Author of Confessions of Shameless Self Promoters
Dot-coms are everywhere we look today. While in Venice Beach, California, I saw a man Roller Blading in a Speedo with his website posted on his butt. Now that is about as shameless as it gets--but it sure got my attention!
Back in the early 1990s people who knew a lot about computers and spent a lot of time on them were called "geeks". Today, the "geeks" are the few that dont know about computers, the Internet, and marketing online. There is hope for all of us, no matter how out-of-it you think you are. I confess that just a few short years ago when someone asked what kind of computer I had I said "Beige". I have come a long way since then.
It is great to think that while you are sleeping away, someone on the other side of the world is discovering you on the Internet. And not only discovering you, but wants to do business with you. A client in Australia that hired me from my website was seeking another speaker in their homeland as asked me if I knew of any. I did a search on the Internet and found another speaker that presents in the same niche market and contacted him. He e-mailed me right back. By coincidence he was going to be in Arizona where I live in a couple of weeks. When we met, he confessed that he had downloaded my website just two days before he received my first email. I printed out a few pages from your site and they were sitting on my desk. I was thinking, "This Debbie Allen and I may be able to share leads and contacts in one anothers country." Then I got your email. Its a small world we live in.
Shamelessly Promotion Internet-Style
Its a lot easier than it used to be to be a shameless self-promoter. In the bad old days you had to go to networking meetings and press the flesh with a bunch of people who were more interested in getting business than giving it. Or you had to hang out at professional associations and hope someone would throw you a crumb.
Its amazing how much business I generate from my website, bookings for my speaking business and product sales now account for a whopping 40% of my total business. Another 40% comes from referrals and repeat business and only 20% from continually marketing to my database with postcards e-mail and telephone contacts (and those are "warm" calls). Recently I received a great booking for a two-day workshop in Singapore. This booking was a result of sending just one generic e-mail that I always save to send out quickly from my signature files. After receiving that e-mail the company was intrigued by the message and clicked on my e-mail hyperlink to view my site. They were so impressed they hired me on the spot - no portfolio, no demo video and no calls to check references.
There is a world of opportunities awaiting you - right at your fingertips. The "key" is to think of everyway possible to "shamelessly" market yourself and your business to as many possible contacts you can think of. Your next best contact and greatest business opportunity may just be one e-mail away. Of course this only works if you take the time and effort to create an effective website. By just working on your site a couple of hours a week, you will have a dynamic site in no time.
Here are some key strategies you must focus on to become "shamelessly" successful online:
* Hire a webmaster that understands "keywords" and
how to get you high on search engines and directories.
* Add tons of testimonials - be shameless.
* Update your client list and schedule of upcoming events.
* Add a press room to post you press releases and articles.
* Give away articles and information the more you give away the more of an expert you appear.
* Update your bio, add interesting photos and keep viewers coming back with new information.
* Add an electronic newsletter and keep building your online database.
* Buy e-mails from many of the online resources to build your list quickly.
* Continually update with more information - make your site very information rich.
* Keep good navigation in mind as you update - apply the "3-clicks rule".
* Create products to sell on your site for multiple streams of income.
* Host Tele-seminars advertised from your e-mail database (low cost and creates high-priced product).
Debbie Allen is an International professional speaker and author of Confessions of Shameless Self Promoters. She presents around the world to thousands sharing her expertise in retail business, Internet marketing and shameless self-promotion.
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