|
Seize_the_internet
| Seize the internet!
For many years, libraries have been regarded as the 'ultimate
source of information and knowledge', yet so many people use
them for other purposes. They are used as social and cultural
forums, community centres, meeting places, entertainment venues,
and even for warmth and shelter. The same may be said of the
internet - the fairly recent version of this ultimate resource
for individuals and businesses alike. The internet is certainly
used for entertainment and social purposes, and offers much in
the way of social functions and communication. However there's
so much more to it than that, and so much more that any
individual or business, and especially software developers, can
utilise. It's there for the taking.
Newsgroups
When it comes to opportunity, the newsgroups would seem to be
one of the more neglected areas of the internet, especially by
software developers. First of all they're a superb source of
current information and public opinion, but that's only the
beginning. They offer the developer two opportunities -
advertising and exposure. A great forum for announcing new
software, new releases, upgrades and updates
the newsgroups
also offer you the opportunity to be seen as an expert in your
field. Not only do you get the chance to be seen, but to be seen
as an authority in the areas of your choosing. Use this tool
wisely, and its benefits may be immeasurable. There are a few
dangers though - make sure that you follow the rules and
etiquette of each newsgroup; you don't want to be labelled as a
spammer, and irritating people is no way of improving your
image. Going on from this, be careful what you say, and how you
say it. Your comments and manner will reflect on your company
and software; never forget this. My own opinion is that it's the
wise man who sits and listens first, and only speaks when he has
something to say. When he does so for long enough, people lean
forward to hear him.
Discussion Lists
Joining a discussion list is another invaluable way of raising
your profile and establishing a reputation as a knowledgeable
source. Don't go in for blatantly selling your product as soon
as you get a chance; the person that runs the list will not take
kindly to having their work hijacked for your own free
publicity, and neither will the readers. But it is a great way
to establish yourself as a knowledge source, and depending on
the list moderator and rules, you should be able to get your
signature at the end of every posting. At the very least this
should contain your website URL and email address. If you're
lucky you might even get your slogan in there too. Your
signature is another frequently overlooked tool - at the end of
every single email and newsgroup posting you send, get your
essential contact details in there. Don't waste any opportunity
to be noticed. The same rules apply as to the newsgroups - be
professional and courteous at all times, and if you don't have
anything to say, don't say it!
Banners
Constantly the source of much debate as to their effectiveness,
the general consensus is that banners are a dead or dying media.
Nonsense! The banner lives - and can also be a vital part in
your software marketing strategy. There are free and commercial
options available in abundance; but the level of success will be
mainly determined by how carefully targeted your exposure is.
For example, let's say you had an image editing application, and
decided to invest a little in some banner exposure. Having it at
the very top of CNN's home page would increase your exposure
almost as fast as it would empty your bank account. But how many
click-throughs do you think it would get? If, however, you were
at the top of the home page of a clipart site, the exposure rate
would be both slower and infinitely more productive. You'd be
sure to get more clicks and visitors at a far lower price. The
common mistake is to think that having your banner up on a
low-traffic site is a waste of time; rubbish! Targeted exposure
is more effective and usually cheaper. A thousand exposures at
$25 per thousand costs the same whether delivery takes an hour
or a month.
Exposure Tactics
With creativity, imagination and a little bit of boldness,
there's very little that can't be achieved. Don't just think of
what options are available - make them happen. Setting up a
software give-away, where X copies of your software will be sent
to X randomly chosen names is sure to create interest, and bring
people to your site. People love winning things for free, and so
many are hard to come by, expensive and illegal! If it's free,
they want it. Make sure your site has more to offer than just
information on your software. Would you buy a magazine that only
had adverts in it? Probably not. But when the content of the
magazine is good, people will buy it, and see the adverts. If
your site only contains info about your software, it'll probably
get a fairly-fixed number of visitors each month. But throw in
some useful information, resources, software giveaways etc. and
more will come. Don't go for links pages though - I can't stand
them, and when's the last time you looked through one properly?
Old and outdated - move on.
Information
In a way the most neglected of all aspects - the internet is one
big pile of information. And lots of it can be useful to you.
Use it to see what's popular on the software and shareware
sites, where your own products stand in the big picture, and
what the competition are up to. Chances are you're not getting
around to it - but it's useful and worthwhile. On the first day
of every month I write a report on the previous month.
Everything. Achievements, failures, wasted opportunities, site
statistics, the whole thing. If I didn't do this I'd have
already thrown away a few opportunities that have proved to be
VERY worthwhile. Do you go through your site statistics in
detail? If not, you might be missing some invaluable
information. Referrer logs alone can be worth their weight in
gold.
There's an awful lot of useful stuff out there - use it. Never
be content where you are today; be ambitious. Think big. Expand.
When you read the biography of the Bill Gates and Richard
Bransons of the world they always speak of where they started
but they consistently expand, take risks, think big and move.
Diversify, expand, and seek out new opportunities. Don't wait
for them to come to you. Seize the opportunities that are out
there, and start with what's under your nose. Seize the
internet. Be seen, be sold.
About the author:
Dave Collins is the CEO of SharewarePromotions Ltd., a well
established UK-based company working with software and shareware
marketing activities, utilising all aspects of the internet.
http://www.sharewarepromotions.com and http://www.davetalks.com
|
|
| |
| |
