It goes without saying that the Internet has provided a great opportunity for most small business owners working with a small budget to market effectively online. As a matter of fact, many Internet success stories have been made from individuals who had little money, but knew how to leverage the power of the net. Have you been using the Internet effectively in your business for marketing purposes? Whether your answer is yes or no, it’s time to get things moving even more with the following Internet marketing ideas:
1. Article Posting
Writing and posting articles throughout the Internet assist you in becoming a credible expert in your industry. This is key in effectively branding yourself and attracting individuals who are searching the web for your type of service or product.
Start by writing short articles 150 to 300 words that share interesting tips and resources about your industry. Try to stick with a central theme or subject, which should be the keywords or phrases that someone would search for when looking for your particular service and/or product. Also, always use bullet points to highlight features, benefits or specific resources.
When looking for blogs, forums and social networks to post your articles to – make sure it’s a site that is compatible with what you do or with what your target market is looking for.
Note: http://www.Blogher.com is a great directory of blogs created by women. You’ll probably be able to find a quite a few that might pertain to your industry or market to the same target audience.
2. Hold A Virtual Networking Event
Invite 10-15 business associates, connections or people that you have been connecting with on the Internet to a private online networking call. Each person could get 2-3 minutes to share their bsiness, benefits and special offer(s) to the group. As the host, it will be important to create an outline and keep the group flowing.
3. Start Your Own Blog
A blog is another great way to help you to position yourself as an expert in your field. Making blog entries at least 3 to 4 days per week can help your customers to stay connected to you and learn about other interesting news, resources and discounts.
A great resource for free blogs is www.WordPress.com
4. Sell On eBay or Etsy
Ebay has become more structured over the last two years, but still has millions of visitors Internationally looking for anything and everything. Listing your products or services is a great way to bring attention to your company not only on ebay, but through the search engines as well.
Another great site to market your handmade products on is Etsy (www.Etsy.com). Esty makes it easy for small business owners to get their product to the market fast through the use of their easy online system and shopping carts, which can be linked to your PayPal account for payment.
5. Post Videos Online
Videos are considered the next wave of marketing on the Internet as you can probably tell already. Take advantage of a free YouTube account (www.YouTube.com) and create your own video channel and start posting videos. A makeup artist or cosmetics specialist could do a before and after makeup video. A consultant could give a 5 to 10 minute seminar with bullet points on the screen. A message therapist could demonstrate various message techniques for relaxation or therapy. Once you’ve uploaded your videos to YouTube, it is also correctly formated to import on your website, other blogs and social networks.