Seven Easy Ways to Promote Your New Product or Program Online

1st VA — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 12:15:38 +0000

So you have an exciting new product or program. You’ve surveyed your target market and you know it’s something they want and need. So, you hire a copywriter to create a great sales page for it and then you expect quick sales (and lots of them!). Yet – no one is buying. You announce it to your list. You add it to your ezine and website. Still… no one is buying. What is going on?

There could be many reasons, but chances are it isn’t being promoted enough or consistently.

Here is a list of ways to promote your new offering online.

Website and Blog: These are the most obvious. Your target market is visiting your website and blog, so, of course, you’ll want to be sure to highlight it on your home page as something new, and in a way that will catch the reader’s eye.

Ezine: Another “given,” but including your new offering in each ezine as a “recommended product” or service will give folks several chances to view the offering. I also suggest doing a solo promotion as an official “product launch.”

Tweets and Posts: If you’re not sure what this means, then it’s time you get a lesson in social media. You should be tweeting about your new product regularly (as much as 3 times/day) on twitter and posting regularly on Facebook. Now – know this will only work if you are also including valuable information/communication in your tweets and posts. Solely announcing something you’re selling will seem “spammy,” and only turn people off.

Affiliates: Give a great commission, and have your affiliates sell your offering for you. Make sure you are giving them plenty of sample emails, tweets, blog posts and graphics for their marketing materials, and offer sales tips and suggestions — don’t expect or ask them to come up with materials and a sales pitch on their own.

Article Writing and Submission: Write articles relating to your new offering that would appeal to your target market, and submit them to online directories, such as ezinearticles.com. Include an appropriate bio with a call to action that takes readers directly to your sales page.

Free teleseminar: It’s important to leave no question unanswered, especially for a higher-priced offering. Host a free teleseminar (or several) that will give people a chance to call in to ask questions about your product/service.

Joint Venture: Perhaps a colleague has a non-competing product, but a similar target market. Figure out a way to offer something together that will promote each other’s product at the same time, and to each other’s lists.

Remember that it takes anywhere from five to nine times for someone to look at something before they’ll become buyers. So, promoting in as many ways as are available to you, and consistently, is the key.

Good luck!

Donna Toothaker is CEO and founder of 1st VA the highly sought-after online marketing and consulting company. 1st VA specializes in providing online marketing support and services to entrepreneurs and solopreneurs who wish to effectively build or improve their online presence. To discover how 1st VA can help your business – visit http://www.1stva.com.

Why Just BE-ing Online isn’t Enough

1st VA — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:55:46 +0000

It wasn’t too long ago that small business owners could put up a website, maybe add a blog, submit an article or two to online directories, do a little search engine optimization and they would do fine getting website activity and making sales. That process just doesn’t work anymore. You can no longer BE online without being ACTIVE online. And here’s why – you need to build relationships now, not just show your “brochure” and wait for sales to come to you. These days, when people are cautious about spending, they want to feel more comfortable about what they are purchasing. They want to “know, like, and trust” before they’ll purchase a product or service.

Here are three things you can do immediately to start building relationships, become known as the expert in your field, and create the “know, like, trust” factor.

1. Ezine: Most businesses already have an ezine. BUT – many are not utilizing it to its fullest potential. If you’re not in front of your readers on a weekly basis at MINIMUM – you’re missing the boat. Monthly ezines don’t work like they used to. You MUST stay in front of your audience more regularly.

Your weekly ezine should be brief. A personal introduction, an article of relevance on your area of expertise, an “about you” section and a recommendation are all you need.

You need to show your personal side in your ezine. People want to know YOU and get a sense of your personality and values. Often I talk about my family in my ezine because family is my number one value. People will resonate with that, or they won’t, but the point is, I’m sharing what’s important to me and people want to buy from people with similar values.

2. Blog regularly: Sure, most business owners have a blog, too. But it’s important to be blogging regularly. People won’t subscribe to ezines quite as much anymore due to email overload so it’s important to blog. Posting three times per week is ideal – but at a minimum you should be posting once per week. There are other benefits such as SEO (search engines LOVE updated content) but for the scope of this article the primary benefit is relationship building. Blogging is another avenue of building “community.” Having comments open will allow people to ask questions, and share their own opinions. Blogging is another way to show your personality.

3. Social media: This is one tool that is not so regularly utilized yet, but should be. Every business owner MUST be on Facebook, LinkedIn and twitter. If you’re not – you are missing out in a big way. Social media marketing is so important for building new relationships. From these new relationships you’re able to generate activity to your website, create interest in your products, and become known as the expert in your field. Not only might you generate new business, but you may create some joint venture opportunities. Social media isn’t what “the kids are doing,” it’s what serious business owners are using now to build important relationships.

Don’t wait for people to find your website – get active online, build new relationships and watch the sales and new opportunities come rolling in.

1st VA » Ezines

Seven Easy Ways to Promote Your New Product or Program Online

Why Just BE-ing Online isn’t Enough