1. Sending out random cold outreach emails
Outreach is great for business. In my opinion, it’s actually going to be the dominant promotion method of 2015. Feel free to re-tweet us on that …
2. Spamming on social media
Social media spam is one of the most common promotion sins these days. Here’s what I mean, if you do any of the following things, you are spamming, and you should probably stop:
3. Not taking advantage of the official theme directory
Not everyone realizes this, but the official theme directory at WordPress.org is a great environment to promote your WordPress design business in.
4. Using online ads just for the sake of it
Chances are you’ve probably heard that AdWords is an effective promotional method. And it is indeed, but not for everyone.
5. Using only online job boards
Finding your first gigs through online job boards (like oDesk, Freelancer.com, or even Craigslist) is indeed possible, but it’s not actually very advisable.
6. Not split testing
Split testing is the best method of improving the results of every online promotion tactic. And I do mean EVERY.
Split testing is like magic. For example, you can take a tactic that generates you 2 percent response and turn it into a 4 percent, which in most cases means doubling your profits.
7. Not building an email list
Building an email list is one of the best methods of running ongoing promotion. You start by bringing people to your site, convincing them to join your mailing list (by offering a free gift, for example), and then following up with them whenever you feel like it.
I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve seen an interview with a popular business person or blogger where they’ve admitted to regret not building an email list right from day one. In this day and age – especially in the online – a list of email contacts to people who are interested in what you’re offering is among the biggest business assets.
What to do? The secret to good email marketing is to keep your communication content-driven, not promotion-driven.
So like I said, start by offering something to lure your prospective clients in, for instance, something like “Site Design Checklist – The Steps to Go Through Before Hiring a Designer.”
Next, sign up to a good email newsletter service like SendinBlue (free) and embed subscription forms on your site. Set everything up in a way so every subscriber gets your checklist once they sign up.
Finally, make sure that most of your emails/newsletters are packed with great content, and send a promotional message only once in a while.
The true power of this is that you only have to work hard while building your list, and then later on you can contact your subscribers directly with no additional cost.
