constant exposure creates a familiar offer with better response.
- DO OFFER A MONEY BACK GUARANTEE in your classified ad, sales letter or circular if possible. An excellent sales technique!
- DO TEST YOUR AD in 2 or 3 smaller, low cost publications. Record the results. Code each ad.
- DO READ PUBLICATIONS that relate to your product. Write for ad rates, paid circulation, discounts and closing dates. Keep records.
- DO HAVE ALL YOUR LITERATURE AND PRODUCTS ready for mailing when your ad appears in the publication of your choice. Do not delay in responding.
- DO USE THE COPYCAT METHOD. Do what other successful advertisers are doing, only with a slight twist, idea or offer. Make it personal to your business.
- DO RUN SEVERAL ADS! Word each differently. Keep records of results.
- DON’T OVER ADVERTISE. It can be expensive. If you want to, do it gradually.
- DON’T PRETEND YOU KNOW ALL THE ANSWERS. Because you don’t. Take time to find out what you need to know.
- DON’T TRUST YOUR MEMORY. A thought will leave you as quickly as it came. Always write down a good idea. NOW!
- DON’T PLACE YOUR AD in the wrong classification or on the wrong website/blog.
- DON’T WASTE YOUR MONEY on ad words to amuse or entertain, but use words to persuade, inform and sell your product.
- DO USE A SHORT BUSINESS NAME. Make it easy to pronounce and remember.
- DON’T FORGET THE M.E.D.I.C.S.
Motivation – Enthusiasm – Desire – Image – Creativity – Success!
- DON’T GIVE UP. If your ad doesn’t pull after a fair exposure, try re-writing it. One or two different words may do the trick.
- DON’T SPEND THE PROFITS. Re-invest the money in more continuous advertising.
- DON’T FORGET, an ad that offers “FREE DETAILS” means writing a sales letter or circular.
- AVOID HIGH TYPESETTING COSTS AND MISTAKES
- Getting your price lists, brochures, catalogs or newsletters typeset does not necessarily have to be a costly procedure. Keep in mind that the main cost in typesetting is the time involved in setting type. By minimizing the time needed to create a typeset piece you can effectively keep your cost down. The following suggestions can help reduce your typesetting expense.
- Know what you want the FIRST time around. Have a picture in your mind. Trial and error can be costly. Don’t have a typesetter set it one way, then decide a different format would look better.
- Reduce and eliminate author’s corrections by thorough proofing and re-proofing.
- Avoid minimum charges by combining small jobs and having them set at the same time.
- Try to use one family of type to save time and money by avoiding font changes. The consistent look is better.
- Give explicit instructions on marking up copy: type styles, column widths/margins.
- With a large job, such as a brochure or annual report, request a style setting proof sheet to get approvals before the entire job is done.
- Avoid super rush jobs, especially if you don’t really need them.
- Avoid lengthy corrections on the phone. You might end up paying for corrections later that could have been avoided if you had done your editing on proof sheets.
- Get the layout finished and approved before having type set…the same goes for copy, of course.
- Avoid the use of “run-arounds” (reducing the width of the copy to make room for a photo in the column, for example). If you do use them, use simple shapes, boxes, squares.
- Avoid the use of curved or angular type. Type reading left to right on a page (for example, this report) is faster and less expensive to set than copy that is set in a curve or running sideways on the page.
- The use of unjustified text and captions is less expensive than justified because it sets quicker, costing less time.
- Don’t depend on the typesetter to read your mind. Be specific.
Dr. Ande,
Creator of: The 30 Hour Business Plan
Author of, 65 Tips for Affiliate Marketing Success
Host of, Dr. Ande’s Marketing Radio & Biz Talk with Dr. Ande
Related articles
- Online Advertising and its benefits (thegrinchwhostoletv.com)
- How to Find Web Writing Jobs (writersradioblog.wordpress.com)
Affiliate Programs: What They Are and How They Can Make You Money
28 JanAffiliate programs are literally taking the internet by storm. But alas, although many individuals have heard of affiliate programs, there are very few who actually know what they are. So if you are interested in capitalizing on this amazing business opportunity, familiarize yourself with affiliate programs and what they can do for you. Doing so may very well be the best decision that you could make.
