When you’re starting an online business, you probably have no shortage of ideas, motivation, and grand plans for the future of your enterprise. But there is one notable area where you likely have a short supply: finances. Unless you have personal reserves or an already-set collection of investors, there’s a good chance that your ideas will have to initially be implemented with a tight budget in mind.

This budget extends to your marketing efforts. While it is important to advertise your business and work to gain exposure, it is impossible to take out large ad campaigns or to simply throw money at the situation. Instead, you need to find approaches that maximize the benefits while minimizing, as much as possible, the costs you need to occur for them to be realized.

Along those lines, here are a few tips for marketing your startup, working to gain some initial exposure, and for accomplishing this without paying a dime:

Use Social Media

This goes without saying, but social media can be an incredibly powerful tool for boosting your exposure without incurring any costs. To this end, create a Facebook page for your business and open a Twitter account. Post status updates and Facebook and try to accumulate “Likes” from among your colleagues, family members, and friends. Doing so will insure that a larger number of people see your business on their News Feeds.

Study The Competition

Even if you aren’t in a niche industry, your business likely has a specific focus that is closely matched by only a few internet competitors. Study these competitors to get an idea of how they market themselves –especially, how they market themselves for free. Do they post articles on forums or other sites? How do they utilize social media? Does it appear as though they have mailing lists and newsletters?

Communicate

A successful marketing campaign cannot simply be done behind a façade of internet anonymity. Instead, it is important to talk to people in the industry, whether on the phone, at conventions, or through email. Ask them advice but also ask them to spread the world. You may even get some helpful tips in the process.

Go Offline

While limitless, the internet still has its limits when it comes to marketing. This is especially true for a small startup that is looking to gain traction and exposure. If you operate in a niche industry or have a determinable customer base, you may have more success looking to reach this demographic offline in the early going. Does your target consumer group interact offline? Is there a place they go (ie a given retailer) or a way they communicate? If so, you may want to make yourself a part of that community.

These are just a few tips for increasing your exposure during the early days of a startup, when visibility is low and money is tight. The options available in this situation may not be as appealing as those you could find on a larger budget, but when done correctly they can return dividends nonetheless.

Author Bio: Sam Peters is a blogger who frequently writes for entrepreneurial and tech blogs covering topics from online marketing to the newest gadget and mobile web news.

Post from: The Other Blokes Blog

Free Marketing Tips For Internet Startups

Technorati Tags: budget, low cost, start-up

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There is nothing quite like celebrating New Year’s Eve in Scotland. Whether you are in a local pub, on the streets of Edinburgh or enjoying a party with friends and family Scotland seems to be in its element at Hogmanay.

Hogmanay in Edinburgh

Scotland’s flagship Hogmanay event is in Edinburgh. With leading music events and DJs this is an all ticket affair. The concert is part of the larger street party in Princes Street. You can still have a great time in Edinburgh without buying a ticket - there are lots of great pubs in Edinburgh and many will be having parties to bring in the New Year. Alternatively there will be a torchlight procession from Parliament Square to Calton Hill with a fireworks display.

There are many other events at the theatres and concert venues that make Edinburgh such a great city for a party. The Usher Hall has the Scottish Fiddle Orchestra – have you ever heard; Auld Lang Syne played by a fiddle orchestra? The Queenshall will do things in a traditional Scottish way with a Ceilidh hosted by the band Heeliegoleerie and with a piper to bring in the New Year.

Hogmanay in Perthshire

If all this sounds a little too much perhaps a more peaceful time in Perthshire might be the way to bring in 2012.  Auchterarder might be a good place to stay. There is a good assortment of pubs in town to choose from and there is a great array of shops. What better way to clear your head on New Year’s day than to stroll along the Oak Walk from the town?

Should you still feel you want a big party you can bring in the New Year at Perth race course. This offers a mixture of the traditional Ceilidh and disco at the racecourse just to the north of Perth.

Hogmanay in Pitlochry

Pitlochry is one of the Scottish towns that goes a bit crazy for New Year. They close their main street and have a proper party. The pubs and hotels of this beautiful Scottish Highland town make a special effort to welcome the guests.

There is something to do for Hogmanay wherever you stay in Scotland and you will find the Scots have the best parties you could wish for on New Year's Eve.  Why not plan on spending this Hogmanay in Scotland.

