Work Yourself Up!

Your Blog (and Podcast) in USA Today

Got this from my friend Dave Jackson at School of Podcasting...

Well its finally here. USA TODAY will start linking and integrating with the Blogger and Podcaster Magazine podcaster guide starting November 7th. The USA TODAY website gets 10 million viewers a DAY.

They will also be issuing a PRINTED version (kind of a TV Guide) of this Podcaster guide (another 5 million readers).

You'll get a link in the guide and your keywords (give them when you sign up) help decide when a link to your podcast appears on the USA TODAY site. So if someone is reading about Britney spears, or Africa, or etc.. and your podcast is about those subjects, the USA TODAY online readers will see a link to your podcast.

You get to try it free for one month.

How you ask? By doing the following...

1) Go to www.bloggerandpodcaster.com/usatoday

2) Select “New User” and go through 6 Step registration process.  Enter "SOPUSA" in Coupon Code box under Option #4.

***Then click “Option #4”. If you don’t enter this code, you’re going to be charged the regular price.**** -

IMPORTANT

Information they should have handy to register is:

• Blog/Podcast Name
• Website URL
• Brief Description (Print only): You can have 75 characters total -- including spaces & punctuation – between your URL and description
• Detailed Description (400 characters max
• including spaces & punctuation – for online guide)
• RSS Feed - iTunes Feed (Podcasts only – Not mandatory): For info go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/store/podcaststechspecs.html
• Up to 10 Keywords related to your blog/podcasts (Not mandatory): Used for search and placements as relevant material on USATODAY.com - Logo/Album Art (Not Mandatory)

The guide launches Wednesday, November 7th, so if you want to be in for the launch they’ll need to enter your registration ASAP. It only takes 5 minutes if you have the above information prepared in advance.

To confirm, your folks will receive a FREE month in the online guide (value $49.95) and if you choose to continue after the trial you'll save 20% on the online guide or 25% on the print edition guide.

This should generate some press, so it will be nice to be listed there.

Offline Traffic Techniques for Your Online Business

Do you promote your online business offline?

If you answered “no”, then you’re link most online business owners. We are so engrossed with ways of promoting our websites online that we totally forget about offline techniques.

If you’ve not been using offline techniques, then you are missing out on a lot of traffic. Here are a few offline traffic tips you can begin to use today.

1. Word of mouth

Start promoting your website by telling people about it. Tell as many people as possible. If you don’t, don’t expect others to.

Everywhere you go, seminars, workshops, social gatherings and so on, make sure you seize opportunities you get. If you have a gardening website and you find your self in a gathering that are interested in gardening, make sure you refer to your website.

2. Newspaper/Magazine Ads

Regularly place ads promoting your websites in local, national and niche publications. Place small ads at first. If you write quality ads, the small ads will work well.

Make sure your medium of advertising is targeted. When I say targeted, I mean make sure the medium is relevant to your offer. Like promoting dating website in a romance journal.

3. Article writing and distribution

Like article distribution online, this is a technique that works offline as well. Write quality articles related to your niche and submit to the editors of targeted newspapers. Make sure you write an exciting bio box at the end of all your articles. This is what will make the readers want to contact you. You will be seen as an expert.

4. Stickers

Create stickers with the name and logo of your website and stick on your car, door and other places you can.

Distribute if freely so that people can paste everywhere. Make your business name a household name in no time.

5. Do everything

Do everything mentioned above and every other legitimate ways you can promote your website. Remember it’s your business and it is your responsibility to ensure that it succeeds.