Dejections

June 13th, 2008

How to Get Free Publicity For Your Business!

Posted in Great Marketing Tips

“Never under-estimate the power of the press!”

I’m sure you’re familiar with the phrase “the power of the press.” It’s this power that turns little, insignificant events into big news!

Not only will the press print something they consider newsworthy, they will also print anything that is popular, controversial or sometimes just “new.” In a nutshell, press coverage is one of the most powerful marketing tools available to you to help promote your product, service, or opportunity. And best of all, it’s absolutely FREE!

News coverage can add immediate credibility to your business and your product or service. The press is still respected and trusted by most people. Most people still take what they read in the papers as gospel. The same is true for radio and television.

The bottom line is…

Press releases can mean more business and huge profits for you!

With just one well-written press release, you can have your article published in a popular magazine or your local newspaper and expose your product information and/or your website to hundreds, even thousands of interested readers.

The visibility and exposure that your business may receive can not be measured. You see, sometimes a single press release can generate more articles in other publications; It could also get you an interview on a radio station or a tv program. You could even end up on the 10 O’clock News!

No one can really tell how little or how far your press release will expose your business. The only way to find out is to get those press releases out there! And get them out there NOW before your competition beats you to it.

How Do You Get Free Press Coverage?

With the exception of “real news,” which can be fairly depressing at times, most stories and articles that appear in the press are the result of individuals or companies contacting the press. This may come as a surprise to you, but most of what appears in the media is a result of either press releases or calls made by people to the press, radio or tv.

Most newspapers have space to fill. You can help them fill it. If you have a new product or service that is needed by the public, or if you have a website offering help or advice, you could very easily be the next person to be mentioned by the press.

However, you have to be a little different than what’s already out there. Uniqueness stirs up curiosity and interest. A new subject, or a new point of view, is usually newsworthy.

Another way to get published is to watch for what’s “hot” in the news. Right now, for example, the Year 2000 Problem is big. If you decide to offer FREE information on this or any other hot topic through one of your webpages, you could very easily increase traffic to your website. All you would need then is to create links from your “hot” page that leads to your other products offered on your site.

Also, if you can create a web page that can make people’s lives easier, more interesting, or more fulfilling, you can be in the news. (Just take a look at PC Magazine’s Top 100 websites and you’ll get lots of ideas.

Back to the “how-to” of press releases…

Here are some things to consider when writing a press release:

Use a powerful “action” headline to get immediate attention. By now you should know that your headline is the most powerful part of ANY advertising, or promotional piece.
Present your best information first. A reader, especially the editor of the paper/magazine, doesn’t have time to waste. The reader should be able to instantly learn what the release is about. Mention the most interesting and useful features of your news first.

Do not “advertise.” That’s right. A press release is not exactly a display ad. Your release has to appear as an informational article, not an ad. Avoid wild, inflated claims. Be honest and provide useful details. Sell the benefits of your product/service without sounding too much like an ad. Explain why or how your product will make people’s lives easier. Provide a solution to a common problem.

Be an “expert.” You have to sound like you know what you’re talking about. If your article is too vague and scattered, it will probably not get published. A well-written article, on the other hand, will tell the editor that you know the product and that you are a reliable and authoriative information source.

Get to the point! Your release should not go more than 2 pages long. If it is longer, get rid of useless information and include only what’s important. This will ensure that you are providing all the details and none of the “fluff.” Try to include as much of the important details as you can and keep it within 2 pages.

No technical “jargon” please. Technical terms are not acceptable. If the reader cannot understand what the article is about, it won’t get read. Translate all the technical terms into layman’s terms.

It is usually a good idea to research the paper or magazine you’re planning to submit your release to. Study the back issues and previous articles and learn what is working with that particular publication. This will greatly increase the chances of your release getting published vs. that of your competitor’s.

The format…

The release should be typed or computer-generated, double-spaced on 8 1/2 x 11 paper.
Your company name, address, and page number should appear at the top of each page. Write “For Immediate Release” along with the date toward the top of the first page.

Under this line, type “Contact:” then your name and phone number (or whoever will be handling the promotional aspects of this project.)

The headline will appear next, followed by the contents of the release.

Be sure to check, and re-check the article for spelling and grammatical errors. Don’t rely on your word processing software to do this for you. It’s also a good idea to have a second person proofread the release.

Address the release to the right person. Call the magazine or newspaper to find out who handles the press releases and address it to that person. Include the person’s correct title.

Use FREE PRESS COVERAGE to build your business. It’s free, you can do it on your own, and the results are usually phenomenal!

Remember, you only need one good one to make it big!

Make headlines!

