Online Marketing Faux
Pas
by Scott F. Geld
You are aware that it is important to market your online business
and search for creative ways to do so, but you must also guard
against using tactics that are not effective and that may hurt
your business. Here are some tactics that you should NEVER use:
Mass Emailings
You may have been encouraged to buy and use Email lists with tons
of addresses for an Email campaign. This offer probably came to
you via an Email you didn't sign up for. Don't be tempted to buy
unsolicited Email lists, even if the seller tells you that the
names on the list are targeted towards your business offerings.
Sending unwanted Email to people who have not indicated a desire
to receive information from you is considered "spamming". It's
annoying and intrusive, and usually sends the receiver running in
the other direction whether they have an interest in your products
and services or not. The bottom line is that you risk losing
potential customers and damaging your reputation.
Email campaigns are an effective way to bring in new business, but
only if they are targeted to 'qualified' prospects. Send your
advertising only to those people who signed up to your mailing
list.
Using Search Engine Software
Some software applications work very well to submit your Web site
for a listing in the search engines. But, unfortunately a lot of
these programs are not effective. Often you'll find that the
software submits your Web site to irrelevant listing engines.
Worse than that, some of these software applications cause your
site to be banned from the popular search engines (just the ones
you want to be listed with), because of multiple attempts and
incorrect submissions.
A better way to get listed with the search engines and directories
is to go to the site, read all the submission guidelines, and then
submit your site individually to each search engine. Yes, it takes
longer, but in the long run it is less expensive and more
effective. The extra time is well spent.
Irrelevant Postings
You can attract visitors to your site by posting to relevant
forums and message boards; however, if you just haphazardly post
messages to every bulletin board, forum or discussion room you
find, you will quickly upset the memberships. Your messages should
be relevant to the type of products or services you promote, and
they should be the type of messages that are permitted in the
forum. For example, if you sell fine china, posting to a forum
about gardening is a real stretch. You'll alienate a lot of people
and you won't sell a thing.
Like traditional marketing strategies, good Internet marketers
know that only tried and true methods really work. Make sure that
the messages you send about your business are welcomed by the
receiver. To do otherwise is a waste of your time.
Scott F. Geld is the Director of Marketing for
MarketingBlaster.com, a company providing targeted traffic and
direct links starting at just $5. For more info:
http://www.MarketingBlaster.com
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