Hi and Welcome to "5 Simple Methods to Effectively Advertise Online"!
Are you a newbie entrepreneur? Are you frustrated by the lack of success you have had attracting traffic online?
My name is Laurel Nicolosi and I am glad you are here!
I am a former teacher and tutor, and I have been in network marketing and affiliate sales for many years. I fumbled around on the internet for a while - probably like you - until I got to know some people online that "know their stuff" and learned how to "effectively" advertise online!! I really appreciate the mentors I have gotten to know, and feel like I owe them a lot - for keeping my dream a possibility - for finding the good qualities that I have - who help me to find the next step in my journey to success.
All it takes for YOU now is the desire and the willingness to learn, and they show me what is possible and how to do it MY way following THEIR example...and I am learning how to "brand" myself online...we'll talk more about that soon...
But let's talk about this first - who has helped YOU in your online marketing? Or in your LIFE for that matter...I believe that some people are really out there to help others....and this is what networking is all about --- hear it from Keith Ferrazzi, "one of the world's most 'connected' individuals" - he consults businesses with his company, Ferrazzi Greenlight.
Are you a newbie entrepreneur? Are you frustrated by the lack of success you have had attracting traffic online?
My name is Laurel Nicolosi and I am glad you are here!
I am a former teacher and tutor, and I have been in network marketing and affiliate sales for many years. I fumbled around on the internet for a while - probably like you - until I got to know some people online that "know their stuff" and learned how to "effectively" advertise online!! I really appreciate the mentors I have gotten to know, and feel like I owe them a lot - for keeping my dream a possibility - for finding the good qualities that I have - who help me to find the next step in my journey to success.
All it takes for YOU now is the desire and the willingness to learn, and they show me what is possible and how to do it MY way following THEIR example...and I am learning how to "brand" myself online...we'll talk more about that soon...
But let's talk about this first - who has helped YOU in your online marketing? Or in your LIFE for that matter...I believe that some people are really out there to help others....and this is what networking is all about --- hear it from Keith Ferrazzi, "one of the world's most 'connected' individuals" - he consults businesses with his company, Ferrazzi Greenlight.
So now you see - we need each other to succeed online!
No one is an island - a "self-made" millionaire...networking is all about building relationships with others and showing them something that is working for you - and then they show you something that has been working for them. You work together towards a common goal - financial independence and control of your life.
I hope I can lead you in that direction - with my methods here that center around Free Advertising to start and then you can feel free to "upgrade" for very low cost if you feel it is justified...
Have you spent money online advertising your company? I know some of you have spent a lot of money on Google Adwords, Pay Per Click, Sponsored Links, Keyword searches, SEO and more, and possibly made some money from that. But many of you may have spent MORE than you profited. Google thanks you - but where has that left YOU? You have gotten frustrated and figured there was NOTHING you could do to improve this.
Well, I am here to tell you that there are many FREE or very low cost advertising methods, and I would like to share these with you on this site. I created this Free Report to give you brief descriptions of each method and why they will benefit you and your business.
You will see REAL life examples of each type of marketing and the exact places to join - I help you - you help me and are connected with me in whatever you decide to join. Now THAT is teamwork...puts the "network" in network marketing!
If you are new to advertising online, my advice to you is to look through this website and see what makes the most sense for you to start with, and then return when you need some more suggestions.
Do NOT think you have to learn everything TODAY! Just start with ONE thing that will make a difference in your business...then move on to the next method. And remember - free advertising is not the ONLY way...it is just the way most internet marketers START until they understand how things work and get comfortable with online marketing.
Please come back often as I will add to these as I find them to be good options for the savvy marketer. Some of these ways of advertising may seem "elementary" to you, but keep in mind that this is for the newbie as well as the experienced marketer.
No one is an island - a "self-made" millionaire...networking is all about building relationships with others and showing them something that is working for you - and then they show you something that has been working for them. You work together towards a common goal - financial independence and control of your life.
I hope I can lead you in that direction - with my methods here that center around Free Advertising to start and then you can feel free to "upgrade" for very low cost if you feel it is justified...
Have you spent money online advertising your company? I know some of you have spent a lot of money on Google Adwords, Pay Per Click, Sponsored Links, Keyword searches, SEO and more, and possibly made some money from that. But many of you may have spent MORE than you profited. Google thanks you - but where has that left YOU? You have gotten frustrated and figured there was NOTHING you could do to improve this.
Well, I am here to tell you that there are many FREE or very low cost advertising methods, and I would like to share these with you on this site. I created this Free Report to give you brief descriptions of each method and why they will benefit you and your business.
