By Anne Marie Baugh
For the very same reason that the personal approach works so well on the Internet with consumers is the same reason it works well with editors and producers. Press releases are without a doubt the easier route. Simply write and click send then sit back and hope someone with a valuable title will notice. The hard truth is that getting a press release noticed is becoming more and more of a challenge. Unless you happen to like standing in a very long line and hoping an editor will dig through a very deep slush pile to notice your news, may I suggest a more direct, successful approach to garnering press space? The pitch.
The pitch requires a little more work, research, and preparation but also nets better results. The pitch is really only a verbal press release. If you can get the phone date, you have a better chance of being heard, of personalizing the story, and therefore getting the much-coveted time in the media spotlight.
Publicists have long understood the value of the pitch and in fact, the pitch is the number one reason publicists are paid the big bucks. Do they have something you do not have? No. It’s a tool anyone can learn to hone. Will you mess up a few pitches? Yes, without a doubt just the same way you messed up a few press releases. The difference is that you didn’t hear about it with your press release, which in reality did not help you. It is a tool that will require constant improvement but the rewards and both personal and professional.
So what does a pitch consist of? A pitch contains all the same information that a press release requires but you present it in a less formal way, over the telephone, directly to the editor or producers. It’s important that you take the time to prepare your pitch and be able to discuss it without reading it. Research the publications, radio shows, or television spots to be sure that your particular story will fit in with their theme and then either write, email, or call for an appointment to present your story.
Not only does the pitch personalize your story and make you real for the editor or producer but you will also begin to build contacts within the media. These contacts will eventually become professional friends that will smooth the road to greater and greater media opportunities.
Once you have delivered your pitch, asked for a time or space slot, don’t forget to thank the editor or producer both in the conversation and in writing. Be courteous and respectful at all times. Never try to talk and editor or producer into your story, as they know their market better than you do. If you get a rejection ask for a referral to a more appropriate market and keep trying.
Yes, press releases definitely have their place. A consistently distributed press release will keep you in the eye of the media, which can pave the way to a more productive pitch. So in affect, using both tools is the best approach. One is definitely weaker without the other, but together they make an impact that can’t be beat.
Overall, it’s persistence that wins in the long run and this is a quality every publicist has. However, you can learn the ability of persistence simply by practicing it. Keep at it and before long you will be a media hit!
This article gives advice and information on how to increase traffic to your website. There is obviously no point in having a superb looking, content rich site if only a few people can see it.
One of the best ways of gaining additional traffic is to build up the number of backward links you have pointing to your website. The best form of link is a one-way link, where a website adds a link to your site but does not get one back from you. There are a number of ways of obtaining these type of links including:
Writing articles. Writing articles like this one has many benefits. Other webmasters may add the article to their blog or website and this creates you a one-way link. The people reading the article are also potential visitors to your site.
Purchasing a text-link advert on a quality site. If the site in question has a high page rank value, this is then passed onto your site. The advert itself just like any advert can also attract people to your site.
Joining in debates in various forums. I enjoy reading and contributing to forums. Not only do I learn a great deal, I am also able to get links back to my sites when I make a comment.
Submitting your site to directories.
Making comments on other peoples blogs. This is my least favourite of all of these examples as it can be seen as spam. Other people however do think it can prove to beneficial. I must say that I stay away from anything that could be seen as spam.
Where possible the website which includes a link to your site needs to be in the same industry as your own website. These backward links have a much higher value in the eyes of the search engines.
I have to admit that it is extremely hard to obtain these type of links especially on a one-way basis.
What we therefore need is a solution and here it is. I believe it is a good idea to build a network of sites on the same theme as the main website. Each of the sites in the network has a link pointing to the main site and after promoting each of the sites, you will then have a number of themed and powerful one-way backward links which will make the original site like an authority in its own field.
If you are struggling to find content you could use other peoples articles to help you. It is a good idea to have each of the sites in the network on a different server. This however can be very expensive and therefore for a smaller business may not be best advice.
To help fund the cost of the network you could add google adsense onto all of the new sites. This may not bring in huge amounts of money but could go some way to helping with hosting and domain renewal costs.
In the future this network could be worth thousands of pounds if you have spent enough time promoting each site. At this stage you have the option of selling the network and relaxing or enjoying the benefits yourself that it will no doubt bring.
I believe the writing of quality articles for re-print and the building of themed network websites is the future of the internet for people who want to be successful webmasters. Good luck.
There are so many criterions that search engines follow to determine a site’s rank for certain key or search words. One of these includes links to the site. The page rank of a site is directly related to the number of links it has. The more links you have pointed to your site, with some variation of the key phrase you want to rank high for, the better ranking in the search engines you will receive.
Relationship between directory submissions and search engine rankings
One way links and search engine rankings have a great cause and effect relationship. Think of it as a business referral system. The business with the more referrals is most popular and hence, search engines rank them higher. The reason behind it, as many put it, is that the more links you have, higher are the chances of a visitor coming to your site through these links!
Again, the search engines send out spiders to the links they find in the directory pages. This will bring the search engine spiders to your site and will get your site pages added to the search engines indexes automatically.
