Effective Internet Marketing Tools By Darewin Amio Ocampo

          As Internet usage grows, so does Internet Marketing. Internet marketing has emerged as in itself a totally new business strategy and has developed its very own special marketing tools, approaches, and techniques. These marketing tools have diversified into various forms, and new tools are being introduced every now and then. The most common of these tools are the autoresponders, SEO software, link-building systems, content management programs, and affiliate software. Many consider these tools to be the most effective, simply because they are the ones most often used. However, the search of the most effective internet marketing tool is still active.

Most people are unaware that there are other more efficient, non-traditional internet marketing tools that all marketers should know in order to maximize their potential as online marketers and fully exploit the possibilities brought about by the World Wide Web.

Marketing tools are so common nowadays that most people get themselves associated with these tools without even knowing it. Some are so cunningly hidden or disguised that surfers do not even notice that products and services are being marketed to them by the said tools. The simplest and most unnoticed sales strategies are considered as the most effective of all internet marketing tools.

A review of the most effective as well as the most common internet marketing tools is highly advised for people wanting to engage in internet marketing strategies and techniques. Following are tips and tricks on how to use the simplest of internet marketing tools with utmost effectiveness.

1. Domain Name
The website is considered to be the banner and flagship of any business wanting to market online, therefore, you should think of your domain name as your first internet marketing tool. Selecting the right domain name for your business can equate to online expansion and wider market reach while making use of the wrong domain name might as well spell your downfall.

Most internet marketers concur in the view that generally, a brief and memorable keyword-related domain name is the best choice. It is preferable that the domain name is something left in the visitor's mind that can be easily recalled. Being keyword-related also helps as it will give people an initial idea of what they will find in your site. It is probable that when the domain name is gotten right, your site will be the first thing that will come to consumers whenever they want to do an online search of what you offer. A keyword-related domain name will also do much for you in terms of your performance in search engines, and as we all know, good search engine rankings means more traffic, and consequently, more sales. With your domain name properly signifying what product and service you offer, your website will surely prove to be an effective and efficient internet marketing tool as the name itself serves as a teaser of what the site wants to showcase and promote.

There are some online marketers which, on the other hand, consider the use of short, unique and flashy yet memorable domain names as the better alternative. Unique names are remembered much more easily but are at the same time harder to position in search engine result pages. Take your time and examine which of the two options will likely do better for your site. Don't rush your domain name, do what it takes to make sure you get it right because no matter which of the two methods you adopt, a fitting domain name can be the most effective marketing tool on the World Wide Web.

You should also avoid web or domain hosting service companies that use shared domain names. Using shared domain names means that your domain will use the same IP address used by other domains hosted by your provider. Such arrangement is quite risky because one dishonest act or behavior from one of the websites in the shared IP is likely to have terrible consequences on all the sites hosted in the server. Opt to adopt a dedicated server to get your domain name have its own unique IP address. Most hosting services generally offer unique IP addresses for minimal extra charges.

2. Keywords
Keywords are considered to be the real fundamental building blocks of the World Wide Web. Keywords are what surfers input into search engines with the hope of finding whatever it is they are seeking. Keywords are considered to be the most essential element in any kind of internet marketing endeavor. The right keywords with greatly increase the effectiveness of your online marketing efforts, while selecting the wrong keywords will render your internet marketing campaign almost completely useless.

Since the process of keyword selection has become an integral part of internet marketing, many keyword selection tools have been developed and launched to provide assistance. Some online sites provide services for specifically this type of task, though they often charge a price. But with the further advancement of pay-per-click advertising, free yet effective keyword selection software like the Google AdWords Keyword Tool have become available to the public. Keyword research assistant software should include as a minimum the number of searches made each month, amount of competition and the top sites targeting your keywords.

Using an effective keyword assistance tool will have direct bearing on the keywords you will choose. Targeting the right keywords is a must and should be accomplished correctly. An internet marketing aiming for the proper keywords is likely to drive traffic, which will result to more customers to your website.

