OK, I first wanted to say that it seems that I’m really dragging my feet with my promised writing tutorial, doesn’t it? Well, just to let you know, I have completed it, but it’s in the process of being edited, and I don’t want to rush this stage of the eBook.
This said, I’m more than ready to free up some of my time, and I’m working on it, but before that materializes I’m even busier than ever. I know a successful internet marketer from my days of affiliate marking who quoted the slogan “if you’re willing to do for a year what others won’t you can spend a life time doing what other can’t.” That is very true, indeed.
So, I’m willing to do everything I can NOW to free me from the less desirable side of my life, and to do what I believe I was truly born to do.
So, one thing that I’ve been doing is working hard to promote my business at a level I’ve never gone to before. The reason why I’m starting to do this more seriously than ever, is that I’m going to be a Certified Coach very soon. Yes, that’s right, and I expect the coaching side of my business to blossom.
However, I also have other goals that I like to reach as well, and for them all, I’ve developed my own business promotion strategy that I’d like to share with you as I’m still working on polishing it.
These are a little different from the ways you might usually read about promoting your online business, but there are 5 super ways to promote your business like a real pro.
Let’s see what they are…
1- Guest Blogging
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a step by step post to help you write a professional pitch to big blogs that can make a difference for your business. But can publishing a blog post really make a difference for you blog and online business?
Well, ask people like Danny Iny, Carol Tice or Bamidele Onibalusi. Do you know them? If you don’t you should check them out. Each one of those folks have seen their online career rise because of guest blogging, but there a two crucial things that they did NOT do.
1- They did not pick just any blog to write for – just big mammoth ones
2- They did not write just one little guest post – but dozens
What they did was target ONLY big mammoth blogs – you know the ones that are very difficult to get in, and they came up with the best and most original content they could come up with. And they rinsed and repeated the process.
No, it’s not easy to be approved and published on those blogs, but it’s possible, and if you follow my tips here, it might improve your chances.
So, guest blogging on big blogs is definitely something I set up my mind to do to help me promote my business. What about you?
2- Press Release
In 2013 I’ve written a post about how to write a press release. If you are a new blogger, you might not be used to write press releases, and chances are you’ve never written one before. If it’s the case, go check my post that will give you some insights and tips to write a good catching press release.
As a bonus, here are a few things you need to pay attention to in order to get the best out of your press release article.
1- Make sure you selection the best press release sites out there. If you want some tips on that, you can ask me, and I’ll let you know of some good ones. Sometime this year I plan on writing a post about good press release sites based on my own experience.
2- Make sure that you have a good attention grabbing headline worthy of a press release. Tip: Press release headline should be all in caps.
3- Indicate you product’s positioning – what it is, how new, and for whom.
4- Indicate your product key features.
5- Indicate your product benefits the end user.
6- Make sure you add subheads (in capital and lower cases and bold letters).
7- Include one or two customer’s quotes if you happen to have them. Hint: Use some in your testimonials if you happen to have any.
8- Include pricing (if you want) or at least some insights about your pricing. Do not mislead the reader and be honest about it.
9- Always include your first and last name, company’s name, phone number, email and your site’s URL. Press releases are not places to play anonymous.
10- Make sure you learn about press release formatting, and end your article with ### or A###.
3- Join SBA (US Small Business Association)
Not only you can promote you and your business by setting up a business owner’s profile on SBA, but can also promote yourself by answering questions in their forum. There are also many ways you can network with other people and tons of things that could be useful to you as a small business owner in there.
I think that SBA is a great extra way to promote your business while learning more about business. You can also become a guest blogger on SBA if you have something of value to contribute that is relevant to small businesses either online or offline.
For example, they have guest posts giving tips about blogging. I’m sure you could write a post like that yourself, wouldn’t you? Even though there are millions of bloggers out there, there’re still many business owners who don’t have the first clue about blogging.
I’m using SBA to promote my coaching business right now, and as time goes one I’ll be writing about my progress using this tool.
4- Chamber of Commerce
If you are blogging online, you might have not been thinking about contacting the Chamber of Commerce, but do you know that whatever your business is you might have an audience with people involved in the Chamber of Commerce?