You will see REAL life examples of each type of marketing and the exact places to join - I help you - you help me and are connected with me in whatever you decide to join. Now THAT is teamwork...puts the "network" in network marketing!
If you are new to advertising online, my advice to you is to look through this website and see what makes the most sense for you to start with, and then return when you need some more suggestions.
Do NOT think you have to learn everything TODAY! Just start with ONE thing that will make a difference in your business...then move on to the next method. And remember - free advertising is not the ONLY way...it is just the way most internet marketers START until they understand how things work and get comfortable with online marketing.
Please come back often as I will add to these as I find them to be good options for the savvy marketer. Some of these ways of advertising may seem "elementary" to you, but keep in mind that this is for the newbie as well as the experienced marketer.
Free Advertising Methods
#1 - Buy a Domain
If you are new to the internet, or just starting to think about "better" ways to advertise yourself, then maybe this is a great thing for you to do - up front.
You can get a domain from GoDaddy or some other reseller. You can buy it for less than $10 if you want a .com but you can get a .info for $.89 for an entire year!
Here are two of my sites - www.laurelsgreenplanet.info and www.bestgreenlife.info
and you can either build on them with a free web building tool like Yola.com (www.yola.com) or redirect them like I did (with the second one here) to something important you want to show people.
Otherwise - just build a site like this at Blinkweb - for free! :)
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#1 - Buy a Domain
If you are new to the internet, or just starting to think about "better" ways to advertise yourself, then maybe this is a great thing for you to do - up front.
You can get a domain from GoDaddy or some other reseller. You can buy it for less than $10 if you want a .com but you can get a .info for $.89 for an entire year!
Here are two of my sites - www.laurelsgreenplanet.info and www.bestgreenlife.info
and you can either build on them with a free web building tool like Yola.com (www.yola.com) or redirect them like I did (with the second one here) to something important you want to show people.
Otherwise - just build a site like this at Blinkweb - for free! :)
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# 2 - Build a Blog
Blogs are a great place to promote yourself and what you want to say. Blogs can be short or longer, and it depends on how often you decide to write - some write every other day, some write once a month! I usually try to write every week or two, as I get inspired to write something about my topic of green living. It's great for venting, or putting across some thoughts about something you read or watched online. People will identify with you if you are real and give good value and suggestions, and will enjoy reading you every time you write.
It's good to have a topic or a subject matter, because people won't read or subscribe if you just cover everything, but if you have an interesting point of view on a certain subject (and yes, it has to be readable but not perfect), then people will read and subscribe.
And blogs rate well on the search engines too!
If you want a place to start blogging, consider Google's Blogger (also known as blogspot). It is pretty easy to navigate and it does better on the search engines than lesser known blogs. Or if you have your own domain, you may be able to write your blog on your own site, which is always better for making sure your blog is never taken down for any reason, but you may or may not have the same capabilities or search engine love that Blogger has.
My blog is www.bestlifepossible.blogspot.com. Read and subscribe if you like!
Blogs are a great place to promote yourself and what you want to say. Blogs can be short or longer, and it depends on how often you decide to write - some write every other day, some write once a month! I usually try to write every week or two, as I get inspired to write something about my topic of green living. It's great for venting, or putting across some thoughts about something you read or watched online. People will identify with you if you are real and give good value and suggestions, and will enjoy reading you every time you write.
It's good to have a topic or a subject matter, because people won't read or subscribe if you just cover everything, but if you have an interesting point of view on a certain subject (and yes, it has to be readable but not perfect), then people will read and subscribe.
And blogs rate well on the search engines too!
If you want a place to start blogging, consider Google's Blogger (also known as blogspot). It is pretty easy to navigate and it does better on the search engines than lesser known blogs. Or if you have your own domain, you may be able to write your blog on your own site, which is always better for making sure your blog is never taken down for any reason, but you may or may not have the same capabilities or search engine love that Blogger has.
My blog is www.bestlifepossible.blogspot.com. Read and subscribe if you like!
# 3 - Social Networking
This is my favorite thing to do online - but it does take time and you don't make money right away. You are not going to start off by "marketing" to these people. The point of social networking - in a nutshell - is to get to know other people online and build relationships with them. If you meet people on these sites, and they ask you to be friends, or you ask them, and then you never have time to respond, they won't do you any good. Or if you "pitch" them right away, they will just ignore you. It's like asking someone to marry you on the first date! :>
People like to talk to those who seem to have a genuine interest in what they have to say, so if you see anyone on these sites that either have a product or service you are interested in, or a similar interest, then ask them to be friends and get to know them. Or if they are in the same industry, maybe you can ask them for advice or find out what is working for them. The point is, if you join a few of these sites, and start some conversations, then check back at least every few days to see if they responded and also to post in forums, put up bulletins, etc. There are also paid upgrades that help you advertise more but these are all free to start.
