Marketing

1. Do an “End of Year” or Winter Event like the auto dealers do. It doesn’t have to be terribly complicated. Just spend an hour or two brainstorming a promo and add a holiday theme.
2. Whip up a few festive graphics using the design program you’re most comfortable with - or pay a professional graphic […]

They say it takes seven points of contact before someone who shows interest in your Web site, knowledge, products, and/or services becomes a paying customer. Even people who are already your fans often need that extra poke to help remember the ways you provide value to them. What does this mean if you’re an online […]

Do you promote your business via press releases that you submit on the Web and/or to newspapers? Then you should ideally have a company press kit. A press kit is, in essence, a media-ready promotional package. Your press kit should be as professional-sounding as possible, and accessible via PDF download format from the PRESS or […]

Do you use the Ryze Business Network to promote your company Web site and make new connections in the professional world? On Ryze and other online networks, human connections are happening everywhere.
Online networks such as Ryze have live links built into them for a reason. They’re your opportunity to directly connect with people who can […]

So you’ve heard that some Web designers are teaming up with copywriters to get more done in less time. How’s that work, exactly? Here are some ideas about how working with a copywriter can increase your visibility, cultivate a favorable impression for your business, get your message out to people who want what you have, […]

(A.K.A. Why Regular People Should Not Write Marketing Materials)
Just the other day, my significant other called me over to share what he considered “godawful” copywriting. He was looking at the Web site of a *typical* marketing company, much like mine or yours, and having a little chuckle.
“Read this,” he said. “This person is trying […]

One really great way to build up a little more press about your Online project or Web site is to give something away. There is no person out there that can honestly say, “I hate getting free stuff!” so the market is more than ready for the freebies.
The first thing you want […]

A copywriting and marketing client of mine recently asked, “What do I get with my own template that I don’t get with a template or blank template?” Great question, and here’s the answer in seven parts.
1. Your own Web pages, to save to your computer desktop and to your Web server.
It may seem convenient to […]

Ever notice those long, terribly tacky sales letters floating around the Web? You swore you’d never publish one of those wretched things in your name… but now you have an info product that you’d like to make some cash on. So here comes the $64,000.00 question:
Is it possible to write a sales letter that does […]

Interested in learning more about permission-based email marketing and ezine publishing? Good for you - an email newsletter makes sense for anyone who intends to build their brand and grow a thriving business online.
Now the real dilemma: Constant Contact, or 1ShoppingCart.com? You’ve heard good and bad things about both. Which one is right for your […]

Many successful online business owners use what has been called “article marketing” as a traffic and sales-building strategy. This is a process by which you write short, informative articles and submit them to either niche-specific Web sites, or generic “article directories.” Content-seekers then pick up your articles and republish them on their own niche-similar Web […]

Get an ezine. Sign up for list management. Collect subscribers. All good ideas… but what happens when you innocently begin publishing your own ezine and then suddenly someone gets fed up with your antics and hollers “Spammer!” for no apparent reason.
Just because you “told someone you weren’t spamming them” does not mean you weren’t spamming […]

Now I know here we cover a lot of the technical ways of making your Web sites or projects better. Have you thought of all the social aspects that might make your Web site a little more popular? Nobody can argue with the fact that it takes people to make a Web site […]

Now one thing that people ask me for a lot when it comes to Web development issues is a good place to create a free poll or script. Till I found AskItOnline, I had to point people to these cheesy, ad-filled nightmares. Sure, you could install a script yourself as well, but that […]

Does your Web copy measure up? Seems like every copywriting professional wants to have a hand in your marketing message. But aside from the obvious, like grammatical and spelling errors, how would you know if you really do need a copy overhaul (as opposed to a couple of minor tweaks)? Start by searching your traffic […]

Bribery or brilliant? Getting people to make Yahoo their home page by offering coupons for free goods might just work.

There you are, stuck on the supermarket checkout line, bored out of your head. Suddenly, a boldfaced word from the magazine rack takes a swat at the side of your face. “Look at me!! Look at me!!” it silently screams.
You turn, slowly. Your eye spies the Irresistible Headline. Swiftly, doing the job it was born […]

Typically, the online consultant uses an email autoresponder to notify new contacts that their request for a job quote has been received. The message that the recipient gets looks something like this:
Thank you for contacting COMPANY X. Your request has been received. We will be contacting you in 24-48 business hours with a response to […]

Serious web consultants who want to deliver HTML-formatted articles or web copy to their clients will purchase an HTML editing program such as Dreamweaver, or download a free one such as NVU.com. However, if you’re just dabbling and need HTML in a hurry, read on to learn about a nifty maneuver I used to use […]

I remember the first time I ever laid eyes on an online sales letter. Fascinated yet repulsed, I quickly skimmed past all the verbal spew to the bottom, where I expected to find the punchline and a price point. Instead, I was told to, CLICK HERE TO BUY!
I didn’t click the link. Back then, I […]