I don't know who to acknowledge for the following, but
whoever it was sure said a mouthful.
"There are only two ways to get to the top of a tree. One is
to climb the tree. The other is to sit on an acorn and wait".
Think about it for a minute and you can see a lot of
parallels with netpreneurs. Are you climbing the tree, or
waiting for something to happen?
Study those who succeed on the internet and you will find
they often use a well planned approach that incorporates
four active marketing ingredients that could make or break
you.
In effect, when they head up the tree, they do so on a
thick, sturdy trunk. One unlikely to break and much more
likely to support them.
Here they are:
-First, give away something valuable free in
exchange for email addresses. People on the internet are
looking for freebies. If you've got something free, they'll
be looking for you.
It could be a good e-book or some other information, some
software, a free consultation or whatever may be appropriate
for your particular business. But the key point is that it must
be useful and valuable to be effective.
-Second, you need a strong lead product. Make
sure it's as good as it gets. Whether it's the benefits,
the price or the service, it must have a significant
competitive advantage. As you know, the competition is
fierce.
And stick to one primary product at first. If you present
a number of choices, even if they are all wonderful, you
are adding an additional decision dimension that just
complicates things for the potential buyer … and usually
loses the sale.
But here's the critically important part: Stop advertising
your actual product.
I know. It sounds crazy. But you'll do 100 times better
by advertising your free offer instead. The sales will
come later from your ezine follow-ups as your subscribers
come to realize that you are sincere, that you can be
trusted, and that the product you are promoting is top
notch.
-Third, market your offer aggressively. Success
takes more than posting at FFA's, classified sites and
exchanging some banners. Don't wait for your prospects
to come to you. Get off that acorn and actively pursue
them.
Today, the best results by far are coming from targeting
your prospects through ezine ads, pay-per-click search
engines, and publishing your own newsletter.
-Fourth, you need strong "back-end products".
Once you've won that customer's trust, he or she will buy
from you again … and again … as long as you continue to
"deliver" what you promise.
So, use these 4 marketing essentials to get off that acorn and
head on up your tree. Get aggressive and take action. It's a
challenge … and it's work. But it's also fun and
rewarding.
About the Author
Joshua Rose is the webmaster at The Internet Profit Wizards,
http://www.internetprofitwizards.com, a site devoted to helping
businesses and marketers succeed with their online endeavors.
It focuses on identifying proven marketing resources in a
challenging marketplace.mailto:support@internetprofitwizards.com