SPAM. I'm sure that everyone is infamously familiar with these - the door-to-door salesmen of the internet. We get bombarded with unsolicited e-mails everyday, ranging from innocent "we have a special!" e-mails to some which are down right offensive. It's a problem of the modern era, right up there with tax, fuel prices and ants.

Statistics indicate that SPAM contributes to the majority of internet e-mails, going so far as to form more than 70% of all e-mails sent. While this has become a commonplace occurence, if you started thinking that sending out SPAM is *okay*, it's not. That is a very dangerous idea - one you should get out of your head right away.

"Why" you ask?

Because of a little thing called the "Electronic Communications And Transactional Act Of 2002".

Here are a few important points mentioned in the act:

1. Any person who sends unsolicited commercial communications to consumers, must provide the consumer with:
   
   
   • The option to cancel his or her subscription to the mailing list of that person; and
   • The identifying particulars of the source from which that person obtained the consumer's personal information, on request of the consumer.
    
2. No agreement is concluded where a consumer has failed to respond to an unsolicited communication.
    
3. Any person who fails to comply with or contravenes subsection (1) is guilty of an offence and liable, on conviction, to the penalties prescribed in section 89(1).
    
4. Any person who sends unsolicited commercial communications to a person who has advised the sender that such communications are unwelcome, is guilty of an offence and liable, on conviction, to the penalties prescribed in section 89(1).

So, the conclusion is quite simple:

• Are you allowed to send bulk e-mails - YES
• Are you allowed to send UNSOLICITED bulk e-mails - NO

Bulk e-mails become unsolicited when you send someone an e-mail without their concent. And if you thought that you can fix that by adding and unsubscribe button at the bottom - you can't. That still qualifies as Unsolicited Bulk E-mails.

So help the fight against SPAM and make sure that whenver you send out bulk e-mails, that the people in your database wants to receive it. It only takes one person who got up on the wrong side of the bed and reads a spam e-mail first thing in the morning to bring a legal case knocking on your door.

Internet Resources


1. http://www.squidoo.com/ [a lens that you can keyword heavily in your favour]

2. http://www.linkedin.com/ - join discussion groups in your niche market

3. http://www.facebook.com/

4. http://www.twitter.com/ - sms [set it up right and your blog post will be tweeted to Facebook]

5. http://www.delicious.com/ - Allows you to bookmark your articles

6. http://www.digg.com/ - Allows you to make comments on your own articles

7. http://www.youtube.com/ - Upload your video clips

8. http://www.ping.fm/ - A free site that allows you to update all your social media networks

9. http://www.scribd.com/ - upload your articles

10.http://www.petchakutcha.com/ - 20 slides x 20 seconds of commentary

11.http://www.pr.com/ - upload your press releases here

12.http://www.biz-community.com/ - place your courses and seminars here for free

13.http://www.slideshare.com/ - upload your slide presentations for free



Blogs

1. http://www.blogger.com/

2. http://www.wordpress.com/

3. http://www.typepad.com/



Email Programmes

1. http://www.touchbasepro.com/

2. http://www.mylistmanager.co.za/

3. http://www.aweber.com/



Keyword Tools

1. Google - “google keyword tool”

2. http://siteexplorer.search.yahoo.com// - See how many of your pages are indexed

3. http://www.wordtracker.com/ - you can use it free up to a point

4. https://adwords.google.com//select/KeywordToolExternal - Find the keywords that your

target audience is typing in



Rankings

1. http://www.websitegrader.com/ - see how your website stacks up against your competitors

2. http://www.advancedwebranking.com// - advance search 30-days free

Article Submitter

1. http://www.submitedge.com/ - submit your articles and get links back to your website

Search Engine Rankings are an endless race between competing companies on the internet. How high you rank in search results, be it on Google, Yahoo, MSN or any other search engine out there, it all comes down to how high your web site is ranked for that specific search.

The unversal easiest way to increase the Search Enige "Reputation" or "Ranking" of your site is through positive inbound links. A number of people out there make a living of link exchanges where you pay someone to put a link from their site (which normally has a very high Search Engine Reputation) to yours, which in turn boosts your site's Search Engine Reputation. It's a common day practive among larger companies with the budget to pay for all these links, but what if you don't have the money? Or maybe you have the money but don't feel very inclined to pay someone for a little reputation? If that's the case, read on!

List Your Business on every decent business listing site you can find. This is probably a good time to point at that if you have outbound links to a web site "black listed" by Google or any of the other search engines you could receive a penalty from that search engine which could go as far as to completely removed your site from their search results, which means you are invisible on the internet and that's very bad...

We at Web Artist are compiling a list of good "Free" Business Listing Web Sites. We've decided to post it on here for your convenience. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start listing! Your Search Engine Reputation is just waiting to increase. This method isn't entirely as powerful as paid for link exchange, but it's a good start.

Here's our list. Check back frequently as we'll keep updating it as we find more:

http://www.yahoo.com/
http://www.bing.com/
http://www.msn.com/
http://www.ask.com/
http://www.aol.com/
http://www.ananzi.com/

Chambers conduct social and business events where you can socialize and develop relationships. Becoming a member of a chamber of commerce provides opportunities to give back to the community and capitalize on significant member benefits; serving in the leadership raises your recognition, visibility and credibility, as well as that of your business.


So make it a point to investigate your local chamber of commerce. Find out where the office is and request membership information. Ask for the names of members you can contact. Attend an event or two to see whether the membership is a good fit for you; for a small fee, you can probably visit a chamber mixer. Take your time, do your homework and locate a chamber that knows how to hold networking events and has strong membership. Membership is not free, but it’s far less expensive than traditional advertising.