This is a great example of a HUGE networking community, and it is somewhat unique in that it appeals to both men and women, young and old, business types and non-business types, and is good for those looking for high school acquaintances to those who want to keep in touch with friends, family members and anyone else they ever knew!! Membership has reached almost 400 million members at last count, and is definitely used more than MySpace these days.
I love Facebook, because it allows me to stay in touch with friends, family and business associates all on the same site! I am careful not to "sell" anything on my main page, but just put general helpful business tips or webinars on my status or personal things that I find interesting, or even blurbs about my day. I feel people I do business with want to see the "real" me and not some corporate image of myself.
This is a great place to start if you have not done any networking at all, and just want to communicate with friends, or if you want a place to get to know your business friends in a casual fun atmosphere. This is not the place to promote your stuff outright, but start with your "relationship marketing".
If you want to connect with me, my facebook profile is here - http://www.facebook.com/laurelea - I'd love to add you to my list of friends! :)
I do also have a "green" fan club on Facebook, so this is where I list anything that I want to that has to do with my "green" business and green living in general - www.facebook.com/globalforce
or click on the badge above to join! :)
Other Social Networking Sites
There are many other social networking sites out there - and you may want to join a few to start with and then add to your repertoire as you see they are working for you and you have time to talk to the people you meet on them.
The benefit to starting with these sites (instead of MySpace) is that a lot of them are formatted for you, and you just fill in your details.
There are many "Ning" Communities - a good example of what a Ning community is and what you can do with it is here - InSide919.ning.com is my local "micro-business network". Pat Howlett is a great guy and he is the one that started this idea of "micro-business networks. I love this idea because you are able to contact people that are living in YOUR area and really connect with them - meet them for coffee - brainstorm about ideas - even join a meetup.com group in your area. There is nothing like actually meeting the people that you do business with if you can :)...
If you live in the Raleigh/Durham/Chapel Hill area, you can join at the link above. If not, try typing in Inside___ .ning.com with your area code and find out if there is one in your area. There are over 250 InSide Area Code groups - why not find YOURS?
Ning communities are unique in that they are created by individuals for a certain purpose - whether it is topic or activity based, it is a neat way to get to know people that have similar interests and is great for banners, blogging, music and getting to know others. You also have the benefit of having some of your details already saved for you so when you join another one, they can use your current info.
I started my OWN Ning community - I would love for you to join this site and contribute to it - "This is a community for people who dream of success and are willing to take the steps to fulfill those dreams. "
http://bestlifepossible.ning.com/
Please join and contribute to the site! Feel free to write articles, contribute pictures, videos, blogs, connect with others on the site - that's what it is all about. I also would love ideas from people on what they "want" from a community - I value your input! :)
I am also a part of Linked In, Plaxo (connected with Google), many of the Ning Communities, and other similar sites.
www.linkedin.com/in/bestlifepossible
http://www.plaxo.com/profile/show
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What I do is join each one and use a similar name, so that whenever I join a new one, I don't have to think of an original name, but stay with the same or similar content, for branding purposes.
Each one is a little different in their focus so you look at each one and see which one suits you and your personality and interests. Some give you an option to make money or get credit for bringing other people to the site, some are just communities that allow you to meet other networkers.
My ONLY caution on social networking would be not to spend TOO much time doing it - it can suck up your time and if you are just interested in socializing - that's fine. But if you are looking to take those relationships to the next level (after you know they are interested) then you might want to have other ways to talk to them or places to send them to so you can help them with your product or service.
In Summary - Social networking is a great FREE way to get to know others, but it takes time and a little dedication, and it is only for those who want to reveal some of themselves to the world, and build relationships. Don't expect instant results. This extends to REAL relationships if you live in the same area of the country, or to phone calls, chats on IM or other ways of conversing if you don't live local to them.
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Can you find me here?
Just imagine this is YOU - and these are the people you have found online...from different countries - different backgrounds - different skills...yet you have a common goal - financial independence - through helping each other!