Author Bio: Abhishek Bhan is a writer for Mackay's Agency which has a range of self catering Scottish cottages to choose from in several of the places mentioned in the article.

Post from: The Other Blokes Blog

Hogmanay, New Year’s Eve Scottish Style

Technorati Tags: ceilidh, edinburgh, hogmanay, New Year, scotland

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Response Expectations

Most of us have got beaten down by the way things seem to get done.  Perhaps a non-scientific indication of that is shown by some quick searches on Google.  The number of items in the Google search is an indicator of the degree of public interest in the phrase that was searched for.  Here are the results we found at this time.

One might infer from these numbers that a slow response is almost inevitable and that more often than not inappropriate responses will be given rather than the appropriate responses one wished for.  Getting a fast, speedy or timely response is clearly a much less probable outcome.

IT

If rapid responses are the exception, does anyone regard them as a priority that deserves extra effort and resources?  In this article, we will discuss the two sectors that seem to feature most prominently in such online discussions.  All sectors of society now rely on electronic communication and insist on always-on availability of information.  It is therefore not surprising that the IT industry believes that the speed of response is critical.

You have to be fast in today’s marketplace and no department feels the heat more than IT, according to four of the Enterprise CIO Forum Council members.

People must have an attitude that ‘faster is better than best.’ Something that solves 33% of a problem today is better than something that solves 100% of a problem in 18 months. Many companies sacrifice speed for perfection or false precision. Often data or solutions can be ‘good enough’ to take interim steps and action.

Of course faster is also more costly and here the IT department must balance the need for a response with the cost of achieving that.  That is why a major computer supplier such as Dell offers Speed of Response Options.

Get parts and labor fast — upgrade from next-business-day on-site service, which comes standard with Dell ProSupport, to same-day or mission-critical on-site service.  This will help keep client systems up and running, and minimize data center downtime.  This  flexible approach to technical support allows you to choose the response time you need to support your business. This flexibility helps you not just keep your users up and running and your data centers operating at top speed, but also enables you to keep your IT budget under control.

Public relations

Another area where rapid responses are needed is that of public relations, for businesses and for governments. Adverse publicity is often utilized by critics who know how to work the media.  Unless prompt action is taken, what starts as a minor negative incident can mushroom into a very costly major event  A typical example of what is being done can be seen in Washington DC where the White House has beefed up on its online rapid response.

The Obama administration has created and staffed a new position tucked inside their communications shop for helping coordinate rapid response to unfavorable stories and fostering and improving relations with the progressive online community.  Jesse Lee will move from the new media department into a role in the communications department as Director of Progressive Media & Online Response.  This signals that the White House will be adopting a more aggressive engagement in the online world in the months ahead.

Lee's Twitter account could also become an interesting window into the status of the always emotional, occasional testy dance between progressives and the president.

The reason why politicians would aim to get involved in social media is that social media are giving individuals channels within which they can ensure their views are known and shared.  A major organization can either get involved as a participant in the debate or remain the subject of the discussion. This is an area that many businesses realize they should be involved in but they are unclear on how best to do this.

Lost Opportunities - Potential Customers

Given that most companies will take the easy way out and remain faceless entities that do not get involved, this is an area where a company can easily stand out from the crowd and from its competitors.  All that it takes is to think ahead and plan the resources and the format of your Timely Response, both for potential customers who may contact you and for important happenings in the market place.

An appropriate and informative timely marketing piece not only shows you understand an issue well (and are relevant and capable of addressing it), but also shows that you are a proactive person within a dynamic company that is not afraid to take a stance in their industry and with their customers. You can also offer potential calls to action that may trigger your customers to approach you for expert advice or information.

This is not a major cost activity.  All that it takes is that you are alert to opportunities (which you should be anyway) and that someone has the responsibility for acting as the voice of the company. The key requirement is that the response be rapid. Delay will mean that you're just lost in the crowd.

Post from: The Other Blokes Blog

Rapid Response – When is it needed?

Technorati Tags: government, public relations, rapid, response, slow, timely

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Shiraz Wines Extra-ordinaires

One way is to give a memorable name that delighted customers might share with their friends.  However that has already been done quite widely.  Just look at these wine names from the BC Liquor Stores Product Catalogue among the 245 Shiraz wines that are included.