3. Articles
Many internet marketers consider organic search engine optimization as the best form of SEO and therefore base their SEO campaigns purely on organic SEO techniques. Considered by many as the simplest and most effective organic SEO technique, article writing and submission has become one of the most often used SEO approaches. SEO article writing and submission is the practice of writing unique keyword-related articles and submitting them, with one or two links to your website or webpages to online article directories. Thus, your site gains invaluable on-way links with each article your get posted on the article directories. The directories by effect help you get traffic for your site as well as increase your importance in the point of view of search engines. It is primarily due to these reasons that article writing and submission is acknowledged by many as the most effective organic SEO marketing tool.

Once you gain popularity and high ranking with the unique keyword-related articles you have posted in article directories, other sites will definitely try to link to your site in order for them to get search engine optimized for the same keywords. Article keyword marketing therefore is one of the most effective internet marketing link-building tools. Article marketing alone, if used properly, can be enough to bring to you that highly sought after targeted traffic and search engine ranking.

Pay-per-click advertising in the hands of a master, is undoubtedly the most effective internet marketing tool of all, it is however, also the most expensive. You will end up paying large amounts of money to have search engines directly place your site on search engine result pages of your keyword of choice. Without enough knowledge, PPC advertising will just be a big waste of money.

4. Lists
The email list is another fundamental structure of any internet marketing system. The mailing list is indispensable and should not be overlooked. The mailing list is a bulky database of contacts, prospects and leads who have given you their consent about receiving email or other forms of contact from you. In other words, the list is a collection of the contact details of people subscribed to your ezine or newsletter. Maintaining separate databases for each line of product or service is a good way of adding to the effectiveness of your list as an internet marketing tool.

Ezines and newsletters should not be ignored as they can prove to be very helpful in your internet marketing strategies. Keeping in touch with both past and current customers will give them the impression that you care and will help them feel more at ease at transacting with you. An ongoing and strong relationship with your customers is vital to your growth and expansion.

A list of affiliates will also add greatly to the effectiveness of your arsenal of internet marketing tools. The affiliate system is a very efficient and comprehensive way of growing your market and reaching out to customers in a very fast manner. Once a marketer establishes a large and operational affiliate network, exponential increase in sales can be expected. Join ventures with other marketers can also be of great help.

5. Blogs and RSS Feeds
Blogging and RSS feeds have recently become the fad in internet marketing as they serve as less formal tools to reach out to customers, prospects, and leads. Blogs are also very effective content management tools that can easily and quickly build content-driven sites, and RSS fields help blogs reach the attention of search engine bots faster.

Fresh content is the primary strength of blogs that make them very attractive to search engines, since nothing attracts crawlers more than fresh and unique content. It is for this very reason that websites are advised to maintain their own blogs and RSS fields as they will attract search engine spiders to regularly visit your site. As a whole, all tools that supply fresh and unique information are effective in getting visitors go to your site and crawlers check your site.

           

                                                                                                                                                              By Darewin Amio Ocampo

Internet Marketing - To Run a Successful Business

Internet marketing has completely changed the traditional marketing world. A few years back, pamphlets, flyers and television commercials were extensively used to lure clients. The impact of Web based marketing tactics has been phenomenal to attract potential clients and this has encouraged many businesses to adopt this technique. At present, all types of firms are trying their best to make the most of this opportunity. Internet marketing is a broad term which encompasses website positioning, advertising and marketing. A businessperson can try to learn various internet marketing strategies or hire experts for this purpose. The marketing firms support their clients and aid in fulfilling their marketing goals. Hence, help in luring the targeted market and improving the popularity of the businesses.

Internet marketing has evolved dramatically in the last few years and it has changed the way in which shopping was done in the past. You can now shop for gadgets, clothes, travel tickets and even groceries online. Importantly, the clients too have resorted to online shopping and use the search engine listings and social networking sites to reach a particular service provider. Just like Internet marketing, the affiliate marketing tactics too can play an important role in boosting the profits of your business. It is one of the most reliable methods to generate a steady stream of income. Instead of opting for the conventional methods, you can utilize this tactic to make as much money as you have desired.

The Affiliate programs must be effective to ensure that you are able to attract customers and earn incentives. If you have decided to give a head start to this method, you must begin with monetizing your blog with affiliate widgets and lucrative offers. The affiliate programs that offer interesting deals encourage the clients to stay on the site for longer duration. This improves the sales potential considerably. At present, there are many online tools that can aid you in your marketing efforts. Yet, it is advised to get an idea about them by going through the reviews of products. You will certainly find valuable solutions that may solve all your marketing related issues.

