When and How to Use Free Advertising

I've been marketing online for quite some time now, and I've learned a lot. For instance, I've found that a lot of get-rich- quick schemes are just that (it didn't take me long to learn that one). I've learned that a lot of the "free advertising" offers you see online are worth less than you pay for them. I've learned that just signing up for affiliate programs isn't nearly enough to make money with them. And, I've learned that sometimes free advertising really can work out. There are some types of free ads and other services that are great through the life of your business, and some that are particularly valuable in the
beginning when your budget is tight.

In the first category, free ads and services that are good when you're just starting out, I place such things as autoresponders, mail list services, and web site hosting. (I suggest paying for all of these things AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, because they really take away from your professional image). However, if you are just starting out, and especially while you're testing, there are some advantages to these services.

Free autoresponders: Autoresponders are great because you can get information out to your prospects immediately, and follow up with more information, all automatically! (See my article on autoresponders at
http://www.internetcopydoctor.com/articles/autoresponder.htm) Although good autoresponders only cost about $20/month, if you're on a tight budget, a free service can be great to start out. SendFree is a favorite of mine because it not only offers free autoresponder service, but also has an "ad exchange" feature (think banner exchange, only on autoresponders).

Free mail lists: There are a LOT of services out there offering free email list services. I like topica (http://www.topica.com) because although it's free, it has a more professional feel than many of the others.

Free web hosting: I really really really suggest you get away from free web hosting just as soon as you can. Hostsave (http://www.hostsave.com) offers quality hosting at only $6.95 per month, and their packages are equal to anything the free hosting guys can give you--without the banner ads. However, if you absolutely must start out with a free host, try Hypermart (http://www.hypermart.com). I used hypermart to host my first site while I was finishing everything up, so I'd have a place
online to test and refine, without a monthly fee. Beyond that, using free web hosting just doesn't make any sense if you're really a professional; people just get a funny feeling about it.

Now for the second category, free services you might want to continue using on a regular basis:

Free For All sites: I have an article on FFA sites at Internet Copy Doctor, but to summarize it briefly, I have found that submitting to FFA sites helps keep my site "popular" (lots of sites linked to it) and that this helps with search engine rankings on some engines. Also, by signing up with a service like Link-O-Matic ( http://www.linkomatic.com/index.cgi?12260 ),
you'll make a 50% commission on all sales & get a 50% discount on all future orders.

Free email: You should NEVER, EVER, EVER use free email to send business mail, or give out a free email account for business contacts. BUT, free email is great for things like signing up with FFA sites (you'll get a response from every single one, & ongoing ezines from many). And, it's great for signing up with ezines, because you have them where you can read them if you want, but they're not in your way. (Of course, you should always use your real email when signing up for MY ezine ). Free email has its uses, and I've found it to be quite valuable.

"Co-sponsoring": Any service that lets you co-sponsor, co-brand or co-edit, and put your name on with theirs, can work really well as an "add-on" to your site. For instance:

iSyndicate offers free content for your site; they have a LOT of
different kinds of news, headlines, articles, etc. and they're always adding new topics and items. In fact, I'm planning to add some of my own content to their lineup soon, and I use their content on one of my own sites and plan to add it to Internet Copy Doctor. Check them out at http://www.isyndicate.com

GrowRichNow.com (I know, but don't listen too much to the name) allows you to "co-publish" an ezine with them, and get a free ad. You simply market the ezine, and they put a free ad in all copies going to subscribers you've referred. You can find out more at http://www.http://www.growrichnow.com/?179793

There are lots of free services out there. Some may work better for you than others. There are many that are worth far less than what you pay for them, and many that are worth their weight in gold. My advice is to shop around, then think seriously about whether using a free service will make you look less professional. In the case of things like email and web sites, it definitely will. In the case of co-branding, as with iSyndicate, it almost certainly won't if you do it right.

Explore, shop around, and let me know about any great values you
find when you're trying out free services!

Subscribe to The Copy Doctor News for a free press release template, and get free publicity for your business! You'll also get weekly marketing tips and notes from Angie herself, as well as great articles from some of the pros in Internet marketing. copydoctor-subscribe@topica.com

Autoresponder heaven! If you're looking for the perfect autoresponder, I've found it. Incredibly quick response, 10 follow-ups, and unlimited accounts. PLUS, $5 commissions on TWO levels! Find out more! copydoctorqt@quicktell.com

About the author

Angie is a freelance copy writer and Internet business consultant.

This article provided by the InfoZone Archives at: http://www.MakingProfit.com


angie@internetcopydoctor.com
http://www.internetcopydoctor.com