The Fallacy of Free Advertising

Written by Angela Wu


Continued from page 1

__Search Engines and Major Indexes.

Web surfers regularly use search engines and indexes to pinpoint exactly what they're looking for. Although more and more search engines and major indexes are now charging for reviews and/or listings, some of them (such as Google, http://www.google.com/ ) are still free.

It takes time and effort to learn how to properly optimize your site forrepparttar search engines. It's no good to be #138475 out of 1437593 search results; no one will ever find you! Learn more about search engine optimization at http://www.searchenginewatch.com/ .

It's well worthrepparttar 124978 time and trouble to get properly positioned -- if you get a good listing, it could mean a steady stream of targeted traffic.

__Free Publicity.

Imagine getting a radio or TV interview, or a write-up in a popular magazine whose readers are your target market. It's great exposure, and best of all, it's free! Many small busineses simply can't affordrepparttar 124979 advertising rates... and even if you could, publicity is even better becauserepparttar 124980 radio show, TV show, or magazine provides credibility to your offer.

An excellent site to learn about free publicity is http://www.prprofits.com/ .

__Referral Marketing.

Encourage happy customers to tell their friends about your business. This is a great way to build your customer base, year after year, throughrepparttar 124981 power ofrepparttar 124982 'snowball' effect -- a happy customer tells a friend, who tells a friend, who tells a friend...

Referrals also tend to be easier to convert into paying customers because your product has been 'endorsed' by someone they know and trust.

You can offer incentives such as discounts or a free gift to encourage referrals. Regardless of whether or notrepparttar 124983 referred party makes a purchase, be sure to thank your customer forrepparttar 124984 referral -- reward his behavior and he'll be more inclined to repeat it.

__Write and Distribute Articles, Reports, eBooks...

Create useful free content and include a brief blurb about your product along with a URL. Encourage people to pass it around. Indicate that websites and newsletter editors are welcome to offer it as a gift, bonus, or premium to their vistors, subject to your publishing guidelines.

If you do this consistently, you can eventually have thousands of links back to your business all overrepparttar 124985 web! Andrepparttar 124986 more people pass it around,repparttar 124987 more exposure you'll get.

You can do this with practically anything: articles, columns, lists, reports, eBooks, software, worksheets... use your imagination!

__Joint Ventures.

Approach complementary businesses with win-win proposals. A simple and common 'JV' is an ad swap: you each publish one another's solo ads to your respective lists. You both avoid paying out-of-pocket expenses and haverepparttar 124988 opportunity to reach a new group of targeted prospects.

Another 'twist' to this common JV is to send endorsed ads to one another's lists. Review each other's products and, if it's worthy, mail an endorsed message to your readers. Endorsements usually outperform 'regular' ads because it comes from someonerepparttar 124989 readers trust (the editor).

The beauty ofrepparttar 124990 Internet is that it allows you to run a business with very little money. The 'secret' is knowing which ofrepparttar 124991 available free resources are worth your time!

_________

Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical guide to building an Internet business on a shoestring budget. If you're tired of hype and just want solid, down-to-earth information, then visit us now -- and in moments you can have access to loads of instantly useable tips, specifically chosen for beginners! http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html




Self Promotion Tips - Online Forums

Written by Mike Merz


Continued from page 1

Home Business Websites Forum http://www.homebusiness-websites.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi

Michael Green's How To Corp Forum http://www.howtocorp.com/forum/

Jan Tallent-Dandridge's Newbies911 Forum http://newbies911.com/index.php

Diane Hughes' ProBizTips Forum http://www.probiztips.com/forum/index.php

Merle's MC Promotions Forum http://www.mcpromotions.com/webbbs/config.pl

Seeds Of Wisdom Forum http://www.sowpub.com/cgi-bin/forum/webbbs_config.pl

Allen Says' Warrior Forum http://www.warriorforum.com/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=2

Willie Crawford's Marketing Forum http://www.williecrawford.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi

Terry Dean's Netbreakthroughs Forum (members only) http://im4newbies.com/netbreakthroughs.htm

To find an Online interactive community that targets your niche ...

http://directory.google.com/Top/Computers/Internet/Cyberspace/Online_Communities/

If you're interested in launching your own discussion forum, I highly recommend Michael Green's brand new release "How To Start A Forum" < http://im4newbies.com/forumtoolkit.htm >.

So give yourself, and your potential Online success, a boost ... and get interactive!

Regards, Mike Merz

Feel free to use this article as you wish, as long asrepparttar content, andrepparttar 124977 following resource box, remains intact.

------------------------------------- Mike Merz is a well known Internet Marketing consultant, andrepparttar 124978 owner of Internet Marketing For Newbies LLC < http://www.im4newbies.com > NEW! The IM4Newbies Internet Marketing Forum < http://internetmarketingforums.im4newbies.com >

Copyright 2003 Mike Merz - Internet Marketing For Newbies LLC

Mike Merz is a well known Internet marketing expert, and owner of Internet Marketing For Newbies LLC < http://www.im4newbies.com >


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