Your Most IMPORTANT Marketing Move for the Year 2000
© 2000, by Harmony Major

What do you think I'm going to say? "FFA" this, "search engine" that, "reciprocal link" this, "ezine advertising" that? Wrong. Your most important marketing move for the year 2000 doesn't have anything to do with the played-out marketing methods of 1999. Sure, they might still work depending on how they're used ... but honestly? They're old news.

So what are we using to accelerate our online profits?

"No-Nonsense Marketing!"

Now let me explain...

There are three elements to online marketing your online business, your business website, and your ezine for that business. All of these elements are vital to your success. There are more advanced aspects of marketing, of course, but these are the bare minimum. Applying "no-nonsense marketing" to the way you promote these elements will prove to be crucial to your success!

This can easily mean the difference between a home business built in 10 years to a home business built in only one to five. Apply the following three "no-nonsense marketing" tactics to the way you promote your business, and double your income by 2001!

1. RECOMMEND *YOUR* PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Some people still think it's taboo to use self-promotion. But why? They think they'll be seen as money-hungry, self-absorbed business people who are only out to make a quick dollar -- but that's not so. If you don't promote your own products and services, you're losing out on more income than you know.

If someone asks you if you know of a service that does XYZ, and you know that YOUR service does XYZ *and* ABC, by all means, tell them! It's still VERY possible that they simply don't know about your service.

One of my subscribers once asked me about a Web design service, and I was hesitant to tell her about mine, (not wanting to seem over-bearing). I was thinking that there was no possible way she could have been subscribed to my ezine for months on end and NOT know about it. Well, I started my sentence with something like, "As you probably know, I offer..."

Can you guess what she said to me? NO ... she had no idea.

Even with the special mailings, product announcements, and comments that I've made on the service in my ezine, she was clueless. So, always go for it, and NEVER assume anything!

Even so, when you're recommending your own products or services, don't make those the ONLY things you recommend. People will stop depending on you as a reliable source if all you ever talk about is your own work. So, don't hesitate to recommend other relevant products or services along with your own. If you're afraid to point people elsewhere, you probably need to re-evaluate (and likely IMPROVE) what YOU offer.

Your product should be better than others in one way or another, so you should have no reservations about having it compared with other products and services in a similar market. Potential customers are constantly making comparisons anyway, so this is a chance you'll have to take. Doing so also makes you appear more credible and sure of your products.

In one of my services, I go so far as to invite potential clients to check out the competition! Why?? I'm sure that I've gained more customers than I've lost using this honest, self-assured, and credible technique.

2. PROMOTE YOURSELF IN YOUR EZINE

Still afraid to send out special mailings? Still weep over the number of unsubscribe requests you get when you send out an issue? Still terrified to offer your own services in your ezine?

Get over that, and FAST.

Send out special mailings promoting your own products or services whenever you change the prices. You might even send them out (occasionally) for other advertisers that are willing to pay you to help them get the word out. Doing so does nothing but make YOU money AND target your prospective customers ... so why not?

NOTE: When allowing outside advertisers to have their offer sent to your subscriber list, you MUST be careful. Even though it's not your personal recommendation, if the offer turns out to be bogus or fraudulent, your readers will hold YOU accountable.

I had one unsubscribe request a while ago saying that I offered too many ads in my ezine, she was disappointed that I'd stopped offering free advertising, and that she was really looking for more free offers.

Do you think I was bent upon keeping her subscribed to my list?

NOT HARDLY!

Now don't get me wrong. I value ALL of my subscribers, and even the ones that unsubscribe. But, let's be realistic here. At the time that she unsubscribed, I only offered SIX ads in my entire ezine, and the content is REAL content -- not a bunch of sales letters. So, instead of wasting time trying to convert one unhappy unsubscriber, I realized that she wouldn't have become a paying customer anyway -- for my products, ezine advertising, OR for other advertisers in the ezine.

Learn to TREASURE the unsubscribe requests that you get after every exclusive mailing, because those are the people that were probably NEVER going to buy from you anyway! And, isn't making a profit your motivation for publishing an ezine? Don't be afraid to realize that benefit.

3. GET THOSE FREEBIES *OFF* YOUR WEBSITE

No I'm not crazy, but I AM going against what other "experts" are saying on this issue. They want you to give out enough freebies to make your prospects trust you to deliver quality content in an actual paid product. What??!! All that's doing is targeting freebie-seekers that are only on your site to "have a look-see." NOT to buy. So how do you virtually eliminate these "free only" visitors and attract more buyers?

You can start by gradually decreasing your use of the word "free" in your advertising. Sure, it's a very powerful word, but who does it attract? FREEBIE SEEKERS! And that's exactly what we're trying to avoid. Use other power words in your ad copy, like "breakthrough," "guaranteed," "secret," "proven," "results," "revealed," etc. You'll hook more qualified prospects than you would by broadcasting "free" all throughout your ad for a PAID product or service.

I don't mean to imply that you should have NO free information on your site, but use it in moderation. And, let whatever freebies you DO offer be a means of leading to income for yourself. For example, if you have an extensive library of self-authored articles, offer reprint rights to those, and add to it regularly. You'll get (free!) exposure from your articles being published, and your visitors will have quality content for their website or ezines. You both come out on top!

Apply the three proven techniques above when marketing your home business online, and DOUBLE your income in the Year 2000! Online marketing is all about testing, and there's no harm in trying new strategies. Now ... go make yourself some SERIOUS money!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Harmony Major is the author of Yahoo! Secrets, where she reveals how YOU can drive HUNDREDS more visitors to your site each day, by getting a #1 listing on Yahoo. Don't just settle for "getting listed." Use her instantly-effective tactics to boost your site traffic with a TOP Yahoo listing! Visit: http://YahooSecrets.com

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