I am now starting to contact people involved in the Chamber of Commerce, especially for my coaching business, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not going to contact them for my other businesses as well.
So get on Google search and look for the local Chambers of Commerce in your area, and try to think out of the box about how you could promote your business through them.
Yes, it’s possible. Many people have done it in the past and doing it right now!
5- Local Media and Press
Do you even know how easy it is to get your local media interested in what you do? 10 years ago I was working for an immigration lawyer and he had a case that he wanted to bring attention to. He asked me to call one of our local TV station, which I did.
As I asked them if they would want to feature the situation of the case, and they said yes right away. They ask for an appointment with the lawyer and the very next day two journalists came into the office to asked us questions about the case. A couple of days later my boss’s case was featured in the local news.
This gave me the opportunity to get to know two journalists that I was used to see on TV every morning and realize how nice and approachable they were.
Believe or not, local news stations are always looking for more local news. As per what they personally told me. If you have a business that could benefit your local community in anyway, why don’t you give them a call to tell them what you have and how you could be of benefit to your area?
I know that in my particular case, I am going to use local news media press for my business, because the point here will not be to make a quick buck, but to promote myself.
Remember, TV and press are very powerful!
If you need some help with contacting your local TV stations or news papers/magazines, let me know. I’ve done that before, and I could give you tips to do it too. As a matter of fact, I’ve done all the suggestions above, thus this blog post, so if any of it is intimidating to you in anyway, let me know.
Your Turn Now!
I hope this post was useful to you. If it was, please, share it with others that may need this information. But in the meantime, please, leave your thoughts and comments below.
Photo Credit: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Hi Sylviane,
These 5 ways are truly great to promote business online and offline. Connecting offline entity like chamber of commerce into our online existence is smart move to promote business blog. We can find targeted people easily by doing this
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Hi Okto,
Yes, it’s always a good idea to think out of the box, so to speak. Many people out there need the knowledge that we have as bloggers and online marketers. I find this out almost every day, we have bunch of of knowledge that “regular” people, so to speak, don’t have a clue about and could use at times for their own business.
Recently I have someone approached me about publishing his writing. There are many examples like this.
Thanks for coming and have a great week ahead!
Hi Sylviane,
This is great stuff. It’s very interesting to see things like Chamber Of Commerce and SBAs included in this list. Wow! Promoting online business using traditional channels as well? That’s definitely something to think about.
Thank you for sharing these tips. I think I need to do a bit more research on traditional channels to see how these can help me here in Dallas. Have a wonderful week!
-Kumar
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Yes, Kumar, I am sure that your business could benefit from this type of promotion. I know we’re used to see blog comments, social media and other things of the sort, but those are a bit different and great to try at least.
In the future I’ll write about the results I’m getting 🙂
Have a fantastic week ahead!
Hey Sylviane,
You’re right, there are a few methods here that most people don’t consider. I’ve always been told to start going to Chamber of Commerce meetings so that you can get yourself in front of people who may need your services. I have a blogging friend that did just that and she’s now creating blogs for offline businesses and getting them set up because they have no clue how to do that. She never thought she’d be doing that but she’s busier then ever and making some darn good money.
I never though about the small business association so that’s a great suggestion, thank you for sharing that.
Of course I’m familiar with the rest although I haven’t used these methods myself but I can’t say I didn’t know about them.
I appreciate you sharing these with us and I know that your business will really take off this year with everything that you’re doing. So best of luck to you my friend and here’s to a great year ahead.
~Adrienne
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Hi Adrienne,
I’m so glad that you’re proving my point with your friends story.
To tell you the truth, I’m expecting more results with the ways that I’m considering of using now, than I ever had online.
The reason for this is that they are still some people who don’t know where to look for the help they need “online” and until they see someone in front of them offering them such services they don’t know where and how to get them.
The other day I was approached by someone I know but who didn’t know what I was into. He saw my profile on Linkedin and he said that he would want to ask me questions about writing and publishing his work. See, that guy has no ideas how to find this info online. There are many people like him in the world still. Ya know
Thanks so much for you input and have a great week now.
