* Free Unlimited updating - It is imperative to provide your customers with accurate, up to date information on your products and services.

* Automatic Notification - You must have ability to track your ads performance. You should be instantly informed each time someone requests your information.

Advertising Tips:

* Include your autoresponder address in your signature file.

* When placing classified ads, instead of supplying your regular email address, use your autoresponder address.

* Appropriate News Groups

* Opt in email discussion lists

* Guestbooks

* Business Cards

* Letter Head * Your web site

Key Coding Your Ads:

Tracking your ads response rate will be key to your marketing success. Once you test your ads and determine which ad is pulling most responses, you can easily test which classified ad sites are producing results as well. This will save you a lot of valuable time by only placing your ads at classified ad sites that produce results.

1. Make a list of classified ad sites you intend to post your ad.

2. Number list of ad sites.

3. You can key your ad using subject of your email. Many times, if you ask for a certain "subject" description, it may not be provided. To avoid this problem you can add a simple code to your email tag.

mailto:freeinfo@yourautoadd.com?subject=cl1

This code should contain your autoresponder address and will automatically fill in subject with your ad key when clicked on. The "cl1" stands for classified ad site number one. The second ad site you have listed should be coded as cl2 or classified ad site number two and so on. By coding your ads you will know exactly where your leads are coming from.

4. Begin submitting your ad and replace your normal email address with your key coded autoresponder address.

You can obtain free autoresponders with all amenities I mentioned above from any of following sites:

http://www.getresponse.com/ http://www.fastfacts.net/ http://www.myreply.com/ http://www.smartbot.net/

Autoresponders can completely change way you do business and enable you to put your business on autopilot.

A great resource for finding appropriate places to send press releases is Mediafinder. This site can be searched under numerous different subject areas, geographic locations, etc. It provides Web site addresses, e-mail contacts and media kit details.

E-mail releases

Remember when sending an e-mail press release to follow some basic rules:

* not all e-mail readers can display formatted text, so stick with plain 10pt Courier, and keep your line lengths to 60-80 characters

* be sure to include your contact e-mail address and Web site URL in a prominent place, and make sure that you have a great signature file (the piece of text that appears at end of every e-mail message). It should be brief, but contain your name, company, one line about what you offer, telephone, fax, e-mail and Web site address. Your e-mail program should help you to create this, unless you are using America Online (where you can cut and paste)

* use a "knock their socks off" subject / headline, such as "Internet Benefits For Business Discussed On Web Site Broadcast" - not just "Press release" to entice editor to read your message; and

* don't "spam" reporters (i.e. blitz your e-mails indiscriminately). Send your release to targeted and appropriate places only.

Some real world rules also apply here. Don't bombard editor with e-mails asking why your piece was not accepted. But if you do make it into "print", perhaps a real card to thank editor is a better marketing ploy than e-mail (and I don't often say that!)

Caryn Amster picks up postcards on vacation and uses them for media thank you notes. Why a postcard? Because everyone in newsroom sees it, wonders why someone is sending a card from Disney World to newsroom. One card gets a lot of mileage.

Press release Web pages

There are some major advantages to using press releases on your (or others') Web sites. You can include:

* hyperlinks to related stories, or further background information;

* sound and video clips to enhance your presentation; and

* buttons to access your release in different languages (great for international speakers!)

You can also easily track where your press releases are published and how many people read them. If they are included on your site, you can find this information from your own access logs. If you submit press releases for other publications, consider using different e-mail contact addresses for each. Often your Internet Service Provider will supply multiple e-mail boxes as part of their Web hosting service, which is a great way to quantify your responses.

There are several Web sites that allow you to submit free press releases under a number of different searchable categories. Two such sites are: PRWeb and Webwire.

Online Radio Shows

In addition to "print" publications, there is an increasing number of "online radio shows". In fact, Yahoo! has a whole category devoted to them.

The shows are generally broadcast in "Real Audio", or a similar program. This is software that is free to download and easy to install on your computer. The "streaming audio" is heard as it comes to your machine, so you don't have to wait for whole clip to download before you can hear it.

Again, these shows are looking for content and guests. The Yahoo! listing often includes each one's subject matter or focus, so you can identify appropriate targets for your message.

So Do It!

Other than an investment of time, and some research savvy, all of opportunities outlined in this article are free. You don't need to have a Web site to pursue many of them (although I believe that it enhances your visibility and credibility if you do).

Public relations is an area that most of us can take better advantage of. So venture into Cyberspace, and "PRofit from Publicity!"

Copyright, Philippa Gamse, 2000