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8 Online Marketing Ideas that Won’t Break the Bank

In uncertain economic times, it’s perhaps not surprising that many business owners feel nervous about spending money on advertising. However, these times are precisely when we should all kick our marketing up a gear and tell the world that we’re still here and working!

And the best thing is that we can boost our marketing efforts without knocking the wind out of any already-stressed budgets. Here are some low-cost ideas you can use online:

1. Website: In this era of ‘Googling everything’ when you’re in business you simply must have a Web presence. There are a few ways of doing this so that your budget doesn’t scream “She’s gonna blow!” while still presenting your business at its best.
• Build your own website. If you’re good with the technical side of things, this may be ideal. And with the range of templates, images and technologies available, there is no reason why your website should look anything less than professional.
• Hire a website designer. If, like me, you’re the ‘technically challenged’ type, investing in the services of a professional is definitely worth it. Now, you don’t have to spend a fortune on a professional design. There are many excellent designers who will build you a simple yet effective website for under $1000.00.
• Start a blog. If your budget simply doesn’t stretch to hiring a website designer, then starting a blog may be the answer. Blogger.com and WordPress.org are the most popular blogging platforms and have loads of features to make them user-friendly and appealing to visitors.

2. Search Engines: The ‘Big Three’ search engines are Google, Yahoo and msn. All of them offer free website submissions and pay-per-click advertising. Have you seen those little ads on the right hand side of Google when you search? They’re pay-per-click ads and are a very cost effective way of getting your site seen by a targeted audience. This is because you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. Of course the best search engine advertising is making it to the first page of a search but whole books have been written on that subject.
Search engine optimisation (SEO)—Google it!

3. Online Directories: As well as search engines, many people use online directories to find what they’re looking for. Yellow Pages, True Local, dLook are some of the main ones but there are thousands. Choose several that are related to your business and get listed. Most have free and paid options.

4. Newsletter: Keep in touch with your customers and prospects with an online newsletter or ‘ezine’. Of course, before you send out a newsletter, you need a list of people to send it to. And the people on the list must want to be on the list—otherwise it’s SPAM. So make it easy and desirable to subscribe to your newsletter.
• Add a subscription form to each of your web pages and include a link to it in your email signature with every message you send out.
• Offer your subscribers something of value as a gift for subscribing
• Keep the content fresh and relevant to your target market

5. Article marketing: Leverage that valuable content you’re creating for your newsletter by having your articles published. Google “free articles” and you’ll see a list of directories that allow article submissions.
These directories provide content to publishers, bloggers and webmasters, which means that your articles may be picked up and published in multiple places all over the Net.
One of the conditions of publication is that your resource box must be included with the article. The resource box contains your business information and website address. So from one little article you can gain lots of free traffic to your website.

6. Forums: Online networking is a fun way to connect with other people who share similar interests. It also provides marketing opportunities. While you mustn’t blatantly advertise, most forums allow you to put a website link in your signature. You can also demonstrate your expertise by offering information and advice where appropriate.

7. Joint Promotion: Joining forces with a complementary business for a promotion can reap big dividends. For example, a florist may collaborate with a wedding stationery supplier and cross promote each other’s businesses. This means that both businesses are exposed to two sets of prospects within the same target market.

8. Facebook, Twitter and all that Web 2.0 stuff: Also called Social Media, these sites offer even more opportunities to connect with likeminded ‘Netizens’ and share your greatness. Takes a bit of savvy to make them work but once you get your head around them they can be very powerful tools for your business.

So don’t be afraid to crank up the marketing. Your customers need you!


© Carol Dorman 2009

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Carol Dorman, owner of Quill Writing Services, also publishes Communicate, the monthly newsletter for small business owners who want to raise their profile and increase their profits by harnessing the power of words. Subscribe today at http://www.quillwritingservices.com.au and receive a free copy of her report: How to Convince your Target Market to Buy from You.

How I created my very first product

I reached a milestone this month by launching my very first product! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for ages but kept holding back. The hardest thing I found about releasing a product was figuring out just what to create. Actually, I felt really clueless about this—even silly!

I mean, as a copywriter and editor, people pay for my services to help sell their products and make their written stuff look good. But how could that translate into a product? How could I turn the knowledge and expertise I share one-on-one with my clients into something that can help lots of business owners?

Particularly, since I don’t specialise in any one area. Oh I’ve heard all the chatter by the ‘gurus’ saying the only way to really succeed is to find your niche and specialise but frankly, I like the variety of working for stacks of different industries in lots of different ways. (Keeps life spicy!) So I kept thinking and rethinking and analysing and reanalysing and procrastinating and -- not producing anything.

Until I stopped thinking so hard and looked simply at the core of what Quill Writing Services is. My tagline says: “Presenting your business, through words, at its absolute best” and while that’s true, the core purpose is so much more. Quill’s core purpose is to help business owners communicate.