It is advised not to acquire the product on the basis of its first look. Instead, you must first go through the reviews of products and get a good idea about their effectiveness before including them in your multi-level marketing campaign. Choosing the right tool will aid you in developing flawless reputation among the clients. Hence, you will not have to run after clients to lure them to acquire your products. Instead, the clients will be happy to get associated with such a reliable service provider. You will learn about how to create attractive marketing tactics that will establish your presence in the market. Marketing efforts can pay off very well if applied with utmost precision. Make the most of this opportunity to get desired results in quick time.

                                                                                                                                                                       By Ashok More

How Does The Internet Work?

We are all familiar with the concept of the internet, as most of us use it some form or another. But do you actually know how the internet works? If not, here is a simplified breakdown on what exactly the "internet" is:

The internet is basically a series of computer networks that are interconnected with each other. The use of hardware such as routers, servers, satellites and cables, all facilitate the linking and sharing of information from one computer, or internet capable device, to another. These devices all interconnect to create a network system of information, resulting in an infinite number of connections and information sources. Think of your computer as a link within a chain of sorts. Your computer is connected to a router via cables or Wi-Fi, the router is connected to a server, and the server is connected to other computers.

These interconnected computers generate a networking system], and in order for this network to communicate correctly, and in a logical manner, network "protocols" need to be in place. Network protocols are most commonly known as "transmission control protocols" (TCP) and "Internet protocols" (IP). These protocols are a set of rules that computers follow in order to complete tasks. Network protocols provide a computer language between computers, which allow for clear instructions and transmissions. When you send or receive information to or from another computer, TCP and IP protocols make the transmission possible. This information still needs a way to be gathered however, and this is where an internet server comes into play.

All computers are connected to the internet via a web server. When you connect to a website, your computer sends protocol instructions to a server. The server operates as the go-between computers, and will act as a directory to match up the domain name you requested. The request will eventually arrive to your web server through a transmission known as "packets". Packets are data files of information that range between 1,000 and 1,500 bytes. Protocols will then arrange the information packets in the correct order, and deliver them in a coherent manner to your computer and your screen.

These three steps work together to create what is known as the internet, albeit in a far more complicated manner than described in these simple terms. If you wish to delve further into what makes up the internet, you will find yourself within a rabbit warren of interesting facts and information. It truly is a fascinating subject. Without the internet we would not have access to so much information at our fingertips, as well as social media sites and instant communication options. The internet also provides a great deal of employment opportunities such as website development, SEO web design, internet advertising, and countless other options. It can be used to watch TV or movies, hosting photograph albums, seeking employment, or even for seeking a partner in life. The internet can be used to search for practically anything you decide to put your mind to. In fact, the internet is so ingrained within our culture and daily lives these days, that most of us likely cannot imagine life without it.

                                                                                                                                                                 By Owen A Barron

Best Internet Marketing Strategies for 2013 Businesses

Will internet marketing aid in producing offline profits? If the real question is hanging over the mind, then the reply is yes. An Online marketing firm will understand how to take advantage of internet marketing techniques and methods to enhance sales offline. However, you do not have to find a social networking agency towards the job. There some simple, yet great ways to acquire digital marketing methods and gain offline sales.

Digital Online marketing firm will understand how to use techniques and methods to improve online boosts, but you will find how to run the same approaches for the generation of offline sales too.

The best methods used by an online marketing firm for offline sales are pointed out below:

We've got the technology of mobile marketing is selling like hotcakes. Every Online marketing firm is applying it more than ever before. There's been an enormous or we could say a huge development in the mobile search history. Using the concoction of contracts, 3rd generation technology, Wi-Fi 'hang-outs', free data transmission etc. it's brought the customers on the searching spree. Mobile marketing might help within the enhancement of offline sales too out of the box observed in online sales through Search engine optimization company & website design company. If your site is mobile enabled with Google Map listing, then mobile search traffic could get lots of business and help people to get access to your offline business too.

Proactive approach of the offline website. Any Online marketing firm or social networking agency professionals representing it will likely be conscious of an internet site proactive approach and it is importance to influence clients or clients to conduct business along with you. For growing offline sales, by using internet marketing, you have to take advantage of the strategy although not without checking the goal of your site, out of the box made by an Search engine optimization company & website design company.

