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What do you know about your business? . .
If you are new to running a business, and have been
working the 9-5 job grind, the thought of running a business can be overwhelming to think about. However, it doesn't need
to be a burden to a newbie who is trying to figure out where to start.
Before you initiate any efforts to get started,
know what is involved before you even start your business. I believe many make the mistake of trying to get started in their
business before they know what is involved.
First to get your business off to a good start do some research on your market
and competition on the industry and market your considering. It doesn't hurt to do your homework. Next, once you have this
information write your goals, expectations of what you want to do in your business, as well as what you expect in your business.
The amount of time and money you are willing to spend. It is important to put together a business plan for the business you
are considering, using your research on what you found in your research. It is important to be realistic .
Start Marketing
your Business from A to Z
Tto be successful in marketing is another subject you have to consider in any business. In this
article you are going to get an idea of what is required in a nutshell. First tip is what are you wanting to achieve in your
marketing strategy for your business?
Again, research is in order, let me reemphasize that going online to do your reseach
is a good resource tool to find out the information you need. This should B one of the first steps in your business plan.
Also, it would be a good idea to read books or take courses on the subject in a community college or university depending
on your budget. Again, marketing and researching your competition is a good idea. Why the research? Research can give you
insight on the business your proposing. It is an important step that many people don't have in the equation of starting a
business. This is what leads many online businesses to failure.
Why, because, they don't have the information and tools
needed to succeed so they ultimately go bankrupt. They also don't have a clue about their competition or market. This is a
fatal mistake that many online business just don't get. They don't have a concept what to do online to get their name on the
Internet. What kind of marketing?
What about marketing?
1.Forums
2. AdwordS
3.E-mail
4.Business cards
5.Classified ads
Let me briefly explain these forms of marketing...
Forums
Forums are an excellent way to
build traffic to your to your website . Also, a great way to achieve a higher ranking in the search engines. Search engines
welcome that because, it gives you more links and gives them more links to spider to your site. Be sure to know the rules
before you post however, or you could be banned from the site. Be in the know about the rules of posting on their website
. Be sure to read all the posts, before you post to the thread or subject being discussed. Stay on topic. Don't post ads!
Post a minimum of 5 posts a day if possible. Make sure your information is useful, insightful and well thought of before posting
a message to the forum.
Adwords
Adwords such as Google adwords is another excellent marketing method to get traffic
to your website . However, you may want to look to the experts, before you start this form of marketing. This form of marketing,
is not to be left to chance. You need to know what you are doing, to do it effectively. This is where knowledge is power.
Power-up your knowledge on the subject by taking an online course or doing some research on the subject, before starting your
adwords campaign. Don't be hasty, it is too risky & expensive to second guess on this facet of marketing. So be shrewd.
E-mail
E-mail is a revolutionary marketing medium, that can be a quick inexpensive way to get your red hot promotion,
out to your prospects. You can speak to hundreds or even thousands in seconds using an autoresponder . You can also send one
message, in a blink of an eye. Even better you can continue to build your list over time.
However, you need to choose
your words carefully when it comes to your subject line & when comes to your e-mail message itself. If it is too much
like an advertisement, this going to chase your prospect away. Instead your message, should not focus on merely making a sale.
It should focus on building a relationship with the prospect not on you.
Warning! PLEASE DON“T SPAM!
This is
one thing that you never want to do, is send an e-mail to a person that did not contact you, nor should you ever send an e-mail
to someone unsolicited! If you do, at best, they will delete your message. If they are really get annoyed they will forward
your message to your ISP and even to the authorities!
If that happens you may loose your Internet connection and may open
yourself up to a lawsuit. Neither of which is to your advantage. SO DON'T DO IT! It is better to not even start. It is not
good for the creditability of your business anyway. However, if you are sent spam in your inbox you can send a reply back
to them with a one Time quick message about your business.
Business Cards
Business Cards are an awesome way to introduce
you and your business to people you meet. This leads to potential prospects you talk to specifically about your business anywhere.
You can send them in the mail or leave them in any public place that has a place to leave them.
At restaurants for example,
or in a store, parking lot, or at the mall and at meetings. Be creative. Be careful not to give people the impression that
you are just trying to sell them on your business. Be sure to personable with the people you meet. Be sure you give them the
message that you are there for them, to be a solution to their problems. That your business is the solution they need to make
their life better. Then, become a Friend to them.
Classified Ads
Classified ads are another way, to get your message
to the masses. In addition, you can post your ads to thousands of websites worldwide! Be selective on the classified ad sites
you go to. The ones that say they can submit your classified ad to thousands of websites could be a trap for sending out spam
. So, make sure they have a policy against spam . So the conclusion of the matter, is be careful!
However, done correctly
you can get your message out to a lot of websites in no time. Creating good classified ads is an acquiring skill... so again
becoming educated on what works and what does not work. It is an art. This where researching your market is helpful. My suggestion
to you is to go to different classified ad sites and view some of the different ads just to get a feeling of how they are
done.
Also, another way, is to search online to see what the experienced marketers are saying on the subject can prove
to be very beneficial. Also, in time when you start posting your ads you will find that some ads will pull a better response
rate then others. It has been suggested, that, once you discover the ads that get the best results, that you use those ads
the most.
The best advise is, that, when you post a classified ad, that you should post it a minimum of 7 weeks before
changing it. Why? Because response builds over time. Some people will not respond to your ad immediately.
Some may have
to see your ad more then once before they act. Some may have to think your business proposition over, before they decide to
respond.
The message is loud & clear, that consistency, patience, persistence is the rule of thumb when comes to this
form advertising. You need to be flexible, because the same ad that got a good results one place may get completely different
results elsewhere or even in the same place at a later time. Be adaptable to change with the marketing trends. Because the
Internet is continually evolving and changing.
Where Do You Go From Here?
Now that you have some information about
marketing tools and education you need to get started. To do this you will need a website. Then you will need to register
your domain name. I would also recommend getting an autoresponder.
However, if you are a beginner, lets face it, anyone
starting a business for the first time is going to take alot of persistance. My recommendation is, to find an online marketing
system that has all those tools already there set up for you.
All you have to do is find the right one that suits you
and your needs and abilities. The best one is a marketing system that is free. You should test drive the marketing system
before you join. Choose one that gets you leads for you so you do not have to pay for your leads. Well, hope you get your
business to a roaring start. Wish you outstanding SUCCESS!
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