Clear communication is very important to me both personally and in business. I hate being misunderstood and it disturbs me greatly when I misunderstand someone else. That’s why I consider it a privilege to help people say what they mean clearly to whom they’re saying it.

So what is this new thing?

Well, it’s basically a tool to help busy businesspeople communicate. Introducing **drumroll please**:

The Busy Businessperson’s Guide to ‘Writing Good’

It’s a handy reference to those niggly little words that often get mixed up or misspelt as well as a guide to the basics of different types of business writing. Rather than give you the whole blurb here though, if you’d like to learn more just visit:
goodwritingguide.com

Anatomy of a Sales Letter (with a cheeky grin)

Sales letters come in many shapes and sizes. Direct mail, online ‘squeeze pages’ emails, flyers—they’re all sales letters and they all need certain elements if they are to be effective.

To explain these elements and how they work I’ve decided (with my tongue stuck firmly in my cheek) to use a little imagery. Now for this to work, you really have to open your mind and let the pictures in.

Bear with me—it’ll be fun!

Okay, so you’re looking at the very enchanting Ms Marcom (that’s short for Marketing Communications, get it?). Ms Marcom is the kind of lady who turns heads wherever she goes. She’s not perfect by any means but knows how to make the most of what she has and turn everything to her advantage.

Now, let’s turn HER into a sales letter!

The Headline
The first thing about Ms Marcom that strikes people when they meet her is the way her face captures their eyes. It’s a face not unlike Elizabeth Taylor’s—captivating, with eyes that flash fire while her demeanour remains calm and poised. People can’t help it; they feel like they have to learn more about her.

She really gets their attention.

The Problem
As I said before, Ms Marcom isn’t perfect. She wakes up with problem skin and wobbly bits just like the rest of us. In fact, there are some mornings when she dreads looking in the mirror and would rather stay home in bed!

The Solution
But she’s a true professional. So, with the help of Nancy (Ganz) and Estee (Lauder) Ms Marcom looks nothing short of stunning. By the time she walks out the door she feels like a million dollars and is ready to take on the world!

Credibility
Of course, it takes more than a pretty face to inspire confidence and trust. Ms Marcom displays her discernment and expertise in the labels that she wears and the way she conducts herself. (She’s an angel in Prada and could teach young Hollywood a thing or two about how to wear a good frock!) The way she carries herself, the way she speaks, radiates an air of authority so that anyone in her presence ‘knows Ms Marcom knows her stuff’.

Benefits (not Features)
The benefits Ms Marcom bestows on others are many. She mentors young business people, gives to numerous charities and builds houses for the homeless in her spare time. But most of all people feel so good when they’re around her.

(Paying attention? This is important.)

Indeed, it could be said that the main benefits Ms Marcom gives are the unseen—the emotional.

(Heads up—benefits are about the feeling, features are what you see)

Proof
At every event Ms Marcom attends, she is toasted, complimented and thanked by those she has helped. While a little embarrassed, she always accepts the generous accolades gracefully.

The Offer (and bonuses)
If you’re incredibly lucky you may find yourself invited out to lunch by Ms Marcom. You can be assured of exceptional food, fine wine and entertaining conversation. There will, undoubtedly be a bounty of unexpected delights showered upon you during the repast and you will leave very satisfied indeed.

Guarantee
In fact, Ms Marcom guarantees you will be completely satisfied after your meal or she will send over her own personal chef to cook for you for a month.

Urgency
But you must be quick in accepting her invitation. You see, Ms Marcom has already booked the restaurant and if you don’t step into her limousine now, she will have to leave without you.

Call to Action (and warning about doing nothing)
So say, “Yes” and climb aboard Ms Marcom’s silver-grey luxury limo for a sublime few hours dining by the sea. Remember, the restaurant’s already booked and Ms Marcom is going, with or without you. Don’t miss out!

So there you have it. From headline to call to action in the guise of a beautiful lady called Ms Marcom. (Told you it’d be fun ;D)

© Carol Dorman -- Quill Writing Services 2009

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If you need some hints on how to communicate with your target market, skip over to www.quillwritingservices.com.au for your free subscription to Communicate and complimentary report, How to Persuade your Target Market to Buy from You

Changing Business Direction and Letting your Market Know

One of the great things about being in business for yourself is the freedom to make business choices. You can choose the hours you work, the types of clients you want to attract, the prices you want to charge and, among other things, how far you want to take the enterprise.

You can also choose to change.

Now, change can be a tad scary, especially if you’re taking your business into territory that you’re not altogether familiar with. That’s okay though—a little fear when looked straight in the eye can instantly transform into empowerment.

Think back to something that you really wanted to do but were at first afraid to. Perhaps it was the first time you rode a bike, went up in a hot-air balloon or gave a presentation.

Now remember the feeling after it was over—you were still alive and well, right? Did you feel stronger inside having done what you wanted in spite of that fear? In the case of the hot-air balloon it was, no doubt, pure exhilaration! And the next time a similar opportunity arose did you run away or take it with glee?

