So many times I have given ideas and advice to clients about steps they can take to to increase the number of leads or improve their conversion rates from prospect to customer, yet rarely do I see those ideas put into action.

Writing and distributing certain types of content, not only builds your website presence, but gets you free promotion, free website traffic, and higher search engine rankings (which in turn will get you even more free traffic).  The two most effective types of distributed content are:

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. Many tools and service providers will promise high Search Engine placement if you pay for them. Educate yourself on your options and your ROI before investing in any tool or service.

Mailing lists, newsgroups, and forums are online places where people meet, exchange information, disccus topics and disseminate knowledge.

These communities can be an effective way to get the word out about your product or service or just build business relationships that can help support you in growing your business.

• Online Newsgroups have a broad reach — over 10 million internet users read newsgroups
• Reach prospective customers
• Communicate with existing customers
• Conduct market research
• Can help build your image as an expert
• Increase traffic to your website
• Get feedback on marketing materials or product ideas
• Get answers to your questions

RESOURCES
Tile.net Reference Guide: http://www.tile.net
Interbulletin: http://news.interbulletin.com/
Newzbot: http://www.newzbot.com/

• Posting Do’s and Don’ts:
  • Abide by the posting rules of the group.
  • Be brief in your messages.
  • Stay focused on the topic.
  • Use a short (4-6 line) signature file that includes who you are, what you do, and how people can reach you or read more.
  • Post questions that enable you to describe what you do.
  • Only mention your business when you find an appropriate opportunity.
  • Make your subjects short and catchy with the most important words first.
  • Answer questions from others that you’re qualified to address.
  • Review and edit your message before posting.
  • Slip in off-hand curiosity peakers (like mentioning that you’re being featured in the paper, a magazine, or tv show).
  • Be constructive — no sarcasm or put downs.
  • Remember, the Internet is 24/7. Check your messages often. People don’t want to wait for a response and you are more likely to be able to take advantage of a "right place and the right time" opportunity.
  • If you think a message is only appropriate for an individual, then deliver it in a private response, not as a post to the group.
  • Don’t expect results from vague Questions or Answers
  • Don’t post messages that are too long.
  • Don’t use all CAPS — this is considered yelling even if its not intentional.
  • Don’t irritate participants with advertising stunts.
  • Never Cross-post or bomb several communities with the same message. This is considered the same as mass mailing or spam.
  • Don’t expect instant results. Newsgroups are relationship builders- they are a long term strategy.
  • Don’t mention fees or prices unless you are asked.
  • Don’t directly ask for any orders, just let them know how others can get more information.
  • Don’t post commercials or ads where they are not welcome.
  • Avoid including the entire message to which you are replying- edit it down to the relevant points.
  • Don’t include your email address in your signature — spam bots just will harvest it. Include your URL instead.

• Make keywords Relevant. Stick with words related to your core business or products.
• Check Keyword Popularity: Try to rank well on the most popular terms, but don’t forget that sometimes your best bet and biggest payoff are keywords and phrases that are little farther down the list. Use Keyword Popularity Tools to get objective information on true popularity.
• Use 2 – 3 word phrases: Research has shown that most people use phrases of 2 to 3 keywords when searching.
• Focus on 2-3 keywords per page: Don’t try to optimize your home page for every keyword. Spread out the related keywords on other pages of your site, using the most relevant for each page.