100% Free Ways to Increase Site Traffic for Any Virtual or Small Business

This isn’t a “how to” article, but a concrete resource page!

In order for this to perform at its best, you’ll want to make sure each article, ad, press release etc. is written properly and gains the interest of your reader by offering value.

Write and post articles free to:

• www.ezinearticles.com
• www.articlesbase.com
• www.buzzle.com/authors/become-author.asp
• www.businesstoolchest.com/articles/submit.shtml
• www.articlesfactory.com/submit.html
• www.articlealley.com/register.php
• www.articledashboard.com/signup.php
• www.articleonlinedirectory.com/signup.php
• www2.thefreelibrary.com/_/Users/Registration.aspx
• www.articlesnatch.com/signup.php
• www.abcarticledirectory.com/signup.php

For Free Ad Placement:

• www.kijiji.com/m/SelectCategory
• http://secure.adpay.com/PlaceAd.aspx?catid=2046_4&procid=56a0656d-74d5-4b50-b16e-a15394162bd4
• www.shopperslounge.com/registrationStage1.php
• www.inetgiant.com/PostNewAd.aspx
• http://posting.www.backpage.com/classifieds/central/PostNationalAd?postLocalAd=yes&introSeen=yes
• www.salespider.com/online-classifieds-free-advertising
• www.craigslist.org
• www.ryze.com

For Free Press Releases:

• www.pressreleasepoint.com/user/register
• www.openpr.com/news/submit.html
• www.free-press-release.com/members/register.php
• http://pr.prlog.org/account.html
• www.1888pressrelease.com/register.php
• www.pr.com/register.php?Submit_silver=Select
• www.onlineprnews.com/user/register

Free Directory Listings:

• http://advertising.superpages.com/spportal/quickbpflow.do;jsessionid=8908B8E254A0152F259A3B9A77700F95.app3-a2
• www.bizhwy.com/addlisting.php
• www.mfad.net/addalink.php?LIENS_CATEGORIES_ID=1357
• www.evliving.com/business/members/user_register_account.php

Basically if you have, for example, one ad about financial solutions or services, submit that ad to all the free ad placements.  Same with a Press Release … articles … etc.  You don’t have to pay for these ad services because you’ll get the same results with a little work and putting in some elbow grease!

Then when you have them posted live, record the “published” link(s) in excel (you want to keep track).  Then go and Digg it, Tweet it, etc.

Here’s a list you should add your published links to:

• www.twitter.com/tasktroop
• www.digg.com
• www.delicious.com
• www.facebook.com
• www.stumbleupon.com
• www.linkedin.com
• www.reddit.com
• www.newsvine.com/_nv/accounts/register
• www.friendfeed.com
• www.twine.com/join
• www.technorati.com

The bottom line, if you’re a virtual company, a small business and don’t have the funds to spread around like the major players, this is your next best alternative that may bring in similar results as you may get by throwing money at ads.

I know there are many more free resources out there.  You may also wish to Google some good keywords.  Example: “financial advice” + “article” in that format and you may find places who specialize in the area of finances who allow free article submissions, press releases … etc. that have a solid following and potential clients for you!

Get creative and when you search on Google, search as if “you” are the potential client and get specific.  General searches will have you going page after page after page until you realize your heads been buried in the computer for hours with no relevant results.

Search specific and as if you are the person or company seeking these services.

Best of posting and searching to you!

One of the best examples is an e-book. Some companies use e-books to spread the word about their business, but just not about the products and not anything pitchy. It will be free and valuable content that somehow helps the potential customer. Some businesses even step it up a notch and allow others to pass it along for monetary returns, such through affiliate marketing.

In other words, you can acquire the company’s e-book free of cost, usually a “teaser” e-book that you can brand with your name and affiliate links, in-turn forward this on to others, and if they click on your affiliate link, purchase something from the company, you gain a small commission.

It’s an incentive for you, the affiliate, to be motivated and pass along the word about the company’s goods or services. Viral marketing isn’t just about e-books though. It’s any type of advertising that spreads the word, like a virus, from consumer to consumer. It is really designed to spread a lot of enthusiasm very quickly.

Now that we’ve covered what Viral Marketing is and one way to get the word out, let’s talk about other techniques you might consider using.

One that you’ve probably noticed a lot on the internet is the “tell a friend” mechanism. You see it on websites, embedded in email and yes, even e-books. If a customer really likes your site, they may be inclined to pass the word along to a friend or family member.