Affiliate programs are business programs, also sometimes referred to as business opportunities, which are ideal for webmasters. All webmasters can benefit from the use of an affiliate program, but those looking to make money can benefit the most. This is because, in a way, you will be selling merchandise for another company. This allows you to make money without having to sell your own products.
This article is taken from my Successful Affiliate Marketing Blog, to continue reading click here.
5 Great Work At Home Business Opportunities
25 JanHere are some excellent businesses that you can start, operate and grow from your home. All these work at home businesses have the following desirable features:
- Low Startup Costs
- Ease of Entry
- High Income Potential
- Home Based and Operated
- Worldwide Sales Potential
- Residual, Recurring and/or Passive Income Potential
Consulting – A consultant is someone expert in a field who, for a fee, advises businesses or individuals on various matters of concern.
Why is this a good job?
- Many times we tend to feel that our knowledge, skills or abilities are nothing unique. However, many lack those same assets and would gladly pay us for our knowledge and services.
Where is the money?
- Although it is possible to make a living from consulting with individuals, the big money is in performing services for businesses.
What skills can be used to consult on?
- Do you have knowledge of bookkeeping, accounting, tax or similar business matters? Some have made excellent money specializing in small business consulting.
- Are you a computer hobbyist with business or internet experience? You could make money in web design, internet marketing, search engine optimization, or some other specialty.
- Some lawyers have combined their legal experience with their love of the Internet and specialized in intellectual property and computer law.
Affiliate Programs – An affiliate or associate program is a method of selling products on the internet through commission sales. When someone you refer to a website buys, the company you are an associate of (or affiliated with) pays you a commission.
Why’s this a good job?
- If you have a large social network or are a part of a group or host a blog or website that gets a lot of traffic; you can monetize just from the traffic and introduction of the product to your groups.
Where’s the money?
- In many cases, it is also possible to make money from the efforts of people that you introduce to the affiliate program. You can also expand your product line by joining and promoting more than one affiliate program.
What skills do you need to succeed?
- Patience is the biggest thing. Affiliate marketing, if done right and honestly, won’t make you an instant millionaire or billionaire, but it can be built up over time to bring you in a nice passive income.
- You also need a website or blog to sell from.
- If you are marketing your own affiliate products then you’ll need tracking software or to be a part of an organization that tracks and pays your affiliates for you; like Clickbank.com or Plimus.com
Web Mastering – A webmaster is a an internet specialist responsible for all aspects of web sites.
- Areas where businesses need assistance include web site design, logo, banner or graphic design, web hosting, e-commerce, internet marketing, web programming, scripts, security, web site maintenance, copy writing, mailing list management, and many other areas.
Self-publishing – A self-publisher creates, produces, and sells information products. Information products may be in the form of books, booklets, videos, audio cassettes, compact disks (CDs), electronic books, files, databases, private websites, and other media.
- The information products that you create are unique. You have exclusive control and ownership of your own products.
Instant Publishing – An instant publisher sells information products produced by someone else who grants them reprint (or resale) rights.
- Often self-publishers will sell such products to complement their own information products.
Dr. Ande,
Creator of: The 30 Hour Business Plan
Author of, 65 Tips for Affiliate Marketing Success
Host of, Dr. Ande’s Marketing Radio & Biz Talk with Dr. Ande
Why Your Business Cannot Afford Not to Advertise on Craigslist
23 Jan
Image via Wikipedia
Craigslist is not always the best advertising option but there are certain situations in which a business cannot afford not to advertise on Craigslist. In this article I’ll give you two common scenarios where a savvy business owner should definitely consider advertising on Craigslist. Failure to do so can be detrimental to their business. These examples include small startup companies without a large advertising budget and existing companies whose direct competitors are advertising extensively on Craigslist.
Small Startup Companies Benefit from Advertising on Craigslist
Small startup companies often have a great deal of work ahead of them to begin competing with existing companies who are already thriving. These companies may already have established client bases and may have substantial funding budges for the purpose of obtaining new customers. Customer loyalty can be difficult to break and new companies either have to offer significantly better quality products or services, comparable products or services at reduced prices or a slick marketing campaign with consumer appeal.
However, smaller companies rarely have the advertising budget necessary to orchestrate an elaborate advertising campaign. This is when Craigslist becomes a necessity. Smaller companies can focus their energy on creating outstanding advertising copy without spending exorbitant amounts of money to run these advertisements in other forms of media such as newspapers, magazines, television or radio.