Bryan Kumar

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June 7th, 2008

Every Internet Marketer should have a KISS Website

Posted in Great Marketing Tips

The title of this article may prompt you to think that you should have a website based off the rock band “KISS”. No, “KISS” in this case refers to the old marketing adage “Keep It Simple Stupid”. It is critical to keep this marketing strategy in mind when you are creating your website.

How can you use the KISS method when creating your website? Employ the following technical and marketing strategies and you will have a KISS certified website. These strategies can apply to any Internet business. In addition, it doesn’t matter what your educational background is because everyone can utilize these techniques.

Your KISS strategy should encompass the following three types of websites: Branding site, Sales Letter site, and Power Squeeze Site. We will discuss each site in further detail.

Site #1 - Branding Site: The purpose of your Branding site is to brand your company, products, and/or services. This page needs to be basic so keep the number of options to a minimum. Remember, a confused mind never buys. A potential customer will leave your site in the blink of an eye if they are overwhelmed by the number of options.

It is also important to note that only 1% of your customers will come from the subscription box on your branding site. Also, only 1% of your customers will come from the product page here. Therefore, the main purpose of the branding site is to create your brand.

Site #2 - Sales Letter Site: The purpose of your Sales Letter site is to get the customer to purchase your product or service. Your Sales Letter site will contain your sales letter. You don’t want customers to leave this page because once they leave the page the chances of creating a sales conversion dramatically decrease. Therefore, don’t put in options that allow people to leave your Sales Letter site.

Site #3 - Power Squeeze Site: The purpose of the Power Squeeze site is to capture personal information from your customer. The only information you need to capture on your Power Squeeze site includes: first name, last name, and primary email address. This will allow you to start a relationship with each customer. You can always capture more personal information later.

It is also helpful to tell customers exactly what you want them to do on this page. In other words, you want them to sign up for you customer list, so have text that says “Just sign up here…” This direction will increase sales conversions.

Your Power Squeeze site is your most valuable site. You may need to tweak it often.

Take great care when creating these three sites. These sites are the key to attracting and retaining valuable customers that purchase your products and services.

Matt Bacak, The Powerful Promoter and Entrepreneur Magazine e-Biz radio show host, and now a “#1 Best Selling Author” in just a few short hours, has helped thousands of clients target his specialty, opt-in mail direct marketing systems. The Powerful Promoter is not only a sought-after internet marketer but has also marketed for some of the world’s top experts whose reputations would shrivel if their followers ever found out someone else coached them on their online marketing strategies. For more information, visit Bacak’s site at www.powerfulpromoter.com or sign up for his Powerful Promoting Tips at www.promotingtips.com

May 31st, 2008

High Prices: A Great Way to Keep Readers from Buying Your Book

Posted in Great Marketing Tips

Most authors do not know how to price their books. They think that the best way to recoup costs or convey value is to have a high cover price. What they fail to remember is basic economics: higher prices equal fewer sales. If you’re an author who has yet to build a following, then higher prices are simply going to mean only a few family members and some very kind friends will buy your book.

I apologize for being harsh here, but I want to see authors succeed. It is frustrating to watch talent go to waste in the form of a “barrier to sale” (i.e., high book prices). Authors put tremendous amounts of time, effort, and dedication into writing and publishing their books. After all of this sacrifice, an author will essentially keep readers from buying his or her book by making it too expensive. What this means is that the author will remain in obscurity and any chance of using their print-on-demand (POD) or self-published book to make money or get a contract with a traditional publisher will perish.

When setting the price for a book, an author needs to consider three questions:

1)Are there thousands (or even hundreds) of people anticipating your book’s release so they can buy it?

2)When people you’ve never met hear your name, do they think of you as an excellent writer or an expert on the subject you write about?

3)When your book is released, are people across the nation going to hear about it multiple times?

If you answered, “No,” to these questions, then you need to think more strategically about pricing your book because adding an expensive cover price to your already challenging position in the marketplace will only result in disappointment. Alternatively, pricing your book strategically can go a long way to help you build a following and achieve your dreams as a writer.

The New York Times bestselling author, Seth Godin, made his ebook, Unleashing the Ideavirus, available for free on the Internet in 2001. Over 1 million copies of the ebook have been downloaded and it is now available in paperback (note that it is selling on Amazon.com for $10.50 and despite its age still has a strong Amazon.com Sales Rank under 10,000). All of Seth’s subsequent books have been raging successes and anyone with even the vaguest interest in marketing knows him as an authority. He attributes his phenomenal book sales to the success of the free ebook. By giving the book away he expanded his following. He allowed people who never heard of him to read his entire ebook enabling them to discover the quality of his writing and the value of his ideas without spending any money. Although it is counter-intuitive, people actually bought the paperback after downloading and reading the free version because they wanted a copy for their bookshelves.