Make certain a foreign language is persuasive enough that won't only inspire clients to consider another step, but act according to your anticipation the primary motive of social networking agency while employed by clients worldwide. Please, don't use terms, such as, order online or buy now, rather, use go to the store or get in contact.

An electronic Online marketing firm knows the proactive approach should be thought about with utmost caution. For instance, an e-commerce website selling cars, to obtain the preferred proactive approach, won't ask clients to buy the vehicle, rather it'll aid them to obtain a grip from the vehicle first, like, Obtain a try out. Along the way, the client will enter all his particulars and knowledge and can schedule try it out, which has a tendency to get more clients online as specific by having an Search engine optimization company & website design company. You may also lure or wet the buying palate of the consumer, by providing giveaways, just like a free pass to some club the very first time. You may also offer discount rates around the first purchase.

Social networking marketing, as every Online marketing firm or social networking agency knows, is an essential supply of marketing platform to improve the internet existence of a company. However, social networking platform might help within the increase of offline sales too. Recommendations, word from the mouth and comments through social networking systems might help to get offline companies out of the box specific with social networking agency professionals. For instance, Facebook has various applications and tools by which, a business owner can engage and capture the audience. You will find fan pages in Facebook which are easy to customize with promotions, coupons etc. Twitter can be used for marketing occasions, items and much more, also employed by Online marketing firm while supplying Search engine optimization services.

• Coupons
• Location based services or local Search engine optimization
• Group deals
• PPC, as made by Search engine optimization company & website design company
• Google map optimisation and much more.

                                                                                                                                                                         By Glen M Gould 

Marketing Tools: Different Types of Promotional Banners

There are many different types of banners that can be used from online banners to pop-up banners often seen at trade shows to a light pole banner you see hung with banner brackets on poles or sides of buildings in cities. These banners feature a short, simple message and a clean design. They do not require a huge investment, but if made correctly, they are a good tool for grabbing a potential customer' attention.

Online banner ads are one type of advertising. These are less aggressive than a pop-up ad and can still feature a tailored message. There is a lot of freedom that can be had with this type of ad. You can include text, visuals, sound, animated graphics and video. Being on the Internet, this type of ad receives a lot of traffic. Placement of this type of banner can also be controlled so that people browsing the Internet are only served the advertisement if it is relevant to the content.

Another type of this marketing tool are pop-up banners. This type of banner would be taken to a trade show. It features a small amount of information, just enough to entice passersby and draw them into your booth. There are different styles and sizes that can be used for this type of banner. Some are connected to a stand that they roll out of. The banner is then held open by being attached to a stand. This style is the more traditional pop-up banner. Then there are other similar style banners that can be hung. This variety of banner is also low cost and depending on the trade show, has the chance to reach a large audience.

The third example of this marketing tool is city banners. This type of banner is often attached to a light pole or the side of a building using banner brackets. These banners are commonly used to advertise events or other happenings relevant to the city. They are easy to hang and change. Light pole banners are also a great way to inform locals about things going on around the city, or to simple wish them a happy holiday seasons. Again, light pole banners are relatively cost-effective and reach a large portion of the target market since they are placed right in a city's downtown.

While technology and specifically the Internet are common tools used for marketing, banners, an old staple, are still a good option. Try out one of these different types to see if it works for your business

                                                                                                                                                                      By Jeffrey Wendland

How to Set Up Online MARKETING TOOLS for Your New BOOK

In the last two months I've been very busy with marketing my new book and I've learned so much by being indie (a self-published author who works fully independently and is a do-it-yourself person) that I wanted to share my knowledge with other authors to help them achieve success.

As a solopreneur and a business-woman who's used to making things happen for herself, I have been working on setting up all the essential marketing tools for this book on my own. Everything - from buying a domain name and hosting to developing website's headers, footers, pages, and looks, to setting a Facebook page, a Twitter account, Goodreads profile and a giveaway, linking all these together and making it look pretty, while creating a video script to produce a book trailer and actually finding an affordable producer - I've done it all just by myself.

Frankly, it's been not easy by any means. So, I thought to myself: "Why not write an article about how I have accomplished all this, and dedicate it to self-published authors?" Here you go - you're reading it now.