Back to your business

Before making any change it’s worth reflecting on your reasons for starting it in the first place. Are your reasons for being in business still the same? Have you achieved what you initially set out to do? Does the change you’re making feel right? And are you excited?

If you’re heading just a little north-east from north and not completely south with your business (metaphorically speaking) then you may find your target market, or at least part of it, can come along for the ride. That’s a great advantage; after all, stepping into a new arena has to be easier with a ready-made client base, right?

But how do you spread the word?

One way is to slowly introduce a few of your new products or services to your target market. If you work online, perhaps provide a free report related to your new direction or add some of the new products to your online shop. The same principle applies to an offline business.

Gently educate your clients to view this change as a phasing in of the new rather than a phasing out of the old.

At the same time, don’t forget to promote your new-look business to its very own new target market. Sure, there maybe overlaps with the old, but your changed business will definitely have a new market that needs to be tapped into and communicated with.

As I mentioned earlier, change can be scary but it’s also exciting! In fact, you may discover your customers getting excited for you as the buzz builds around what’s coming.

So enjoy the process, look fear in the face and say “Come on board, you can’t stop me,” then cut the ropes and fly.

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© Carol Dorman Quill Writing Services
If you need some hints on how to communicate with your target market, skip over to www.quillwritingservices.com.au for your free subscription to Communicate and complimentary report, How to Persuade your Target Market to Buy from You

Looking Back and Looking Forward

As 2008 draws to a close it’s interesting to look back and see how far the world has come—and yet how much it’s stayed the same.

I’ve noticed that on one hand, there seems to be a real air of hope and change but on the other, still senseless carnage and hatred. While nations continue to come to grips with the recent atrocities in Mumbai, we ask “Why?” and pray that true humanity wins out over revenge.

There’s a surge of sentiment that we should heal the planet yet around 30 000 children still die each day due to poverty.

So much wonder, so much contrast.

But the world is changing. As a species we are evolving and continuing to discover more about what it is to be human. In centuries, even decades to come who knows what leaps we’ll make?

I choose to believe that we’re heading towards better things and, just as a child stumbles, gets up then stumbles again while learning to walk, so humankind will continue to pick itself up and grow in wisdom and light.

Writing Letters—remember?

“Once upon a time, there was a communication process called ‘Letter’. It was an amusing thing, words on paper, tucked inside other bits of paper and delivered to all manner of places by even more amusing large men on tiny motorbikes.”

Okay, I jest … indeed, in this age of saying everything in electro-speak, the good ole letter can be one of the most effective forms of business communication around—if it’s done properly.

After all, a letter is simply a means of talking to someone on paper. And as with any form of communication, the way this is done will depend on the recipient.

Let’s go through a couple of letters you may need to write for your business:

Letters to customers

Most consumer-addressed letters should be written in plain English with a friendly and personal tone. This means using ‘I’ rather than ‘we’ or ‘the writer’ and avoiding jargon or complicated terms.

If you’re addressing a customer complaint, take extra care to make it clear that you understand why he or she is upset. The complaint may or may not be justified and, in either case, it’s imperative that you be straightforward and sympathetic when explaining your response or course of action.

Put yourself in the customer’s place and let your letter ‘speak’ as you would want to be spoken to.

Letters to authorities

Authorities such as government departments, local councils, industry associations and regulatory bodies can have a tendency to communicate in ‘bureaucracy-speak’. Don’t be too hard on them; their language has been passed down from Heads of Department to Supervisors to Clerks for generations.

It is therefore perfectly acceptable when writing to them, to use some of their common terms or jargon as this will endear you to them as one familiar with their language. Use such terms sparingly, however, as repeated use can be habit-forming and hard to break free from. Instead, incorporate them into a plain English letter that is upfront, clear and concise.

Remember, the reader is probably at least as busy as you are and will therefore look more favourably on a letter that is refreshingly brief and to the point rather than long-winded and convoluted.

Letters to colleagues and peers

When you’re writing to a colleague it’s pretty safe to say you’re writing to someone who ‘gets it’ when you talk shop. This means that if you break into a bit of jargonese (yes, that is a new word—I just haven’t told the Dictionary people yet) no one’s going to feel awkward or scared. In fact, it may open the lines of communication wider because you’re all speaking the same language.

The bottom line is, when you take the time to put ink to paper, fold the paper … or have someone fold it for you … place it in an envelope …or have someone … you must be sure that the person who reads it understands it and, therefore, understands you.

Your time is worth it!

© Carol Dorman 2008

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Like to use this article in your website, blog or ezine? You're welcome to as long as it remains unaltered and includes the following:

Carol Dorman, owner of Quill Writing Services, also publishes Communicate, the monthly newsletter for small business owners who want to raise their profile and increase their profits by harnessing the power of words. Subscribe today at http://www.quillwritingservices.com.au and receive a free copy of her report: How to Convince your Target Market to Buy from You