Wahm Forum - Your "Work-at-Home Moms" Support Group

wahmannounce · Fri Sep 29, 2006 6:16 pm The Best Online Business Promotions

I had someone from my yahoo group recently ask about banner swaps...I took time to respond and thought I would share that quick info. with you.

Yes, I started one for wahm-announce when I first created the site because I knew some moms were interested in banner swapping, but I have never promoted it myself or spent much time doing banner swaps. Actually, it is just another form of advertising that draws members away from your site. There are many more promotion options that much more worthy of your time.

Here's a few:

The best online promotions are:

*Pay-per-click and very targeted ads

*Creating a "sticky" website (meaning providing useful content or other means of attracting visitors to return)

*Creating your own affiliate program

*Distributing articles, free reports, ecourses, etc.

*Creating your own rss feed (here's one of my recent posts on how to do that: http://wahm.forumwise.com/wahm-thread606.html )

*Press releases (check out my site, http://small-budget-advertising.com for some free press release sites)

*Submit to directories (it provides a link back to your site -- try to avoid most directories that require a link back)

*Purchase ads on directories that are relevant to your site (niche directories pertaining to similiar interest)

*Offer testimonials on other business owners products -- many times they will provide a link back to you or at least your name. Your name should become familiar around the internet --hopefully as an expert in your related business area)

*Very important - create a newsletter and start collecting a database of interested "potential" customers. (If you don't want to spend time creating your own articles for your newsletter try All Mom Content
(*Read my post: http://wahm.forumwise.com/wahm-thread607.html )

*Swap Ads with other newsletter writers (much more worthy of your time than banner swaps -- that is, helping each other gain more subscribers --your subscribers are your key to getting your information, products and services in front of potential customers time and time again.)

*Frequent, fresh new content -- again your rss feed will help you announce that to the search engines.

*Write your own articles and submit to article directores (adding your url in your bio)

*Make your site interactive - Message board, chatroom, polls, games, drawings or sweepstakes, etc.

*Offer something free if possible, even a free drawing -- word-of-mouth marketing is the key here...people like to brag on what they got free. But, just don't overdo the free stuff. Your visitors might start expecting only free stuff from you.

Have a great weekend everyone!