Human Tactic Advertising? It’s Free and It Works!

By Gloria Cohen
Posted Saturday, October 9, 2004

You’re probably wondering what the heck I’m referring to when I say “Human Tactic Advertising?” Let’s face it, just having a site on the web does not guarantee that people will find it, even if it’s filled with great content and products. You want people to find your site among the millions of others that are out there, but how can we use the various proven techniques of advertising to reach our visitors and offer a ‘human’ connection that general advertising can’t offer? What many website owners or members who participate in live discussion forums, tell-a-friend programs, offer article feedbacks, or write reviews as well as rate websites they come across, all these are great ways to get your website noticed.

Take some time going online, check out the sites are successful and you won’t be surprised that the good ones out there are the ones participating in the ‘human’ factor form of advertising. By participating in forums, write reviews, rate websites and drop feedbacks on articles that you’ve read are great ways to get visibility for your site. Not sure what all those things mean? Read on to get simple definitions of what all those ‘human’ forms of adverting can do for your small business.

Message Boards
Much like mailing lists, message boards and chat rooms are a great way to network with people. Most message boards allow you to include a link to your site. It is strongly suggested that you visit sites related to yours and answer questions on their message boards. Being helpful can go a long way on the web and people will remember you and your site if you offered something that was of value or helpful to them.

Web Rings
Web rings are just what they sound like—rings on the web. Each site links to the next or previous member site in the ring. Member web sites have banded together to form their sites into linked circles. The purpose of that is to allow more visitors to reach them quickly and easily. What a great way to increase traffic to your site. Most people place the web ring code on their main page so that users can see it and may opt to participate in a web ring if appeals to them.

Tell-A-Friend
Good information, articles or content will get people inclined to tell their friends about it. The tell-a-friend program allows a visitor to enter a friend’s email address into a form. When the visitor clicks the ‘submit’ button, a message about your site is automatically sent to that friend. This is a smart way to attract visitors to your site that you wouldn’t otherwise be able to reach.

Drop Article Feedbacks
Many websites and website owners want users to offer feedback about articles or content provided by them. It allows users to offer input or suggestions or even give a good testimonial about what you have to offer. This tactic allows other users to read what others have to say about you, which may help them make the decision to purchase something from you. More importantly website owners really care about what others have to say and more often than not, will take users suggestions and feedback to make necessary changes for the better.

Write a Review
Why not write a review on something that really got your attention or you think a product out there is just the thing to have. Write a rave review for others to see and if they see a particular review written by someone in their own field of expertise, readers will take your word seriously. Not to mention if they find that they respect what you have to say, these readers will find their way to your website to read further, hence bringing you traffic to your site and a potential customer.

Forums
Forums are communities where people discuss topics of interests, concerns, controversy, offer helpful suggestions and tips for doing business, offer valuable resources to others and sometimes really give their opinions about products, services and businesses that operate online. Some are good and sometimes negative. Many online businesses have taken advantage of having forums since they strongly believe that keeping in constant contact and communication lines open with customers and potential customers is the way to increase their client base and it fosters trust and loyalty between the two parties. It’s also a great opportunity for business owners to get to know customers on a more personal level and to learn something from their target market needs.

There you have it. There are many ways to promote your site on the web. The great news still remains the same. It doesn’t cost much money if at all. Who knows, if you explore your options and take advantage of these marketing mediums, add your own twist to these concepts, might just get you that big jackpot you’ve been searching for. Expand your visibility as much as you can and don’t limit your thought process. Many online companies have snagged huge accounts and partnerships by engaging in the ‘human’ factor-marketing trend! Always think outside the box and you will find ways to get target traffic flowing to your site and truly enjoy watching your bottom number slowly inch it’s way up. Go ahead, splash a bit of human element in your marketing plan, and watch your customers fall in love with you!

About the Author
Gloria Cohen has a strong background in Internet marketing in helping businesses find new customers by using effective marketing strategies. Gloria is currently an editor of eMarketingAnswers.com, dedicated to providing free emarketing resources and online promotion tools.
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