Networking on the NetWritten by C. J. Hayden
Continued from page 1
Don't be overly self-promotional when posting, just include a signature line at end of your post, e.g. "Ingrid Gustafsson, Nordic Design." If you see someone else on board who you would like to get to know in a collegial way, e-mail them. But never directly approach for business people you find there. You might find yourself banned from membership. Discussion Lists -- These are like bulletin boards, but are e-mailed to members of list daily, weekly, or whenever a new posting arrives. When posting to these lists, you can include more information about yourself in a signature box at end of each e-mail. Keep it short, but include some reason for people to get in touch with you outside list, such as, "Subscribe to my free newsletter," or, "Visit my web site for a free resource guide." In addition to locating discussion lists through search engines as described above, you can find them through online community hosts such as Yahoo Groups or MSN Groups. Live Chats -- Many online communities sponsor real-time chats on specific topics. Participating in these chats is an excellent way to meet people interested in subject being discussed. Chat rooms that require membership are best, because you are more likely to encounter professionals seriously interested in topic instead of people just looking for a date. Attending chats featuring a guest speaker can be more valuable than you might think. If you ask a question during one of these, don't be surprised if people contact you by e-mail during or after chat to offer you more resources related to your question. You can make exactly same type of contacts when you are one who has something to offer. Articles -- Notice who is writing them and who is being written about. These people are likely to be leaders in your field, or at least highly visible. That makes them good contacts for you. Send them an e-mail complimenting them on article and suggesting you get acquainted for mutual benefit. Make a specific suggestion about what you can offer, e.g. referrals or resources. Others in Your Field -- These may be colleagues, competitors, vendors, or potential clients. Approach them collegially with ideas about how a relationship could benefit you both, such as exchanging referrals, pooling resources, links on each other's web site, or trading endorsements or articles in each other's ezine. If you can't find a board, list, chat, or site with exact focus you want, consider starting one of your own. While hosting one of these communities takes time and effort, it will also put you in center of network that forms around it instead of on outskirts.
C.J. Hayden is the author of Get Clients NOW! Thousands of business owners and salespeople have used her simple sales and marketing system to double or triple their income. Get a free copy of "Five Secrets to Finding All the Clients You'll Ever Need" at http://www.getclientsnow.com
| | Five Proven Ways To Promote Your Web SiteWritten by Adrian Kennelly
Continued from page 1
4. You can easily promote your web site by using traffic generators. It could be a free e-zine, service, e-book, contest etc. Giving away traffic generators gives you opportunity to get free advertising by including your ad on them . There are online directories that will also let you submit your freebie information. You can even let other people give away your traffic generators. 5. Posting messages to e-mail discussion lists is a great way to promote your web site An e-mail discussion list is a group of people connected together via e-mail that can communicate with one another. When you post a message to a list include your signature file at end. Include an attention getting sentence why they should visit your web site.
Visit DirectoryGold - Web Directory, with free email, article directory, and shopping and info links
|
