If you read my first article titled BUILDING A BUSINESS WITHOUT ADVERTISING YOUR PRODUCT, then you should have at least some idea of the type on online community your visitors would be interested in. If you have not read it, reading it will give you a better understanding of this article.
In this article, I will tell you some ways to get the word out about your online community. This is by no means a complete list. There are too many ways to grab peoples attention to list them all here. There have been many books written on this subject.
If you search the web, you will find an unlimited amount of articles for free. Don't get suckered into paying for something until you have done all the research you can about what you are paying for. There are millions of scams out there, but there's also some good books that you can buy.
E-MAIL SIGNATURE One of the more simpler ways of getting the word out, and one that is too often forgotten about is a signature in your email program. Just write up a 1 or 2 sentence description along with the web address. Also, make sure that your email program is setup to send your signature with every e-mail. This can be considered a type of viral marketing. If you send out jokes or other interesting things to your friends and they forward that email to their friends and they forward it to their friend and so on and so on, it spreads your message far and wide.
MESSAGE BOARDS Another place that you can use a signature line is on a message board. Most message boards don't allow advertising, but usually they let you put in a signature line. When you enter your signature it's seen every time you post a message or a reply to a message. Try to find message boards where those who post will have the same interests as those of your online community. The best approach to message boards is to try to find a message board where you can help people. By answering questions and helping people with problems they have, you can start to be seen as an expert on this topic. If you really do know what you're talking about, people will begin to trust you. People like to buy from someone they can trust. If you just show up to a message board, put out this big, bragging advertisement for your signature and post nothing but junk, the moderators of the board are most likely going to ask you to leave.
SEARCH ENGINES The first search engine you should list your site at, is the one you use the most. They should have a way to add your site to their listings from their home page. After you have added your site, go to the other popular search engines, or do a search for search engines, and list with as many as you can. With some search engines, it can take many weeks to get listed, and that's if you get listed at all! There are way too many search engines on the web to list with them all. If you use this method, you should set a limit on how many you do a day. There are websites that are dedicated to submitting your site to many search engines for you. Some are free, while others cost money. Software, shareware and freeware can be obtained to do the same thing from your desktop. As always, before spending any money, DO THE RESEARCH!! Make sure you know what you are paying for and buy from a reputable source. You should set up a special folder in you inbox to put all of your confirmation emails. This will help you keep track of which ones you've already submitted to. Also, these emails will usually contain your login ID and sometimes your password, both of which you will need to access your account.
SAFELISTS Safelists are very debatable. Some people like them, some people don't. The problem with safelists are that they fill everybody?s email box up with advertising from all of the members of the safelist. This makes it very hard to get your ad read by anyone. But if you can find a way to get their attention in the subject line, they may actually open your email. Just don?t make false claims or your credibility will be shot. If they do open your email, tell them about your online community. Tell them all the benefits of becoming a member of your community. DO NOT try to sell them anything in your email. Right now, your main objective is to get visitors to your site. So get the word out about you and your community. Before you sign up for even one safelist, make sure you open a new email account, just for safelists. If you get a big account like Yahoo! Mail you might can go for a while before you have to clear out your inbox, but if you get a smaller account, you will have to check it every couple of days. If you don't it will become full and your emails will bounce. If your safelists' emails bounce, they will suspend your account until you clear out your email account.
This is only four ways to start spreading the word about you and your community. There are many others. Some are free while others vary in price. I will discuss other ways in future articles.
