You know the importance of marketing your website and there are a lot of different marketing techniques to adopt! But too often enthusiastic entrepreneurs make the mistake of overselling themselves and their products.
There can be a fine line between spamming and advertising, but it is one you do not want to cross.
How, then, can you market your business without being viewed as a spammer? Take a look at these tips for more effectively utilising email messages and Social Networking sites.
Email Marketing
When you send an email marketing message, you must be very careful in the way you do so, the content you include, and the frequency you send out these promotions. Keep graphics and links to a minimum and it’s probably not a good idea to send out a mailing more than once weekly.
Always honour requests to unsubscribe promptly. Make sure that you are only sending Email newsletters to those have opted in to receive them and remove anyone who wishes not to be included in future mailings. In other words, keep your list up to date.
Going along with these two tips is also the fact that you should never give another person or business access to your client database. This is an invasion of privacy, particularly if you advertise on your website that your subscribers’ information will not be shared.
Ensure that the software you are using to manage your email marketing messages is working like it should, and uses only a clean database. Keep your computer free of viruses or other malware that could potentially become attached to your clients systems.
Social Networking
You know that using Social Networking sites such as Twitter and Facebook, can be valuable marketing tools. But if all you do when you log in is simply promote your business, you will quickly be viewed as a spammer and shunned by other members. You may also be blacklisted from the site if you do not obey their rules for posting.
For social networking to be effective, you must first be committed to becoming a member of the community. That means getting to know the other members, offering useful information, and contributing to ongoing conversations with valid comments.
Think of it as going to a party and socialising with the other guests. If you simply walked into the room handing out brochures and business wares, it is unlikely anyone would want to spend time with you.
Share some of your personal stories and successes, or even frustrations. Conversely, listen to others relating the same with an open mind and a sympathetic attitude.
When you get to know someone else, then you are opening the door for further conversation about what you do for a living. Don’t try to rush the process. Only bring up your business when you are given a viable opportunity to do so. And intersperse your subtle sales pitches with information and advice. In this way, you are leading a conversation instead of pushing someone who might not care to listen.
No one wants to be inundated with promotional pitches every time they log into their Email account or log onto a Social Networking site. Remember there is a time and place for everything and by obeying the unwritten rules, your internet marketing efforts will be richly rewarded.
About Sean Rasmussen
I think a good approach is to try and make your emails sound as personal as possible. This way your email is less likely to be viewed as spam.
Cool site! great presentation, and really great content. Thank you for providing this info – was just what i was looking for and helped with my research into %KEYWORD” and related content. Sincerely, Brett
I think I have the idea about social networking.
On one of my fan pages I have progressively been trying to pass on information that will be helpful to them. I haven’t tried to promote to them. I was thinking of suggesting them to take a look at the product I am promoting. Is that the right approach? Or is it too much in the face?
Hi Sean,
I think I’m working this out. Relationships and people first; business and marketing to people second.
Social networking, like Facebook, is often a place where people go to relax so blasting them with the best opportunity of their life is not what they wnat…and it is very easy to *block* people..it seems to be all about building repaul, and letting their curiousity do the work.