Iron Condor

So you have a business idea but you’re unsure just how to convince prospective customers to choose you over the competition? The methods of marketing you implement will directly affect just how many people contact you.

I have separated these tactics into two main categories: Online Marketing and Offline Marketing, each with subcategories listed in no particular order. If you wish to produce fast results then an aggressive ad campaign both on and off the internet is your best bet.

Let’s review some online options first.

1) Classified Ads are a great start. Some sites allow free posts while others charge a fee. I recommend using ones which allow you to post a link to your website. Search engines will rank your website higher if you have more links pointing to it.

Along with classified sites there are FFA (free for all) sites. Go to your search engine and type: FFA sites and you’ll find a plethora of results to browse. Just make sure they’re really free because false advertising gives you a reason to doubt the authenticity of any site.

2) Purchasing leads is another way to find prospects in your specific field. This is however a hit or miss and you should research the supplier before buying any leads. Ask if there is a refund available in case none of the prospects show interest. Get more information about how they generate their lead lists to confirm that each person on the list is screened accurately.

3) Try writing articles. Although you may be providing free information to everyone on the internet, it gives readers a reason to believe you have a certain amount of credibility. They will see you know what you’re doing, or at least begin to.

Not a writer? A step-by-step guide is easy. If it helps, read a few articles by other online authors. It’ll make a difference.

An important tip is to promote your website or business at the end of each article. Most article websites offer a small box for the author’s biography, many of which allow you to use HTML code to link directly to your site. Unfamiliar with HTML? Just go to Google and search for: basic HTML. Before you know it, you’ll be adding text links to every article you publish.

4) Another option is using Banner ads. You’ve seen those rectangular ads at the top of countless websites, right? Those are banners. If you’re unsure how to create a banner ad, don’t worry. Again, go to Google and search for: free banner ads.

You will find at least a few banner generation sites that offer banners at no charge. Just remember, the standard size is usually about 468 x 60 – which the banner site will probably use as a default size anyway.

It also helps to type in the URL address of your website (www.your website.com) somewhere on the banner ad just in case people forget where they found the banner to begin with. In fact, you should put the URL in every type of ad you use.

Some websites offer banner exchange, which is usually free but will require you to post banner ads for other sites on yours. In return, other sites will advertise your banner. In my opinion, this strategy is not as effective unless you’re using targeted banner exchange sites – allowing you to trade ads with websites with businesses similar to yours. Why post a banner for auto parts on a website about raising children or Greek mythology?

5) Search Engine Optimization is more of a primary category than a subcategory, but it is still relevant. SEO is basically defined as the process of designing a website in a way so that when related key words are entered in search engines, your website will rank high in the search results. This is accomplished through a variety of tasks, but there is no guaranteed way to get your site to the top of Yahoo!, MSN or Google and they work hard to keep it that way.

One important thing is to make sure there is plenty of text on your site, text that specifically mentions your area of expertise multiple times for search bots (the things search engines use to analyze websites) to notice and record. So if you are a carpenter, be sure to use the lingo of your occupation, mentioning the products and services offered, throughout each page of your website.

Another important factor, which I already mentioned, is to make sure plenty of links from relevant sites point to yours. Website directories or business directories are a great way to accomplish this. Both are additional topics to enter into your search engines. Many directories take weeks, even months, to complete a submission due to the millions of websites looking to gain popularity so be patient. If you’re in a rush, you may want to take advantage of any options to pay for an expedited submission.

As I mentioned, SEO is in a field of its own so if you really wish to rank high on the search engines, I recommend reading up on it. Search Engine Optimization For Dummies was extremely informative for me.

6) Traffic generators are another hit or miss. So many are scams that you very well might end up wasting valuable funds through your chaotic journey of trial and error experiments. Don’t gamble, do your homework. Go to online advertising forums where spam is prohibited and look for veterans who have experience, specifically ones who aren’t going to receive a kick-back for referring you to a reliable traffic generator. Then ask them all the questions that come to mind.

Personally, the number of traffic generation companies who’ve received my money can be counted on one hand with fingers left over. And I didn’t receive any results. That’s not to say that all are fake, but I recommend to all readers that you be cautious where you put your dollar.

Now there are also offline marketing options to consider. Here are a few.

1) Business cards are a common choice. You can either design your own with various software programs or have someone design them for you. Then I suggest going to several different print shops and getting two, three or more quotes. Compare all of them and make your decision.

If your business is mostly online, you may not need as many as you would if your website was only a secondary advertisement.

2) Flyers are another option. Just make sure you post them where they won’t be torn down. All of the major cities where I live prohibit posting flyers of any kind on public property, including telephone poles.

