Build Your Online Reputation
When you have a product or a service to sell, getting yourself noticed online can feel like you're standing on a city corner, shouting your message to the passersby. Pop-up ads, banner ads, text ads, and aggressive self-starting videos do just that, and like those passersby on the street, most people simply tune them out or worse, utilize ad-blocking software so they don't experience them at all. So how do you drive sales if many of your target customers won't even see your ads in the first place? Forget about ads altogether and work on developing your online presence in order to create rapport with your potential customers.
Connect With Your Core Audience
Chances are that you belong to a forum or other community that's related to your business already. For instance, if you are a professional organizer, you might join a group about do-it-yourself organizing, home design, or one of the many cleaning websites such as FlyLady.com. People flock to these communities for advice, encouragement, and inspiration. This is a perfect place for you to establish your primary online presence, to make connections, and to show you know what you're talking about. Make sure your profile contains information about you, your business, and a link to where people can buy your products or services.
Things to avoid: Dominating the discussion puts you over the edge from knowledgeable mentor to annoying know-it-all. Don't condescend, and don't jump in on a discussion without checking first to see if your opinion is welcome. Most of all, follow the community guidelines to the letter. When in doubt, check with the mods to learn about their self-promotion rules, and then abide by them.
Instructional Blog Posts
Maintain a blog for your business, but write it like you would a personal blog. Offer tutorials, product reviews, and do regular giveaways. The prizes can be simple--a package of pretty Martha Stewart organizing labels will get some attention without breaking the bank. Blogs can take a while to get off the ground, so just keep maintaining it while you build up steam. Link to it on your profile on any communities you join, and announce contests and giveaways on Facebook. The great thing about a blog is that you have a permanent platform for talking about your upcoming events, places you'll be, and even book signings and tours.
Things to avoid: A blog is a blog, not an advertising flyer. If all you do is write ad copy, you won't gain or keep your readers. For every advertising post you make, try to do two or three posts about related topics that are not ads.
Develop Your Online Presence With Alternative Social Media
Everyone knows about using Facebook to advertise their business, but there are literally dozens of other ways to promote yourself without buying up ad space. For instance, Pinterest.com allows users to create 'boards' of beautiful and inspirational things they find around the net. Due to its highly visual nature, the more eye-catching and well-designed something is, the more likely it is to be shared over and over again. Try pinning one of your blog tutorials to your board, and make sure you add a description so others will find it.
Things to avoid: Don't add multiple pins all at once. Space them out so that when one pin falls off the main page, your next one will show up.