In future, the new search engines will also follow the same procedure. Hence, you won’t have to register to them, rather they will find you themselves!
You can also improve your sales!
Again, many people actually do surf these directories to look for the things they want. So they will also act as a medium to bring in your prospective customer to your site.
Thus directory submission has three major benefits, which makes it indispensable tool of online marketing.
1. Higher Position In The Search Engine Results
2. Web Site Indexed
3. Click Through Traffic
So that is something one should focus on if they are interested in increasing the rankings and traffic of their site. Many sites who offer submission service, claim to submit your link in more than 75000 directories (mind you, few even claim the figure to be around 7,00,000!). But one should remember that submitting a link and getting it listed in the directory is not the same thing. It is like an auction, you don’t win merely by bidding. Others will just bid for you, but we at Submit2please.com, will make sure that your bid is a success. We will try our level best to insure a high rate of acceptance. We also assure you that the process will not be much time consuming and the results will start pouring in within a fortnight.
By Anne Marie Baugh
For instance if you are a web designer begin cultivating relationships through specific industries such as the gourmet food industry, private pilot industry, etc. Every single business has its trade organizations and publications for which they stay on top of their own trends. Break into these arenas and you will find rich resources for building your sales.
Begin by deciding which arenas you can be most effective. For instance if you are a search engine doctor it is certainly possible to work with anyone coming online. However, if you have a certain love of animals, a natural connection will be made through the pet industry. These industries have publications that are read by these types of business owners. Begin targeting these publications for advertising, article submissions, etc. By speaking their language and sharing their passion, you will have an instant connection.
Set yourself up as the expert in the niche industry of your choice. Look for publicity avenues that might be available through those trades. It is often much easier to get recognized in a trade than it is in a mainstream publication. Trades are constantly looking for content that will educate and inspire their business readers. Keep in mind when pitching that you are indeed speaking to business people and not the average consumer off the street. This means that your approach must be more sophisticated and educational. It is vital that you provide content that will make a significant difference in their everyday business ventures.
Create a specialized press kit that targets each niche trade publication and will speak “their” language. Make one-page pitches to the editors with a follow up call in about one week. Be polite and helpful. Offer your expertise and don’t be afraid to share trade secrets. It will endear you to the editor and create more opportunities to get you into print. The fact is that some readers will take your trade secrets and actually use them, but the majority will be dazzled by your knowledge and choose to hire you to do the work. Most business owners recognize that they cannot do everything and wise one stick with what they do best and hire experts to do the rest. So become the expert they cannot do without. What do experts have? Knowledge and visibility.
Trade journals are the most overlooked publicity avenue in the business. This creates a dynamic opportunity for you to make a big impact and bring in mega loads of business while increasing your media attention.
BLOGS! What a crazy name for the “NEWEST” Internet marketing trend to hit the Internet.
But, I like it.
It makes this new form of communication kind of mysterious in a way, though, BLOGS have been around for quite some time and only recently have been recognized as a VERY valuable asset to Internet marketers.
Recently, I was visiting some Internet marketing related Forums and noticed many of the threads having similar “Subjects” saying… “What the heck are BLOGS?”
So, I did a little research and this is what I came up with since I was Very curious myself.
I think it’s best that I clearly define to You exactly what a “BLOG” is so that as I go through this article with you, you’ll have a clear picture in your head of what a Blog IS and so there won’t be any confusion.
A “BLOG”(A.K.A. Web Log) by definition is:
A combination of online diary and/or guestbook. You sign up for a blogger account and then you enter the information You want on your Website. Then you can set it so that only you can place entries on it or so that anyone can. Then you can either keep a private journal or you can have a place where your readers can get together and place entries to each other or to you.
So… there you have it in a nut shell.
To simplify it even more let’s just say BLOGS are a place to go and post your personal thoughts that you can share with your subscribers and/or readership and receive feedback.
Now, for the purpose of this article, now that you know the true definition of a “Blog”, I’m going to share with you some reasons WHY they’re becoming a widely recognized “POWER TOOL” for Internet marketers around the world.
So, with that said, lets go to Reason #1.
Reason #1. Great way to stay in touch with your subscribers.
Blogs are a great way to stay in touch with your subscribers and/or readership and builds regular readership Traffic to your little community where you can interact with them.
It also helps build rapport, which in turn, will help develop that TRUST in You, Your Products and/or Services that You recommend.
Reason #2. It’s a great way to get “Feedback”.
Blogs are a great way to get Feedback from your subscribers/customers simply because they have the ability to leave comments on each “Post” you make which will then help you find what it is they’re looking for making YOU look like a “Hero” in there eye’s and putting $Money$ in your pocket.
Reason #3. Can be managed by ONE individual.
Blogs require NO “HTML” experience, making it easy for ANYONE to get started.
Most “Blog” communities online use what is called a “WYSIWYG” HTML editor.
Did I lose you there with the “WYSIWYG” abbreviation. That simply stands for… “What You See Is What You Get”.
It’s one of the easiest HTML editors to use, making it easy for You to get started right away.
Reason #4. Your able to list your “Main” website details.
