Easy ways to add to self-promotion

Occasionally I browse through the Yahoo questions, and when I find something that matches my expertise, I answer. Usually those are questions about marketing and promoting businesses or services.

The big question so many people have is "How can I promote this product or service when I don't have a ton of money?"

The very first thing everyone should do is create an e-mail signature that they add to every outgoing message. It takes only a few minutes and can be set to attach automatically. If you have different services, you can set up a few different signatures and choose which to use each time.

Since people forward jokes more than anything else, choose a few tasteful jokes to send to friends - with your information attached. Do this often, both because people send different jokes to different friends, and because seeing your information repeatedly will help it soak in.

Next, go check out the Yahoo questions and research blogs and forums - answer other people's questions related to your product or service. Always fill out the resource box and link back to your web site.

If you're an expert in your field, write some articles and submit them to article content sites. I use EzineArticles.com, but there are many more to choose from. You can even submit your articles to several sites for more exposure.

After that, why not create an interesting press release about your product or service. Tell people somethng newsworthy, however, don't just try to send an advertisement disguised as news. Many on line sites will deliver your press releases for free, and if you want more exposure you can pay a nominal charge.

The words you use in your promotions do count. Be sure that everything you send out is about the benefits the customer will receive from doing business with you. Don't make it all about you!

I know it feels good to talk about your great product or service, but they aren't interested. Honest. All your prospects want to know is "What's in it for me?" If you begin your promotions with I or me, you'll lose them.

If you aren't good at writing, don't have a good command of grammar, or simply go stiff and empty-headed when you think about writing, do hire a copywriter. We're those folks who love to write, and who study the psychology behind buying.

A common misconception that I see in other Yahoo answers is that hiring a professional is cost prohibitive. That's really not true. Many of us work for a reasonable fee - and even that fee becomes completely irrelevant when the results of good copy are weighed against the results of lukewarm copy.

Sometimes it really is true that you have to spend money to make money. You just don't have to spend as much money as you think.

If you're having trouble writing copy that pulls in customers, write me. I'll be glad to look at your current marketing materials and make recommendations.

Meanwhile, sign up for my marketing ezine, and then do a search for others. You can find a ton of free marketing advice if you go looking for it.

And now... go do all the free stuff you can to promote your business!