But still you nod off to sleep as you watch your sluggish hit counter. What to do!?!
ADVERTISE IN NEWSGROUPS!
Ok ok, please don't kill me for saying that... many people are "easily
offended" to put it lightly by those who choose to implement this tool
of marketing magic -- which is unfortunate, being that newsgroups are
"right where the people are". By that, I mean that targeted groups of
people are right there, discussing topics that deal with your product or
service!
Hence, your marketing message will be that much more effective toward them!
HOW CAN I ACCOMPLISH THIS "MAGIC" WITHOUT GETTING HUNG OUT TO DRY?
For starters, you must be both clever and careful while engaging in your newfound "posting practices". Here are a few pointers to help you stay out of the flaming grasp of angry newsgroup users:
-- ENGAGE IN target PRACTICE
Nothing is more annoying to newsgroup users than a message about "Jim's
Amazing Washing Machines" (or whatever) in a group designated for topics
concerning hunting and fishing (or whatever).
Consequently, it is highly important to only submit your messages to a carefully
selected array of ON TOPIC groups.
i.e. If your company happened to sell books all about preparing sushi, you
might post in groups dealing with Oriental cuisine, fish, or food in general.
-- CROSS COUNTRY postING
Another common mistake in newsgroup marketing is to "cross-post" (or send the exact same message) to a multitude of groups all at the same time. This causes much frustration and confusion and is generally not a good idea unless used in moderation... i.e. no more than 4 groups.
-- MORE MORE MORE
Since you will want to post ads on a regular basis, you will need to have a variety of messages that all say basically the same thing, or any other aspect of your product/service, but still gets the visitor to your page anyhow. Also remember that newsgroups are a place where people TALK. So write your ad more like a email to a friend... not so "ad-like".
-- AND YOUR REPLY IS
Many newsgroup reading programs allow you to "track" or "flag" messages that you have posted. This allows you to more easily find them again when they have become buried under the masses of newer posts. It also allows you to check to see if people have replied to any of your messages. If you have this ability... USE IT!
For all you know, everyone on the planet (ok, maybe not) is angry with you
about your post... you have to be there to defend yourself (or at least know
to run and hide before they catch ya!).
Or maybe people are saying nice things about you... it would mean a lot to them
if you replied with a nice Thank You :o)
If people are gettin' mad, change your ways before it's too late!!!
-- HTTP YOUR WWW
A common mistake I see is for a marketer to include their site's address within
the message in the following format:
WWW.THEIRSITE.COM
Bad Bad Bad!!! When including your link in any post or email, always put an
"http://" in front of the www. In almost every case, this will cause your link
to be displayed as "active" (in other words, it can be clicked on).
HTTP://WWW.THEIRSITE.COM
is correct! Your click-through will be many many times greater if your link is
active. Also, (believe it or not!) I have seen people type up fantastic ads and
forget to include their site's url... DO NOT DO THIS!
GEE THAT'S GREAT, BUT HOW DO I GET ACCESS TO NEWSGROUPS?
The fastest way to go is to access a "news server" through your ISP. Most providers of Internet access have this feature (if you are not sure, call your ISP... don't forget to ask them how to set it up with their service). You may use the newsreader that is built into your browser, or download a specialized one from somewhere such as Download.com
For those that do not, there are still solutions.
DejaNews
AND NOW...
Remember to always be "clever and careful" while posting.