Networking - It's all about Relationships ... get to know people and you will enjoy telling them what works for you ... and find out what is working for them ... I have made some true friends and business partners online and off using these principles - you can too! :)
Just imagine this is YOU - and these are the people you have found online...from different countries - different backgrounds - different skills...yet you have a common goal - financial independence - through helping each other!
Networking - It's all about Relationships ... get to know people and you will enjoy telling them what works for you ... and find out what is working for them ... I have made some true friends and business partners online and off using these principles - you can too! :)
# 4 - Classified Ads
Classified ads have come a long way from the FFA days - there are many classified ad sites and some are more effective than others. There are many FFA sites still available, and directory sites and so on - but we will concentrate on three heavily trafficked classified ad sites here.
Craigslist
I would say Craigslist.com is one that gets immediate attention in a local area and are VERY effective, especially if you are a small business owner targeting your local area. The drawback to the network marketer or internet marketer is that Craigslist discourages home based business owners from using their site for commercial purposes. It was originally created to be a personal sales site, where people could list specific items they were interested in selling, or events that were happening in local areas, or personal ads.
Now that the world has jumped on the Craigslist bandwagon, they have instituted rules so that you may not submit multiple identical ads to different areas of the country, but there are ways of getting around this and numerous Craigslist automated posters (finding one that works and doesn't cost a lot is the challenge). There are also people that will offer to put ads on Craigslist for you for a fee. But since we are discussing FREE methods, the way I recommend you to use Craigslist is to stick to maybe 3 cities per day, and vary your titles and content. You can choose to be a member of Craigslist or post anonymously. The benefit to being a member is that you have your ads in your back office and you don't have to verify them as often. The drawback is that they might see that you are doing too many similar ads, and delete your posts. (Craigslist is VERY cautious, almost to a fault, about deleting posts they don't like). The community also has the option to delete your posts (pending approval by admin) if you overpost your ads. (All this is just my opinion - please don't take this as absolute fact, ok?) And NOW Craigslist only lets you have ONE account per phone number. But Craigslist is a viable advertising method if you post correctly and consistently.
Backpage
Then there is Backpage.com. This site allows more similar/duplicate ads so you can do 10 or more a day - this especially works if you have multiple email accounts in a domain you own. You set up each ad with a sequential email address, such as 1@bestlifepossible.com, 2@bestlifepossible.com etc. and they will permit you to do as many as you want without fear of deletion or flagging. I was taught this by a networking friend of mine who has ads on Backpage daily, and does VERY well at attracting new prospects to his businesses.
The only drawback to Backpage is that it is not as well known or as trafficked as Craigslist, but again, that is why it is easier to post there, and you WILL get leads from this....and hopefully not just ones from people trying to "reverse market" you into their opportunity :)
If you are disciplined, you will see results...it takes a lot of time at the beginning (to set up all those ads) and it is not guaranteed...But if you can do it - go for it! :)
US FreeAds
US Freeads.com is a free/low cost classified ads site that has been around since 1999. It is VERY high on Google's list - PR5 (Page Rank 5 out of 10) and if Google loves this type of ad, then you should too :) I didn't realize this until recently, and I am definitely going to use this site more often. You can see the high traffic content in the high number of postings for each category (thousands in each). Over 10,000 advertisers sign up with US Freeads each month!
They also offer 2 upgrade levels, Feature Ads, Keyword Alerts, and affiliate options. Gold membership is only $10 a year! And it gives you a LOT more advertising options and features.
One reason to upgrade - they don't allow "commercial" ads - so if you are advertising your business, pay the $10 for the gold membership and get the perks! :)
#5 - Videos
Have you looked at Google lately?
If you have a video presence online, you will be ranked MUCH higher in the search engines than if you just have a site filled with text. People love video and that is why I include some here in this site filled with text, to make it more interesting and visually appealing.
This is actually a recent video I made... if you go to www.youtube.com/laurelea you'll see me trying to show people what I like to do on home made videos and talk about companies that make and promote natural organic products...even a 2-3 minute video can show people who you are and what you are about...
If you are going to make videos, first of all, get comfortable in front of the camera (even if it takes you a few tries), and just BE yourself!! You can promote your product, but be personable and conversational. Add humor and make it short and sweet, or make it interesting and teach someone something that they need for promoting their business.
There are millions of videos out there on various sites, and the most popular and trafficked site is hands down of course is You Tube - there are many others out there too that would love to have YOUR videos on there!
You can subscribe to people's channels, and every time they do a new video, you will be notified. (And if people subscribe to your channel, guess what? They are notified as well). You can add favorite videos that you like to your channel, invite people as friends onto your channel, and get ratings and comments as well as give them to others.
