It Is Possible To Effectively Market Online For Free!
More and more people want to either supplement their current income or replace it entirely. They want to be debt free, they want to be home with their children, they want to be financially secure. The list of motives goes on and on. The means that they choose to meet those goals is just about as varied as the personalities of the individuals. Even if they choose the same business, they may not choose to run it or “work it” the same way. However, there is one thing that they have in common- the need to advertise in order to generate the income they desire. Some people have a huge budget for advertising because they’ve set aside money to invest in their business and some people barely have enough money to join their business let alone invest into advertising.
Well, after 3 years of research and working to generate my own income online I have found many effective and many completely ineffective methods of advertising. Believe it or not, a few of the most effective methods of advertising are completely free! In many cases, if you cannot spend the money on advertising you will have to spend more time doing that advertising or researching- but the return can be amazing. Here is a list of a few free advertising resources that I have come across in my research:
Message Boards. This is a time consuming method, but can be effective. Some message boards have places where you can advertise your business and this can be effective if you do it consistently and if your headlines and ads are catchy. Make sure you follow the rules of the board and only post your ads in the proper locations. Another way to use message boards is to create a signature in your profile and then post to the board. Become a helpful and known member of the board- don’t spam, but try to offer advice to people’s questions or encouragement, etc… By developing a “rapport” with the members of the board you gain their trust and they will be more likely to check out your business. Spend some time on the message boards and keep your mind open, you will definitely find some great information for your own use as well.
Free Classified Ads- www.backpage.com or www.craigslist.com this is another time consuming method, but I have experienced some results and I know of others who have had results from these options. Again, make sure that you are following the rules and posting your ads in their proper location. The extra benefit to these sources is that they are indexed and “spidered” by the search engines. What that means for you is, if someone searches Google for a word or something pertaining to the ad you’ve posted it will come up very high in the list on the search engine results. Many times, people see a business and then do their own research of the company. They search the company name or other information they’ve found out in Google—wouldn’t it be great if they come across your site and contact you? Then you’ve made a contact with a prospect without having spent a cent.
Articles, Press Releases, and Blogs: These are the most effective free advertising methods. In fact, I believe that they are some of the most effective advertising methods period. Press releases are distributed all over the web and elsewhere, you never know where your press release will turn up. Home business magazines and online e-zines are always looking for more content for their magazines or e-zines and your article could be distributed to thousands of fellow entrepreneurs. Not sure you can write a press release or an article? Well, I think you can. A press release doesn’t have to be very long and it doesn’t necessarily have to announce something earth shattering. You are starting a home business/online business- that is pretty significant enough. An article doesn’t have to be 50 pages long to be helpful to someone.
If you are concerned about finding a subject or topic, believe it or not, there are several websites available to you to help you write your press release or article and help you choose your topic. Some of them are free and some of them are not. You can spend money on your education which will greatly assist you later in your business.
Worried that you aren’t an English major or weren’t a very good writer in school, then stop worrying. With the technology in word processors, you don’t even have to be an English major to write something decent. Use your spell checker and the grammar checker- and definitely have someone else read your writing. Even the most knowledgeable writers can miss their own mistakes.
I am a mechanical engineer- not an English major and I have found this to be easier than I ever thought possible. If I can do this, so can you.
I believe that investing in your education on writing press releases, articles, or blogging is the best investment you can make for your business. All of these methods are completely free to you, but they are so effective that learning to use them the right way will pay off a thousand times in your business.
Liz Martinez is a Stay at Home Mom dedicated to helping others do the same. You can find a great resource for article writing and how to effectively use those articles for your business at www.yourhomebizguide.com/Article-Writing-Secrets/
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