Free Internet Marketing Lessons

by Sen Zé

Here's something I did to generate traffic to one of my web sites that totally exceeded my wildest expectations. All you have to do is to appear on a TV talk show just once and arrange for them to flash your URL for a few seconds. I did this and in one day, the traffic to my web site jumped 3,000% (yes, 3 thousand percent)! Here's an interesting phenomenon - traffic will be halved the next day, and will be halved again the following day, until you return to a level of traffic that is slightly higher than what you used to have. Watching the phenomenon is absolutely mind-boggling. When I reached home after the show I simply checked out my stats in real time - and every time I reloaded (within 30 seconds), the numbers increased like there's no tomorrow! Appearing on TV is not as hard as you might think. 

Here's how to do it (briefly): 

1. Have a "newsworthy" story that is related to your web site. 


============================

Make sure your story benefits the TV station's viewers in some way. If you can somehow relate your web site to the current, hottest issues of the day, you'll stand a better chance. If you have none of the above, it's not newsworthy. If it's not newsworthy, don't bother with this method. Launching a web site is not a newsworthy item. Providing a new solution to childless couples may be - depending on how you play it. Click on 
http://www.senze.com/pressrelease.shtml for more information on what I mean by being "newsworthy". 2. Shortlist the talk show most related to your item.

============================

Get the producers' names (watch the program) and station phone number (call directory). Looking out for right talk show to appear on is crucial to your success. 3. Ensure that you're required to be interviewed by the host of the program 

============================

To increase your chances of being interviewed in person, make sure that you have something you can show that'll require that you be present in the TV studio - it can be a demonstration, hard-to-find statistics, video tape in your possession, etc. Or simply be outrageous, or different, or uncommon. While this technique can work without you being there (like when Oprah recommends the latest book she has read), by thinking ahead on how you can appear nevertheless, you can easily control what is said about your newsworthy item so that you get the best possible mileage from the show. In addition, you may just become an overnight celebrity because of your appearance, if you're lucky. You never know, and it doesn't cost you any money, so why not? ;-) 4. Make sure your URL is short and easy to remember 

============================

This is absolutely crucial to your success! If you only have one of those long URLs, don't bother using this method. The shorter and easier it is to spell and remember, the better. Use "Yahoo" and "Google" as your inspirations. Your name doesn't have to mean anything, so long as it is memorable. 5. Make sure your web site has something to offer the visitor 

============================

This "something" must be related to the reason you're being interviewed. Free stuff like free reports or information that your visitors would want to have is a good idea. A survey/poll related to the issue you're discussing is another. Just use your imagination here. You're trying to get traffic to your site - so complement your TV appearance with something the audience can benefit from your site in some way. And while they're there, you're going to get them to give you their e-mail addresses willingly, of course. 6. Send out a media release to the most important & targeted stations. 

============================

Write the best release you can - click on http://www.senze.com/pressrelease.shtml to see how this is done. Then fax or courier your release over to them. This will not cost you much. 7. Call the producer of the program to get the appointment 

============================

If you have a newsworthy item, they'll take your call, really! Call them and ask them about your release - don't wait for them to call you. After all, you're only dealing with a handful of stations here. Once they're interested, they'll set up a preliminary interview with you either through the phone or in person. If the station's nearby, go there, impress them with what you have, and say that you'll be giving their viewers a lot more information on the actual live interview session. 8. On that day, make sure you write down your URL on a few pieces of paper. 

============================

Talk to the host, say you want to make sure the viewers get the URL right, so you'll give them the paper with your URL on it for them to flash it on their viewers' screen. Tell them to type in the URL exactly as seen (you can't be too careful here). In fact, ask to see the URL that is typed in because if one letter is missing or misspelt when it's flashed, you've wasted all your efforts. You're the guest, you can ask for it to be shown to you! 9. Do your thing in the interview 

============================

Be confident, smile and always be friendly. Make references to your URL at regular intervals if you can (but don't overdo it). 10. Go home! 

============================

Make a cup of coffee, log on, and watch your traffic counter spin like crazy! Unless you've made an ass of yourself, in which case your counter will spin even more! You can't lose either way! 11. Send Season's Greetings cards throughout the year to the people you've met at the stations. 

============================

Once in a while, pop in just to say hi but be ready with some materials in case they ask you for another appearance.

Just be friendly to the media and treat them as you would your friends. This keeps you at the top of their minds - because nobody else does it! - and they'll even call you if something else crops up that touches on your area! In fact, I've got so many calls to go back, I've stopped sending the cards to them for now as I'm working on my latest project.

My total cost? ZERO, just my time. Well, okay, 2 pieces of paper, and fax charges, some greeting cards. JUST ABOUT ZERO.

The Effects? Totally out of this world. Sure beats the heck out of any search engine positioning, FFA, Classifieds, etc, etc.!

This was about 3 years ago. I've made a lot of TV appearances since then, my counters continue to spin like crazy each time, and I've met a number of celebrities in the process, which is the icing on the cake!

Since then I've learned how to ensure that when you have traffic that come to your web site in droves, you can leverage on them to help you spread the word about you even more.

Basically I classify Traffic Generation Tools into Type I, Type II and Type III. The most exciting tools to me are the Type III ones. Marketing is done by your own visitors, and for free!

However, you'll need a combination of all three types of traffic generation tools for maximum effect.

Once you've set up your marketing tools effectively, you then put your feet up as far as marketing is concerned, and concentrate on improving your site, which will make your visitors increase more and more!

It's the ultimate marketing device, and we achieve it by simply mapping out the right strategy and using that space between our ears a little bit more!

Copyright (c) 2002 Sen Zé 

============================

Sen Zé uses uncommon but super-powerful Internet Marketing strategies, concepts & techniques to grow his own Internet Businesses. Subscribe to his one-of-a-kind Internet Marketing newsletter, "All Uncommon Senze Internet Marketing Secrets" by sending a blank e-mail to mailto:zsubscription@senze.com now for more eye-popping, jaw-dropping stuff not seen anywhere else!