Contrast Seth’s book to an author I randomly came across while writing this article who has a hardcover novel from one of the top three POD firms. This author, who shall remain anonymous, priced the book at an astonishing $28.50. It should be no surprise that the Amazon.com Sales Rank of this book is over 2.9 million meaning the author’s rich sibling is probably the only person to purchase the book. Would you spend $28.50 on a book you never heard of from an unknown writer when you can purchase a notable novel, such as the 656 page hardcover that everybody is talking about, The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova, for under $18.00? It’s not likely.

Many authors don’t know that $14.00 is the price at which most people start to question whether a book is worth buying. If you lack name recognition and there is no buzz about your book, your cover price can kill any chance your book has for success. Before setting a price for your book, look at the prices of similar books from traditional publishing houses. Setting a price below the average will give you an advantage. The lower your price, the more likely people will be to buy your book and discover your talent. After you establish a following, then set your price accordingly. Until then, do what is necessary to succeed.

David Tortorelli, President and founder of Book Premieres, an author services firm specializing in effective online book marketing services. David’s expertise in pricing strategies comes from years of entrepreneurship aided by his masters degree from the London School of Economics. He has also worked closely with authors on manuscripts for books released by top publishing houses.

May 24th, 2008

Picking A Great Domain Name

Posted in Great Marketing Tips

Why are so many dot-com ventures guaranteed to fail or a best
achieving luck luster results on the internet? Because they
haven’t wisely invested the time, energy and thought power into
creating a memorable domain name. So before choosing a domain
name, consider a few ideas.

First of all, consider the real estate term location, location,
location. You need to think of your domain extension as a
location, as most web surfers expect to see dot-com after a URL.
Many surfers automatically type in dot-com at the end of the
domain name even if you advertise your domain as dot-net or
dot-org. I’m not saying you can’t build something great using
other extensions, its just a lot harder.

So what works?

Short, simple, real words that are easy to spell and create a
lasting impression. For website on health care products, for
example www.cloud9.com or www.clondnine.com would work.
www.bestexperiencehealthcare.com most likely wouldn’t.

Also your domain name should tell the search engines what you
are all about. Since few surfers would search directly for
www.clondnine.com, www.cloud-nine.com might be a better option.

Simple may be best and you want a name that is to memorable, but
don’t make your domain name to generic. www.money.com is simple
and easy to remember, but it doesn’t create a memorable
association with a particular product or brand name. Think of a
name to grabs to the surfers attention. Instead of www.money.com
try www.moneymatters.com.

A great domain name in its self won’t keep your business afloat,
but if it at least creates a memorable association and draws
surfers to your site you’re already halfway there.

May 3rd, 2008

Benefits of Mini Web Sites

Posted in Great Marketing Tips

If you are looking to earn money working from home, Mini Web Sites are a great way to run your own business. Usually these are simple one or two page sites that are designed for selling a single product.

A mini web site is basically a sales letter that is designed to convert viewers into buyers, it is there to provide some information about the product, but most importantly to explain how you can benifit from this product. This type of site can attract more viewers, which means more sales and more money for you.

After your presentation interested buyers can be directed to your payment processor for the sale, or to your affiliate link for more detailed information.

The steps for creating a mini web site are:

- Find a profitable niche, or affiliate program.
- Determine the best product to sell for that niche.
- Write a well crafted page.
- Design a landing page.

Make sure you do not include banners or other advertising, these might distract the attention of your visitors, your only focus should be on selling your product.

Design a Mini Web Site

Each site should sell only one product and be optimized for just that product. Select keywords, and keyword phrases based on your product, that are popular enough to attract a targeted audience that will convert to buying customers, and always use your keywords in the title, heading tags, and graphic alt tags.

Whatever your product, start by quickly describing that particular product and keep your focus tight on that product. Try to pre sell your product by including several endorsements from people who are happy about using your product. After the endorsements, include several free bonuses to get your visitors even more excited about buying.

To host your site look for a reliable hosting service, one that has a good track record for minimal down time. Select a domain name that includes your keywords, this will also help your search engine rankings and get you more traffic.

Some benefits of Mini Sites are:

- Easier to optimize for search engine rankings.
- Focuses on a single product that keeps your visitors attention.
- You can be perceived as an expert at whatever you sell or whatever service you offer.
- Higher traffic generated than regular web sites.

Mini sites are the easiest way to make money because they do not require a large setup cost, and they are . All you need is a great idea and you are ready to make some money.

Chet Holcomb of http://www.marketingtooltime.com is a successful marketing expert providing advice for web marketers and webmasters on how to promote your website, or product using marketing tools that work