Hi Sylviane,
Thanks for the amazing tips for growing your presence online! I definitely need to start working on some of these channels myself!
I’ve been looking at guest posting but I find it so intimidating a lot of the time since I have an old site, but would consider myself a new blogger! How did you get past being a novice when you first started asking to guest blog?
Thanks,
Zach
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Hi Zach,
To answer your question, before I started blogging and requesting to guest on blogs I had been writing on article directories a lot (few hundreds articles) So, I really used those as a writing training and experience.
But as for big mammoth blogs I had tried a while back, and stopped because they wouldn’t accept my proposals at the time. But I’m starting again for good. It’s just going to be a bit of a slow process as this takes time.
I’m glad you’ve found this article useful.
Have a great week ahead.
Hi Sylviane,
You have the wheels spinning in my head! I love the ideas you gave about off line ways to promote business. I’m always thinking about that, but not taking action upon it. Joining the Chamber of Commerce is such a powerful way to “get out there!”
I am familiar with press releases. Long ago, before the internet I used to do that for my other business. Once you write out all the questions and answers, and do the work for a local newspaper or even radio, they are so happy to have you on board.
Thank you for this great reminder and all the knowledge you share!
-Donna
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Hi Donna,
Yes, lots of people underestimate the value of not so common or even offline promotion avenues, yet they can bring us business for our online business just the same and at times even better.
I’m glad it was a good reminder for you Donna and thanks for coming by.
Some things here I hadn’t considered Sylviane for promoting my business.
I’m sure we must have something similar to the Small Business Association in the UK. I’m going to take a look.
I just looked up the Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce website too. I’m going to take a more detailed look at that tomorrow.
Press Releases are probably not something I would use and we don’t have local media TV stations here in the UK like the US do.
Guest posting is something I may do more of in the future. I’ve got one to do in the next couple of weeks although things are conspiring against me at the moment to even get it started!
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Hi Tim,
I don’t think had realized that you were in the UK.
I’m glad that you can still use some of those tips there and maybe you will find something interesting that you didn’t expect.
Thanks for coming and have a great week!
Hi Sylviane,
I’ve been thinking lately how I can do more to promote myself (brand myself). All of these ideas you mentioned are great, specially press releases. I never thought about that but I know it can be quite effective.
I also know many people have done with within the Chamber of Commerce too. It’s a place to start for many.
Thanks for posting these marvelous solutions. I’m definitely going to look into the press releases.
Have a great day!
Barbara
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Hi Barbara,
I’m glad you enjoyed those less usual ways to promote your business.
As for press releases, they do work and as soon as you have a few press releases out there, you’re really taken more seriously. I just published one tonight. As long as you know the style of the press release, it’s very easy. I’m going to hit all the free good ones I know first and then depending on results I’ll hit some paid ones as well. If you need a list, let me know.
I’ve got tons of great ideas to promote my business, because I’m ready to reaching out to a superior level at this time. Chamber of commerce can be a gold mine too, and so is local news. For them I have an idea. If it works out, I’ll blog about it all!
Thanks for coming.
Hi Sylviane,
The only one I know about is guest posting. I mean, I’ve heard of these options but not for a blogging business.
I’ve put your post for the press release tips in Pocket. I’ll need to read that for sure.
Thank you for sharing these ways we can promote our business. I hope you had a great Monday!
Have a wonderful night Sylviane!
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Hi Corina,
I know that those ways may not be the usual, but as long as we have a business, and not just a blog they are good to try.
If you have any questions about press release, just let me know.
Thanks for coming and have a great week ahead!
Hey Sylviane
Some cool and unusual ideas in there!
Local is for sure a powerful way to go. So many people ignore that, hoping to get international and with the big guns. Ignore that I say.
TV where I am is a little too small to get attention, but you never know what media will interview you. They are always looking for material as you mentioned.
have a great day
ashley
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Hi Ashley,
That’s right, we should not ignore local customers. At times you can get busier with local customers then all the others online ones. That has happen to many people before, so it’s not just me saying.
Thank you for dropping by.
