Hello -
Important note: this answer is not finished until you're satisfied
with it. If you choose to rate this answer, I ask that you do so
*after* asking for any necessary clarification/info. Thanks for your
understanding.
There are a variety of different approaches you can take. As always,
advertising takes money, and money=exposure.
Here are some options:
ADWORDS
=======
Google's Adwords are an excellent method for attracting a targeted
audience. Adwords are the advertising boxes on the right side and top
of the Google's search-results page. You can have those boxes trigger
when anyone searching using specific key word combinations, such as
"small business."
See www.google.com/adwords for more information.
LINK SWAP
=========================
Find compatible companies to swap links with. I.e., you offer a link
to www.xyz.com, and they offer a link to you. Here's an example of
companies that might want to do something like that:
http://www.smallbiztechnology.com/advertise.htm
http://www.businessesforsale.com/
I would search "small businesses" on Google, and contact as many as
you can.
NEWSGROUPS and Yahoo Groups
===========================
Millions of people frequent USENET newsgroups to discuss all sorts of
topics. You can possibly put the word out here. Since your site is
free, I don't think it would be considered spamming, depending on how
you word it. Here are some groups:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&safe=off&q=alt.business&btnG=Google+Search&meta=
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&group=misc.business
Check out groups.yahoo.com as well, for Yahoo-specific groups.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
===================
Check out this link:
http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&selm=376e1666.1425572%40newsreader.euronet.nl&rnum=4
TARGETED, OPT-IN EMAIL
======================
Use keywords such as:
opt-in email "small businesses"
targeted email "small businesses"
to reach thousands of companies that specialize in targeted, bulk
email.
Here's one particular company:
InfoUSA
http://www.infousa.com/
Opt-in email is not technically considered spamming. There is such a
high concentration of junk mail, however, that you're going to need to
make your ad stand out as best as possible.
E-ZINES
=======
Get listed/advertise in e-zines or listserv discussion lists. Check
out http://www.lsoft.com/catalist.html
and
WorldWidelists
http://www.worldwidelists.com/cgi-bin/lists.cgi?newsletters.small-business.general-resources
E-zines and listservs can have hundreds, if not thousands of members.
Check with the list owners before advertising your site.
TRADITIONAL SNAIL MAIL
======================
Purchase a targeted list of physical mailing addresses for physical
mailings to small businesses. For example:
Acculeads
http://www.acculeads.com/
You will have to spend time and money on developing something catchy.
PLACEMENT ON RELEVANT "SMALL BUSINESS" SITES
============================================
Type in "small business" in Google, and find sites dedicated to small
businesses. See if you can advertise on their sites, with things like
banner ads or pop-ups/unders.
MAGAZINES
=========
Find physical magazines dedicated to the subject, and advertise there:
Here is a directory of magazines:
http://newsdirectory.com/news/magazine/business/smallbus/
Search strategy:
"how to reach small businesses" |
Request for Answer Clarification by
martinjay-ga
on
13 Jun 2003 13:16 PDT
Looking for ways to get to small businesses, not drive traffic to
a website. Most of the people that I will be targeting to
talk to are small companies, not web companies.
Not looking for the obvious, as I had already mentioned
ad in the paper. Thanks, and this is a little harder then
it appears, and other then the last couple (which we already
had thought of) most of this answer is not applicable.
Thanks, and looking for ideas along the Chamber of
Commerce and Google Small Business lines of thought.
|
Clarification of Answer by
jbf777-ga
on
13 Jun 2003 15:44 PDT
Hello -
Thanks for your question. I'll see if I can hash this out with you,
and if not, I'll just remove the answer.
Can you expound a little bit on what this is? It's a group, but what
is your primary means of information disbursal? Do you have some sort
of printed listing? If I was a buyer or seller, and I came to you,
what exactly what I get? Is this local only?
My thoughts behind your question were to drive people to a website
where your information would reside and could be exchanged. "What
avenues, advertising and other, are a good way for us to gain exposure
to small companies?" When I'm thinking "us," I'm thinking "website,"
because that's normally the place people are driven to for more
information, if there isn't a "storefront" of some kind.
Physical and targeted mailing plus normal forms of advertising are
where you're going to find 90% of your participants. The other 10%
can picked up through little things here and there, but the bulk of
your reaching these companies is through the suggestions I've already
put forth.
People looking to sell businesses can be found on the net through
small business classifieds such as:
http://www.bizbuysell.com/sell/
http://www.businessnation.com/Businesses_for_Sale/index.html
http://www.ineedabiz.com/
You could also partner with companies like this:
http://www.basuite.com/?src=Google#4a
...consultancies that facilitate the buying/selling transaction. You
would connect them with buyers, and they'd connect you with sellers.
jbf777-ga
|
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