Audio in Internet Marketing 

1. Audio is one of the best ways to let people you may never meet in person get to know your personality. This is one of your biggest assets as the owner of a small business and audio makes it extremely easy to communicate your personality to your audience and target market group.  By listening to you, people can come to like you as a person.  Psychology shows that people will be more likely to purchase from you as a result. Use audio messages to connect with your audience and influence them to get to know and like you. Even a simple welcome message is a great start. 

2. Audio helps promote you as an expert in your field. People buy from people or companies they consider to be an authority or expert in the industry. Audio is an exceptional tool for you to use to demonstrate your authority on your niche topic as it lets you provide extended information in a short period of time.  Even 5 minutes of hearing you speak with authority has a lot of impact.  Produce how to audio messages, interviews and lessons as tools to demonstrate your authority on a topic. 

3. Audio Adds Proof.  People often make purchasing decisions based on the opinions of others. This is called using social proof. This opinion is particularly important if those “others” are people your target market respects, admires, or desire to be like. Easily tap into this social proof trigger by interviewing experts in your field and posting audio testimonials on your website. 

4. Audio is easy to produce.  Nothing beats the ease of producing an audio product.  You can use free audio software such as Audacity or purchase audio recording software to use.  Normally all you need is a good microphone that hooks right into your computer to start recording audios.  You can write out a script or talk about what you know without one.  An audio can be completed in a few minutes and uploaded to your website for your target group to hear. 

5. Audio is versatile.  You can easily take the audio you produce and create other information products.  Get the audio transcribed and you can have an ebook, book or home study program.  That means, you do the audio once and recreate it into many different, effective formats.  Learning to work with audio is a valuable tool in this modern business world. 

6. Audio is transportable. Because you can download an audio file to an ipod or other portable device, it remains one of the most popular ways to share information.  Being able to transport the audio to other areas makes it highly convenient.  Being able to listen to recordings at will when it’s convenient increases the audience base. 

7. Audio is Comforting. People love to recognize a voice.  Don’t you enjoy hearing the voice of your favorite person on the telephone? What about hearing an actor in the distance; doesn’t that peak your interest?  The same goes when people start to get accustomed to your voice.  Hearing a familiar voice can be very comforting to people.  Let people get to know you through your audios and you create a fan base, while developing and growing your business opportunities.

Marketing your business can still influence consumers in any economy.  In fact, you can change how you market your business and maintain a customer base when others are hitting hard times. What you need are new and innovative ways to bring attention to your business instead of depending on the old ways to get people to learn about you. Use these ideas to  increase your market share and see your business take a turnaround. 

1. Go personal by increasing your personal networking opportunities. Shake hands, meet people, and follow up with new acquaintances. Networking is the best way to let people know more about you. Look for opportunities you might have missed before and find new ones to make personal appearances and to meet people. Get those business cards and brochures with special offers updated and ready to distribute. Remember you have to let people see you multiple times before many make a buying decision so find new ways to get in front of people more often.  

2. Repurpose what you do instead of approaching people in the same way. The brochures you’ve always had look like the same ones everyone else is handing out. Just because you’ve presented your business in one format before doesn’t mean you have to do the same thing now. Instead of sending print newsletters, try audio and video. Instead of just handing out business cards and brochures, offer to do a demonstration of your products or services to give instant information. Be the first to be different by taking what you have and using it in a new way to attract attention.

3. Go live by providing informational seminars and workshops on topics related to your product or services. Hold workshops for free or low cost to introduce what you do to groups then shoot for individual clients. Give actual training events or spend one to two hours providing new insights into topics related t your business. Have your special offers ready to go at the end of the event and offer discounts for immediate sign-ups.  

4. Get your name in front of potential clients by donating products or services to groups and associations even if you’re the only one giving for that particular event. Tell the group organizers you are offering a door prize for their members that will help to increase the value of their meetings to members. Who could resist a free way to increase their member benefits? Make this a regular offer and continue to increase your exposure. If others follow suit, you’ll still be the first to make the offer.  

5. Look for ways to partner with other professionals and develop new package offerings of products and services. For example, maybe you have a skin care line and she has a stress reduction program. Together you offer a “look better and live longer” package at special pricing.    

6. Create the opportunities you need by organizing an event that lets you highlight what you have to offer. Reserve a room at a popular café or restaurant and invite several businesses that compliment but don’t compete with yours to join you in an evening of live demonstrations and information sharing. Make it a regular happening in your community that people come to expect and enjoy the increase in visibility for your business.    

7. Develop your reputation as the professional in your field. Write articles for the local newspaper get on public television and public radio and do a regular show for the community. Then get involved with Internet media shows. Of course you have to promote these offline shows on the web and the Internet marketing shows through offline means. This helps you to expand your reach and increase your frequency of exposure which are the two major keys to successful advertising.   

Marketing your business in new ways is more important than ever if you want to succeed in challenging economic times. Competitors are closing their doors which means more potential customers for the businesses that survive. Take steps to revamp your marketing efforts to respond to the needs of your target market. 

Be flexible and creative in how you present what you have to offer and be willing to put in the time and effort needed to make personal contacts. Be willing to think outside of the box and your business will be able to survive and thrive during times of economic challenge.