This may come as a surprise, having over the past two years been bombarded with negativity and talk of a recession all over the globe, to realize that there is no recession on the Net. It may be something that you did not factor in to your marketing. Think about it. Go on Skype and see how many are actually using it at the same time as you are using it. Go on again tomorrow and see a similar number, which is millions of users.
They are all consumers and only a fraction of the world's population that use the internet. They eat, drink, use motor cars, use airlines, wear clothing, look for entertainment and search for a host of other products and activities as part of their normal daily, weekly requirements. Do they know about you? Do they know about your business? Are they searching for something you have and do not know you have it?
Let us establish some basics. Are you in business? Are you in the business of making money? Are you making money? These are critical questions and need to be clearly answered by you. It does not matter to the rest of the world but it does matter to you to know what kind of business you are engaged in and for you to know if you are you doing the right things to make that business work. It may sound over-simplified but sometimes we are so busy being busy that we are not being busy enough at the simple things that ought to be commanding our attention.
It is said it is more important to work smart than to work hard. It is particularly important in the world of marketing, not matter what the product or service. Are you trying to attract the attention of would-be customers and prospects? Are you trying to sell them some of your products or services? How do you get their attention? What methods are you using? Is it working? If you, like many thousands, are endeavoring to compete with the real "big hitters" in getting attention do not feel that you are alone. Just pause and ask yourself, "What is working?" If, as we have all experienced, it is not working over a period and you are continuing to pump good money after bad, then shout, "Stop" and listen to the command.
A good definition of madness is repeating the same actions over and over again and expecting different results. Well, think of what you are doing and ask, "Am I getting the results I expect and require?" Now that we have looked at the problem, how do we go about addressing it?
Key steps in attracting an audience may be summarized as follows:
Getting Attention;
Developing Interest;
Stimulating Desire;
Call to Action.
These are simple steps and it is not necessary to cloud them with a lot of jargon or "Secrets" that one now sees peddled by gurus on the internet promising millions of dollars streaming into your PayPal or Internet Account while you sleep. Steer well away from these "Get Rich Quick" schemes. Success requires effort. If there is a "Secret" it is in establishing the processes that make good and productive use of your time as distinct from what we identified earlier, wasting your time on efforts that do not produce profits.
Getting Attention
Well you can walk naked down Wall Street; that should grab some attention but not likely to increase your profit margins or retain customer loyalty. Your aim is to attract customers. Get their attention so that they will see and notice the quality of your product. That is the first step. How do you get attention? Write about your product or service. Yes, write about it. Here are some suggestions that you can use to write and draw attention to you and your business and place it on the web in front of all of those individuals who spend so much of their time searching. Your article or content is in high demand by thousands of Search Engines and websites. They thrive and indeed exist on content. Be a supplier of good content and use the method to draw attention to you, to what you are promoting or selling, to its distinct quality and value. If you are selling soap the method of attracting their attention may have nothing whatsoever to do with soap or even like products. Getting attention is a separate and a focused exercise. It may for example show you relaxing on a beach, sitting on a pot of gold, wearing a fashionable branded garment or a host of other options. It may include you announcing an astonishing statistical fact or drawing attention to a world crisis. It is about attracting attention, nothing more, nothing less.
Developing Interest
The next step is holding that attention. You have succeeded in distracting a person from the myriad of things that compete for their attention and that is an achievement. Now what do you do with those critical moments in order to ensure you hold it so you can it. You need to stimulate their interest. Primarily the easiest and fastest way to do that is to appeal to their personal welfare. By that I mean the basic self-interest that is a core motivator in all of us. The immediate, "What is in it for me?" question that is lies subliminally in the mind and never sleeps.
Stimulating Desire
Now is your chance and opportunity to hold that primal interest so use it well. You can ask a probing question like, "Do you need extra cash?" "Do you have a health problem?" "Do feel stressed?" "Are you tired of worrying about your bills?" "Are you ready to retire?" "Are you tired of your job?" With this string placed out there in front you need to quickly reassure them that they are on the right page Signal that they can now resolve their problems. Fortune has blessed them on this lucky day that enabled them to open this door. Within is the answer to their problem. Here you place your link,which is presented as the open door to ease the problems facing them and even projecting that for the rest of their lives they need have no more worry. For example if you are offering good value, affordable Web Hosting Services, you insert the link to your website. It is important to remember here that this is not a process enabling one to dupe another. To be truly beneficial, truly lasting and sustainable it needs to be authentic. No quick fixes. They may produce short-term gain - but no loyalty, no long- term repeat customers. Here, we are talking authentic. Bona fide, honest, business. Here, at this point you appeal to an inner need and you provide a solution. Your product line and a link that takes you inside.
Call to Action
Capture that moment. Think about it well in advance. Make sure you can state in the simplest of terms what it is you are you are offering to develop their interest. Make doubly sure you are offering easy access to the solution to their problem; the satisfaction of their need; the gate-way to their dreams. You are the answer. You have the solution. You are their pathway to success, achievement, satisfaction. Get them now to act now. Provide the link to your services, your website and offer an immediate advantage to those who accept your invitation. This is the Call to Action. Be decisive...act now. Of key importance to you and your business is the fact that this process is FREE. There is a host of opportunity on the Net that provides free access to EzineArticles, Article Submission Directories and Websites inviting you to place your article. Use it and gain optimum advantage in getting your name, your product and your service in front of millions of readers. Tell them of the unique or special quality of your goods and services. Tell them about reliability and support that goes with it. Tell them of the value and the satisfaction they will experience. Tell them about you and your Company. They want to know. Make it worth their while learning about something that is to their advantage.
So you want to be noticed. Not because you are vain or want to be on the "X Factor" but because you are in business and you have products and services that you are offering to the market and you need to be turning over a return of investment. That is perfectly legitimate. Do not leave it to chance. Plan, clarify and take action. The President of the United States made a lot of play of "Yes We Can." Well, "We" is the collective. You and I make up the "We" in this world. Yes, you can. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Carpe Diem. Let not another sun set nor sun rise without you taking the decisive step to make a difference. You have that unique power, unique insight and capacity to do it your way. Ask and you shall receive. Seek and you shall find. Knock and it shall be opened on to you.
Michael D. Ringrose has an interest in promoting Personal Development, Self-sufficiency and Resourcefulness and encouraging individuals and groups to reach their full potential. He is interested in Home Based Internet Business Opportunities; Capacity Building, Leadership in business and communities; Human Rights Advocacy, Transparency and Accountability in public office.
http://www.eLeadershipGuide.com
Article Source: [
http://EzineArticles.com/?Developing-Your-Business-Presence&id=6070049] Developing Your Business Presence
