Online Marketing Advice from Monique Harris



Monique Harris is a marketing consultant and author of the book "How to Make Yourself Famous in 6 Months or Less."

Monique can be reached by phone at 301-345-2055 or by e-mail at mdharris@
wizard.net








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6 Simple Steps for Making Yourself Famous Online

by Monique Harris
Internet Marketing Consultant


1. Set Up a Website Using the "IEE" Formula.

Anybody can set up a website, and most companies interested in Internet marketing do. But very few follow the IEE Formula: Informative, Entertaining and Ever-changing.

Informative: your Website must contain more helpful information than it does advertising hype. The Internet was originally created for the dissemination of information. Veterans and even newcomers have come to expect quality information from commercial entities on the Net.

Entertaining: your Web site must have just enough graphics to be appealing to the eye, yet be kind to enough to load rapidly for those folks still using 14.4 modems. An entertaining Web site also has a good flow and a colorful use of words instead of strict, rigid, "per your request" type language.

Ever-changing: you must keep updating your Web site on a regular basis. How would you like to turn on your television and see the same boring commercial on the same channel all day? That's how the Internet public views your Web site when you fail to keep it interesting with new content.

2. Be Interested in Other People On Newsgroups, Mailing Lists and Chat Groups.

In real life it's a proven fact that the more interest you show in another person, especially in a business situation, the more they end up liking you. There's nothing like encountering a super-pushy salesperson who does nothing but extol the virtues of his or her product, with no regard to the prospect's needs.

This is the same problem many companies run into when trying to sell on the Internet. They post "full-o-fluff" advertising messages on newsgroups, mailing lists and chat groups and hope that people will like their products based on their advertising. However, the best way to make your company famous online is to ask your prospects about their interests and to offer answers to their questions. It sounds rather elementary, but you'll find that people will like you a lot more and be much more receptive to your company if they know that you're willing to be helpful. Think about it, some of the most famous people and companies in the world are the "givers."

3. Start Your Own Online Column.

Column writing means big money and big fame off the Internet. Just take a look at "Dear Abby," "Hints From Heloise," and "Etiquette with Emily Post." Column writing has the potential to be even more popular on the Internet where information is not only king, it's a commodity.

A column can be written on a daily, weekly or bi-weekly basis. Anything more than bi-weekly and you risk losing your audience's interest. Post an announcement for your column on appropriate newsgroups, mailing lists or chat sites. And always keep your columns as informative as possible.

If you want to add a "sales" message, put it at the end of the column and make it extremely brief. With the amount of people who frequent the Internet, it's possible to have hundreds of subscribers within weeks.

4. Contribute to Other People's Web Sites.

Most people who run Web sites have a hard time keeping up with content updates. You can help those people out, and increase your fame by helping them to keep their sites interesting and filled with useful information.

Pick out at least 10 Web sites that have non-competitive, yet complementary products or services to yours. For instance, if you sell software, you would be looking for companies that sell computers. E-mail the Webmaster and inform them that you would like to contribute a weekly column entitled "The Software Update" to their Web site. Also send a sample of the column, in text and HTML.

Tell the Webmaster that, in exchange for your columns, you would like a link from their Web site to yours. Now imagine if you can convince 10 or 20 more Web sites to include your articles. You don't have to send the same one to each Web site. As a matter of fact, it may work well if you offer a library of articles for them to choose from. You'll be offering a great service to those Webmasters who don't have the time to keep their content fresh, plus you'll constantly be in front of your prospects.

5. Start a Mailing List.

Mailing lists, which send special interest messages directly to your e-mail box, have become an extremely popular medium on the Internet. There are currently over 30,000 mailing lists on a variety of topics. Don't let the number shock you into believing that all lists are active or that every topic has been taken.

Many mailing lists are for academic purposes and are mainly used by university folk. There are plenty of lists that barely get a message or two a week! I have subscribed to at least 10 lists since February 1996. Only three generate messages on a daily basis and only one generates a couple of messages every other week or so. I can only recall receiving a message welcoming me to the list from the other six!

Before starting your mailing list, pick a topic that somehow relates to your company. An image consultant might start a "Dress for Success" mailing list geared towards professionals who want to maintain a well-dressed appearance.

If upon searching you discover that there's already a list in existence like the one you wish to start, subscribe to it and see how much traffic is being generated. If there's very little, start a similar one. However if there's a lot, simply choose a topic with a tighter niche.

I wanted to start a list for homebased businesses. Another marketing consultant had already started one which was fairly popular. No problem. I just tightened my niche and started one for marketing your homebased business.

Once you've established the topic, place announcements for the list on newsgroups and other complementary mailing lists. If you initially have a hard time getting people to contribute to your list, start a thread yourself by asking a question or stating a fact. Others will inevitably come out of the woodwork.

6. Be a Featured Guest on Organized Chat Sites.

Between Web sites on the Internet, regional/niche-based Bulletin Board System's (BBS's) and major online services, there are virtually hundreds, if not thousands, of chat sites around the world. Instead of just relying on a Web site to promote your company, why not go to the places where your prospects hang out? There are scheduled chats for all sorts of subjects.

Let's say you've written a book about financial planning for women. There are a plethora of chat sites where you can book yourself to interact and answer questions from women who want some help with their financial planning.

Of course there are also those chat sites that have no set structure and are free for anybody who chooses to jump in. However it's harder to interact with others in this type of environment. With a scheduled chat, the event will be publicized beforehand, by you and the host. Most questions must be routed to the host first, which cuts down on hecklers and other unnecessary interruptions. A transcript of your event is usually made available afterwards which you can also publicize to those who missed it.

Copyright © 1997 Monique Harris

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