PROMOTE YOUR WEB SITE ON THE INTERNET FOR

PROMOTE YOUR WEB SITE ON THE INTERNET FOR

FREE OR VERY LITTLE COST-HERE'S HOW!-PART 2

by S. Hunter

Newsgroups have been around for much longer than the World Wide Web of the Internet. Think of newsgroups as an older more established branch of the Internet.

Newsgroups allow people with a common interest in a topic "post" messages that can be read by others around the world and that can also be responded to. It's an interactive kind of bulletin board. Posting to an appropriate newsgroup related to the subject of your home page is a useful way to promote your site for free.

With over 15,000 newsgroups it's easy to get confused about how to go about making a posting. Internet browser software such as Netscape or the Microsoft Newsreader makes the task of navigating through these thousands of newsgroups a snap.

However, once you've mastered the technical part of getting to the newsgroups it's important to understand some points about netiquette before you make a posting to promote your web site for free.

Netiquette is a common sense form of etiquette which applies to communication practices on the Internet. With regard to newgroups its safe to say that posting ads in newsgroups is not allowed. That doesn't mean that people don't post ads it simply means the people reading the articles and postings will most likely "flame" (this means; insult, ridicule, trash, discard) the ads or not open them in the first place. You never want to get into a flaming match with some of the die hards in some newsgroups. These people prey on "newbies" who post ads and they delight in filling your day with posting nightmares. On the other hand there is nothing wrong with posting helpful articles, announcements or making comments about other postings made to a newsgroups. If in doubt, each newsgroup usually has a charter, which explains the do's and don'ts of postings. You can request this by placing a posting "please send me charter for this new group.") Once you have received this you will know exactly what is and is not allowed in the newsgroup you are interested in posting to. Also read your ISP's terms of service since some ISP's restrict the number of postings you can make or have standards that their users must abide.

Here is an example of an announcement posting that would be acceptable in most newsgroups. Free 5 Page Report "How to Generate Continuous Prospects To Keep Your Business Booming" available by e-mail at the newly launched "Business Zone Web Site." If you've got a business this Free Report will help increase your profits - check it out!

Remember your purpose is not to blatantly advertise, instead you want to provide people on these newsgroups with a reason to visit your web site, leave their e-mail address etc. You want to dangle a carrot so you can maximize your results.

You can of course have many more lines in your posting than in the example provided. The key is to use your own creativity to give people a reason to read your posting and then visit your site and leave contact information. You can then follow up with these prospects as you choose.

You should prepare files for posting to the newsgroups from time to time. You can have a file for announcing your site on the Internet with a listings of the items that can be found there. Another file could be used to update people regarding changes or special articles that you are posting to your web site.

You can also offer a free electronic newsletter to all who visit your site. This serves as ammunition for the newsgroups. Be creative and make sure to check the groups you are posting to regularly for things of interest. Sometimes people will post a reply to your posting and open the door for you to explain your business or offer and of course let everyone see that signature file one more time. Use every opportunity you can do to do a little free promotion.

In most email programs there is an option to add your signature file to the bottom of your e-mail messages and postings. You should notice that the signature file is really a small classified ad and is permitted in all newsgroups. Below is an example of a signature file which we add to the bottom of our newsgroup postings.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Sandi Hunter, BST., BSW., BA

"MAKE MONEY ON THE NET SEMINARS" http//www.worldprofit.com/conference.htm for details

FREE Promotion for Your Site http//www.worldsearchcenter.com

Money Making Opportunities http//www.trafficcenter.com

Sandi Hunter is Co-Founder of Worldprofit at http://www.worldprofit.com

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