• Cabernet Sauvignon Shiraz – Yalumba The Scribbler 07 Australia
• Cabernet Shiraz – Long Flat 08/09 Australia
• Cabernet Shiraz – Majella The Musician Coonawarra 06/09 Australia
• Cabernet Shiraz – Shot In The Dark 08/09 Australia
• Cabernet Shiraz Pinotage – Winds Of Change Organic 09/10 South Africa
• Extramadura – Mad Dogs & Englishmen 05/06 Spain
• Lucky Penny Red Australia
• Painted Turtle – Shiraz Canada
• Shiraz – Shoofly 2006 Australia
• Shiraz – Barefoot California United States
• Shiraz – Binder Mitchell Gunslingers Barossa 06 Australia
• Shiraz – Bird In Hand Two In The Bush Mt Lofty 07/08 Australia
• Shiraz – Black Swan Australia
• Shiraz – Black Tractor 07/08 Australia
• Shiraz – Chapel Hill Parsons Nose Mclaren Vale 09/10 Australia
• Shiraz – D’Arenberg The Dead Arm 00/07 Australia
• Shiraz – Fat Bastard France
• Shiraz – Fetish The Watcher Barossa Valley 2008 Australia
• Shiraz – Funky Llama Argentina
• Shiraz – Gray Fox 2003 United States
• Shiraz – Henry’s Drive Morse Code Padthaway 08/09 Australia
• Shiraz – Henry’s Drive Dead Letter Office 06/07 Australia
• Shiraz – Kangarilla Glimmer Of Hope 2008 Australia
• Shiraz – Kilikanoon The Lackey 07/08 Australia
• Shiraz – Lulu 07/09 France
• Shiraz – Mollydooker Carnival Of Love 07/09 Australia
• Shiraz – Razor’s Edge Mclaren Vale 05/08 Australia
• Shiraz – Shotfire 06/08 Australia
• Shiraz – The Little Penguin Australia
• Shiraz – The Lucky Country 07/08 Australia
• Shiraz – Two Hands Angels Share Mclaren Vale 06/07 Australia
• Shiraz – Two Oceans South Africa
• Shiraz – Woop Woop 09/10 Australia
• Shiraz – Xanadu Next Of Kin Margaret River 08 Australia
• Shiraz – Yellow Tail Australia
• Shiraz Cabernet – Kangarilla Hellbent 07/08 Australia
• Shiraz Cabernet – Mollydooker Two Left Feet 2009 Australia
• Shiraz Cabernet Petit Verdot- Wirra Wirra Scrubby Rise 09 Australia
• Shiraz Grenache – Timbuktu Offshore 2008 Australia
• Shiraz – Cat Amongst The Pigeons Nine Lives 07/09 Australia
• Wild Horse Canyon – Shiraz Canada
• XOXO – Shiraz Cabernet Canada

Wine Labels On The Edge

If even extra-ordinary names are commonplace, how else can you stand out from the crowd.  The answer is to be ‘on the edge’ in more ways than one.  As the Vancouver Sun tells us, Holy Moly … Vancouver firm wins top awards for innovative wine labels in San Francisco competition.

Brandever’s wine labels earn a Double Gold for the labels produced for Blasted Church Vineyards in the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.  This small Vancouver firm is making its mark in the often staid wine-branding field, with cutting-edge labels such as Swear to God (Chardonnay 2008), Bible Thumper (Pinot Gris 2008), Holy Moly (Petit Verdot 2008), Cross to Bear (Malbec/Syrah 2008) and Nothing Sacred.

“We do things that are out in left field and daring,” said Bernie Hadley-Beauregard, founder and owner of Brandever Strategy Inc., which won nine of the Wine Label Design Awards handed out at this year’s San Francisco International Wine Competition in June for its innovative labels for these made-in-B.C. wines.

Here are some of the winning labels:

The Double Gold Individual Label Award for Nagging Doubt wine, also of Okanagan Falls, also is on the technical edge of label design.  It uses codes on the label that allow the buyer to scan it with a smartphone and see a video showing how the label was created.

Brandever, which has won awards for its offbeat labels at previous San Francisco wine competition shows, also had 20 of its wine labels exhibited at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art this spring.

Perhaps surprisingly if you are looking for advice on Building A Wine Brand, then you might wish to listen to the news from India.

