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5 ALTERNATIVE MARKETING METHODS

Marketing companies are all striving to reach the golden chalice, of #1 in Google search, and will often quote the familiar acronym of "SEO"

"Word of mouth is the most effective marketing tool you can achieve."

However, marketing and promoting your website doesn’t have to be tedious or boring, following the herd. Although the practise of submitting to directories, creating affiliate links, is very valuable, there are some other tricks you can employ to get you and your website out there.

• Yahoo Answers

  Yahoo answers is a place where people can ask questions. Instead of asking a search engine, and trawling through results, they can ask for opinions, suggestions and advice. Anyone can answer the questions, and ultimately the best answer is picked, and points awarded. With a wide variety of categories, it is possible to find your business niche online, and provide advice and suggestion to help promote your business. As long as you are answering the query, you are perfectly in your right to cite your site as a source for the answer. You might become something of a guru.

• Signatures

  Ever noticed those long trawling signatures and disclaimers you sometimes get on corporate email? Well, why not make them useful? Large email providers, such as Hotmail and Yahoo will often add a little signature to your email with a link, which your recipient can see. Why not try it out yourself? Add your website to your standard website signature, or perhaps a link to an interesting article. If you use online forums, why not add it to your standard signature. Often forum policy will allow you to do this, even if you cannot post or mention your company directly in your responses.

Drive Your Message

Does your company have a fleet of vehicles, or do you use your personal car? Do your vans have your website address on, displaying it for other traffic to see, or passers by when you are parked? If you haven’t got a branded vehicle, you could try some car stickers, or the more American ‘bumper sticker’. Someone’s traffic jam boredom could lead to them visiting your site later.

• Sponsorship

  You might not believe in karma, but a charitable donation or sponsorship creates good press for your company. Whether it is sponsorship of an event leaflet, rally car or even a stack of branded post-its for a goody-bag at a conference, it is another way of getting your name out there, shouldered by the event or charity you are sponsoring. More active sponsorship could involve running a stand at an event, leafleting or even some of your employees getting together to run a local marathon. Whatever you do, make sure its well publicised, by making use of the local press, and of course, covering it on your website!

• Network

  Why not join a business club? Exchange contacts over your breakfast, and keep a finger on the pulse of the local markets. Word of mouth is the most effective marketing tool you can achieve. You’ll never know unless you give it a go. Just make sure you have a set of business cards or something to share, and turn up with a company branded umbrella sheltering you from the winter drizzle.