It is important to note that while free advertising is appealing, the advertising should be just as sophisticated as it would in markets where the business owners would be required to pay a fee to run the advertisement. This will help the business to maintain a professional image and will entice potential customer to try their products or services.
Don’t Let the Competition Corner the Market
Another scenario where a business cannot afford not to advertise on Craigslist is when direct competitors are making use of the advertising opportunities on Craigslist. This is important because businesses who do not advertise in the same locations as their competitors are essentially conceding potential customers who peruse those locations to the competitors.
Imagine you own a dog walking business in Portland, Oregon. If there are a large number of members of that community using the local Craigslist website to find dog walkers, you will likely miss out on these business opportunities because these individuals will likely select one of the individuals advertising on Craigslist for their dog walking needs. If you were to place a well written advertisement in an appropriate section of Craigslist you may find you are able to gain a market share of the available business.
There is, however, one caveat to placing advertisements wherever your competitors are advertising. This practice is not considered worthwhile when the market is already saturated with competition. Consider the above example of a dog walker in Portland. If there are a small number of competitors competing for business on Craigslist it is worthwhile to place your own advertisement here. However, if literally hundreds of dog walkers are flooding the website with their advertisement it is not worthwhile to post an advertisement because your advertisement will likely be lost in the shuffle. It is much more worthwhile to advertise in other locations. Checking Craigslist periodically may still be a good idea because those advertising on Craigslist are likely to not see great gain from this advertising and may resort to other options. When you notice a decline in competitor advertisements, it is a great opportunity to add your advertisement.
Until next time,
Dr. Ande,
Creator of: The 30 Hour Business Plan
Author of, 65 Tips for Affiliate Marketing Success
Host of, Dr. Ande’s Marketing Radio & Biz Talk with Dr. Ande
IDN: Around the World with a Click!
15 Jan
Image via Wikipedia
Are you a business that has customers in more than one country? If not, are you planning on expanding internationally? It’s easy when you’re on the web and reaching out to customers in the international community has just gotten easier. Now’s a perfect time to see if an Internationalized Domain Name is a right fit for them.
Many non-English languages use characters containing diacritics or non-Latin scripts. Internationalized Domain Names (IDNs) contain these non-ASCII characters. Characters range from a few special characters found in Italian and French to entire character sets found in Arabic and Chinese. IDNs let users register and use domain names consisting of their native language instead of relying solely on the standard ASCII format.
Examples of IDNs:
English: http:// idn.icann.org
Arabic: مثال.إختبار
Russian: пример.испытание
Viewing an IDN is possible in both Firefox®, Google Chrome® and Internet Explorer 7 (or greater) browsers. And while most languages are preloaded into these browsers, there are instances when an additional download is required to view a specific language. Many can be found at Microsoft.com for use in translating documents in Office or Google has a built in translation system that operates from its Google Chrome® browser.
But I’m talking about doing business on the web internationally. The reason I am brining this up is that just because someone owns a domain name’s English version, they do not own its non-English counterpart. If you or your customers do business in other countries, it may be wise to register the equivalent domain(s) in native languages for those countries, making it easier for international customers to reach your business site.
Yes IDNs cost more but think of the long term rewards. People like to have things available in their own language; it’s more personable and shows a willingness to extend courtesy and respect to your customers from all around the world.
Top languages for IDN domain sales include Arabic, Chinese, Greek, Hebrew and Spanish. Even your Western Language-based customers may be looking ahead to expanding their international business opportunities and would benefit from early registration of an Internationalized Domain Name.
Ready to get started? IDN lookups, where customers specify the language for conversion, can be found here.
And, as always, I wish you success and sales!
Dr. Ande
Author of, 65 Tips for Affiliate Marketing Success
Host of, Dr. Ande’s Marketing Radio & Biz Talk with Dr. Ande
Search Engine Optimization – Title and Meta Tags
10 Jan
Image via Wikipedia
Now that you have a better idea how to pick your keywords for your website/blog pages it’s time to take a look at Meta tags and how you can use them to achieve higher rankings in search engines.
