Undervalued Marketing Opportunities
Marketing online has become fiercely competitive. Marketers are
attempting to unravel and decipher online marketing to succeed.
Some argue that there should not be a distinction between
traditional (off-line) marketing and online marketing. Others
feel that concepts applied to mail order work well on the web,
while still others argue that online marketing is a breed of its
own and what works in one arena may not work in another. While
some standard practices like "above" the fold, hold true in both
print and online copy, it is rare that you see the printed type
face on the web the same as in printed advertisements.
Regardless there are traditional forms of advertising that are
viable and make sense to use on the web but many marketers do
not.
These undervalued marketing opportunities are not the end-all
be-all but are great supplemental channels that compliment
strong online marketing campaigns.
Buyers Guides Many print magazines offer free listings in buyers
guides. Buyers guides typically have a long shelf life and are
viewed as a product resource, meaning it is one of the first
places consumers look when wanting to purchase an item. Often
magazines will include product reviews or sponsored placement in
a buyers guide. Typically the standard listing is free, but
optionally vendors can increase their exposure by adding
listings in additional categories for a nominal fee. Regardless
the free listings are a great value and worth pursuing.
Product Reviews The impartial overview from a credible source
can spark product interest. A third party independent review of
your product or service is seen as a vote of confidence. Invite
publishers or even bloggers to review your product or service.
When requesting a review it is proper net etiquette to always
provide the reviewer an evaluation product free of charge. After
the review, be sure to thank the reviewer and if appropriate
link to the completed review.
Forums/Volunteering in Communities Offering your time and
expertise will establish expertise and knowledge in a specific
industry. Participants who participate in forums have a genuine
interest and are a great target audience. Posting helpful
information rather than blatant product advertisements will
enhance an image.
Article Syndication Writing quality informative and educational
articles will also establish expertise. Articles also educate
users about related product or service. Generally educated users
require less technical help and are an easier sale because they
understand how the people or service will help them.
RSS Feeds Provide content in an RSS feed. While RSS is becoming
very popular there are still a number of industries and sectors
where very little content is available via RSS feeds. Placing
quality content in an RSS feed and being "early to market" will
help your company shine.
When small businesses compete with big businesses there are a
number of areas in which they can compete effectively. As more
businesses turn to the web as an advertising model, it is
important that marketers and businesses define themselves giving
themselves every opportunity to be found. Utilizing undervalued
marketing opportunities will separate online successes from
failures.
About the author:
About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for
FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating,
editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon
manages marketing for NotePage http://www.notepage.net a
wireless text messaging software company.
Written By: S. Housley