A website. The website for your book is aimed to serve as book's landing page and contain the info that your potential readers and media may need: the book's cover, the intro to your book, author's bio and photo, samples of media appearances, a book trailer, endorsements for your book from readers, sign-up box for your potential readers, and the like. START WITH A CATCHY AND EASY TO REMEMBER DOMAIN NAME! To create my website, I went to GoDaddy and started trying different domain names that were popping up in my head. The actual name of my book contains too many words, so, obviously, this wasn't an option for a domain name. I came up with a nick name for my book, tried SMARTgoalsBook, and it was available. I purchased hosting from GoDaddy for one year for $75 as well as the domain name for three years for $51 after some discounts, for which I received special discount codes via e-mail a few weeks before that. I did not purchase any additional pages - just one page that comes with a basic package. I didn't pay for any website building tools either. Instead, I installed the WordPress app, which is free and has no page limits whatsoever. Installing the WordPress app took a few minutes and then a few minutes more to wait for a confirmation. Once that was done, I was able to login and start building my website.

First, I had to set up a theme. I tried a few, searching for something orange, clear, contemporary and good-looking - something that would look good on a mobile device it's being viewed on. I chose the "Black and Orange" WordPress theme. I didn't like a few things about it though, such as a Search box in a header. So, I opened Appearance/ Editor / Header on the right side, and it showed me the code. I had no clue how to work with HTML code, so I copied all of it into a safe place and started playing with it on the Editor page, saving and checking it out. I got the Search box out! Next step was to edit a footer, where it originally stated who developed the theme, etc, but I wanted it to say "© Current Year My Name and My Company, LLC My Company Website My Phone Number My Email Address" You will want to customize your footer as well - it's a free branding and gives you credibility; it also shows that your website is professionally done. So, I did what I described before. Appearance / Editor / Footer on the right side, and it showed me the code. I copied all of it into a safe place and started playing with it on the Editor page, saving and checking it out. I got my copyright message in! For pages to appear the way I wanted in a certain order, I created a menu for pages under Appearance / Menus. Of course, your website's name and tagline can be edited under Settings / General, unless you have a customized banner like I do - then, you won't need these. Just play with it, save and see, if you like the look. Patience and time investment will pay off - I promise.

Social Media. Social networks are your free marketing tools and your opportunity to engage with your current and potential readers and clients. Definitely use them! I created a Facebook page for Turn Your Dreams and Wants into Achievable SMART Goals! in just a few minutes. You do need to have a Facebook profile first though. Facebook tools are free. To promote my book's Facebook page, I went to Build Audience / Invite Friends and invited all of my current friends from my personal profile, 10 at a time. Then, I invited everyone on my Constant Contact list by exporting the contacts from Constant Contact to a separate file and uploading it to my Facebook page. Then, I also invited my Skype contacts. Next, I created a Twitter account for my book. It's free as well. I added the Facebook page to my Hootsuite social media manager (another great FREE tool) and pre-sceduled once-a-day posts for a month or so. After that, I set my Facebook posts to go directly to Twitter. The hardest part was to create a Twitter tab for my Facebook page, which means that my tweets would show up on a separate tab of my Facebook page for the book. As a solopreneur, I like free everything, so I kept looking for another free tool and ended up using this one: https://apps.facebook.com/twitter-tab-app/ It literally guides you on how to configure it for your taste - you can change colors of the actual tab, its links, the number of tweets shown, etc. This is a great tool to show your audience that you have a wide online presence.

Integrating Social Media into Your Website. By integrating your social networks into your website, you make yourself searchable, accessible and allow your readers and clients to easily get a hold of you as well as join your community. It's a great way to promote your book and yourself as an author and expert! To have a Facebook LIKE box with faces of people, who already liked my page, I installed a plugin that's called "FB Like Box". It gives you an opportunity to configure its appearance the way you want - with a stream of your posts "on" or "off" (I chose "off"), with faces of your fans "on" or "off" (I chose "on"), and, finally, it lets you specify the width and high of the box as well as allows you to name the box. Next is Twitter To have a very pretty Twitter feed with the "Follow" button, I simply went herehttps://twitter.com/settings/widgets. I configured the widget the way I wanted it for my website and copied the produced HTML code (it's very easy - takes just one click and no special knowledge). Then, I went to my Dashboard on Worpress website under Appearance / Widgets, I dragged the Text Widget to the sidebar on the right, placed it wherever I wanted the Twitter feed to appear, and, lastly, I pasted the code that I copied from the Twitter widget site - straight into the Text Widget on my sidebar. I saved it, and it looks perfect - check it out. I recommend it highly!