Hi,
You’ve mentioned powerful online and offline promotions to take a business in to next level.
As a blogger everyone use guest blogging and press releases often to promote, joining small business forums would help us to get the targeted audiences attention.
Thanking you.
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Hi Naveen, and welcome here.
I’m glad you enjoyed this post and hope it gave you some ideas.
Thanks for coming by.
Hey Sylviane,
You know, I have to admit, I thought that you were going to talk about other online methods to promote your business. I never really thought about doing it offline. The chamber of commerce and SBA are great avenues to take! Especially when you mentioned that you can be a guest blogger for SBA, promoting something of value to the public. Thanks for sharing the tips!
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Hi Sherman,
Yes, what people are forgetting is that business is business, and for the most part we blog FOR our business, so one of the logic avenues we should take is also use offline avenues to promote it.
Thank you for you visit and have a great day!
Hi Sylviane,
Yes, if we do the way you mentioned above, our business may be more advanced because of good promotion.
Perhaps you forget that, promotion by using social media sites can also be a great choice. Since social media is used by many people, this can be a good promotional opportunity 🙂
Thanks for sharing this, Sylviane.
Regards,
Nanda
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Hi Nanda,
No, I had not forgotten about social media, it’s just that social media was NOT the topic of this post. Of course social media is used, but it’s not the ONLY avenue. This was the point of this post.
Thanks for coming 🙂
Hi Sylviane,
Yes, I understand. I can see your skills in create a post. 🙂
Yes, social media is not the only way, there are many other ways like you said in this post.
I liked your post, Sylviane.
Have a nice weekend for you.
Regards,
Nanda
Nanda Rahmanius invites you to read..Get Your Business Buzzing Using Social Media Marketing
Hello Sylviane,
Promotion in business is key and very important, perhaps only inferior to the actual offering or product itself. Now, when you promote like a pro, then there is nothing really there to hinder your success or progress again. Cashing out, and cashing out big would be as natural as ABC!
I wish there was something to add to further increase the value of this post. Sadly, there is none! I am particularly in love with promoting one’s business via the local chamber of commerce. You won’t believe it, I just got an idea!
Always,
Terungwa
Hi Akaahan,
I so glad this post gave you some great ideas. I hope you’ll blog about it though 🙂
Thanks for coming and have a fantastic day!
When it comes to blog’s promotion as that is my business, I mostly don’t go in for guest posting since I’ve had a bitter experience through that.
It nearly ended my blogging life but it is something I intend giving a retry though but the more I try, the harder it becomes.
All in all Madam Nuccio, that was a great share! Do have a nice day. The watch on my laptop is ticking @6:20am so I look forward to having a great day as well.
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Hi Emmanuel,
I totally understand. Trying to guest post, and especially on really big blogs, can be tough, and rejections are never nice, of course, but as in everything in life, those things start paying off when we push forward. Just about anyone who has tried and even succeed with guest blogging at it tough at first.
I hope you keep blogging and things will look up I’m sure.
“if you’re willing to do for a year what others won’t you can spend a life time doing what other can’t.”
Love this!
Got to say – awesome tips, Sylviane 😀 I haven’t thought about these ideas…I am not sure whether I can apply it to my blog, at least not now.
Perhaps, after I launch my first product? That’s when I officially become a business, right? Until then, I am a small blog owner.
Right now, I am focusing on building up the blog, and guest posting is one of the methods I am trying to pursue (time is the issue. I just have to plan everything and do it accordingly).
Though I prefer to stick to other methods (at least for now), because they are less time consuming. Take commenting for instance: I could write mini guest posts in the comments area (plus, exposure in 10-15 blogs within an hour or two vs exposure within one blog).
Of course, commenting does have its disadvantages (we won’t get as many clicks for our comments).
Then there is social media (I am trying to be more social, less promoting my own stuff). That is working great so far. Hopefully, it will continue to.
Anyways, thank you for these tips, Sylviane 🙂
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Hi Jeevan,
I only wish that great quote was mine, right? But as I said in the post it’s from a marketer I’ve known a while. I’m glad you liked it.
