With the explosion of E-commerce and the small start-up costs needed to get into business on-line, many people with no management or marketing experience are setting up shop on the Internet. Some are doing very well, most could be doing better.
Don’t forget you are now running a writing business and the same commonsense business practices are necessary to market your business too.
Once you have your website up and running, don’t neglect the lucrative market you may have right in your own backyard. Although most people have access to computers and are getting more familiar with using them due to the need to use email, many people are not Internet saavy. They may not shop online, not because they are afraid to, but because they are not aware of the services and products available on the net. They may not even know how to access information online.
Here is where you come in. No matter what experience you bring to your business, if you have been able to set up shop and create a web site, you have the skills and knowledge to educate your community. You can enhance and expand your online business by actively seeking out opportunities to promote your web site and services to the local business owners and consumers.
Taking the topic of email you might make up handouts with web URL’s to a few informative websites about email management as well as various Spam fighting sites. Try out a few of the Spam blocking software packages available for free download and add the URL’s to your handout. Of course your business card will be firmly stapled to each one.
Approach your service organizations who are always looking for speakers. Office supply and computer stores are other places that might be interested in hosting your free seminar.
Donate books or magazines to the hospital and stamp your business name and contact info along with your URL’s on each one.
If you are able to make up a monthly newsletter, ask local business people if they would like to contribute to it by sending you monthly tips and advice in their area of expertise along with a small fee for printing and supplies. This gets them a bit of advertising for a low cost and gets your services known in the community as the publisher and editor of a helpful newsletter. Be sure and include your own tips and contact information to further identify yourself as the expert you are becoming.
Sponsor a student bursary, this needn’t be a large amount of money, every penny counts when a person is going on to higher education. For a couple of hundred dollars, you can create a little contest or writing competition and advertise it in the local paper.
Of course you’ll want to send out a press release to announce the winner and attend the grad ceremony to present it. All good reasons to send out more news releases. Make it an annual event and the local media will be coming to interview you and maybe even come out to cover the presentation.
Don’t neglect your off-line opportunities and if they don’t seem to be readily available, get out there and create them.