Social Sharing and Commenting. By allowing your visitors to comment and share on your website in general and your blog posts in particular, you get a word-of-mouth marketing for free. You've got to get rid of your fears of receiving negative feedback - even if you do get a few poor comments, that's your chance to improve. The task of finding right plugins for this purpose is the most complicated part due to a huge variety of social share buttons available for Wordpress. The only advice I can give you here is this - figure out first what social website you want to include into sharing options, decide whether or not you want counts of likes and shares to appear and, lastly, try, try and try until you find what's pleasant for your eye. I have spent many hours doing just that. I tried to install different social share plugins, configured them, saved, checked out how it looks on my website, deactivated, deleted, searched for another one... But now I am happy with what I've got! For comments, I use a plugin called Facebook Comment. You will see that Wordpress has two of these, the one I use is the second one that appears under Plugins / Add New / Search results. Right now on my very website I use 4 different plugins: one for social shares on the bottom of each post and page, another for social sharing buttons on excerpts of the blogs, the third one is a floating widget on the left hand side (which isn't visible on mobile devices - only laptop and computer), and, finally, there's a widget on the right side that allows you to follow me and has all my social networks listed as icons. Let me tell you about each of these.

The first plugin I use for social share buttons on home page and pages and OPEN blog posts is called Social Sharing Toolkit - it allows you to have Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, Pinterest, and LinkedIn sharing buttons on your home page, other website pages, and FULL OPEN blog posts, but it doesn't allow you to show the social share buttons on BLOG EXCERPTS. The plugin is easy to install - simply go to Plugins / Add New / Social Sharing Toolkit / Install / Activate, and it will appear on your dashboard on the left hand side, under SETTINGS. Configure it at your liking and see how well it works.

The second plugin for social buttons on excerpts of the blog page is called Sociable. This one will only allow you to have the button EITHER on the home page OR the excerpts... Of course, you want to have the sharing buttons on BOTH, so you will only use this plugin for excerpts since you now have the first plugin shown on your home page. It's easy to install - simply go to Plugins / Add New / Sociable / Install / Activate, and it will appear on your dashboard on the left hand side on the bottom of the dashboard. It will be called Select Sociable Plugin. You go there and configure it the way you want.

The third plugin I use for the floating widget, which once again does NOT SHOW UP ON A MOBILE DEVICE. The widget is called Digg Digg. It will stay in your dashboard, on its bottom, and it will be called alike. I only use one feature of this plugin, so after installation, I went straight to its Digg Digg / Floating Button Bar / Configuration and I configured it the way you see it now on my website.

Lastly, the plugin that allows you to connect with me is called Social Media Icons Widget - once you install it, it won't show up anywhere under Setting or in the Dashboard. Instead, simply go to Appearances / Widgets / Social Media Icons Widget. Drug it to your sidebar and then configure it at your liking. I used Facebook, Twitter, and whatever you see now on my website on the sidebar. I love this tool - gives people a quick access to your networks.

E-Mail Signature. One free marketing tools that many authors disregard is your very own e-mail signature. Here's how I did it. I posted a picture of my book's cover on my blog, which generated a link. Then, I went to my Gmail e-mail setting under signature and inserted the image link, the link to my website, and other info such as website name, etc. This tool allows you to market your book with no additional effort and free of charge. Why miss out on such an attractive opportunity?

