Online Advertising: PR 2.0 is the way to go!
The Internet is not going away. You have to hug. The Michigan Chronicle is even online and some of the editors write there! So how can you, as an author or aspiring author, use the Internet to its fullest? Here are some tips:
1. Write a website plan. Know what you want it to do before you build a site. Create a favorable shopping experience for your ministry’s products. Make the website easy to use. Provide good customer service by shipping products within 5-7 days. Use autoresponders when people make purchases. Make your site “buyer friendly”.
2. Attract people to your site by promoting it through frequent email campaigns with links to the site. Have your site rich in content to keep visitors on your site, wanting to share it with others. This is called viral marketing.
3. Capture visitor names by using a “compressed page.” Offer something free, like a CD or brochure, if they provide their contact information. Get their email address at a minimum so you can send the brochure as a PDF file or the CD as an MP3.
4. Publish a regular online magazine called Ezine. This is a motivational tool for people to expect to receive. It has the ministry updates on it.
5. Include recent news hits in your ezine. Stream TV interviews and audio clips. Use a template from an Internet database management company like Constant Contact. I have used them for years!
6. Join discussion groups and nings like ChocolatePagesNetwork dot com. You can learn a great deal of information this way in any particular industry. There are groups for pastors, ministerial communication professionals, Christian authors, or whatever your specialty. Search for your area of interest on Yahoogroups, connectplatform.com, or Google.
7. Place banner ads on other sites that your target audience may visit. If it’s Gospel Today or DetroitGospel dot com, learn how to place an ad on those sites. These ads are usually very cheap. You can promote your television ministry program or other products.
8. Update your site frequently. Current information sends the message that you are up to date in your ministry. It brings people back to your site. Try new things on your site, like podcasting or webcasting. Keep it cool.
9. Focus on great content so search engine optimization will give you high rankings when people browse online through search engines like Google or AOL. Adding links is another great way to increase your site’s ranking and get noticed by search engines.
10. Add a “news room” to your site. The media will have access to your high-resolution photo (300 dpi), get a press release, the history of the ministry and a good biography from this section. It makes their lives easier and shows that you are a professional in handling media interviews. This is also a good place to list other media hits you’ve received, such as magazine/ezine articles, radio interviews, and columns you’ve published.
11. Create a blog. Do this only if you have time to continue. A good blogger posts 2-3 times a week. A blog is like a personal online diary. A blog is an abbreviation for “weblog”. It’s the online version of you. It is more personal and informal than a website and visitors can respond directly to you. Go to Blogger dot com to set up one for free. See the Ministry Marketing Solutions blog. It will also give you ideas.
12. Use a signature at the end of each email that includes your tagline, website, blog, and contact information. Please. The best form of advertising, and it’s free!