Many people use this medium as a selling tool, and the internet world is going more towards video than any other kind of advertising, because it is interesting and you can actually "see" the person that you would be doing business with. So make sure, as an internet marketer, that you represent yourself professionally but also stand out from the crowd, and make your videos memorable.
But the most important thing? Just to get started with that FIRST one...just DO it! :)
Have you looked at Google lately?
If you have a video presence online, you will be ranked MUCH higher in the search engines than if you just have a site filled with text. People love video and that is why I include some here in this site filled with text, to make it more interesting and visually appealing.
This is actually a recent video I made... if you go to www.youtube.com/laurelea you'll see me trying to show people what I like to do on home made videos and talk about companies that make and promote natural organic products...even a 2-3 minute video can show people who you are and what you are about...
If you are going to make videos, first of all, get comfortable in front of the camera (even if it takes you a few tries), and just BE yourself!! You can promote your product, but be personable and conversational. Add humor and make it short and sweet, or make it interesting and teach someone something that they need for promoting their business.
There are millions of videos out there on various sites, and the most popular and trafficked site is hands down of course is You Tube - there are many others out there too that would love to have YOUR videos on there!
You can subscribe to people's channels, and every time they do a new video, you will be notified. (And if people subscribe to your channel, guess what? They are notified as well). You can add favorite videos that you like to your channel, invite people as friends onto your channel, and get ratings and comments as well as give them to others.
Many people use this medium as a selling tool, and the internet world is going more towards video than any other kind of advertising, because it is interesting and you can actually "see" the person that you would be doing business with. So make sure, as an internet marketer, that you represent yourself professionally but also stand out from the crowd, and make your videos memorable.
But the most important thing? Just to get started with that FIRST one...just DO it! :)
Are you still hanging around??
I am glad you went through this page and hopefully saw some things that will help you with YOUR business!
Don't feel like you need to absorb all of this at once! Just bookmark this site and come back whenever you need a new idea.
The MOST important thing you can do is SOMETHING. Start with one idea and make it work! Then build on that - you will BE a success! :)
I am glad you went through this page and hopefully saw some things that will help you with YOUR business!
Don't feel like you need to absorb all of this at once! Just bookmark this site and come back whenever you need a new idea.
The MOST important thing you can do is SOMETHING. Start with one idea and make it work! Then build on that - you will BE a success! :)
And this was all made possible by....
Free Website Builder
The website you are viewing now (as you can see by the url) was built on BlinkWeb.com.
BlinkWeb.com is a brand new FREE website builder that is SO easy a beginner with no HTML experience can do it with ease. All you need to do is drag and drop, point and click, to add text, pictures, images, websites, columns, videos, even guest books and Google Earth drop ins are available!
I have tried to use other website builders before, and I must tell you, this is one of the easiest ones I have ever used. If you want to see a tutorial on how to do this, there is a demo on the BlinkWeb home page, and it really is that easy.
www.blinkweb.com
I also have recently been using Yola, as I mentioned in the Domain section above. I also like them a lot and they are easy to use!
www.Yola.com
The website you are viewing now (as you can see by the url) was built on BlinkWeb.com.
BlinkWeb.com is a brand new FREE website builder that is SO easy a beginner with no HTML experience can do it with ease. All you need to do is drag and drop, point and click, to add text, pictures, images, websites, columns, videos, even guest books and Google Earth drop ins are available!
I have tried to use other website builders before, and I must tell you, this is one of the easiest ones I have ever used. If you want to see a tutorial on how to do this, there is a demo on the BlinkWeb home page, and it really is that easy.
www.blinkweb.com
I also have recently been using Yola, as I mentioned in the Domain section above. I also like them a lot and they are easy to use!
www.Yola.com
So there you have it, folks! Please bookmark this site and come back to it to implement any of these forms of advertising into your marketing campaigns. There will be more as I decide what is worthy to be shared with you guys and please feel free to email me with questions or fill out the contact form below and I will get in touch with you shortly.
Please, no spam! I want to hear from you if you have questions for me, not just to see some silly spam message. I will just delete it and you will have wasted your time...sorry :P
If you want to contact me for any reason, or have a question for me, please use the contact form below and I will answer any question that you have. I want you to have access to me, because I know the reason I am where I am today was from the help of mentors and teachers that have taught me a lot of what I know, and I want to give you the same opportunity.
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Contact form:
Now JUMP off that cliff - go for it!!
Live YOUR Best Life Possible! :)
Live YOUR Best Life Possible! :)