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3. If you use your own autoresponder, don't make it look like advertisement. You'll be accused of being a spammer. I used this message:
'If you found my email from a list or an email harvester, be assured that I will get your message. I will answer legitimate messages.
If you are interested in tools and information for your small business, send an email to: sbt2@sendfree.com '
What I've done is made message look like I am avoiding spammers and I get my advertising in if someone wants to look at it.
4. Personalize your message to guestbook owner. This takes some work. You have to look at owners pages to write a credible message to owner. If you do this, you will more than likely get a message back from owner thanking you for visiting.
All of messages I received came in way of a feedback form, so I know they personally visited my site. I can now keep a personal rapport with them because I have their email address. Who knows? Maybe someday they may need my services or sign up for my newsletter.
5. Don't use message to advertise your site, product, or service. You will be accused of spamming. Keep message about what you think about owners site.
6. Put address your message is on in a database to send to search engines later. After you have enough to put on a page, submit page.
This causes links to be spidered and you have more links on popularity engines. Because your link will stay on page for a long time. You don't have to be as hurried as you would doing same for FFA links.
I recommend these tools to speed up filling out guestbooks or any other form.
Gator http://www.gator.com/ads.html
AdWizard http://www.wavget.com/adwizard.html
Though this might seem to be a slow process, benefits are good. Your links stays up for a long time, you can gain a relationship with guestbook owner, s/he will be glad to have you post again months later.
Dale Sexton owns and operates 'PageCrafters.net' and publishes 'Small Business Tools magazine'. Both are focused on tools and tips to run your small business or start a business. You can reach him at pagecrafters@pagecrafters.net and sign up for 'SBT magazine' at http://pagecrafters.net/newsletter.html