|
A Beginner's Checklist to Promoting an
Online Business (Part 3)
© 2002
by Angela Wu
This week we continue with Part 3 of our 3-part series on
how to market your online business. Part 1 is available here. and
part 2 here.
PART 3: Marketing Techniques for the 'Real World'
- Business cards. Leave a few in the local
library or with other local businesses where prospects
gather (with permission, of course); include a card in
your postal mail; tack up a card on the bulletin board
at your grocery store, etc. One place that offers
quality, professional business cards at reasonable
prices is ExtraValue.com,
http://www.extravalue.com/. On a tight budget? Go to
VistaPrint for free trial cards: http://www.vistaprint.com/.
- Direct mail. Flyers, brochures, catalogs,
coupons.... there are all sorts of things you can send
through the mail. Need help? Freelancers can create
pretty much any type of direct mail promotional items
for you at competitive rates. Try http://buildyourhomebiz.com/rd/gethelp.html.
- Use your car! How much time do you spend
driving (or, unfortunately, sitting stuck in traffic)?
Take advantage of this opportunity by placing your URL
on your car for everyone to see. Web Decals offers
custom-printed decals that quickly and easily attach to
your car's windshield: http://www.webdecals.com/.
It's also a good idea to keep a few business cards,
brochures, flyers, or other information in your car that
you can give out to people who stop to inquire about
your business.
- Newspaper advertising. Keep in mind that
classified ads are usually extremely short; you'll need
a punchy, compelling ad that fits into just a few lines.
Nationwide Newspapers offers classified advertising in
over 8000 newspapers across the United States: http://www.nationwideadvertising.com/
U.S. Media Inc., http://www.usmediainc.com/,
specializes in many types of 'offline' advertising,
including newspapers, radio, TV, magazines, and more.
- Get to the 'heart' of your audience by advertising
in a quality magazine with loyal readers. U.S. Media
Inc. lists a wide variety of trade and consumer
magazines and publications. Contact their reps for more
information: http://www.usmediainc.com/.
- Participate in trade shows. Get exposure by
networking with others in your industry. While you're
there, you can even make a pen and paper available to
collect the email addresses and/or postal addresses of
people interested in receiving your newsletter or
additional information about your product or service.
Visit the Trade Show News Network to search for trade
shows of all types in industries worldwide: http://www.tsnn.com/.
- Visit your local Chamber of Commerce. They may
be able to offer you suggestions on where you can
promote your business locally.
- Send out postcards. Postcards are short,
attractive, and readers can easily see your information
'at-a-glance.' Don't forget to display your URL! Extravalue.com
is a great place to get professional, quality cards at
very reasonable rates.
- Put your URL on every piece of printed material
that leaves your office. This includes brochures,
business cards, flyers, faxes, labels, letterhead,
invoices, cheques, envelopes, and anything else you can
think of.
- Consider using promotional items such as
notepads, pens, mugs, etc. Imprint these items with your
URL. Give some away as gifts to your best clients. You
can even sell them online! iPrint is one place you can
find 'do-it- yourself' promotional items, including
t-shirts, golf balls, pens, mugs, clocks, tote bags, and
much more: http://www.iprint.com/.
And at CafePress.com
you can upload your artwork, set your prices, and you're
ready to sell.
- State your URL on your voice mail message. Say
your standard spiel, then add something like, 'For more
information on [your product], visit our website at
www.MyDomain.com.' uReach is a service that offers
all-in-one communications service that includes voice
mail, email, and faxes. http://www.ureach.com/.
- Seek potential partnerships with complementary
businesses. For example, let's say you sell a dog
training video. You could approach local groomers or dog
agility centers and offer to share the cost of their
next direct mail campaign: when they mail a postcard or
letter inviting their clients to return, you also offer
their clients a discount on your dog training video.
This way you both reduce your costs... you reach a
targeted audience quickly, easily, and through a trusted
party (the other business)... and your business
'partner' can make a valuable product available at a
discount to their customers.
.
-----------------------------------------
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Angela is the editor of Online
Business Basics, a practical, down-to-earth guide to
building an Internet business on a beginner's budget. If you
enjoyed this article, you'll love the book! Visit http://www.onlinebusinessbasics.com
or request
a series of 10 free reports to get you started.
|
Online
Business Basics is
Only
$37.00
Click
Here to Order
IMMEDIATE DOWNLOAD!
Online
Business Basics is in PDF format for both our
PC and Mac users.
|
|
Adlandpro
Toolbar gives you instant access to your
Free Email Account, Free Website, submission to
over 8,900 sites, learning tools, free discussion
list on marketing and promotion with 26,000
subscribers, Free 5 day Website Success course by
email, plus instant search. Click
Here. |
|