I know that those methods are not for all bloggers, because in order to use them you have to have mostly a service as a business, not only blogging, so for you right now, that’s probably not very useful 🙂
Either way, I know, spreading our wings and promoting does take time, there’s no doubt about it.
Thanks for your input and have a fantastic day!
I like your ideas to promote business online and offline. I am seeing an improvement in business by joining the Better Business Bureau. It works too fold. One it gives my customer security when they see the rating and it also has help with SEO.
After reading Matt Cutts article The decay and fall of guest blogging for SEO. I just want to highlight that a bunch of low-quality or spam sites have latched on to “guest blogging” as their link-building strategy, and we see a lot more spammy attempts to do guest blogging. Because of that, I’d recommend skepticism (or at least caution) when someone reaches out and offers you a guest blog article.
So guest blogging should selected carefully.
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Hi Arleen,
Right now my guest blogging is only for huge mammoth blogs anyway and that hasn’t changed in such case. When it comes to accepting guest posts I never accept posts from people I don’t know. It’s more like me asking them to give me the honor of guest posting.
BBB, that’s interesting. I was wondering if you you had a post explaining how you joined the BBB and other details you may have?
Thanks so much for your feedback.
Hi Sylviane,
First of all, congratulations on being a certified coach! That’s awesome and I’m glad you’re enjoying what you’re doing.
You mentioned some great points here and they really boil down to connecting with people. You just have to get your name and face and business out there in front of everyone and that means meeting people, promoting your work and being visible.
I like the local media idea. It’s true, there is always room for a feature on a local person and publishers like to look for new things going on around town. It’s also great when you can publish your own content in a local publication, like a helpful article that helps get your name out as an expert.
We are so busy being online that it’s easy to forget there is an entire offline world that you can use to help promote your business. But we have to keep all the options open!
I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help!
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Hi Carol, and thank you.
I’m not certified yet, but I will be in less than a month. I’m very excited and can’t wait to have my new business cards done with that title 🙂
Once I’m getting that coaching certification I have lots of plans to promote myself and some of them are, indeed, face to face meeting people. I’m certainly going to use my knowledge of the law of attraction to attract some things I want for my coaching business while I won’t forget the other businesses either though.
I can’t way to see my big plans come to life 🙂
The best way you could help me is by referring people who need a personal development coach if you come across some of them.
Once I’m done with my course and get that thing done I plan on giving a free hour to few online friends so they can have an idea of what I do and either refer me or give me a testimonial in return (only if they like it though). Let me know if you’d be interested 🙂
Thank you for coming and have a great weekend!
Hi Sylviane,
Congratulations on being a Certified Coach soon dear 🙂 That’s a very good news to hear and wish you all the success with coaching!
Excellent read and suggestions once again! 🙂 Glad I landed here eventhough I’m so behind on reading blogs. Always a place to find interesting stuff.
I must admit that only ways I knew are guest blogging and Press Releases which you discussed here last year. Didn’t even think local media or press might be interested in local businesses much. Well, may be as it’s not that usual as I find.
So far, word of mouth has been my best alley offline and blog attracted the online clients. Mmm… I’m kinda away from promoting much, but this got me think again on forming a reliable strategy.
You have a lovely weekend Sylviane! 🙂
Cheers…
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Hi Maryura,
I was afraid I’ve missed your blog post this week, but I didn’t see any. No worries for being late, I a lot behind too.
You know referrals and word of mouth is still the best bringer of business, so I’m not surprised that it has worked for you.
Thank you for coming. Very much appreciated 🙂
Hi Sylviane,
Very informative tips you provided!
Without promoting strategies our business won’t survive very long. . .
you mentioned some offline promoting methods; I agree, it’ll help to grow our business! also we have more advantage than offline people because of our online knowledge. . .
thanks for sharing!
Hi Adithya,
I’am glad you enjoyed the information here and hope to see you around again soon.
These are some great tips that you have shared here with us. Using all the 5 tips mentioned here, one can definitely get some great results in the marketing strategies. The point about taking a local media approach is the best of the lot. This can give a great boost to local stuff.
Hi Sylviane,Very good post. Thank you very much for sharing with us.