Continuing where we left in Part 1 ..
5. Click Marketing
Important search engines place ads near search results in return of a small amount. It is called pay-per-click (PPC) advertising. The idea behind this marketing technique is to bid for relevant “keywords” that bring pertinent results related to the product you’re selling, and place your advertisement on the top of the page. The most important players on this market are Google AdWords and Yahoo!Search. The method has its fans but also its fierce opponents, due to the possibility of click fraud.
6. Community or Network Marketing:
It is basically free publicity though very time consuming because web is getting increasingly impatient and competitive. Once one of the larger players has your software application and is marketing it as a new feature, others will want it. Getting the first sale can might be difficult. Providing it for free or at a highly discounted rate can help you establish a solid base.
Get involved in online networks and blogs by subscribing to forums or discussions groups that deal with software related themes. Many people visit forums and blogs in search of information that will lead them to make purchase decisions. A blog post that deals with the theme under discussion, contains relevant information and is presented in a professional way could be of real interest to the participants. When opportunity presents, share your website’s address and product name. Use a signature and not a nickname, and you can also add a slogan related to the software product you want to promote.
7. Email Marketing and Press Releases
An email is the easy way to stay in touch with your clients, prospects and affiliates – however its success depends on your database, distribution system and audience: you need to keep it up to date, accurate and valuable.
Create different campaigns for each segment that you target. Always ask permission to stay in touch with your clients and your affiliates and give them an option to unsubscribe or change frequency of receipt.
Take advantage of many websites that offer public relation services including free publishing of press releases. Of course you can always choose the classical way and publish your materials regarding product launches or news related to your company, in newspapers or software magazines.
8. Demo Marketing:
Last but not least – technical and marketing professionals like to see things in action. Offer a demo of your software and show them how your software works. Be sure to highlight the process, the added functionality, and the ability to test drive it in sandbox environments. Call it demo-marketing.
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To market software successfully, you need to find the most suitable combination of these methods that applies to your specific case. Every business, every product and every owner is different, so you need find your best formula that brings you higher sales.
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