Regardless of what’s happening in Wall Street today—who can keep track—the entrepreneurs I know and love are carrying on with business. One trap you never want to fall into is to stop or slow down your marketing. Marketing doesn’t have to be expensive and it’s always important to keep business streaming in.

What’s great is that there are a lot of simple and inexpensive marketing solutions.

1. Article Marketing - Write informative articles and post them on article directories. According to Charlie Page, the owner of the Directory of Ezines, there are over 300,000 ezines out there and an estimated 90% of them use free articles in their ezines.

2. Press Releases - Get some free publicity—what small business owner doesn’t want that? As an extra bonus using an internet distribution service will give your website a traffic boost since these sites rank high on search engines.

3. Amazon - Amazon provides terrific opportunities to promote yourself and your website.

4. Signature Line - Another easy tip is to include a call to action following your signature line in every email you send out - visit my blog, sign-up for my newsletter, take a look at my new e-book.

5. Testimonials - We all love getting testimonials but it’s also a great idea to give testimonials. It’s a simple way to market yourself as an expert in your field and include a link back to your website.

6. Flyers - If you have clients that come to your place of business make sure you have marketing materials visible. For example, you can post a flyer announcing a special promotion or have current newsletters available for them to pick up. If your only interaction is a monthly invoice, take advantage of the opportunity to slip in some marketing material like a newsletter or flyer.

7. Ezines - One of the best and most inexpensive ways to communicate with clients is email. There are inexpensive programs that will allow you to automate the process and send your clients regular email newsletters.

8. Blog - Regular blogging will increase the frequency with which search engine “spiders” visit your site. A blog also helps you position yourself as an expert in your field.

9. Squidoo - There’s no charge to set-up your own page on Squidoo. I know SEO experts who rely heavily on Squidoo to generate website traffic.

10. Social Networking - Facebook and LinkedIn are two of the most popular sites out there. Social networking is not just for teenagers anymore. The biggest marketing experts are on there and you should be too!

It’s easy to put marketing on the back burner, especially if that’s not your “thing”. Instead of getting overwhelmed try picking out a couple of the solutions—that will work best for you and your business—and then schedule some time to put them into action. Get some momentum going and you’ll generate results.

We buy from those we know and trust. Think about your own experiences buying something. The really good salespeople establish a rapport before they even try making a sale. If they’re REALLY good you not only purchase the product…you don’t regret your purchase later.

There is an even greater need for rapport when you’re selling a product or service online. The internet is impersonal by nature. Here are a few suggestions that will help you establish that rapport with potential customers:

1. Make the person reading your copy feel as if you are writing directly to them. Use the words “you” and “I”.

2. Say “you” more than “I.” In fact, go ahead and count how many times you say “you” versus how many times you refer to yourself or your company. It shouldn’t even be close. Save the “I” or “we” for the About Us page on your site.

3. When writing have a specific person in mind and write it for them. Try to think of someone you know that is in your target market but knows little or nothing about your product.

4. Be authentic and sincere. Let your personality shine through. You won’t seem like a salesperson, you’ll come across as a real person.

As a copy “writer” clients often ask me questions about copyrighting. All of my clients retain their “copyright” even if I write all the material for them. Basically, a “copyright” offers you protection for original works of authorship.

If you have questions about your copyright or perhaps a trademark you should contact an attorney. Copyright, IP & Trademark Lawyers specialize in these issues. I recently came upon a website that explained the basics of copyright. Freeadvice.com provides easy-to-understand legal information to consumers and small businesses. Here are the questions they answer:

• I have a great idea. Can I copyright it?
• How long is copyright protection valid on new works?
• What is a “Copyright”?
• What rights does a copyright owner have?
• If I buy a copyrighted work, why can’t I do anything with it I want?
• When do you have a copyright?
• Can I use someone else’s copyrighted work?

Here is the link to the section on copyrighting - http://law.freeadvice.com/intellectual_property/copyright_law/115

I’m really excited about my new upcoming website design. It’s been an interesting process for me. I put together my current site with very limited web design skills. I knew it was time for a new look. This time I hired a professional so I thought it would be easy…  However, I found it challenging to figure out what kind of design it was I wanted!

I now can empathize with my clients. It’s a process to put together a website and when you’re investing your time and your money you want to do it right. Of course, my job is to help clients determine the right copy for their website. My advice to you whether your hiring a copywriter or a web designer is find someone you work well with and who is patient. Thankfully my designer has been patient with me!

I also want to mention that I’ve made it easier to post comments on my blog. You no longer have to jump through so many hoops so feel free to leave a comment.

If you’re a coach, therapist, or any kind of “expert” in your field, Amazon provides terrific opportunities to promote yourself and your website. The first step is to set-up a profile where people can learn more about you. Be as thorough as possible—post your picture, a bio, and of course your website. 

Find a descriptive name for yourself too—for example I might call myself Jen Odear, The Internet Writing Pro. That makes it clear my area of expertise because Jen Odear by itself doesn’t mean a whole lot, at least to most people…

There are three ways you can generate some buzz within Amazon and encourage visitors to click on your profile:

1. Book Reviews - Write a book review. I’m not talking about just any book you’ve read, I’m talking about books related to your expertise. Books that your target audience is interested in reading.  When they find that book they find you, because your book review will show-up on the page. Give an informed opinion on what you like—or don’t like—about the book.  People who are interested in what you have to say will scroll over your name and a window will pop-up with your information—very cool!
2. Create Listmania Lists - Listmania allows you to create lists of Amazon books or products that you recommend. It’s an effective way to show that you’re a “well read” expert in your field.  Give your list a catchy name but make sure it’s obvious what category you’re covering. This is a great way to get yourself listed throughout Amazon.
3. So You’d Like to . . . Guides – This is another great area to post any “how to” articles you have relating to your field.  Make them informative and interesting, this isn’t free advertising but it will help your target audience find you.

There’s also a new feature that allows authors who sell products on Amazon to send their blog posts to readers who have bought their books on Amazon or have signed up to receive their posts. Something authors should definitely check-out.

If you have any tips on using Amazon as a marketing tool please share them with me! Also contact me if you’d like more information on how to implement these strategies - www.internetwritingpro.com/contact.