online marketing

Free Online Marketing Techniques

October 13, 2010 By Angie Leave a Comment

free online marketing

Every business, blog and target market is different. What works for one, may not work for the other. It is however, always a good idea to explore and test the different free online marketing avenues available. You may find a real gem in the mix.

I don’t think we have touched on this subject for awhile here, so I wanted to do an update post. I will share what avenues I have explored, and what’s working for me. I invite you to leave a comment below with what is working for you, and those that are not worth too much attention these days.

1. Facebook Pages – This one never really showed much of a return until recently. I have been getting more involved over there, starting discussions, etc. That may have been the turning point. I’m getting a good amount of traffic from here lately.

2. Twitter - Twitter is always a hit-or-miss for me. When I’m participating in blog challenges that use hashtags, I get a good return. We all have so many people we are following these days, if your audience isn’t utilizing lists, etc. I think it’s easy to get lost.

3. Forums – I always get a substantial amount of traffic from forums. The key to forum marketing is participating in those that need your solution, not those of your peers. When I started my VA business, I spent a lot of time in VA forums. Those people are also VAs, they aren’t looking for one. Focus on the forums where your target market hangs out.

4. Craigslist – There are always people that will tell you Craigslist is a waste. That hasn’t been my experience. If you are offering a product or service, take 2 minutes to post it a few times per week. It’s free. What do you have to lose?

5. Affiliates – I consider affiliate programs part of free online marketing. After all, I don’t pay them unless they make a sale.

6. Search Engine Optimization – The more I use SEO, the better results I get. This avenue is really picking up speed for all of sites. It may take some time, but it’s free if you use the tools I suggest.

7. YouTube – I have only three videos on YouTube. I don’t feel I can give an educated opinion on whether this one works. People say it works, I have yet to see any traffic coming from there.

You tell me. What’s working, what’s not? What haven’t you tried, but need to?

P.S. Stop over and check out the next stop on my Guest Posting Campaign, What Is PLR?

The Best Marketers to Follow

August 23, 2010 By Angie 4 Comments

Last week when I announced the release of my new report, The Little Guy’s Guide to Affiliate Marketing, I had a comment asking me to recommend the best marketers to follow for someone just getting started in affiliate marketing. I give a rundown in my report, but I also think there are a few to mention here.

I know you’re thinking, “This doesn’t pertain to me. I don’t want to get involved in affiliate marketing.” But, it does pertain to you. (And you’ll likely want to become an affiliate for at least one amazing product someday)

If you have an online business, you need to be an Internet Marketer. You are marketing your business. You are marketing yourself. You are marketing your products. You are marketing your brand. You are your own Super Affiliate.

These are people I was following before I even started this blog. I was using their tactics when I had only my Virtual Assistant business. I took what they had to say and modified it to fit my business needs. Here is the shortlist to amping up your online marketing.

Lynn Terry – Self-Starter Weekly Tips Forum

Nicole Dean

There’s my shortlist of the best marketers to follow. Who’s on your list?

Filed Under: Online Business Tools Tagged With: affiliate marketing, best marketers, internet marketing, little guy's guide to affiliate marketing, online marketing

Top 5 Twitter Tips

April 6, 2010 By Angie 9 Comments

Twitter is a great way to make business connections. Here are five tips to help find and build online relationships:

1. Change your twitter web address to point to your About Me page. Make your page engaging. Tell your readers who you are and why you are the person they have been looking for. This will allow you to make an instant connection with your potential customers.

2. If you are utilizing SEO, include keywords in your twitter bio. With only 160 characters, this can be a challenge. Try to keep it short and to the point.

3. If you have a local business, use the Advanced Twitter Search option to search for fellow twitter users in your area. You can search by zip code to find potential customers and other businesses using twitter in your area.

4. When you have a link you would like to share with your followers, post the link on your fan page and direct your tweet to your fan page rather than directly to the link. This will get followers to your fan page without having to openly promote your page over and over.

5. Don’t protect your tweets. Potential followers want to see what you are talking about before they make their decision to follow you. You may be missing out on connections if people think you are hiding what you are doing online.

These little tweaks will help you optimize your twitter usage for better ROI. It is your time, use it effectively!

What is your favorite twitter tip?

Filed Under: Online Business Tools Tagged With: free online marketing, marketing, online marketing, twitter

Marketing for YOUR Business

March 2, 2010 By Angie Leave a Comment

Many new online business owners are under the impression that since they have an online business, they need to focus strictly on marketing online. This couldn’t be further from the truth. When it comes to marketing your business there are many different means available. Not every avenue is going to bring the same results for every business. What works, or doesn’t, is going to vary based upon who your target market is.

I will give you two very different ends of the spectrum, as these are businesses that I have and am familiar with the day-to-day marketing of. For my blog, my marketing is strictly online. My readers come from forums, email signatures, twitter, facebook and blogging groups. While my family reads my blog, most of my Return on Invest isn’t coming from offline marketing. I know bloggers that do have business cards, but I can’t speak for them as to what that method brings in for readers.

Opposite end of the spectrum is my Virtual Assistant business. My Virtual Assistant clients have come primarily from networking. This has been both online and offline networking. I talk about what I do when people I know ask. I have my little elevator speech when I am introduced to a new entrepreneur. I have yet to land a client through facebook or twitter, though I hear it on occasion does happen. I still use those methods, but it is not where I focus a majority of my time because I know it doesn’t bring the best returns.

I know some business owners in direct sales that stick solely to offline marketing. They network, send direct mailers, usually a monthly newsletter, but their primary return comes from getting out there and talking to people about what they do and what they offer.

What means work best for you is going to depend on your business and your target market. Feel free to try them all, but if something is not working focus your time, energy and money on those methods that bring the results. Don’t keep trying to squeeze blood out of turnip.

What crazy situation has landed you a new client or customer?

Filed Under: Running an Online Business Tagged With: marketing, networking, offline marketing, online marketing