You've heard it before; we're living in an information age. The business world is no longer driven by tangible products but on information and ideas. Internet based companies or other companies that use the Internet as an integral marketing tool that don't tap into information-based products or services could soon find themselves without customers or with lackluster sales.
Small business owners, many of whom are on a tight advertising budget, can use all the help they can get to promote their product or service. Providing free information to sell yourself and your company may seem like an oxymoron but it is in fact a legitimate marketing strategy. It allows small business owners to reach large amounts of people and establish themselves as a leading expert in their respective industries
Small business owners have several options to achieve their marketing goals:
E-books - Offer free e-books on your site to encourage traffic and repeat visitation. Your e-book can include references to your site, newsletter, or special offers. You can also allow others to redistribute your e-book and allow other sites to include your e-book in bonuses or contests.
Forums and Newsgroups - Helping other people within your industry is a great way to increase your visibility and gain credibility. You'll be surprised at how much traffic you get just from your forum posts alone. It's always important to be familiar with the forum you're participating in. Advertisements are not only unnecessary but in most cases they are unwelcome and can cause you many problems. So stick to helping people and answering questions. Most sites allow for some sort of signature that is included within all of your posts. If your information is helpful, people will want to learn more about you.
Submitting articles - Writing articles related to your area of business is one of the best ways to increase your visibility. The great thing is that many people are constantly looking for free information to enhance their own efforts and will appreciate your contributions. You'll get a great deal of traffic from the articles you submit to various e-zines. Each article should include a copyright notice and a brief biography with a link back to your own site.
Seminars - If you'd like to expand beyond the web and you're comfortable with public speaking, you can easily and quickly set up a seminar related to your industry. Many hotels offer conference room rental for affordable prices that you use and give free seminars. Announce your helpful even on the web and local newspapers. People are constantly looking for ways to improve their lives and their businesses. You can have low-cost reading material printed out and make sure you have plenty of business cards handy. You'll soon build an impressive list of prospective customers and affiliates. As you become more experienced, you can even begin to enhance your seminar and charge a nominal entry fee.
Conferences - There are all sorts of conferences out there today where organizers are looking for qualified speakers to assist their audience. You can submit informative press releases that establish yourself as an expert and include a notice you are available for speaking engagements.
E-zine - Starting your own e-zine can allow you to offer valuable information to your prospective customers. You can also build valuable relationships with other business owners looking to form joint ventures. You also have free placement for any special offers, events, and contests you'd like to promote.
The objective is to establish yourself within your industry and by doing so you can build an extensive database of qualified prospective customers. Your collection is an invaluable resource for your sales efforts and will produce majority of your sales. The key is to build relationships and produce genuine prospects, not suspects. A small business can't afford to waste time or money on "suspects" or untargeted consumers who may not have an iota of interest in your product or service.
Copyright ? 2005 Rhonda Winn - All Rights Reserved. Rhonda Winn has been helping small business owners since 2000. She is the author of the popular eBook, "how to live your dreams and achieve unlimited wealth in small business" Receive the first chapter free, when you join her bi-monthly newsletter today: how to live your dreams and achieve unlimited wealth in small business. Her site contains dozens of free downloads, articles, forums, resources, journals, and more.
You are free to publish this article as long as the content remains unchanged and copyright notice and byline is not removed from article.
shuttle to Midway Beardstown .. Lockport Chicago limo O’HareIf you are a small business you know that you... Read More
Increase your profit potential by identifying ? and avoiding ?... Read More
Multimedia is everywhere on the Internet, whether in the form... Read More
Q: A friend told me that as a woman of... Read More
You need to be visible to attract customers, right? But... Read More
There are both fixed and mobile detailers. Consumers often will... Read More
The revenue history is a vital piece of your power... Read More
Start thinking about buying an established business if you want... Read More
After over 30 years of participating in hundreds of businesses,... Read More
You can provide affordable health care plans to your employees.... Read More
Do you sometimes find yourself just going "through the motions"... Read More
One of the most common horrific mistakes a business can... Read More
$elling $elling $ellingWhat makes a great sales person? Well, the... Read More
Sometimes when you run a business you feel as lonely... Read More
So often small service businesses fail to exploit niches, which... Read More
-- Beyond Cold Calling, "Warm" Calling and Sending E-mails --Many... Read More
A career coach could be simply defined your job seeking... Read More
Buyers want both online and local information about where to... Read More
Last year, trillions of dollars transferred hands on the internet... Read More
Cleaning the trailers towed by big trucks is not easy,... Read More
If small business had no important outside audiences, it wouldn't... Read More
Franchisor expansion policies are not as simple as one might... Read More
Too often in business we get trapped into reviewing our... Read More
Looking for a place to add a Quick Lube away... Read More
Most small businesses will not even try to advertise on... Read More
Green Bay Hummer H2 SUV rentals ..Most pressure washing companies never look into some of the... Read More
Most business owners do not think of selling their companies... Read More
1. Look Over Your Shoulder ? Of course, Punxsutawney Phil... Read More
How do you find the best business partners?Finding a good... Read More
Auto Detailing: Maintaining A Commercial Carpet ExtractorYou should drain your... Read More
When we speak of branding most of the time people... Read More
Remember the cleaning business is all about time ratio to... Read More
I love work, I can watch it all day.I am... Read More
You're pretty proud of yourself! After all, only four months... Read More
1. Have A Strong Constitution ? Justices deliver decisions by... Read More
If an organization lacks a mission statement, it is worthwhile... Read More
As a specialist in getting restaurants open, it is surprising... Read More
If you are just starting your business, or if you... Read More
If you are a small business you know that you... Read More
Consistency is a huge word when operating your business. I... Read More
Buyers want both online and local information about where to... Read More
What will your business look like a year from today?If... Read More
Do you have all the customers your business can use?The... Read More
You bet it's worth it. Publicity via news releases, along... Read More
COLLABORATIVE NEGOTIATING:Collaborative negotiating is a win-win strategy that can focus... Read More
Due to the over regulation in the Franchising Industry and... Read More
Where do you look for the appropriate alliance?One of the... Read More
After over thirty years advising small business it still comes... Read More
Treat your business as a serious, full-time business and be... Read More
-- The One Pager Shortcut Series --An effective and compelling... Read More
Small Business |