Unique Marketing Strategies

As an online marketer I have learned a variety of techniques for attracting traffic. However, sometimes I stumble upon marketing strategies that are truly unique. They include becoming a syndicated columnist, coupon marketing, and using Ebay for leads. If you haven't heard about these underground marketing techniques, I urge you to read on.

Using Ebay for Leads

Ebay recently added their 200-millionth registered user. They have millions of paying customers and they are one of the cheapest sources of traffic on the Internet. This makes eBay the perfect advertising spot and one of the best places to build a big opt-in list quickly and easily.

Simply create a downloadable report and sell it on Ebay for 99 cents. This report will introduce them to what you have to offer. You must provide valuable information inside, but it should also pre-sell your main product.

Once you have created a valuable report and set it up to sell on Ebay, then you can instantly tap into a stream of qualified buyers who are looking for the information you have to offer. You can use this technique to build a list of prospects. You are not trying to make money off of the initial sale of the report. Instead, you are looking to build a targeted list of prospects that you can put into an autoresponder and begin selling your higher-end related products. This technique will enable you to quickly place targeted prospects in your marketing funnel.

Become a Syndicated Columnist

As you probably know, article marketing can be an extremely effective marketing technique online. By engaging in an active article marketing campaign, you can increase your web site traffic, establish yourself as an expert in your field, and improve your search engine rankings.

However, if you have succeeded with your writing online, why not continue that same kind of promotion offline. This can be done through your very own syndicated column. There are a number of steps you must take to becoming a syndicated columnist. However, once you have been picked up, your message can reach a number of newspapers, magazines, and other publications. Writing a syndicated column is like getting a free advertisement nationwide and makes you the expert in your field. This in itself will cause your business to grow.

Becoming a syndicated columnist involves 3 steps.

1. To get started, you must first write your column.

2. Send both a query letter and a sample column to prospective editors.

3. Your entire package/proposal should be sent via email to make the editors' life easier.

Each of these steps require you to dedicate quite a bit of time to getting it just right. To get further information on how to become a syndicated columnist, check out www.market2editors.com. They will teach you how to write a newspaper column, show you how to find newspaper editors who will want to buy your column, and then email your column to over 2,500 newspaper editors.

You may also want to look into doing some freelance writing for magazines before you take the leap into becoming a syndicated columnist. There are a number of magazines looking for submissions from freelance writers. Here is a list to get you started.

* www.entrepreneur.com/contactus/writersguidelines/index.html
* www.timeinc.net/b2/web/information/Pressroom/faq.html
* www.mybusinessmag.com/about/guide.php

Use Coupons

Coupons are a form of promotional marketing designed to stimulate a customer to take action towards a buying decision. They are a very affordable marketing strategy for small businesses.

Unfortunately, coupons are an often-ignored marketing vehicle. Let's not make the same mistake.

Online shoppers are looking for good deals. In fact, according to DoublClick Inc.'s Consumer E-mail Study conducted in 2005, 72% of consumers have redeemed an online coupon during an online purchase.

So, why do coupons work? Simply because consumers who visit your website in order to use a coupon generally end up spending more than they'd planned. This makes coupons the perfect marketing vehicle for increasing sales and committing people to certain brands. Having a coupon also establishes credibility and awareness of your company, even if the coupons aren't actually redeemed.

These statistics show that by creating an online coupon strategy, you can stimulate additional online and offline purchases. 70% of consumers believe coupons save them a lot of money. By providing your prospective customers with exceptional deals in your online coupons, you will trigger higher redemption rates.

So, where should you place your coupon advertisements? Your best response rates will be found on very targeted web sites and newsletters. If you are selling cycling gear, don't place your ads in an outdoor magazine. Instead, specify "15 percent off cycling equipment" on an adventure cycling website. This level of targeting will improve your conversion rate and lower your customer acquisition cost.

You should also partner up with coupon companies because they specifically market to people who already shop online using coupons. These companies include CoolSavings, CouponMountain, DealCatcher, and FatWallet. These companies will help connect you to your prospective customers.

Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate programs can enlist hundreds, even thousands of web sites to promote your product or service with zero risk on your part. Much like a franchise, an affiliate program allows you to duplicate yourself many times over.

This form of marketing can drastically reduce your advertising costs and increase your brand exposure as you enroll thousands of highly motivated affiliates to advertise your product or service.

As for the affiliate, they receive an opportunity to earn a substantial income without the risk of developing a proven product, fulfilling orders, handling customer service or merchant accounts. They simply promote the product and receive a portion of the revenues while you get increased exposure all over the Web. It's a win-win situation for both parties involved.

However, to develop a truly successful program, you must create an optimized system that can be easily duplicated, recruit hundreds of affiliates, and keep your affiliates highly motivated. Read on to find out how you can succeed in each of these steps.

To create a successful affiliate program your website must be built around a proven product and excellent customer support.

You must also set high commissions. To keep your affiliates motivated, you should pay them at least 50% of your profits per sale.

Thirdly, ensure that your sales page converts well before you start your affiliate program. Your sales page must convert at a rate of at least 2% or better. If it does not, then what reason would people have for promoting your products?

You must also provide your affiliates with all of the materials they will need to promote your product or service. This includes sample:

* emails
* banners
* text links
* articles
* interviews
* ezine ads
* press releases
* self-branding ebooks
* and more...

You must also show them exactly where to advertise. I suggest using Camtasia videos to teach your affiliates step-by-step how to market your product down to the smallest detail.

John Reese does a great job of training his affiliates to promote his product at www.auctionsecrets.com/affiliateprogram.html.

Offer your affiliates a very simple, step-by-step process.

In fact, you should tell them exactly what to do and in what order they should do it.

Here's an example:

* Step One - Send this email to your subscribers
* Step Two - Add this article to your site
* Step Three - Add this review to your site
* Step Four - Send out this ezine ad to the following newsletters
* Step Five - Change Your Email Signature to this
* Step Six - Change Your Forum Signature to This
* Step Seven - Offer this branded ebook to your newsletter subscribers

So, why does this tactic work? It is basic psychology. Our brains hate to see any step go unfinished. We feel as though things are incomplete when we don't complete all of the steps. If you use this simple aspect of psychology within your affiliate program, you can greatly improve your income.

In addition, you are also creating a very systematized approach for your affiliate program. Affiliates should never have to ask how they can be successful promoting your product. You must have a system set up that provides them with all of the training and tools they need to be successful.

This is how you duplicate yourself. You teach others to promote your products and services. This is why affiliate programs are so effective, they allow you to duplicate your products or services all over the Internet.

The last step in creating a successful affiliate program is recruiting super affiliates to spread your message to every corner of the Web. You can do this in a number of ways. I'll show you 4 of the most successful practices in place today.

1. Go to the search engines and begin searching for the top web sites within your industry. Look for web sites that have a large list that targets your particular visitor demographics. Once you have found these web sites, send them an email and tell them why you feel that they would make for a great affiliate and how they stand to benefit. Remember to make it personal. Get to know them and their website before you attempt to send them an email.

Better yet, why not give them a call. With today's spam filters it can be extremely hard to get through to someone's email. If you really want someone to take you seriously, contact them on the phone with a personal invitation to join your affiliate program.

2. Send out a press release announcing the release of your affiliate program.

3. Advertise your affiliate program in newsletters that serve your target market.

4. Get your affiliate program listed in affiliate program directories.

I hope you see the amazing opportunities that can be found in an affiliate program. They will reduce your advertising costs, dramatically increase your brand exposure, and explode your income when used correctly.

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Kim Roach is a staff writer and editor for the SiteProNews (www.sitepronews.com) & SEO-News (www.seo-news.com) newsletters. You can also find additional tips and news on webmaster and SEO topics by Kim at the SiteProNews blog (blog.sitepronews.com/). Kim's email is: kim @ seo-news.com