Assistance with Advertising

Here is a great post from Shani aka NicoleJvon:

Originally posted on my yahoo group: Networking Black Women Who Work At Home

1st I suggest you build a website. If you don¢t have one and would like one for free with your own domain name I suggest you go here http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/officelive/default.aspx this is a good way to attract customers via the web. People usually want something to look at.

2^nd check out a few of these sites www.blackrefer.com www.blackbusinessplanet.com www.aabl.com www.africanamericanbusiness.com http://www.local.com/ www.craigslist.org

Here is something else I found helpful

1. Create the best content you can with the best products you can possibly offer. Your content is your best advertisement - if visitors love your content, then they will go back and spread the word to others.

2. Make it easy for users to recommend your site. Viral marketing is very important -- and easy to tap on the Web. But give your users the tools. Get a Recommend this Site script from websites such as cgiscripts.com and similar directories of scripts. Some even go as far as giving incentives to those who recommend the site to their friends. If only 10 people go to your site, but these 10 people invite 10 more - that's additional traffic that you get for FREE!

• Recommend Site Scripts (various)
• Big Nose Bird Recommend this Site
• CGI Resource Index
• Hostscripts

3. Rank well in the search engines (organic search results, not the pay per click). SEs can be a big source of traffic. The key is to create the best content in your niche. If you have good content, other websites will gladly link to you and offer your site as a resource to their audience. Check the on-page factors and be sure to get linked from authority sites in your topic area.

If you are going to read only one piece on search engine optimization, I suggest you read Brett Tabke of WebmasterWorld.com's "Successful Site in 12 Months with Google Alone: 26 steps to 15k a day." http://www.webmasterworld.com/forum3/2010.htm

4. Send out press releases. While outfits charge as much as $650 per release, there are free press release submission places on the Web. Press releases allow you to (a) attract media attention; (b) get more back links to your website without sending each website an email request; and (c) get more visibility especially if your press release gets in Google News or Yahoo News. You can send your press release via our Press Release Submission Form

• http://www.prleap.com/sign_up.html
• http://i-newswire.com/
• http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/
• http://www.pressbox.co.uk/cgi-bin/links/add.cgi
• http://www.pr.com/press-releases
• http://www.prfree.com/
• http://www.clickpress.com/releases/index.shtml
• http://www.theopenpress.com/
• http://www.przoom.com/
• http://www.prweb.com
• http://www.newswiretoday.com/
• http://www.free-press-release.com/

5. Submit articles. Write articles and submit them to websites accepting author submissions. You get exposure for your business; establishes you as an authority in your field, and allows you to get back links for your website. If 50 websites publish your article and it contains a link back to your website, then you easily get 50 links from a single article. The more links you have, the greater your chances for increasing your search engine rankings.

6. Improve your conversion. Getting visitors is one thing; getting them to buy your products is a whole different story. Read the article "10 Ways to Convert Visitors to Buyers" for tips on how to improve your conversion rates.

7. Syndicate your content. You can auto-pilot your marketing and attract visitors every time you update your content via RSS feeds. Or if you have a blog, you can use it to draw customers repeatedly to your website. Bookmark our Resources for Marketing Your Blogs and RSS Feeds to help you spread the word about your RSS feeds or blog.

8. Use free classifieds. Post a link to your site for free where it is allowed (always read the Terms of Use). Examples are:

• Craigslist http://www.craigslist.com
• Google Base http://base.google.com
• Classifieds for Free http://www.classifiedsforfree.com/
• Text Link Exchange http://www.txtswap.com/
• Recycler.com http://www.recycler.com/
• Yahoo Classifieds http://classifieds.yahoo.com/
• US Free Ads http://www.usfreeads.com/

Let me know if any of this helps

Shani aka NicoleJvon

Reddi Business Solutions

Better Solutions for Better Business

http://ReddiBusiness.com

Like this post? Join the Group: Networking Black Women Who Work At Home

Do Check Out My:
Black Business E-Books | Black Business Books | Sistas Making Money on Myspace | Sistapreneur Social Group

Black Websites: Generating more online traffic

Lately I've come across quite a few online entrepeneurs with good business ideas, and great sites, but no clue how to generate web traffic. This is something that even the most web savy business owners are always trying to improve, so I figured I would focus on this topic for a few days.

