Marketing your Virtual Business
Any successful business owner must spend time and expense to market their business, services, and products. There are several ways to successfully market your business, with little or no cost. Before marketing your business, you need to ask yourself what market you are targeting, whether this market is local, national or international, and make a marketing plan of attack.
Website
A web site is vital to a successful virtual business. Your web site provides clients with your contact information, information about your business 24/7, and it promotes your business by allowing your customers to view your services.
Newsletters
This is a great way to keep in contact with current clients and promote your business to potential clients in your target market. When considering utilizing newsletters emailed to potential clients, you must comply with the Can-Spam Act.
To comply with the Can-Spam Act, the following criteria must be met within your newsletter:
· You must state on your newsletter that it is an “advertisement”
· Your email address “To” and “From” must include the originating domain, and your email address and subject line can’t be deceptive
· You must provide your name, address, telephone number and email address
· You can’t send a newsletter to any business or individual whose web site publishes notice prohibiting the use of its email address for sending advertisements
· You must provide an opt out not to receive any further emails
Postcards/Mailers
If your target market is local, a cost-effective marketing approach is to design a postcard or mailer, which describes your business, services you provide, and contact information, and mail them. This can be a costly approach if your target market is national or international.
Online Networking
Online networking is a great way to build business relationships, share business ideas and get the word out about your business. There are several great online networking groups. You should set aside at least 10 minutes a day for online networking. It will pay off.
Check out the following online networking groups:
Local Networking
If you are concentrating marketing locally, going to local networking functions is a must. You will build professional relationships within your community that will be priceless to the growth of your business. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce, and other local business groups on how to join their networking community.
Public Relations
There is no better free advertising opportunity than utilizing public relations in local and online newspapers and magazines. Any time you reach a milestone in your business, you should write a public relations article and request that it be published. Milestones can include the opening of your business, changes in your business, and any continuing education or certificates you receive that relate to your profession.
Articles
A great way to get noticed is to write articles and publish them online, add them to your web site, and request magazine publishers to publish them in their magazines. Writing articles on the subject of your business shows the public that you are knowledgeable in the services your business provides.
Blog
You have a web site, so why should you have a blog? A blog is a great way to express yourself, show off your professionalism and provide potential clients or the general public, information about your business, how it works, statistics, and articles. In order for a blog to be successful, you will have to put in time every day to maintain your blog, by adding new content. A stale blog does not attract new visitors. Do not replace your web site with a blog. Your web site will attract more visitors, most of the time, than a blog will.
Permission given to National Virtual Assistant Services to publish this article by Author: Dawn M. Draper, owner of The Virtual Paralegal (2009)