John Layton has been publishing websites since 1998. His latest website, The Rebel Computer Guy (http://www.geocities.com/jlaytonjr1), has many resources and learning tools for the online business newbie. You may use this article for your own e-zine, newsletter, website, or whatever purpose you need. All I require is that you use the entire article, including the resource box giving me the credit. I would appreciate, but do not require, an email letting me know that you are using it and where I can find it. The Rebel Computer Guy website has lots of information about working on the Internet. Topics include; Guide To Working On The Web, Learn How To Write HTML, Ebooks and Reports, Classified Ads, Articles, and lots of Tips. There's also a Links section and a What's New section. Perfect for beginners. For more articles visit my articles page at http://www.geocities.com/jlaytonjr1 /Articles/Articles.htm
Nothing and Everything!Tucked discreetly away on my modest marketing website... Read More
1. Publish an ezine.Your ezine will provide you with a... Read More
Many Internet marketers wonder how they spend less time marketing... Read More
We all do it.Spend time and money sourcing those vital... Read More
The most optimistic success rate I have run across for... Read More
While a virus, in Medicine, is the smallest infectious agent,... Read More
Do you want to spark up sales at your website?If... Read More
A few things I've learned about doing business on the... Read More
"Content is King" - that's a given, there's no debate.... Read More
So what's the most profitable internet marketing strategy you can... Read More
There's a great interest among the Internet entrepreneurs about how... Read More
Potential niche products exist all around us, but how do... Read More
"For which one of you, when he wants to build... Read More
"Viral Marketing" is giving something away for free and allowing... Read More
The online world is constantly evolving. You may be thinking... Read More
It happened twice during the same week. All I wanted... Read More
Advertising plays an important role in your business (every business,... Read More
What is one of the main keys to a successful... Read More
1. Product or Service That Sells WellYou want to find... Read More
You are now reading Part 2 of my article the... Read More
How did Hotmail gain over 12 million subscribers in 18... Read More
Developing an ad Campaign for the Startup E-businessOnline advertising has... Read More
There are many people every day jumping into the online... Read More
I wakeup this morning and see my lovely wife. She... Read More
Do you want to learn two proven niche marketing business... Read More
An effective logo/tagline combination can be one of the best... Read More
More and more people are realizing that the Internet offers... Read More
The Public has Embraced Local Search and Want to do... Read More
When my sister and discussed our shopping plans this year... Read More
I just spent the last week in two very different,... Read More
Critical Mass Website Promotion is the elite goal rarely attained... Read More
SMS Marketing can be used to acquire customers, strengthen existing... Read More
Every new generation of a Web site brings the hope... Read More
Suppose you were offered 263 links coming into your website... Read More
Do you really want to make money online?Do you want... Read More
I am really fascinated by the world of on-line marketing.... Read More
FREE online classified advertising - the equation is simple. A... Read More
Is internet marketing something for you? Do you dream about... Read More
There's no doubt about it . . .Big changes are... Read More
The Internet has changed how people do their business. Even... Read More
Did that headline grab your attention?I have experimented with many... Read More
One of my favorite net marketing tasks is creating a... Read More
Instant Messaging is rapidly becoming accepted in the business community... Read More
There's an old story about a guy who had a... Read More
More and more people are realizing that the Internet offers... Read More
So, you've created a Website to highlight your realty services... Read More
You can earn a large monthly passive income with a... Read More
If you're like most of us, you're not on a... Read More
Does your online marketing campaign have a flat tire? Or... Read More
This article is very important.In fact, the chances are it... Read More
Are you looking for ways of persuading your web site... Read More
We're going to talk about one of those issues that... Read More
Recent research predicts that the online ad market will decline... Read More
How do you get a truckload of buyers eager to... Read More
The best way I know of to multiply your online... Read More
I don't know what you are promoting, or what methods... Read More
Rather than thinking about the web as technology, let's consider... Read More
Can a 10-year-old teach you anything about Internet marketing? Until... Read More
#1 ~Look at your past customers~Notice trends in the type... Read More
Set up multiple simultaneous marketing campaigns with database marketing automation... Read More
Every business needs customers that's axiomatic.When you work on the... Read More
Hyperboles abound in Internet Marketing. Myth has its own area... Read More
One of the most exciting things about doing business online... Read More
It is a purely shocking statistic, that only 4 in... Read More
Niche Marketing, in simple terms is all about targeting hot... Read More
RSS marketing is a tool used by many on the... Read More
Internet Marketing |