3) More results usually come from both Newspaper and Magazine ads. But you will pay for those results. If you’re just getting started, try a local classified paper or the small 2”x3”, black and white ads you find in the back pages of a magazine.

4) If your pockets are a little deeper, perhaps radio and television commercials are something to consider. Think about the commercials that you can remember the easiest. Ask others what their favorite ones have been. Then determine what strategies those companies used and mimic them. I don’t mean use identical wording, I mean use the same ad strategy.

If the commercial was comedic and used the “get a taste of life” method, do the same. If it was musical with a “jump on the bandwagon” message, try that approach.

Ad consultants are always out there too and more than willing to have a meeting for free or a small fee. If you are lost on this topic, then schedule a small conference and pick their brain for an hour or two.

5) Similar to banner & link exchanges online, you can also cross-promote with other companies offline too. Unlike all of the other offline advertising options I’ve listed, this one is typically free. You can drop off a small pile of business cards, some flyers or a sign for a business associate to keep in their lobby and they’ll do the same at your offices.

Again, it helps to cross-promote with a business of relevance to yours. For example, if you train dogs perhaps you would offer this option to the owner of a pet store or animal shelter.

Regardless of what combination of advertising methods you use, it is crucial that you keep a record of which ones get the most replies. Online web hosts often have tracking programs which allow you to view which websites referred each viewer to your site. Then there is also the method I always use – asking each client directly how they found you. Not everyone will remember, but the more you know about the results of your ad campaign, the less money you will waste.

Happy hunting!

SEO on a Budget; Trading Time and Money
SEO is like anything else in the world. You can trade time, money and effort to accomplish anything. The trick is in picking the best option for your needs at the moment. This article will show you how to save all three.
The good news is that SEO is not rocket science. Just about anyone can do it if given enough time and training. The better news is that it can be done for very little money. Here’s how…
1.) Trade Time for Money:
If you have six months or more to start seeing good results, try an SEO Book. Just don’t buy anything that is more than a year old.
A quick trip to http://www.Amazon.com with a search for “SEO” in the Books category will bring up dozens of contenders. You can pick up a used SEO book for $15 so it’s not so much about money as it is time. That said; to get the most out of your reading time, here are a few guidelines to consider before you purchase.
A.) Check the copyright page or back cover for the publication date and make sure it was published within the past year.
B.) Make sure it has at least a dozen reviews and that it scores 4.5 “stars” or better.
C.) Read the reviews and see if the other readers’ goals align with yours.
D.) Look for books that offer, “code snippets,” either in print or on a companion CD.
E.) If it comes down to a toss up between a couple books, give a little more weight to the one from a well known publishing house or well known series like “For Dummies.” Those that get picked up by the big publishers tend to be the best in the game, or at least the best at explaining and teaching their craft.
An SEO book is not the quickest way to become proficient but it is one of the best ways on a budget.
2.) Trade Money for Time:
If you need to see results in two months or less, consider investing in an SEO Software Package (Average Cost $150 to $450.)
There are tons of them out there. Some are very good. Others are junk. And don’t be fooled by prices. Some of the junky ones are more expensive than the great ones. Take your time and read what actual users have to say about the products.
Like most SEO consultants I own more than SEO tools than I need. But my business model is a bit different than most only help people get started in SEO. Once I get them to the top of their proffered search engines I help them find the best SEO tool to keep them going and show them how to use it to launch new sites. A little crazy I know but you wouldn’t believe how much business comes in word of mouth because of this.
There are only two types that I recommend; mentoring tools and task masters. And they both have to work well on all of the big three (Google, MSN and Yahoo.)
SEO Mentoring Tool:
A mentoring tool tends to make you learn about the ins and outs of optimization. A Website analysis tool is a good example. It will check your pages from the inside out, compare exactly what you have to your top competitors and give you detailed instructions on how to beat the competition. This is the type of software that works great over the long haul and teaches you more about SEO as you go.
There are plenty to choose from. The one I most often recommend can be found at http://www.iBusinessPR0M0TER.com. They’ve been around a long time and are used by the big companies like eBay who rely on top ranking for their very existence.
At about $250 it’s in the middle of the cost scale and offers a “Top 10 raking or your money back” guarantee, so they have some incentive to get you results.
Task Master SEO Tool:
A task master is less about mentoring and more about having you repeat a set process to get required results. A good example of this type of tool can be found at http://www.seoeliteweb.com.
At about $170 it’s at the lower end of the cost spectrum.
So whether you trade time for money or money for time, SEO is fully within your grasp. The experts don’t just wake up knowing this stuff and you can be your own SEO expert easier than you ever dreamed. All it takes is that first step to get you going.