Tell a friend advertising is most commonly used with social bookmarks, like Digg, StumbleUpon, Delicious, ClipMarks and more.

This type of viral marketing can morph itself into social networking as well, so you almost have the best of both worlds. Let’s take Digg for example. You go to a blog or website. You click on the Digg vote button because you really dig their article or blog post! You then comment on it so your Digg friends can read what you think.

Later, one of your Digg friends shouts about their opinion on your Digg. Now your friends, “friends” list reads his shout to you. They decide they’ll take a look at the Digg and maybe a closer look at the site you originally made your Digg vote on.

You tell one person, they tell two people, and then they tell two people, now seven know and so on. It ends up spreading extremely fast.

Here’s an example of what viral marketing can look like. One line illustrates a person. As you look at this you can see how fast word can spread.

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The viral marketing technique you use may end up exploding after just a few generations, causing it to spread like a virus, hence the word viral! The core principals of viral marketing are as follows:

1. A company offers a free give-away.
2. It has to be easily transferred from one person to the next.
3. You should use existing communication networks.
4. Able to spread like wildfire. The free give-away has to have a ton of value in it!

There are more fundamentals than just the one’s listed above, but that should give you a good idea of where to start. Using FREE and very valuable content is the first key to the success of viral marketing.

I can remember back, when I was first introduced to viral marketing, and without knowing what it was I was getting into. I just knew I loved the free product and people in my circle would too. So I took advantage of it and passed it on, over and over again.

It was as simple as sending out an email to those on my list who I knew would enjoy it and get something out of it. I used my existing network of friends and family first. They loved it so much, they in turn did the very same thing I did, but in their existing communication networks.

Viral marketing can be a huge asset to any business and especially an online business. Like any marketing technique it takes practice, a strong desire to succeed, and a strong command of your niche market, with a little elbow grease and patience, you’ll begin to see how effective viral marketing can really be.

Before I get into the anatomy of White-glove Delivery Blogging, let me explain what I mean by that.

White-glove Blogging is providing the most valuable and superb content free to your niche audience. I’m not talking about an online journal of your daily thoughts or opinions. I’m speaking of actual steps, facts or lessons other’s can apply immediately after reading.

This is directory of mini courses that will help people achieve part of their goals, and a way to build your list of interested entrepreneurs who begin to view you as an expert they can trust and rely on for valid information.

If you’re not an expert on your niche, that’s ok. You simply research before you write an article. There is something that will happen during this process – YOU LEARN as you go and that becomes priceless.

Anatomy of a White-glove Delivery Blog:

1. Dissect and break down your categories within your niche. Example: your niche is Internet marketing – break down of some categories within are: SEO, SEM, Social Networking, Copywrite, Video Marketing… etc.
2. Create “how to” articles or informative content that will teach quick lessons.
3. Find guest writers to add additional value to what you haven’t learned yourself yet. This also will help speed up your process and give you content to add when you get writers block.
4. Guest writers: make sure to pick out credible people to add authority to your name by recognition.
5. Update your blog daily.
6. Keep it SEO friendly. Google may not care about keyword density, but #2 Yahoo! and #3 MSN will pick up on that.
7. Add video tutorials. You may not have any you’ve created yourself, but you can find others. The best way to do this is with Google AdSense YouTube video’s or VOXANT Newsroom. This way you at least have a chance of earning cash for advertising it. Just make sure these are worthy to share – not just some junk video.
8. Make sure to offer your free eCourse (mini version of your product or service), or free ebook on your blog as well.

Then you market this blog!

Google your niche keyword phrases and see where your competitors are advertising. Check out the first few pages of Google.

You may also consider the following:

1. USFreeAds (yes – it can work): $5.99 to list your ad for six months and an additional $8.99 to make it featured for two months. Take a look at INetGiant.com as well.
2. Google Adwords: Don’t sweat it if you don’t stay on top 24/7. If you change up your blog every time Google tells you too – you will create a new and unnecessary job for yourself.
3. Keyword rich articles are a must. Submit those to EzineArticles.com and Isnare.com.
4. Jump on the Warrior Special Offers Forum which is a popular Internet marketing related discussion board.
5. Jump into a few other communities like Magnetic Sponsoring or Site Pro News and mingle around – submit articles and create a killer signature line.

Those are just a few ideas on how to promote your White-glove Delivery Blog.

There is more to this anatomy, but it gives you a quick idea of better blogging if you’re serious about using this to establish your own audience.