A global wine brand that comes out of India: that’s the ambitious goal of Pune-based Good Earth Winery, says Navin Sankaranarayanan, the company’s CCO.

This is a company focused on marketing. “We believe 40 per cent lies in the quality product and 60 per cent in everything else around it to build the brand, from proper labels to expensive manpower,” says Sankaranarayanan. “We are looking to create aspirational brands.”

According to Vinexpo statistics, India has become the 10th largest growing nation for wine consumption, in value and volume terms, for the period 2009-13. According to the grape board, by the year 2020, India has the potential to become a world player in wine.

Clearly the task of standing out in that even more crowded wine market-place will take much more than just innovative wine bottle labels.

Post from: The Other Blokes Blog

Award Winning Wine Labels

Technorati Tags: brand, shiraz, wine label

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albertaatnoon June 20 2011

This is our last Tech and Trends column before we take a summer hiatus. Time to start dreaming up some new ideas for topics for the fall…

I will preface this post with the cold fact that not all blogs or websites will benefit much from using the Amazon Associates program. That being said, since the program is free to use, it is at least worth trying out.  It is a great affiliate program that is simple to implement and can make surprisingly large sums of money. But for any site or blog to make any serious money from the program, they should fit at least most of the following criteria:

• Your site gets a good amount of traffic – Obviously no one will be clicking on your affiliate links and purchasing things that will give you commissions if no one visits your site.
• Your visitors are loyal and trust your site – This one is huge! Much more important than just having traffic, having loyal visitors will be the most likely users to convert with your affiliate program. Most of the search engine traffic you receive won’t.
• Your site has information relevant to the products you’re marketing – Believe it or not, a lot of webmasters will use an affiliate program and market products that have nothing to do with their site’s content. Of course, you can be a little creative, but try to market products that you know your readers will want to buy.

Where In the “Buying Cycle” Is Your Audience?

Even with the above criteria met, you’re still not guaranteed to make money through the Amazon Associates program because perhaps your readers are at a different stage in the “buying cycle” than the products you’re marketing.

For instance, if you write a blog that offers tutorials on Photoshop, you probably won’t get too many people clicking on your Amazon links to buy Photoshop because they already have it and are looking for tips on how to use it. However, if you’re reviewing the newest version of Photoshop, your affiliate links might be a bit more lucrative.

Great Buying Hooks

Now that we do indeed have a loyal audience and have considered what they are interested in buying, let’s look at the way we can link them into Amazon and start buying stuff, so we can get that commission. Remember, they don’t necessarily have to buy whatever product you link to; they just have to buy something on Amazon through the affiliate link on your site.

Challenge Your Readers to a “Hypothetical” Shopping Spree!

As cheesy as this might sound, this idea works incredibly well, particularly for sites that review a slew of products for a particular niche. Just write up an article of how you would spend $1000 (or however much money) on products related to your topic, and then at the end of your article, call upon your audience to go on their own “hypothetical” shopping spree and post what they would buy in the comments (just be sure to give them the Amazon affiliate link as their entrance to the spree). Odds are some of them are bound to buy something that they realize they could use.

Allow Readers to Review Products

As great as it is to review products yourself on your site, I’ve also noticed very positive responses (in terms of affiliate commissions) to articles in which a dedicated reader of my site reviews the product. I suppose this is because people are less worried of a biased review since the reader has nothing to gain if you decide to purchase the product through the affiliate link. Remember, for both your own and your readers’ reviews, to keep your reviews genuine and honest. If you lie to sell a poor quality product to your readers, you will soon find that you have no readers and no one clicking your affiliate links.

Best-Seller Lists

One great aspect of the Amazon Associates program is that it gives you great detail about whether or not people are clicking your affiliate links and what they’re buying. Once you’ve gathered enough data to determine buying trends and popular products, make a best sellers list! This is a surprisingly effective way to gather more support and trust toward your affiliate products and gain more sells.

By-line:

Mariana Ashley is a freelance writer who particularly enjoys writing about online colleges.  She loves receiving reader feedback, which can be directed to mariana.ashley031 @gmail.com.

Post from: The Other Blokes Blog

Amazon Associates Success Tips

Technorati Tags: Affiliate marketing, Affiliate Programs, Amazon Associates

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