Self-Promoting Is Not As Hard As You Think
By Donald Yates
Get a website or get a room.
A website may not be the ultimate marketing tool, but it is an important one as we move into a more digital economy base. If you work in the audio visual communications industry is has become essential. If you haven’t started your own website yet, here are four reasons why you should, and soon:
1. Websites gives you an instant address and credibility. It’s like renting a digital office or store where customers can come and see your offer. You may display examples of your product or service, and contact information that will demonstrate to online prospects why they should trust you. It also helps to have good graphics and photos of yourself, along with pictures of customer with testimonials.
2. Websites never close their doors, sleep nor produce bad will with a customer. They provide accommodating anytime access for your customer to see your products and service as well as contact you, at will. Prospects can now go straight to your site anytime day or night and find the information they need to make a rational buying decision. I can’t stress enough that it doesn’t matter what time it is nor do they have to talk to you first.
3. Websites shows that you're products are current and up-to-date. In our current environment, as a business person, it is imperative that you have a website with your own domain name. You have to take command and establish yourself as a bonafide business. At the very least you should have an online presence where your online portfolio is posted.
4. Websites allow you to reach around the world and offer your product or service. Your potential market becomes huge, much bigger than it could ever be in a brick and mortar business. Now people you never would have been able to reach are only a click away.
When Creating a Website
The following are but a few things you should take into consideration when creating a website.
First off, you are not the customer, design your site for your customer, not for yourself. One of the first concepts of self-promotion is that Self-promotion is not about you or your ego. It is about promoting your ability as the one who can and will fulfill your customers and prospective customers needs. Your promotional, pitch page, or landing page and marketing materials should address their problems and offer viable solutions. Instead of focusing on having a perfect looking site that is cool, put yourself in the shoes of your prospects and think about their moment of need for your product or service. Ask yourself, why have they come to my site and how can I best serve them now that they are there? Do they need to learn more about my product in order to trust that I can do what they need done? What are they looking for? What do I have to do to make their experience a memorable one? What do I need to make their ordering experience easy and trustworthy.
A Self Promoter will have a marketing plan which will include internet possibilities. For those of you who already have a website and don’t have the time or simply don’t want to spend too much time promoting it, here is an example of a simple online marketing plan.
Do it with zeal
Items needed to get started:
• an e-mail address with a signature file
• a one, two, and three-line description about your services for listing your site on directories
• a Autoresponder that sends standard introductory e-mail message to request links to and from other websites
At least once per week you need to:
• Surf for linking opportunities and bookmark all possibilities.
• Get listed/registered in one search engine or online directory.
• Check your placement in one search engine.
At least once per month you need to:
• Send an intro message to webmasters about linking to or from their sites.
• Check to see if any of the links you've requested have been posted.
At least every three months On a quarterly basis, you:
• Analyze your web reports.
• Renew and ,ake changes based on your analysis, such as additions, deletions, and revisions to the navigation.
• Update your website: add new work, remove old work, add links.
I know it may sound rather challenging but it only takes one to two hours and per month. The quarterly task will take a little longer depending on your knowledge of computers. Total time per quarter is around three to four hours.
It’ll Pay Back Big Time
You can also add a little to the time and do e-mail marketing. This is necessary to keep in touch with your customers and prospects. Sending e-mails on a regular bases is like the old Chinese water torture – but a whole lot less painful. The Autoresponder send messages to your prospects at given intervals week after week. The idea is to educate and inform them with short messages, building trust with one until you break down their resistance and they concede with a purchase.
Like many other things that involve success, the key to self-promotion is persistence. You can't doddle or be in one day and out the other. Building trust into a relationship with people is a constant seed-planting and watering process. If you consider yourself introverted or shy, it’s time to get over it – Well at least during the time you spend promoting yourself. The message you must convey is this: I have something that is going to change your life. This thing of value I have is for you because you are important to me. Let’s take a few moments to set down and I will tell you all about it.
Happy Trails
Author Biography - Provided by the Author
Donald Yates, Former Director of Business and Leadership Development for Imperial Research, is now retired but continues to assist young people in engaging life through self discovery, Life course planning, intuitiveness and fulfillment. Learn how you can build a powerful organization of your own. To learn more, visit Run Your Car On WATER