If you’re tired of promoting your business site or blog using the same old Internet marketing tactics everyone else is using, give these five Web promotion tactics a try.

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If you run a website or blog, you’ve probably heard of the typical list of marketing activities… submit your site to directories, submit your articles to article directories, submit your links to Digg, Del.icio.us, and other social media sites, target the right keyword phrases, comment on related sites and blogs, etc. However, there’s a lot more to Web promotion than simply doing what everyone else is doing, especially if you want to set your site apart from the competition.Here are five Web promotion / Internet marketing tactics that you probably haven’t tried (or perhaps haven’t tried very effectively): (more…)

Summary: Find out why you should always test your Web copy if you want to increase conversions and sales through your website.

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My primary work is still PR, but I also do freelance business writing. One of the most common things I do is write marketing copy for business websites. I also network with a lot of newer writers, and see them bombarded with copywriting “tips” like “always use long-form sales copy,” or “no, long-form copy doesn’t work.” I always want to slap the people I see giving that kind of advice.

The truth is that most types of marketing copy work! If they didn’t, they wouldn’t still be around. What you need to figure out, as either a copywriter or a business owner / webmaster, is what kind of copy will be most effective for what you’re selling to the specific audience you’re targeting.

So please… stop simply copying what everyone else seems to be doing in the moment, and start taking time to understand your audience and what motivates them to act or buy. Test different types of Web copy, or even test different language choices. Watch what happens to your conversions.

And remember, the best copy isn’t necessarily the type of copy you think you want going into a project. You may want something touchy-feely, and find out that it’s not what actually sells to your audience (what they tell you they want and what makes them buy aren’t always the same thing – that would be like asking any of us if we want commercials playing during our favorite TV shows). Or perhaps you want something flashy, but your audience would respond better to a serious case study. The audience comes first. Then comes testing. Then, and only then, comes your amazing, high-converting copy.

Here’s something else to keep in mind: Just because something “works” doesn’t mean something else wouldn’t work better. Don’t stop testing and tweaking just because you’re satisfied for now. Would you really be happy with a 20% increase in conversions if a different style of copy could net you an 80% increase? Just saying….

Is Twitter marketing just another marketing fad, or is marketing via microblogs here to stay? Find out how people are marketing through services like Twitter, and what benefits or damages they may see because of it.

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Whether you’re a fan of microblogging platforms like Twitter or not (I’m not), you can’t deny that there is marketing potential there. There’s actually a lot of spamming potential there. I talked about this recently at NakedPR.com, and whether or not spam will lead to the death of Twitter. Today let’s take a look at types of Twitter marketing, and whether it’s just a fad or will likely be around for the long haul.

How it Works

One thing that makes it tough to evaluate any kind of social media marketing is that single tools (like Twitter) can be used in a lot of different ways for promotional purposes. Here are a few things people are already doing or talking about doing to leverage Twitter as a marketing tool:

• Simply adding links to your own products or sites to drive traffic.
• Adding a link to every site update you post (such as every new blog post) – again to build traffic (you’re not getting the Pagerank link juice, as the links are no-follow).
• Artificially inflating follower counts for more exposure (such as paying people to be followers, using bots, or exchanging friend status with others).
• Buying links in others’ tweets.

Fad or Fab?

FAD – Do I think Twitter or similar services will ever be marketing-free? Of course not. But if you’ve read past Fad or Fab features, you’ll know how I feel about marketing tactics that violate the terms or spirit of the tools or companies being used. It rarely proves to be a smart long-term marketing strategy (and that makes it a fad in my book).

Why? Because if your marketing tactics are going to be actively fought by the tool’s creators, your efforts may prove to be in vain in the long run. For example, all the time or money someone spends to artificially inflate their friend count is completely worthless once the service bans your account if you’re caught.

At the same time, being manipulative when using tools designed to foster a community atmosphere solely for your own benefit runs the risk of damaging your reputation (or that of your site or company). That would be counterproductive to good marketing, isn’t it?

As always, think about the ROI compared to other tactics. Chances are that you can do better. And if you can do better, Twitter marketing (or whatever you’re considering) just isn’t a “fab” option.

Summary:Is green marketing to the environmentally conscious markets here to stay, or is it just a temporary fad? Should your business go green, and if so, how can you keep green marketing ethical and in line with your business values?

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Most of the Marketing Fad or Fab features here in the past have dealt with Internet marketing and online advertising. This time we’re going to talk about the eco-friendly trend in green business, and more specifically the concept of green marketing.

How it Works:

To put it simply, a business is utilizing green marketing tactics when their marketing message is targeting the eco-conscious members of the target market. For example, a Web hosting provider markets itself as environmentally friendly to prospective customers by touting the fact that their facilities (where your website would be physically hosted) is run by wind or solar power. Another example would be in food marketing, where you’ll find products marketed as organic or pushing the fact that it’s from local farmers (meaning less preservatives and less waste in transporting the food). Essentially, the marketing campaign revolves to some degree around appealing to a consumer base trying to be more environmentally friendly.

Fad or Fab?

Fab – While my overall outlook on green marketing is a positive one (it’s consumer-driven and often altruistic to at least a degree), I do think there’s a flip-side where certain green marketing techniques are simply fads.

First, there’s greenwashing – false claims about environmental issues to raise concerns with the public – convincing them there’s a problem that may not even exist, and then pushing your product as a solution. This is just deceitful, and we’re in a day and age now where it’s very likely you’ll be caught and publicly exposed (and maybe it’s just the PR professional in me, but I don’t believe in lying to your customers just to make a sale or be able to charge more).

I also think the premium prices for green products will eventually become a thing of the past. As people come to expect more products to be environmentally friendly, their willingness to pay more (looking at the items as special in some way) will diminish. However, with the demand rooted in personal convictions, I don’t think the demand for green products will fade to match that price issue – companies will find a way to go green for less.

When it comes to green marketing, the real key is to be sincere. If you truly care about the environment, and are acting out of that concern first and foremost, consumers will notice. Focus on building a more sustainable business beyond simply being able to increase prices or appeal to the eco-savvy markets, and you won’t be setting yourself up for a PR nightmare down the road.

Note: Be sure to check out the new Green Business section here at BizAmmo.com for upcoming green business ideas to help your business (big or small) go green.