How to promote on the Internet

By Catalogs Editorial Staff

Learning how to promote on the Internet can build your business

The Internet is one of the easiest ways to promote your services, your brand or your business. Because the Web reaches so many people in so many different parts of the world, using it for promotion is a smart idea.

The problem is, not everyone knows how to do this in a way that will get them seen. Big business and large online companies are masterful at web-based promotion, but a few basic tips are useful for kitchen-table entrepreneurs, bloggers and crafters interested in selling their product.

Sure you can post your site in lots of different places, but a few other tactics will help you, as well. If you can master the skill of how to promote on the Internet, you will garner attention and be successful.

Use Keywords

When it comes to promotion, keywords are your best friends. Using keywords throughout your site make it show up when a person enters certain terms into a search engine, like Google or Bing. Searching for keywords and evaluating your competition on Google Adwords is a great place to start.

To come up with keywords, simply think about what you are promoting, and figure out other words that are associated with that term. For example, if you are promoting a website that sells “delicious deserts,” your keywords could be ?treats,? ?baked goods,? ?sweets,? ?chocolate,? ?cupcakes? and ?cakes.? Make sure you place these keywords throughout the text on your website or blog so that the search engines will bring it up for potential customers.

Besides in the body of your page, you should also place your keywords in the headers of your site. The headers help the search engines find your site. You also want to front-load your keywords, which means placing them at the top of your web content.

Putting your most important keywords in the first paragraph is also extremely helpful. However, you must make sure your text sounds natural; stuffing a bunch of keywords awkwardly into your site will make it sound silly and you unprofessional.

Another helpful tip is use hyperlinks on your keywords. Doing so takes the visitor to another page in your site, which also aids in promotion.

Use a Directory

Placing your site on a directory is a great way to get others to know about your site. Submitting your information to directories such as Yahoo can increase your ranking in the search world, which will bring you more traffic.

These sites typically cost money to post your information on, so be prepared to shell out a little cash. However, the money you make as a result of all this helpful promotion may be worth it. Plus, you’ll likely be able to write it off on taxes, so it’s probably worth it.

Social Media

You may think social media is for teenagers and celebrities, and while it can be, it’s also very useful for promotion. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn are all helpful when trying to get others to know about your endeavor. Posting your information on your Facebook wall and those of your friends will help others see you.

?Tweeting? about yourself or your business allows others to see what is going on with you and they may click through to your site as a result. The same goes with LinkedIn; you can easily promote yourself here.

One of the best aspects about using social media is that posting information is very easy. You can do so from just about your phone, tablet, PC, laptop or even your television in some cases.

The key when using these social media is that you have to have a lot of friends, followers and connections to spread the word. And you can’t expect people to become your friends if you’re not friends with them. The key to social media successful is participating in a conversation, not just broadcasting “ads” about your own business. Being social will help your connections spread the word about themselves, which will encourage them to spread the word about you, as well.

Using the Internet can be a cost-effective and successful way to promote yourself. With a little work and creativity, you can become successful in your promotional efforts. And knowing how to promote online is a tool that can help you with just about anything you’re trying to do.

Resources:

Web Marketing Today: The Web Marketing Checklist ? 37 Ways to Promote Your Website