Traditionally, Title and Meta HTML tags – parts of your websites’ underlying source code – have been centerpieces of any successful search engine optimization campaign. In the early days of the search engines, a top ranking often could be secured by simply building the right Title and Meta tags for your website or blog. Today, well-optimized Title tags remain among the most important search engine optimization factors, while the value of Description and, particularly, Keywords Meta tags has declined. Still, because most small and/or niche search engines and Web directories continue to incorporate all three elements into their indexation and ranking procedures, you should add carefully-optimized Title and Meta tags to your website.
Now while keyword meta tags and description are overlooked today, due to the Google SEO rage of the past few years, I’m going to explain why ideally, all of your site’s main pages should be equipped with individual Title and Meta tags that reflect the products and services offered on each of the pages, and why you want to put in the description and still use those keyword meta tags. You see, doing so allows you to aim for a top search engine ranking for each individual page, based on the keywords and phrases specific to each page.
Let me break it down for you.
The Title Tag – defines the text displayed in the web browser’s top bar on any given page. The Title tag should mirror its page’s contents, provide an appealing lead-in, and help boost the page’s search engine ranking — all in a few, easily-read words and phrases. A Title tag should be readable as a headline and include two or three carefully selected keywords. Descriptive, appealing and keyword-optimized Title tags will attract visitors, as well as search engines.
Point to remember: Title tags shouldn’t be more than 80 characters long, including spaces. They also should not repeat a word or phrase excessively as that might be construed as search engine spamming, which could cause your search engine rankings to plummet.
The Description Meta Tag – The only Meta tags that matter to the search engine optimization process are the Description and Keywords tags. Other Meta tags allow you to define your page’s language, author, refreshing intervals, etc. But they have no impact on your search engine indexation and ranking. This is why you must fill out this data!
The Description tag decides what some search engines will display for your site on their search results pages. (The top search engines, Google, Yahoo!, Bing, and Ask.com usually will display a snippet of body text that includes the keyword(s), instead.)
Many search engines pay particular attention to keywords found inside the Description Meta tag. This means that a Description Meta tag should inspire the search engine user to click through the link and access your site. As well, the tag should include at least one occurrence of the applicable Web page’s top two or three keywords.
Point to remember: Description Meta tag content should not exceed 250 characters, including spaces.
The Keywords Meta Tag – In addition to listing keywords without having to worry about textual coherence, the Keywords Meta tag is the one website element that allows you to cover common misspelled and alternate spellings of your main keywords. If you are aware of any such alternatives, be sure to list them in the Keywords Meta tag. Generally, the Keywords Meta tag content should not exceed 1024 characters, including spaces.
I hope you this gives you a jump start on building your own Meta tags. For additional information please leave me a comment or visit my Website Review Service.
And, as always, I wish you success and sales!
Dr. Ande
Author of, 65 Tips for Affiliate Marketing Success
Host of, Dr. Ande’s Marketing Radio & Biz Talk with Dr. Ande
From Dr. Ande to You: Here’s Your 2012 Web Marketing Plan
2 JanWith the New Year right around the corner, we often resolve to improve our behavior, health, or personal relationships. Let me tell you, you’re wasting your time. Let’s get this out of the way. I’m OK, you’re OK.
Now down to brass tax: it’s your Web marketing that’s a mess!
This is what I mean by that previous statement… out-of-shape Web sites, directionless Web marketing, and being lost in the search engines. It’s time to stop worrying about self-improvement and start worrying about Web marketing-improvement!
While every business has different goals and needs, please consider these twelve items in creating your own Web marketing plan for next year. Rearrange the order to fit your own schedule in 2012. The items listed below don’t have to be rushed; but to offer maximum impact I grouped them as 3 goals per week, but you can use them as you see appropriate for you and your business.
January Week 1:
- Tuesday – Set up a Web marketing budget. We all know this is your favorite part: the budget. However, once you’ve decided how much money you plan on spending quarterly or monthly, deciding what to spend your marketing dollar on becomes much easier. You’ll also want to carve out some time for your Web marketing endeavors. After all, a lot of the following items are more about time than money.
- Thursday – Audit your Web site (beginner). Often we’re surprised or dismayed at the material that’s on our Web site: bios of ex-employees, links to sites that no longer exist, a 2002 pricelist. Spend some time reviewing the content on your Web site and get rid of anything that’s out-of-date or no longer expresses who you are. Nothing turns off prospects faster than a neglected Web site.
