How much time do you spend promoting your business? Two hours out of six? One hour out of six? Maybe not even that much.
No need to feel guilty. Today, through a simple, yet elegant way to promote, you can spend only 3-4 hours a week to get your word out. And you’ll reach thousands, rather than just a few.
Guru Peter Drucker said that only marketing and promoting produce results in business. The rest are costs. I agree. Do you want better results too?
Some Promotions Work Better than Others
While press releases, book reviews, post cards, business cards, networking, appearances on radio and TV, and selling products from the back of the room brought me some success, it was slow and small. Like you perhaps, I was unsatisfied with the number of clients. And, it was getting to be too much work to sell my books.
There must be a better way I thought. I reached out first, to research how I could promote Online. During that time, I wrote three eBooks, which I also sell in print. They are quality, with full content and resources, so they took about 4 months to write. I learned that print books can actually be sold through eBooks and other Online promotions. I also got a new client straight from my emails, and another one from my Web site.
What I learned: Free information is the key.
To set up my virtual marketing machine I gathered e and URL addresses of ePublishers and Web sites who wanted free information. I started writing new articles, dusting off old ones. After subscribing to these ezines, I was allowed to submit. It took about 4-7 days.
In the meantime, I set up my computer files with articles to submit, added new publishing addresses into my book so I could just push a button and send to many thousands of subscribers.
While the saying goes that we should promote 90%, I decided that I could spend less time on promotion.
I now had my virtual marketing machine. My new Web site’s sales in August were only $75, and by December they were $2265.
That proved to me that these new efforts were worth their small time and price (nothing).
I realized that without the right promotion, those useful products, teleclasses, and services would remain mainly untapped. I remember the old days when author friends suffered after spending thousands of dollars and many hours of time”only to see few results. I wanted to leave that picture behind.
Another advantage of submitting articles to ePublishers is that you don’t have much competition in cyberspace. So many businesses are Online, and every one of them needs inspiration, information, and entertainment. Opportunities abound for you who coach and speak in personal growth, business, career, and other subjects.
Remember, it’s free information that gets people to know who you are. It turns out it’s not who you know, it’s who knows you. Submitting your free articles answer the call.
Judy Cullins, 20-year Book and Internet Marketing Coach works with small business people who want to make a difference in people’s lives, build their credibility and clients, and make a consistent life-long income. Author of 10 eBooks including “Write your eBook Fast,” “How to Market your Business on the Internet,” and “Create your Web Site With Marketing Pizzazz,” she offers free help through her 2 monthly ezines, The Book Coach Says…and Business Tip of the Month at http://www.bookcoaching.com/opt-in.shtml and over 145 free articles. Email her at Judy@bookcoaching.com.
