MAKING WEB PAGES WORK FOR YOU AND YOUR CLIENTS

PART III - FOUR BASIC APPROACHES IN CREATION

Focus on Products

First essential tactic is focusing only on newsgroups where the company’s products or services are of interest.

Albert's posts messages only in alternative and Latin music newsgroups.               Alberto's Nightclub dance class

example: this is where he thinks the majority of readers are in his demographic target .

 
Focus on Responding

Second tactic is reading messages posted there for several weeks before posting your own.
That particular group may violently be opposed to any marketing, no matter how soft-pedaled.
Better to find out before posting a message than after.


Focus on Clarity

Posting brief messages, making it clear in the subject line what the topic is.

Example: "Great opportunity to save!" marks the message clearly as an advertisement, asking for angry e-mail in response.

"Info on new nonstick cookware" makes the subject clear.

Those not wanting to know about cookware won’t read the message and there won’t be any vitriolic e-mail.


Focus on Honesty

Be honest, you are someone from a company trying to sell a product or service.

"I work for a company that sells Ketchum Klean Soap, here’s how to reach us if you’re interested" will be respected in newsgroups, however "I’ve used Ketchum Klean Soap and love it.
E-mail me if you’d like to know more."
Keep messages short, avoid hyperbole.

Since users are paying by the hour to access the Internet, they don’t like wasting time on-line.


Be Sensitive to Participants

Some companies post messages in target newsgroups, asking the participants if they would mind their messages.

Example: in a sports newsgroup companies might post a message saying, "Would people here be interested in occasional information on new shoe technology?"

Often, many users are, and will respect a company for asking.

 
Part 4