Question #6 in 10 Questions to ask yourself about your internet advertising campaign
We’re now officially on the downhill slide!
The questions involved from here on out are now going to help you focus on the actual "doings" of your internet marketing campaign. They serve as a jumping off point, or probably more accurate; a point of insertion.
What I mean by that is they are to engage your creative mind and give you a beginning point to work with that just might be in the middle of your already active marketing plan.
Question #6 is…
What new contact can I make this week?
Adverting is so much more than just blasting out ads, writing articles, keeping blog up to date, and exchanging links. It’s about people. Not just the people you advertise to, but also the people you advertise with.
It took me a little while to figure out the distinction between the to and the with. That doesn’t mean that they can’t be the same person at times, but it helps to make a clear distinction. The ‘to’ is of course the mass audience that you are targeting. The ones who will be receiving your ads, articles, email series, viral products, etc. The ‘with’, on the other hand, are the ones you are beginning to reach out to, build a relationship with, and enlist in spreading the word about you and your website.
I make it a point, each week, to make at least one new contact for my own websites and also those of my clients. I write their name down, their contact info, and do a little bit of research on any newsworthy items, articles, blog posts, websites, or anything else that I can dig up in just a few minutes. If possible I, or get my client to, will friend them on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.
A short note on Twitter and Facebook. These two sites have made this step much easier. I really don’t like calling people I don’t know on the phone and sending email is sometimes pretty impersonal. Now I just be a friend or follow and get to know them that way. I usually know who I want to contact weeks in advance now and makes this question a lot quicker to answer.
Once I know the who, I then go into the actual contact.
The point of this question is to get yourself into the habit of contacting people to broaden your contacts and hopefully have someone who can recommend you or your product.
Don’t just pick anyone either.
Having said all of the above, I do need to throw out a very strong warning. Do not contact someone you are not willing to be a genuine friend to. I hate it when people just make contacts for the sake of making a contact and getting some free publicity. I think it’s wrong.
Take the necessary time to be real with them. That doesn’t mean you need to be the best of friends but don’t just hide behind email and pretend you like them.
So. Who are you going to contact this week?
