Note: Some Links may be out of date.

Blitz Ezine # 157 April 1, 2002

Note: This is an archived issue. Some links and/or content may be outdated

The Blitz-Promotions News Letter.
Issue no. 157, April 1, 2002
http://www.blitzpromotions.com
100 Ways to promote your site -
http://www.blitzpromotions.com/blitz157.htm
Subscribe to our Ezine
http://www.blitzpromotions.com/subscribe.htm

************ In This Issue **************
Comments
Food for thought
100 Ways to promote -
The Classifieds
Next Issues
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Blitz Comments
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Don't forget today is April Fools.

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Food for thought
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Empty the coins from your purse into your mind, and your mind will fill your purse with gold. - Benjamin Franklin
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100 ways to promote your site #54
Promoting Holidays
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In case someone hasn't pulled a prank on you yet, it's April Fools. There are tons of holidays, in case that you needed a reason to send your customer list, follow ups, or prospects a note - now you have a good excuse.

A complete list of holidays can be found here -
http://www.holidayfestival.com/USA.html
A quick count shows 40 for the US alone.

So how can you make a Holiday promotion work -

1. Announce it well in advance of the holiday. Your work should start about a month before the holiday, with a reminder a week before the actual day.
2. Make sure to add a page to your site and link it from your home page.
3. The closer related to the holiday your promotion is - the better it will work.

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100 ways to promote your site #55
How to Get On Talk Radio and Reach Thousands for FREE!
by Kevin Nunley
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Want a FREE way to promote your business to thousands in your area? How about a free way to market to customers nationwide? Talk radio gives you both at zero cost.

Before I started DrNunley.com, I worked across the hall from a talk radio station. The lobby was constantly filled with people who were appearing as guests on talk shows. What an interesting group! I met the Governor, rock stars, famous writers, everyday people promoting causes, and a whole assortment of accountants, gardeners, financial planners, realtors, crafts people, and educators.

For every famous person who stepped up to the mic, there were 20 "regular" experts on every issue you can think of. These were local business owners, professionals, and workers who had interesting information the radio audience would find helpful.

Guests usually aren't allowed to turn their on-air appearances into self-serving ads (that's what paid commercials are for), but no guests leaves without grabbing a considerable amount of promotional benefit for themselves. Guests almost always get a chance to share their phone number, email address, office location, or web site URL.

There is no shortage of talk show opportunities. Talk stations number in the thousands throughout the US and Canada. Many more radio stations have a Sunday morning talk show.

First find one or two stations in your area. Listen to the shows and become familiar with the hosts and the topics they like to cover. Next, CALL or EMAIL the radio station and talk with the host or producer. You can get station contact info from the yellow pages. You may be able to get an email address that goes directly to the host. Most stations have web sites you can search for and easily find.

Tell the host what subject you specialize in. You don't have to be a world-class expert, just have some helpful tips the audience will be interested in. A day care owner could talk about how to keep small kids busy while Mom or Dad works at home. An accountant or lawyer might give tips for saving on taxes or fighting an IRS audit. Somebody who does a lot of fishing could talk about favorite lakes and bait.

If your topic relates to something already in the news, hooray for you! Pass GO and collect $200. The media LOVE to find a local expert who can give a local angle on a national news headline. Make sure you point out your connection with the news when you call the station.

What should you worry about when you go on the air? Joe Shafran, who has helped thousands of people get on talk shows, says to go to the bathroom and get a drink of water. Other than that, don't worry. Talk show hosts are nice professionals who will help walk you through your visit. Relax and speak clearly... and don't forget to mention your phone number and web site at the end.

After your appearance is over, go home or back to your office and write a thank you note to the host. Not many people do this and radio folks really appreciate it. A handwritten thank you goes miles toward getting you asked back again and again.

Now that you've mastered the local scene, go nationwide! You can find radio stations by searching media for various cities. Also go to the Radio and Records web site at

http://www.rronline.com

+++Blitz Note+++
The Directory is FREE.