For any and every newbie out there, when you seriously want to generate more site traffic the first thing you have to do is research! Sounds simple I know, but the question is research what? Well, you need to define your target audience and find out what sites the like as well as what content those sites generally carry.

I'm in the business of creating black websites, so while doing my own research I thought it was a good idea to create a list of some of the most traffic heavy black sites online. If you have a large African American target audience as well, this is definitely a list that you want to check out.

You also want to start visiting websites and forum where fellow web entrepreneurs frequent. I encourage many of my fellow Black Business Women to connect with me though my Sistas Making Money on myspace page or popular forums like izania and connecting black. One imporant part of generating traffic is creating business alliances, these are the people who can give you that free -priceless advice we are always looking for and also potentially provide you with free or lowcost ad space (provided their website attracts the type of people you want to market to). For example my site, Sistapreneurs Network attracts professional black women, so I tend to work with advertisers who want to reach this audience.

You always have to remember that banner advertising isn't just about putting up banners. If you buy ad space on a site that doesn't attract your niche group, then you are wasting your money.

Also, remember that one of the most important traffic builders is search engine optimization. Make sure you have the right keywords listed on your site. If you need help, go to a keyword search tool like: http://www.digitalpoint.com/tools/suggestion or try google suggestions (http://www.google.com/webhp?hl=en&complete=1). In conjunction with having the right keywords you have to have a google site map. The easier it is for google to search your site, the better chances you have of your pages being indexed in the search engine.

So if your ready to start generating more traffic then go check out your competitor pages, put together a strong list of keywords, and advertise on sites that reach your audience.

I'll be sure to post more on this topic in the future, but this is the best place for you to start.

Fresh Faces 2 U: New Online Community

Hi yall, a new online community is out and the founders would like to tell you all about it....

Fresh Faces2u.com is a new online community empowerment platform designed to create new opportunities for struggling artisans, while simultaneously providing a philanthropic community service to the entertainment industry.

Not only are we exposing new talent to the world, but we're creating new ways for models/artisans to get paid. Women from around the world have now come together to create an international community empowerment platform designed specifically to provide a venue for exposure, networking, and alliance-building.

Fresh Faces2u.com is a unique tech approach to empowering and facilitating new "Rich Media" entrepreneurs; thereby, creating new products, developing new markets, and generating new sources of revenue for the online entertainment community. This new international community empowerment platform will change the way the game is played...breaking down traditional geographical, economic, and cultural barriers to entry for promising new talent.

Our online community consists of adults involved in, or desiring to be in, the entertainment industry. We are looking for positive people who are willing to help us build and promote this new and unique online community.

Feel free to post up a comment and/or banner telling our friends about you and your interests and/or accomplishments. We are all about Networking and sharing the knowledge.

Please tell your friends about us and go to www.freshfaces2u.com and spend a dollar (plus transaction fee's) for a good cause.

Peace and Gods Blessings,

Jim Neusom
Executive Producer
Fresh Faces2u.com

Mahogany Momma Marketing and Promotion

Interested in marketing to Black Moms?
Click here to learn more about Mahogany Momma Advertising Options

Target Audience Details: Mahogany Momma ad space is ideal for those interested in niche marketing their product or service to Black Moms, Kids, Parents, and or Women of Color in general.

Mahogany Momma Special Print Edition
In July 2007, Mahogany Momma will be releasing a special print edition to be distributed at the Harlem Book Fair. 100 Free Copies of Mahogany Momma Must-Haves will be Given Away at the event.