What is the best form of promotion? If only I had a dollar for
every time I'd been asked that question, I could retire and not haveto worry about it!
It seems everything these days is all about driving insane traffic toyour site, getting massive hits, and blowing the bearings off your hit counter!
Actually, I'm still not sure why anyone would want 'insane' traffic anyway, but that's another story.
Let me ask you this, however. Instead of focusing SO much on getting NEW traffic to your site, why not do your best to also RETAIN contact with your visitors?
Search engine positioning, buying guaranteed hits, purchasing ezine classifieds, and other forms of promotion are not cheap! So, doesn't it make sense to get the most out of each and every visitor those efforts produce?
I'm sure that makes sense to you, but how do you do it?
You can offer free services, ebooks, and auto responder courses, and these are great, but if you think about it, they aren't really that long term, are they?
So, what tool can you use to retain REPEAT contact with visitors to your site over an indefinite period of time?
Now pay attention, here. There are many people missing the boat completely on this subject. It's one of those simple yet complicated answers.
Simply put, you need to publish an ezine.
Now, for the more complicated side of that answer. There are
already 4.2 billion ezines floating around the Internet. Well, ok,
maybe there aren't that many, but sometimes it seems like it. So how is it that offering 'yet another' ezine is going to get you anywhere?
Ok, ready? This is one of those simple yet profound gems of
Internet truth that should ring bells all over inside the 'yes, he's right!' section of your brain.
DON'T be 'just another' ezine!
The trick to the whole thing is that you've got to be unique in some manner. Feature unique topics, a different style, run rewarding contests, provide useful resources, give away great freebies, focus on topics your target market will be interested in, and MOST importantly, SHOW your site's visitors WHY they will benefit from a subscription to your ezine.
Offer bonuses for subscribing and encourage your subscribers to stick around by keeping the benefits coming.
Now, you may be thinking that all sounds great, but it might not be that easy to pull off. In fact, it's not. However, think of the awesome benefits to be gleaned by FOCUSING all of your other promotional efforts around your ezine.
Your promotional efforts become more effective when you can RETAIN contact with the visitors that come to your site.
You'll increase your chances of getting repeat and secondary sales.
You'll build longer lasting business relationships.
You'll increase the value of your business.
You'll increase the 'presence' of your business on the Internet and your credibility.
Not too mention the possibility of bringing in additional revenue through selling advertising spots in your ezine, and NO you don't have to build that big of a list before you can start to make ad sales. You just have to be creative.
And there's the key to the whole thing -- CREATIVITY.
If you think about it, I'm certain you can find your own niche that fits in with your business goals and make it work. You've already got ideas as to why your business is different, unique, and beneficial to your customers, right? Are you telling me you can't extend those thoughts into an ezine in order to receive all the benefits?
Ezines are essentially the hub of Internet marketing. They are opt- in, not pop under. They are delivered directly to readers, not ranked in a listing with hundreds of others. Plus, they give you the opportunity for repeat advertising without repeat expense.
Centering your promotional efforts around your ezine as well as your site will bring you more rewards. I'm sure of it. Give it some thought and see where it takes you. I wish you the best.