January Week 2:
- Monday – Audit your Web site (advanced). Review your traffic reports and decide if your navigation needs to be updated. Maybe certain parts of your site are getting a lot of traffic and should be further promoted on the home page. If other sections or pages are being ignored they may need to be removed…or promoted. Fill out all the Web forms (contact, search, etc.,) and read the “hidden text” that appears on landing pages. Rewrite the copy that seems dated or incorrect.
- Wednesday – Start reading blogs in your industry. Download a newsreader. For our readers on Mac, iPad, iPhone etc., I recommend check out the top rated Flipboard, Newsy or Black Pixel’s NetNewsWire. And for our friends who read on Smartphones, Blackberries etc. these work especially if you are trying to use Twitter or Facebook for your news: Feedly (iPhone / Android), my6sense (iPhone / Android), Pulse (iPhone / Android), Reeder (iPhone), mobileRSS (iPhone) and Byline (iPhone). If you are a WordPress fan download the WPtouch or set up a free account at Google.com/reader or Mobile Google Reader (optimized for mobile in the browser). To find blogs in your industry you can do searches at Technorati or check out Blog Catalog among others. Make sure you’re reading the blogs of your competition and your clients.
- Friday – Start your own blog. You knew that was coming, right? Blogs are an important, perhaps essential, part of business communications. No matter the size of your organization, a blog can be a great way to connect with your clients…and your clients-to-be.
January Week 3:
- Tuesday – Subscribe to your competitors’ email newsletters. This is a fantastic (usually) free resource of advice that is targeted towards your clients. Shouldn’t you know what your competition is recommending? Maybe they know something you don’t!You probably know many of your competitors already and can visit their Web site to see if they offer an email newsletter. However, you can Google “your industry + email newsletter” to find some ezines that are new to you. (You should also be reading your clients’ newsletters as well; you can’t know too much about their business.)
- Thursday – Start your own email newsletter or jumpstart your subscriber rate. If you’re not publishing an email newsletter you’re missing out on one of the most cost-effective Web marketing tools at your disposal. Use an Email Service Provider (ESP)to manage your subscriber list and publish an ezine regularly.If you’re already publishing an email newsletter try some new ideas to increase your subscriber base. Offer a free article for new subscribers, raffle off a prize to one subscriber each month, or advertise on a complementary newsletter.
January Week 4:
- Monday – Visit discussion boards in your industry. There are discussion boards on every topic under the sun, and certainly a few in your industry (or your target audience’s industry.) By reading posts at these discussion boards you can get an understanding of what prospects are looking for and create products or services that meet their needs.By posting responses you can quickly establish yourself as an expert and create links that drive traffic to your Web site while improving your site’s ranking at the search engines!
January Week 4:
- Wednesday – Start listening to podcasts. The New Oxford American Dictionary named “podcast” its 2005 word of the year, so maybe you shouldn’t wait until September before you tune in.
Whether podcasting ever becomes a part of your Web marketing, it’s important to understand how podcasting works and how other companies (including your competition) use it. Visit the iTunes Music Store or a podcast directory like Podcast Alley and start sampling some podcasts. Not sure where to start? Adam Curry’s PodFinder show (available at the iTunes Music Store) highlights new podcasts each episode.
- Friday: Consider starting your own podcast. I can’t recommend podcasting for every business, or even most businesses. I still believe there are more effective ways to communicate with prospects and clients. However, some businesses will benefit from offering a podcast. Keep in mind your target audience, and whether they will be downloading audio to their computer or mp3 player.
January Week 5:
- Tuesday – Submit some of your articles to article directories. A great way to increase your “findability” at the search engines is to have a lot of quality incoming links. One proven method to do this is to have articles you’ve written appear on other Web sites that link to yours. To get your articles posted at other Web sites check out article directories such as The Phantom Writers.
- Thursday – Add share this page functionality to some or all of your Web site. As people suffer from information overload, they rely more heavily on the recommendations of friends and family. Make this word-of-mouth advertising easier by allowing site visitors to quickly “share this page” with a friend or colleague. You can even include your own marketing message embedded in the email that arrives at the friends’ mailbox.