When you sign up for your Blogger account you’re given an area to set-up your “Personal Profile” where your able to list your Main website and URL, plus, any other personal information you wish to share that will be displayed on your Blog.
Reason #5. A great way to publish “Information”.
This is probably ONE of the Biggest benefits to Blogs because you have the ability to post informative information in the form of “Articles and/or Reviews” for your subscribers and/or readership which will make you look like an Expert on the subject and giving you INSTANT credibility in the eye’s of your reader.
Reason #6. You get your own URL.
That’s right, you get your own URL you can use in all your promotions and/or on your personal website if you have one.
This feature is great, especially for people just starting out and don’t have there own website up and running yet.
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Here’s my Blog for you to take a look at.
It’s called… The Internet Wonders Blog.
theiwe.blogspot.com
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Reason #7. Search Engines love them.
Search Engines love Blogs because they are so “Content Rich” and are always being updated on a Daily to Weekly basis.
When you compare a regular static website, which might be updated on a monthly basis, to a Blog, which is updated on a Daily to Weekly basis with NEW content, you’ll gain favor with the search engines with your Blog.
The S.E. “Spiders” will then gladly stop by to munch down on whatever NEW content you posted and Index your website more often since that is what Search Engines love and are constantly looking for.
Reason #8. The ability to use RSS with Blogs.
A powerful feature about Blogs is the use of RSS(Real Simple Syndication) that allows you to Instantly send your Blog highlights to your readership upon publication which will keep your reader up to speed on your business and your Products and/or Services.
Not only that, RSS also gives your Blog more exposure to a wider audience of subscribers building a bigger readership in less time.
By simply adding an human element to your business through the use of a “Blog”, IS a great way to build rapport and gain the trust of your subscribers and/or readership, which in turn, will turn them into buying “Customers”.
Well, there you have it, “BLOGS! What They Are… And WHY They’re Becoming A POWER TOOL For Internet Marketers”.
I hope this article clearly answered the questions you once had about “Blogs” and the benefits of starting one of your own.
I am sure that most people who have a website are looking into ways to help them to attract more people to read their site. There are many differing opinions on the best way to go about doing this but one thing that most people agree on is that it is essential to build up the number of backward links that point to your site. The question is how do we obtain these links?
It is always best to try to get other websites from the same industry as your own to add a link to your site on their site (on the homepage if possible). This is not as easy as it might seem as most of these people will be reluctant to do so. I have, in the past, spent hours phoning and e-mailing the webmasters from different sites which are in a similar field to my own site. Even when only one person agreed to my request after phoning up thirty people, I was happy. Hopefully this link will be permanent and over time could prove very valuable to me.
People who visit this persons site are now potential visitors to my own site as they may see my link and of course hopefully will click on it. In general the more links I am able to obtain the better, and in time I may well see an increase in my websites page rank. This in turn should move me up a few places in the search engines for my keywords, which of course should then result in more traffic.
This is the value of any backward link. If the page where my link has been added is a high traffic page or has a high page rank value then I am even more fortunate. As an example the link would be of far greater value to my site if it was placed on a page with a page rank five rather than a page with a page rank two.
How many backward links should I be aiming to obtain?
In my humble opinion you have to be careful not to build up the number of these backward links too quickly. It should be an ongoing project throughout the life of the website. If as an example you are able to obtain ten every week for five years, this would be superb. Where it can go wrong is if you obtain:
ten in week one
none in weeks two, three and four
three hundred in week five
none in weeks six, seven and eight
two hundred in week nine
This is very irregular and weeks five and nine suggests you have purchased a whole bundle of links. This could quite easily raise a red flag with the search engines.
There is no quick fix, hard work pays off and we all need to have patience. I always look to the long term and believe in time the work I put in today will be of great benefit to me tomorrow.
Other ways of obtaining links is by:
Writing articles
Purchasing a text link ad
Out of these two options I prefer the writing articles option. It can be quite boring to write these articles in some peoples opinion and in a way I agree. As I have already stated however, hard work pays off and this is a simple way of gaining one-way backward links. I try to ensure that each article that I write is informative and offers the reader some hopefully good advice. On average I probably write seven articles per week promoting different websites.
If you operate or own a website, then you know that you have to promote both on and off the web. You have to incorporate these two factors in order to be fully successful with an E-commerce business. I have talked with a few large Internet retailers that gave me an insight into their marketing on the web. When I was told, it all made sense and I had to implement it with my clients.
We all know that Ebay is the number one auction market place on the Internet today. Millions of dollars are spent each week on this web portal and it continues to grow each day! I am not going to tell you to open up a store and start selling your whole product line to Ebay buyers because that would be costly with little to no profit.
What I am going to tell you is to put a few top sellers in an auction, either fixed or auction type. This is to gain a large amount of viewers since the product is “hot” and they will want to purchase it. The key to this ploy is to put links on your auction site that direct viewers to your site that carries your whole product line. When this happens correctly your traffic will Explode and with all targeted viewers. You might not be making much money with the Ebay items that sell, but if you do it correctly the profit you make from these targeted viewers will far outweight the small profit margins. Give it a try because their is nothing to lose and you will be happy with the results.