|
Online Marketing on a Shoestring Budget
If you're reading this newsletter, chances are, you already
know that email marketing is one of the most cost effective
elements of your marketing mix. But, what about other creative
and profitable ways to promote your company and its products
and/or services?
If your tight marketing budget has you at the end of your
rope, try marketing on a shoestring with these suggestions
from our friend Hollis Thomases from WebAdvantage.net.
"Online Marketing on a Shoestring Budget"
by Hollis Thomases
Businesses large and small have embraced the Web as a
place to have a presence. Fewer, however, have really
figured out how to cost effectively market online. While
there are plenty of ways to spend your marketing dollars,
if you really know what you're doing, you can do a lot of
online marketing on a fairly limited budget.
Here's a handy list of "shoestring" marketing initiatives
you ought to consider:
|
 |
Search Engine and Directory Submittals
Search engines are the #3 way people find websites and are
the source of up to 85% of all site traffic. Aside from
Yahoo & LookSmart, most search engines allow you to submit
your website at no charge.
|
|
|
Paid-For Search Engine Listings
Several search engines, the granddaddy of which is
Overture, now allow you to pay for top placements through
advertising and bidding programs. Costs vary by search
term.
|
|
|
Site Linking
Getting other websites to link to yours is not only free,
but can also help with your search engine rankings, as
many search engines now factor "link popularity" in the
relevancy of their search results.
|
|
|
Email Signature File
"Sig files," which automatically appear at the bottom of
every email you send out, are like little text billboards,
helping you promote your company.
|
|
|
Participating in Discussion Lists, Forums, Message
Boards, and Newsgroups
An excellent way to build your credibility and awareness
of your company. Don't forget to use your sig file!
|
|
|
Auto-Responders
These automated emails can be a very helpful (and dirt
cheap!) way to send out follow-up information and customer
communications. AWeber and GetResponse are examples.
|
|
|
Co-Registration
When users can subscribe to more than one email
publication at a time, this is called co-registration. Use
a co-registration service, or recruit your own partners.
|
|
|
Ad Swaps
If you publish your own email newsletter, you can swap ad
space, content or other types of prominent placements with
other newsletter publishers.
|
|
|
Low-Cost Classified Advertising
Even if you don't publish a newsletter, you can still buy
relatively low-cost ad space which can work well when
placed in email newsletters targeted to your audience.
|
|
|
Remnant Ad Buys
Websites that don't sell out all of their ad inventory
might be willing to sell you a mish-mash of locations,
sometimes called "remnant space," on the cheap. Ask!
|
|
|
Pay-Per-Performance Ad Buys
Pay only when you get a click (CPC) or a sale (CPA). Ad
networks like Advertising.com and ValueClick are examples,
but they still have minimums, so be prepared.
|
|
|
Content Placement
Re-use or write articles and content that you offer to
others to publish. You and your company get exposure
through your byline.
|
|
|
Contest & Sweepstakes
If you're trying to appeal to the masses, contests &
sweepstakes are a great way to attract people. You can
even give away something you already own, manufacture or
produce, that others will find valuable.
|
|
|
Co-Branding/Partnering
Work with other related websites to cross-promote one
another or share the cost of advertising and promotions.
|
|
|
Affiliate Programs
A kind of partnering where one website compensates another
for traffic, leads or sales. There are inexpensive
do-it-yourself software programs as well as outsourced
services that can help.
|
|
|
Press Releases
Do you have REAL news? (by this I mean the kind that
journalists, not just you, find interesting and relevant)
Spread the word by writing and sending out a press
release. You can even use services like Bacon's, Business
Wire or PR Newswire to help select target areas to send
to. The website PRWeb even allows you to post your press
release for FREE!
|
Whew! This is some list, and I bet I even left out a whole
slew of ideas. Send them my way and I'll add them to my list
for next time!
© Hollis Thomases is president of
WebAdvantage.net, an emarketing agency that creates and
implements response-driven Internet advertising and
promotional strategies. Reach her at
hollis@webadvantage.net.
Email
Marketing Video Tutorials Show you how to plan, create, and send
successful newsletters.
Read Email Marketing Tips
and Lessons written by Michelle Keegan, Constant
Contact's Email Marketing Diva.
Learn E-Marketing Lingo from the
glossary of Email
Marketing terms.
| by Michelle Keegan, Constant Contact's Email
Marketing Diva(TM) |
|