See you soon,
Dr. Ande,
Creator of: The 30 Hour Business Plan
Teacher of: How to Write a Book in 30 Hours
Author of, 65 Tips for Affiliate Marketing Success
Host of, Dr. Ande’s Marketing Radio & Biz Talk with Dr. Ande
Associate Editor: Writerstopia Magazine
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- Report: Apple to unveil iPhone 5 on October 4 (infoworld.com)
- Microsoft releases iPad version of OneNote note-taking app (infoworld.com)
- Verizon iPhone’s Impact on Mobile Marketing (hubspot.com)
7 Affordable Marketing Strategies
1 Jan
Well what better way to kick off a new year, then with kick starting some new marketing? How about starting it off with some affordable marketing strategies? When a slow economy hits a business owner’s first penchant is to cut the marketing budget. It seems only natural since, one has fixed costs and cash flow can be irregular. But marketing should be the last activity you eliminate or you risk an even faster downward spiral.
Advertising your business and attracting new customers should be an ongoing process, and there are many things you can do that cost absolutely nothing. In these times money might be tight but the need for revenue is continuous, here are just a few suggestions.
- Become the expert!
Choose a topic that reflects your expertise on the subject and make sure your business is mentioned and submit articles related to your business to the local paper, trade journals and professional organization’s newsletters. Look for a website that may be interested in letting you host a guest column.Remember whenever you get published, make copies and send them to all your current and potential customers.
- Be a great public speaker!
If, like most people, you dread the thought of public speaking, join your local Toastmasters (www.toastmasters.org) club; this is also a great way to meet potential customers.If you are stumped for how to get started as a public speaker research contact names in the Directory of Meeting Planners or start with your local Chamber of Commerce or Rotary Club. Professional meeting planners are always looking for presenters and workshop leaders for conferences.Remember when you do get the opportunity to make a presentation, be sure to collect business cards for a drawing to win a book or other prize related to your business.
- Teach an adult education course
This approach works especially well for service-oriented businesses such as planning, healthcare or tax preparation.To get started contact your local school district or community college where adult education courses are offered. If you’re feeling very generous, offer free or inexpensive seminars at libraries, restaurant event rooms or a friend’s office.Remember this is an excellent way for customers to see you as an expert and help advertise your business.
- Send out a newsletter
Make sure your customers always feel connected to you send out a regular newsletter. Keep a guest book for your customers to sign up for your newsletter in your business if you operate a brick and mortar site; if you operate online, put a subscribe button on your website, blog or social network sites that sends you an email alerting you that this person is interested.Because of the Anti spamlaws you must obtain permission from the recipients that receive your newsletter. Once you get it use your newsletter to describe new products, offer coupons and provide links to articles online your customers might be interested in reading.Remember to KISS it (keep it stupendously simple) with pure text or include photos and other graphics.
- Make the most of (free) public relations
This is something that is often overlooked. Whether it’s a new product, a big order or expansion plans that might result in new jobs, whenever there is an event of any significance in your business, be sure to send a press release or a simple e-mail to all your local newspapers and TV stations.Local radio stations also look for interesting people to interview, so find the producers’ contact information and let them know you’re available.Remember they will probably want to hear about it.
- Don’t Forget Charity
Any time you do anything for a charity such as sponsoring an event or donating free materials, make sure the press knows about it ahead of time. Sometimes they might send a reporter to cover the occasion, but if not, send them photos to publish afterwards. - Start a blog or contribute to a forum
This can be a great way to drive traffic to your website and keep a conversation going with your customers. There are several free blogging sites to get you started. iPix Branding Solutions recommends Blogger, WordPress or Tumblr. Here you should post any type of news, promotional messages or information related to your product or services.Another way to get your name out there is to contribute to online discussion groups (without making it obvious you’re advertising). Find the forums that relate to your business by typing in keywords at the top online group websites. Try Google, Yahoo and MSN groups. Your advertising need not be blatant; it could be as simple as putting your company name as a link in your “signature”. (Assuming the site allows HTMLand not just plain text in the posts.)Remember many discourage users from bombarding discussions with their own links or promoting their business. Be very careful when using forums to advertise so try and find a forum built for this type of promotion, otherwise you could lose credibility.
If all of this sounds overwhelming, or that there’s no time for all this? Try scheduling one to two hours per week or a specific date and time to focus on advertising your business. When the phones start ringing with new orders, you’ll be glad you did.
Good Luck & Happy New Year
Dr. Ande
Author of, 65 Tips for Affiliate Marketing Success
Host of, Dr. Ande’s Marketing Radio & Biz Talk with Dr. Ande
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