A New Twist on Classic Techniques

The Sales Pitches and Customer Referrals

Internet Classifieds

Although Craig's List (craigslist.org) seems to make the news most often, there are plenty of other classified sites. You can try Classifiedsforfree.com, Backpage.com or Oodle.com

Trade Links

To how many trade associations do you belong? Some go along with your accreditations. Some are more commercial. Take advantage of links through any trade groups that you can. When you run an internet search for your business, it there a group that pops up ahead of you?

“Hair Comes the Bride” did hair and makeup for brides on their big day. The number one hit in every internet search was an organization call The Knot, which gave out practical advice but also provided local referrals to their visitors. A paid link on The Knot alone drove enough business to preclude any other advertising for their initial years.

Client Testimonies

Ask satisfied customers to recommend you. Ask if they would give you a good recommendation on a service like Angie's List, if they belong. Follow up and ask for feedback on formats like Amazon. Don't be afraid to ask for the referral!

Network Management

First and foremost, take care to keep your professional web pages separate from your personal pages. Never link your professional web page to your personal Facebook account, for example; your clients don't need to read your teenager's postings, which could be visible on your account.

• For additional considerations, an expert developer can help you to manage these accounts in various ways, including the following:
• Understand how the account works, and take advantage of the ability to separate users into “Work,” “Family,” and “Limited-Access” categories. Use appropriate business casual photos.
• Test market new offerings or discounts by offering trials through your Facebook or similar accounts.
• Manage your connection network by searching for mutual contacts in your friends' lists.
• Design your sites to optimize the positive impact for visitors.