Spring Greetings!

Hi, 

While I know spring may be slower in getting to some regions than others, this is the time of year when many of us are feeling the spirit of spring renewal when it comes to our home life and business. 

Renewal in our businesses can take many forms from getting rid of low-performing products or services to launching new promotions. 

Including promotional activities as part of your business plan is essential to your business’ success and if you approach it the right way it can be a lot of FUN too! 

Have you ever heard the saying don’t hide your light under a bushel? Your light represents your business’ unique strengths and likely the very thing your target market wants. Finding your target market was something you hopefully did when you first launched your business.  Now you have to let them know…again…and again that you’re here and you’ve got what they want.  A great promotional program helps you to let your business’ light shine. 

More importantly, creative and well executed promotional programs can do wonders for your business’ bottom line and in this recession that’s a smart thing to focus on.  Is it possible to “build” a business during this recession?  Absolutely! 

People still need products and services and smart business owners will fill those needs. In fact, as you’ve likely already heard, some of the most successful businesses of all time, including Microsoft, were started during economic recessions. 

This week’s newsletter is filled with promotional ideas you can use to stand out in this recession and attract customers. 

Are you ready to let your light shine? Throw that bushel aside and let your market know you’ve got something to share! 

Wishing you all the best,

Prize Giveaways 

Online contests are very popular.  There are a lot of quality products and services that companies and even some of your successful peers would be willing to give away in order to be promoted to your audiences. 

Whether you’ve got a blog or more traditional content site, hosting a contest can help to generate new subscribers and increase in traffic. 

Look at companies sponsoring contests at some of your favorite blogs or websites and consider contacting them about a contest sponsorship event on your site.  You can also simply look at your own assortment of favorite clothing, jewelry, accessories, house products etc. 

If you love these products chances are your target audience will love them too. Craft a heartfelt letter to these product manufacturers explaining why you like their products and why you think they ought to sponsor a prize giveaway contest that would put their product smack dab in front of their target market. 

Sponsor a Podcast, Blog or other Website 

Is there a podcast, blog or community site that your target market frequents in significant numbers?  If so, find out if advertising opportunities are available then research to find which site(s) would offer you the most bang for your advertising buck. 

With information like page rank and traffic volume along with your own assessment of the site’s significance to your target group, you should be able to determine if your advertising dollars would be well spent at particular websites. 

Of course your budget will be another key determining factor.  Make sure to approach advertising not as stand alone tactic, but as part of your overall promotional strategy.  Look at how much you want to spend for the year, noting when there are events or scheduled website features that would make it advantageous for you to advertise on one site at one particular time versus another. 

Talk about Your Business – Social Media 

If you are active in any social networking sites and discussion boards, don’t be afraid to talk about your site whenever appropriate (read: no spamming). Bring up relevant points about your business within active social media forums like Twitter, Facebook or our own Internet Based Moms discussion forum as these are all great ways to spread the word about your business or some special promotion. 

Visit popular blogs in your target market and comment on issues that allow you to highlight your business.  Your well crafted comments may bring visitors back to your website. 

Remember to use tools like signature lines in your posted messages and in your emails.   A signature line usually includes a link to your site (make sure to link to an appropriate page, based on the information you are discussing). 

Another great way to “talk” about your business is as a guest on a podcast that reaches your target market.  Do your research, compile a list of shows you’d like to be on and then send out a pitch letter to the host explaining your “newsworthy” business and how your “story” would be a good fit for her audience. 

A Fresh Spring Look 

Another great way to promote your business this spring is with a fresh new online image.  Your online image is basically your website design, copy content and logo/branding. Of course you don’t have to change everything to update your look nor do you have to update every spring.   But if it has been 2 or 3 years since you last changed a single thing in your website layout, home page copy or design, I’d say it’s time for a little visual renewal. 

If you’ve got a website based on the Wordpress platform it is pretty easy to update certain text and graphic elements yourself.  Alternatively, if fidgeting with a website isn’t your cup of tea, there are many designers and even virtual assistants who offer Wordpress blog customization services.

Access our free social networking tutorial here.