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Web Site Promoting
Bill Daugherty
This article is in response to the scores of
emails I continuously receive from new web entrepreneurs. Their common theme
is: They are new to Internet marketing. They either have a new business of
their own or they have signed on as an affiliate for some wonderful new
product or service, but they're not getting anywhere. They want to know how
to get things going.
My first inclination is to send them the following three words of advice:
advertise, advertise, advertise. I know that's too trite for most people's
taste, but it's great advice. However I'm sure such an answer would spur
many more emails with questions such as; Where? How? How often? When?
Really? So, I give them a more detailed answer that I have come to call my
Web Site Promoting 101 Reply which always goes something like this.
Dear Frustrated,
Several years ago, the founder of Wrigley Chewing Gum was on a flight from
New York to his home in Chicago. The passenger in the next seat recognized
the chewing gum tycoon and asked him a question. "Mr. Wrigley, I know
your company enjoys over 90% of the chewing gum market. Yet, last week I
read where you are increasing your advertising budget by over 30%. With such
a large share of the market, why do you continue to spend so much on
advertising? Why not save that money or use it for something else?"
Mr. Wrigley replied, "how fast do you think this airplane is
flying?" The man answered, "oh, I guess about 600 miles per
hour." Mr. Wrigley responded. "I think that's fast enough, don't
you?" The man agreed that indeed, it was fast enough. "Well
then," asked Mr. Wrigley, "why doesn't the pilot turn off the
engines and save all that expensive jet fuel?"
The reason I started my reply to your question about how to promote your web
site with this little story, is to illustrate just how vital a consistent
flow of advertising is to any business. It doesn't matter if that business
is online or offline. It doesn't matter if that business is a small
one-person operated web site like yours or a giant like Mr. Wrigley's. To be
successful all businesses must advertise, advertise, advertise. If the
advertising is weak, in either quality or quantity, the company's revenue
will be weak. You must have well written ads and you must get your message
in front of a lot of people. Selling is a numbers game.
The Internet offers a wide array of advertising venues: ezine ads,
classified ads, email ads, banner ads and links on other web sites. Many of
these venues are free and those that are not, are very inexpensive compared
to the cost of offline advertising. By the way, offline advertising for your
online business can be very effective, but it is very expensive.
In summation, I leave you with my mantra: Advertise, Advertise, Advertise
and then advertise some more!
About the author:
Bill Daugherty is the editor and publisher of the marketing and
free advertising ezine "E-Power Marketing."
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