This topic edited in February 1996 by Jayne Cravens
and Philippa Gamse and again in November 2000 by Linda Schwartz
- Add your organization's e-mail address and Web address to all
literature (business card, letter head, newsletters etc.) right next to
your "snail mail" address and phone number
- Announce the launch of your Web site or bulletin board conference site,
as well as changes to your site in your newsletter
- Email Web masters at Web sites that relate to your organization, and
ask them to link to your site.
- Register your Web site with every Web search engine you come across.
Submit It! http://www.submit-it.com is a good facility for making
multiple registrations. The five most popular web search engines are
probably:
Yahoo, http://www.yahoo.com
Lycos, http://www.lycos.com
MSN, http://www.msn.com
Netscape, http://www.netscape.com
Infoseek, http://www.infoseek.com - List your URL address in every email
signature on every e-mail you send. Encourage all staff members to do the
same. - Send press releases to local newspapers and professional
publications announcing your Web site and/or bulletin board site, and
remember to add your email address and Web address to all press releases. For
instance, on a press release announcing a new publication, add a paragraph
that says (if applicable) "This new publication can be accessed via our Web
site at... "
Note that, for some publications, any use of the Net is still news; other
publications will only report on innovative uses. - Announce your online
site(s) on appropriate Internet newsgroups and list servers, and on
electronic bulletin boards (however, please remember your netiquette and
don't announce it on Internet newsgroups or bulletin boards that do not
relate to your organization). when you've made a major change or addition to
your site (a homeless shelter adds all of the data of its printed service
directory to its Web site, for instance), send out a press release and post
on appropriate newsgroups and list servers. You may even want to do a special
mailing to your clientele, if they will find the information particularly
valuable. Also, put a note in each of your newsletters announcing the latest
additions to your Web site. - Participate regularly in relevant email lists
and newsgroups to offer relevant answers to queries; this activity will build
a reputation for your organization and its Web site as a valuable resource
monitor, if you can (via tracking software, on-line questionnaire or form,
etc.), the number and type of people visiting your site(s). This can help you
see how successful your marketing efforts are, and where adjustments need to
be made. - Make sure that your staff, in particular, your executive
director and the person who answers the phone, are well-versed in your
organization's on-line activities and know how to refer people as
appropriate.
The key to successful Internet marketing is to accept it is
a never-ending process. New WWW sites, newsgroups, lists emerge regularly and
existing ones disappear. You need to track with regular searches new sites
with whom to link and new lists on which to announce your organization and
its service. To market efficiently you have to immerse yourself to some
degree in using the Internet regularly.Other
Resources:
Reposted, with minor changes, 11/21/00
-- PB
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