10 Tips on Budget Friendly e-Marketing
By Michelle C. Lee.
Whether we are in a recession or a depression it really doesn't matter, we are all hurting. We're trading in our Italian leather loafers for faux-leather footwear, our business class airfare for economy class and our gas guzzling SUVs for gas saving sedans. And that's just in our personal lives, what about our businesses? Wages are being cutback, layoffs are happening and our advertising budgets are drained. How can a company still market themselves in this economy?
1. Email Signatures:
“…your companies name is on display 133 times a day per employee.”
This is such a simple way to promote your business, and it’s amazing how few people actually use it. Industry analysts say that every day, the average user sends 34 emails and receives 99 emails, that means that your companies name is on display 133 times a day per employee. By adding a simple signature to the bottom of your emails which includes your URL and an incentive to visit your site you will generate traffic to your website and thus to your product or service.
Michelle C. Lee
Sales Executive, OpenVision, Inc.
POB 5645, Hilton Head Island, SC 29938
843.785.9911 ext.230 / Fax 843.785.9190 / cell 843.263.4005
michelle@openvision.com || http://www.openvision.com
Visit our site to receive a FREE website analysis
2. Online Classified Ads:
“There is no way around it, free online classified ads are much cheaper than any printed ad...”
By listing your product or service on a free Online Classified Ad site such as Craigslist or PennySaverUSA.com you are already marketing yourself to people searching specifically for your product or service. When these searchers come across your website listed they are already primed and ready to buy. There is no way around it, free online classified ads are much cheaper than any printed ad, it is after all free.
3. Blog:
“... a blog will bring in all the riches the internet has to offer.”
Blogs are no longer for angst ridden teenagers or tech geeks with too much time on their hands; they are the gateway to getting your website recognized by search engines and giving you credentials in your industry. By adding a blog to your website, or as a cross linked stand alone site, a blog will bring in all the riches the internet has to offer. They not only flow with keyword rich content but also bring along with them a following of devoted readers, getting you recognized in search engines and generating traffic to your site.
4. Post in Forums or Discussion Boards:
“Be sure to contribute meaningful content to the board and to include your URL and Signature...”
If you're advertising vacation rental properties or thumbtacks it doesn't matter, there are discussion boards out there for you. If you really can't find one, create one. Be sure to contribute meaningful content to the board and to include your URL and Signature (see tip 1) at the bottom of each post to drive traffic to your site and attract search engines. Just be certain that the board you are posting on is relevant to your industry, it doesn't make since to post on a square-dancing board if you're selling pickles.
5. Get Listed in a Directory:
“Submit your site to Google and Yahoo for free.”
Both search engines have geo-targeted search listings so when someone searches for a product or service your company provides, your website, phone number and a map will show up at the top of the page. Go ahead try it out: type "Website Design Hilton Head" into Google, you will see OpenVision listed with our site, phone number and location marker on the map. You can also submit your site to yellowpages.com for free. The most basic listings are free so why not?
6. Social Networking Sites:
“... Soon you will have thousands of people aware of your company.”
Using a social networking site like Facebook or Linkedin to market your business is like playing the game "Six Degrees of Separation". You create a page for your company and send friend requests out to everyone you know, they in turn send it to their friends, so on and so forth. Soon you will have thousands of people aware of your company. Be sure to include on your page a URL to your site with incentive to visit it.
7. Banner Ads:
“...you do want to grab the viewer's attention and draw them to your site.”
Banner ads have come a long way from the annoying headache producing flashing advertisements at the top of webpage’s. Today's banner ads can be adjusted for size to go along the side of a webpage or to fit into a specifically designed box. Yes, you don't want something loud and flashing but you do want to grab the viewer's attention and draw them to your site. Select which sites you chose to advertise on carefully, you want a site that is relevant to your field but not one that is competition. Although most websites do charge a small fee for advertising on their site but the benefits of traffic to your site can greatly out way the minimal cost.
8. Write an Article:
“Your article should be well written and interesting enough to hold the reader’s attention...”
Similar to writing a blog, articles are filled with keyword-rich information, and show that you have expertise in your industry. There are multiple sites for posting articles free of charge: goarticles.com and articlecache.com are two great sites. Your article should be well written and interesting enough to hold the reader’s attention. Again, be sure to attach your signature file to the bottom of each article you submit, sit back and watch the traffic flow in.
9. Video
“Video not only improves your marketing message, but also helps your website stand out from your competition.”
For most people, reading through conventional marketing materials such as brochures and sales literature is often a time consuming and boring process. Typically your reading audience will glance over the photos, and possibly read the captions, but nothing more. Video not only improves your marketing message, but also helps your website stand out from your competition. Depending on your budget you can produce your own video and post it to sites like YouTube, but for greater results have a video professionally produced and put it on your webpage; see our examples at SpokespersonWebsite.com
10. PPC
“…you pay only when someone clicks on your ad…”
Pay-per-click campaigns leave you in control of your budget. Let's say you have a budget of $1,000 a month, your ad runs for the duration of the month or until you have generated enough clicks that your budget is spent, either way your website is out there for searchers to easily find. When people search your selected keywords your ad will appear next to the search results so you are advertising to an audience that is already interested and you pay only when someone clicks on your ad; when your allocated budget it up your ad goes away, it's that simple. Keep in mind while selecting keywords that you want high-ranking, low-cost keywords that are applicable to your product or service.
With these 10 tips you should be on the way to starting a successful Champagne marketing plan on a beer budget. If you would like any further information on any of the ideas above please feel free to us at 1.800.374.7297.