R&R is the main trade publication for the radio industry. You can find more links to radio station web sites there.

Call and email stations to set up your appearance. You can do interviews by telephone. Call the day before your appearance to remind the host or producer. It's also a good idea to call about 15 minutes before your appearance to make sure everything is set. Radio moves very quickly, so it's a good idea to follow up several times to make sure you haven't been forgotten or moved.

Without good, interesting guests, talk radio shuts down. They NEED you. Also consider music morning shows that do a lot of talking. DJs often welcome outrageous or funny guests

Kevin Nunley provides marketing advice and copy writing. See his 10,000 FREE marketing tips and popular press release packages at http://DrNunley.com

Reach Kevin at
mailto:kevin@drnunley.com or 801-328-9006.

+++Blitz SideNote +++
In the online community I'm a member of we have our own talk radio celebrity. Ann Butenas has a radio show - "Right at Home with Ann!" . Many of our businesses have benefited not only from appearing on the show, but she mentions our community constantly as well. Many of the communities biz owners have also donated prizes, gifts etc. Great for free promotion.

Ann's Radio Show
http://www.anzpublications.com/ontheair.shtml
A Small Business Directory
http://www.asmallbusinessdirectory.com/
Details on joining the community.
http://www.creativethought.com/
Click on Become a Member.

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Guest Article Part 2
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Let Nothing Be Overlooked

Anything you can do to obtain input from your readers and visitors is worth the effort. Even little things can make a difference. Elsewhere I've mentioned AtomZ.Com.

http://atomz.com/

This great little site search engine offers a neat spinoff. By examining the terms searched on, you can gain a good deal of insight about searchers. You can often separate out beginners from more experience searchers, simply from the search term used. But again conclusions are limited, for you have only input from those who search, not a random sample of visitors.

Email Is King

Email is the most effective tool I have found for building demographics. On my site and throughout my newsletter, I invite comments and questions. In fact I beg for them. In answering, I have an opportunity to generate further feedback. More important, it allows me to demonstrate expertise and make the first connection in what may grow to be a significant relationship. And from every message, I gain a better view of my readers and visitors.

Even frivolous questions get an answer. Serious questions are answered as completely as possible. The path for dollars to my pocket begins with a site visitor who subscribes to "STAT News." Once they decide I know a couple of things, and come to believe I can be trusted with their feelings, they may step forward and ask a question. A good reply generally creates a supporter, one who may also be a potential client. Paths to profits on your site may be quite different. But figure what they are, and enhance each step along the way as possible.

Evaluating Input

It's tough to do. About when you decide your visitors know nothing about the Web, a steady flow of them begin to point out authoritatively where you are screwing up.

What it comes down to is hunches and guestimates. But try to answer such questions as how old your average visitor is. Something of their economic status. And so forth. As mentioned, I take one input as representative of nine others not received.

Also try to answer questions relative to your business. Where are your visitors and subscribers on the Web cycle? What percentages are novices? Have a site? Want a better one? Your questions will be different than mine, but take the time to state them clearly. Then seek the best possible answers.

Your Target

Behind all this, you have already defined your niche and target market. Disregard any input that is off target. Answer email, of course, but discount this input from your view of your visitors and subscribers. The objective is to continue to narrow your focus even further. Thus you are looking for input that will help you do so. In short, you are seeking a better definition of your perfect customer.

The Bottom Line

Write your newsletter and site pages targeted as closely as possible to your view of your typical reader and visitor. Write for the needs of your perfect customer. In time those who do not fit within your tight focus will unsubscribe and stop visiting your site. You will in fact have created an audience who for the most part are interested in your niche or focus.

Bob McElwain Want to build a winning site? Improve one you already have? Fix one that's busted? Get ANSWERS. Subscribe to "STAT News" now! mailto:join-stat@lists.dundee.net
http://sitetipsandtricks.com/

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Quick Link
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Everything you wanted to know about dynamic html but were afraid to ask.
http://www.dynamicdrive.com/

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