Archive for June, 2006

I am so excited to participate in the International Women’s Podcasting Expo. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to get your business out there on the internet. The exhibit halls will be open to the public, giving your business plenty of international exposure.

Just the opportunity to have the expo booth up for three months is worth the exhibitor fee alone. Just think of what you could do with a virtual conference room for three months. If you can’t think of what to do with it, contact me and I’ll share with you many ways to use a virtual conference room, with audio capabilities, to increase your visibility, credibility and profitability!

Maybe you are just now hearing about podcasting and the fabulous opportunity it can give to you to brand yourself as an expert in your industry. If you are sitting on the edge, not knowing if you want to “hang” with us or not, in the words of the famous shoe, “just do it!”

Come and join us. Get a mic, buy a ticket, grab a booth, just do it! Today!

Debra
The Digital Marketing Diva

I am so excited to participate in the International Women’s Podcasting Expo. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to get your business out there on the internet. The exhibit halls will be open to the public, giving your business plenty of international exposure.

Just the opportunity to have the expo booth up for three months is worth the exhibitor fee alone. Just think of what you could do with a virtual conference room for three months. If you can’t think of what to do with it, contact me and I’ll share with you many ways to use a virtual conference room, with audio capabilities, to increase your visibility, credibility and profitability!

Maybe you are just now hearing about podcasting and the fabulous opportunity it can give to you to brand yourself as an expert in your industry. If you are sitting on the edge, not knowing if you want to “hang” with us or not, in the words of the famous shoe, “just do it!”

Come and join us. Get a mic, buy a ticket, grab a booth, just do it! Today!

Debra
The Digital Marketing Diva

1. Business History Articles: they include information about your business. Examples: years in business, goals your business has accomplished, community affairs, financial information.
2. Product Articles: they include information about your product or services. Examples: new products, improvements to existing products, new accessories.
3. Visual Content: they include visual helpers that help explains, shows or supports an example. Examples: charts, photos, graphics, graphs.
4. Entertaining Content: they include humorous and off beat information. Examples: contests; quizzes, trivia, puzzles, games, cartoons.
5. Excerpts: they include information used from other resources for different purposes, but can also support your business. Examples: journal articles, transcripts of seminars, reprints, speeches, press releases.
6. Technology Content: they are new technologies you can use to present your content. Examples: audio clips, streaming video, MP3 files.

1. Write your e-zine’s ad to sound like it is common sense to subscribe. For example: “Everyone knows you have to…”
2. Assume people are going to instantly subscribe to your e-zine. For example: “Dear Healthy Subscriber” After all, they’ll want to subscribe in order to feel healthy.
3. Give your subscribers free stuff from each issue of your e-zine. It could be ebooks or software. They’ll tell others and those people will subscribe.
4. Tell people what their friends or family might say as a result of them of learning what’s in your e-zine. People care about what other people think of them.
5. Make people feel like it’s their idea to subscribe, they will be less hesitant. Tell them in your ad “You are making a smart decision for subscribing”.

1. Allow people to reprint your articles on their web site, in their e-zine, newsletter, magazine or ebooks. Include your resource box and the option for article reprints at the bottom of each article.
2. Allow people to use any of your freebies as free bonuses for products or services they sell. Include your ad on all your freebies.
3. Allow people to use your online discussion board for their own web site. Some people don’t have one. Just include your banner ad at the top of the board.
4. Allow people to sign up for a free web site on your server. Since you are giving away the space, require them to include your banner ad at the top of the site.
5. Allow people to add their link to your free web site directory. Just require that they return a link back to your web site, advertising your directory.

1. Make your reader visualize they have already bought your product in your ad. Tell them what results they have gotten and how it makes them feel. They’ll already become emotionally attached before they buy.
2. Turn your ad into an article. It could be a story, or how-to article. This will lead them into your ad without them knowing it’s an ad. They’ll already be interested when they get to your sales pitch.
3. Make sure you show your reader that they are getting a bargain. Tell them the usual price you sell your product for is $99. Then tell them if they order today they can buy it for $69.95.
4. Direct your ad headline to your target audience. Your readers will feel important and belong to a select group of people who buy your product. For example; “Attention! Accountants, Discover A New Way To Increase Your Client Base!”
5. Tell your reader how fast they can receive your product or service in your ad. Their buying decision may be based on how fast they can receive your product. They may need it by a certain deadline.

1. How To Articles: they include detailed step by step instructions. Examples: how to publish your e-zine, how to promote your business, how to attract visitors to your web site.
2. Tips: they are usually small pieces of information about the size of a paragraph. Examples: tips on using a product, tips on doing your taxes.
3. Top Lists: they are a group of tips listed in order, usually numbered from first to last. Examples: top 7 ways to get to the top of search engines, top 10 ways to market your product.
4. News Articles: they can include news about your industry or company information. Examples: joint ventures, new product releases, special events, overseas activity
5. Interview Articles: they could include interviews from customers, employees and experts. Examples: interview an employee that won an award, an expert related to your industry, a satisfied customer, people profiles.
6. Publications: they include information that’s bundled together to take with the person. Examples: ebooks, reports, software, auto responder information.

1. Directory Linking
   Create a directory of web sites on a specific topic. Give people the option of adding the directory to their web site by linking to it. Put your business advertisement at the top of the director’s home page. This technique will get lots of people to link to your web site and give you free advertising.
2. Bonus Advertising
   Do you have a product or service that doesn’t sell good? Offer it as a free bonus for someone else’s product or service. Get free advertising by placing your web site or business ad on the product or in the product package.
3. Autoresponder Trade
   Trade autoresponder ads with other businesses. If both of you send out information with auto- responders just exchange a small classified ad to put at the bottom or top of each other’s autoresponder message.
4. Tip Line
   Start a free tip line.Offer a free daily, weekly, or monthly tip recorded on your voice mail. The tips should be related to your business. Include your ad for your web site or business at the beginning or end of your message.
5. Content Swap
   Exchange content with other web sites and ezines. You could trade articles, top ten lists, etc. Both parties could include a resource box at the end of the content.

One reason entrepreneurs ignore promoting their online business with press releases is because they don’t know what’s newsworthy.

Here are 10 online business press release ideas:

1. your opening of a new web site
2. new products or services you’re offering on your web site.
3. the results of an online survey or poll you’ve completed
4. an online award your business or web site has won
5. a free e-mail newsletter you’re publishing
6. a new book or e-book you wrote
7. a fundraising event you’re doing at your web site
8. a new contest or sweepstakes you’re having at your site
9. major sponsorships you’re doing online
10. a famous person that’s endorsing your business

You can get other press release writing tips and ideas by reading other businesses press releases, reading how to publications, talking to experts and visiting other media web sites. A Goggle search for online press release directories will yield you plenty of site to submit your press release. Good luck!

Press releases are one of the most cost-effective ways to get promotion for your online business. Many entrepreneurs ignore this type of promotion because they don’t know how to write a press release. It’s important to promote your online business with press releases because of the media all over the internet. The following is a list of some common press release writing tips:

• your press release should sound like news, not an ad
• you should only send your press release to the media related to the topic of your press release
• keep your press release one page in length
• your header, contact information and release date should be at the top of your press release
• use short sentences and double space in between sentences
• your header and first few sentences should capture the readers attention
• you should tell a story and briefly mention your business, product or service in the body of the press release
• proofread your press release many times. Look for grammar and spelling mistakes.

You can get other press release writing tips and ideas by reading other businesses press releases, reading how to publications, talking to experts and visiting other media web sites. A Goggle search for online press release directories will yield you plenty of site to submit your press release. Good luck!