Book Trailer. I can't emphasize the value a great book trailer adds to the promotion of your book. Nor can I tell you enough stories about how bad book trailers diminished marketing efforts of good authors. Deciding what I wanted my video to be like, I focused on what successful companies and authors use... All routes led me to the speed-drawing technique. I did my research on-line and discovered that the price was to start at $900... Oops, that was waaaay outside of the limits of my entrepreneurial budget. So, I took a chance and explored Freelancer. It's free to register there, and you can do it with Facebook login, so it takes about 30 seconds or so. I created a speed-drawing video project within 2 minutes, posted it, and was shocked when 5 minutes later I already had a bid!!! The price was above my expectations, so I politely negotiated and got the price I had in mind, which was $300 for 1.5 min video, INCLUDING a voiceover. The freelancer sent me several links to his work, I reviewed those, and that was it - 20 minutes after the project's posting, I already had a video producer and a voiceover guy!!! The next step was a script for the video. The freelancer asked me to send one as soon as possible, but I had no clue how to write one. I did a little research online, after which I wrote a very good script by myself, while my hubby was watching a football game on New Year's Day. It was 258 words, 1 min 34 seconds - right within our agreement. I would definitely recommend Freelancer for projects like this. It's safe, easy, and affordable.

Goodreads. Goodreads is another social media platform, but this one is designed specifically for readers and authors. It's free to join and it puts your book right in front of readers. What's great about Goodreads is that it adds value to your SEO: your name and your book's name will be pushed up in Google search as long as you have a complete profile and stay active. By staying active I mean rate books you read, write a review maybe once a week, add your friends from e-mail and Facebook, add quotes, and definitely make sure you establish an AUTHOR profile. It's free, but you have to apply for that. Once approved (takes about one day), you can set up your book, its full description, you will be also able to add videos such as trailer, endorsements, etc. You can even add pictures relevant to your book. There's also blog, which you can integrate with your current Wordpress blog that we discussed above. There are widget you can embed to your website to help spread the word. And most importantly, there's a free marketing tool called Giveaway. Before your book is published, you can generate a buzz by submitting a few book for a Giveaway: you apply, Goodreads approves, they run this promotion, at the end you mail physical copies of your book to the addresses of winners. You can set it up to run worldwide or locally. I did the USA only and submitted 5 books. It's a great way to gain extra exposure.

I shared a lot with you here. To summarize, I will say this: you need to set up your online presence in the way that it makes you easy to find, helps you establish yourself as an expert, allows readers and media learn enough about you and your book, and provides wide exposure.

                                                                                                                                                                                   By A. Stevens

5 Powerful Online Business Marketing Tools

In any type of business, marketing is an essential expense. This is especially vital for businesses with no storefront or strategic office location to attract potential customers' attention. Compared to traditional businesses, home-based and online business ventures actually need more marketing efforts. Here are some of the business marketing tools you can use to prompte your business:

1. Website

If you want to elicit lasting impression from your customers, you should have a good and professional-looking website that contains information about your product or service. If you offer lots of products, make it a point that you present them in a clear and attractive format. Even if you offer thousands of items, you can always find ways to keep your site organized. Aside from informative content about your products, it's wise if you also include information on how potential customers can purchase, use, or download your products. You should also put your contact information so they'll know how to get in touch with you.

2. Search engines

Remember that most people do a research first before purchasing anything they want, especially if it's pricey. Make sure your website is listed in various search engines and can be crawled by the spiders, so it will appear in the search results when people do research of the products you're selling. Among the business marketing tools, search engines are responsible for driving a huge amount of traffic to your site.

3. Social media sites

Businesses nowadays are so lucky because they can now take advantage of the tremendous popularity of social media. Through social networking sites, they can connect with their potential customers and prospects for free. To promote your business, it is wise to try out all the social media sites you have an account in. this could mean hard work, but by so doing, you'll know which of them works best for you and your business.

4. Blogs

Blogs are great business marketing tools especially for service-based businesses. Your blog can be an excellent representation of your expertise in the industry you're in. They will help build your credibility, making you well respected in your chosen field. If you're going to use this marketing tool, make sure that you'll create not just an ordinary blog but a professional-looking one that's related to your business. Its content must not be high-quality and original-they shouldn't be the same as the ones published on your business website.

5. Affiliate programs

If you think that affiliate programs are expensive business marketing tools, you're wrong. They are actually a cost-effective way of introducing and marketing your products to a wide range of customers. Through a commission-based sales force, you can dispose your products minus the hassles of hiring and managing employees.

These are just a few of the marketing tools you can use to improve your business. You can also try other techniques, especially those that can be done offline such as word-of-mouth referrals, case studies, and public speaking.

                                                                                                                                                                    By Paul H Williams