Growing your business takes time and effort, but it can be done with the right blend of techniques. Here are some simple tips to help you along the way:
1. Find an Online Marketing Partner
There are many factors to consider before taking on a partner, and you have to proceed with caution. Rather than take on a full partner, find a "fusion partner" to help you grow your business with online marketing. Fusion marketing is when two or more business owners promote each other's products or services to their prospective and current customers. The idea is to find someone who targets the same audience you want to reach, but who does not compete with you. For example, someone who sells podcast tools might "partner" with someone who produces podcasts to sell each other's products and services, using each others' email list. Keep in mind that your reputation is on the line, so be careful who you choose.
2. Use Online Advertising for Business Growth
Rather than spend lots of money on radio and television, buy online advertising on websites, blogs, and forums where your target audience visits. There are several companies that are in business to tell you all the information you want to know about any website. You can go to Alexa or Technorati to find out traffic information, visitor demographics and related sites. You can buy ad space for as low as $50.00 a month to around $1,000 a month, depending on the website.
3. Offer Related Products and Services
How can you use your talents, skills, and capabilities to meet your customer's needs in other ways? For example, if you're a business writer, you might expand your services to include desktop publishing. If you don't know how to use desktop publishing, you could contract someone else to do it on a project by project basis. You would oversee the project from start to finish, communicate with the client, and collect payment.
4. Start and Grow a Subscriber List
The more people you have on a subscriber list, the more chances you have to make sales. You don't want to spam your list with constant offers and discounts. Rather, send your list useful information related to your product, service, or industry. Give people the opportunity to get to know you through free and valuable content. Encourage them to share your emails with their friends and family. This will result in additional subscribers and visitors to your website, which is crucial to growing your business. There are several email marketing services online that will automate the process of sending various emails to different subscribers.
5. Use Social Media
It will take time for you to compete with the many websites already on Yahoo! and Google. To supplement your submission to search engines and for faster results, use Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media to get visitors to your website. You can broadcast content and other information related to your business. You can also network to find customers, partners, vendors, and suppliers.
These tips for growing your business only work when you put them into practice. Schedule time daily to work on each tip as part of your marketing plan. Also, get a written agreement if you find a partner.
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Daphne Mallory, Esq. is the co-owner of Mallory Writing Services and has written more than 100 articles helping home based business owners and entrepreneurs start and market their business. You can learn more about her here.