Gauteng

Benoni Chamber of Commerce and Industries
Cranbourne Centre, Cranbourne Ave, Benoni, 1501
Tel: (011) 421-0597/421-9599
Fax: (011) 421-8627

Boksburg Chamber of Commerce and Industries
PO Box 133, Boksburg, 1460
Tel: (011) 914-2443
Fax: (011) 914-2559

Brakpan Chamber of Commerce and Industries
PO Box 4664, Dalpark, 1543
Tel: (011) 915-5621
Fax: (011) 915-5621

Gauteng Association of Chambers of Commerce and Industry
Private Bag 34, Auckland Park, 2006
Tel: (011) 726-5300
Fax: (011) 482-2000

Greater Germiston Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Medident Centre, 243-249 Meyer Street, Germiston, 1401
PO Box 24, Germiston, 1400
Tel: (011) 873-9920/21
Fax: (011) 825-6862
Email: ggcci@cis.co.za

Johannesburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry
JCC House, Empire Road, Milpark, Johannesburg, 2092
Private Bag 34, Auckland Park, 2006
Tel: (011) 726-5300
Fax: (011) 482-2000
Email: jcci@cis.co.za

Khayalami Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce and Industry
42 Voortrekker Ave, Edenvale, 1610
Tel: (011) 453-1530/1562
Fax: (011) 453-1685

Midrand Chamber of Commerce and Industry
PO Box 1735, Halfway House, 1685
Tel: (011) 315-1063/1070
Fax: (011) 315-0958

Mogale Chamber of Commerce and Industry (formally known as Krugersdorp Chamber)
PO Box 7, Krugersdorp, 1740
Tel: (011) 665 3930/32
Fax: (011) 953 4722

Nigel And District Chamber of Business
President: B Fitton
Secretary: Ms C Botha
PO Box 304, Nigel, 1490
Tel: (011) 814-3422
Fax: (011) 814-6785

Randburg Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Secretary: Mrs P Kelland
PO Box 363, Randburg, 2125
Tel: (011) 789-2421
Fax: (011) 787-2807

Roodepoort Chamber of Commerce & Industry
Private Bag X5, Westgate, 1734
Tel: (011) 768-4512/3
Fax: (011) 768-4915

Sandton Chamber of Commerce and Industry
P.O BOX 784073, Sandton, 2146, South Africa
Tel: (011) 881-5930
Fax: 0866 139 022

Southern African-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry
47 Oxford Road, Forest Town, Johannesburg, 2193
PO Box 87078, Houghton, 2041
Tel: (011) 486-2775
Fax: (011) 486-3625/75
Email: sagc@jhb.lia.net

Springs Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Shop 33, Palm Springs Mall, Cnr. 5th Ave & 5th Street, Springs, 1559
PO Box 201, Springs, 1560
Tel: (011) 815-5750/1/2
Fax: (011) 815-2455

Pretoria And North West

North West Chamber of Industries and Mines
Soutter Street, Pretoria Showgrounds, Pretoria West, 0001
PO Box 933, Pretoria, 001
Tel: (012) 327-1487
Fax: (012) 327-1501
Email: camsa@satis.co.za

Northern Transvaal Chamber of Industries
Soutter Street, Pretoria Showgrounds, Pretoria West, 0001
PO Box 933, Pretoria, 001
Tel: (012) 327-1487
Fax: (012) 327-1501
Email: camsa@satis.co.za

Pretoria Chamber of Business
Kingston House, 852 Park Street, Corner Eastwood Street, Arcadia, 0007
PO Box 40653, Arcadia, 0007
Tel: (012) 342-3236
Fax: (012) 342-1486

Here are nine online strategies — beyond your Web site — that will help you build the presence you need.


Get listed in searchable directories and catalogs. Professionals in virtually every industry have preferred Web sites and directories they return to over and over again to find products and solutions. Searchable online directories give you a powerful and highly visible presence in front of customers and prospects when they are searching for answers.

Advertise in industry e-newsletters. E-newsletter advertisements deliver your message directly to the inboxes of prospects and customers. They are a great way to announce new products or your presence at a trade show, or to offer white papers or Webinars to an opt-in audience.

Publish technical articles online. Consider publishing your technical articles and white papers on industry authority sites, content aggregators and online publications read by your target audience. Work to establish relationships with these sites by pitching article ideas and positioning your company as experts for reporters writing stories.

Place banner advertisements. Due to their highly visible nature, online banners offer both branding and lead generation opportunities. But your ads need to appear on the appropriate Web sites. Seek out a media partner that knows the online behavior of your target audience and can help you place banner ads across a network of relevant sites used by your customers and prospects.

Join industry trade associations. Associations typically list members and provide links back to your Web site. Some will allow you to submit your logo, which helps increase brand visibility for your company. Make sure the link back to your Web site goes to a relevant page — it might be your home page, but it also might be a deeper, more specific page.

Use keyword search ads wisely. Most companies are using keyword search ads to some degree, driving traffic to their Web site. If you use keyword ads, choose specific keyword phrases rather than the most popular search terms (for example, “hydraulic linear actuators” instead of “actuators”). This way, you will not waste money gaining visibility with people who are not your target audience.

Comment on blogs; participate in online discussions. Interactive social media such as blogs and online discussion groups devoted to your industry are good ways to get your name out there. Remember to post comments with care — anything you write can be seen by many people and is a direct reflection of your company.

Don’t forget about SEO. Search engine optimization (SEO) can draw more attention to your company’s Web pages by helping them rise higher in search engine results for specific keyword searches. Determine how SEO can best fit into your marketing strategy without too much strain in resources.

Consider social media. Social media — including blogs, LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook — are another way to promote your company and key messages to your target audience. Although you may not be using social media as part of your online marketing strategy right now, it makes sense to gain a better understanding of it and how you might effectively use it in the future.

Maintaining a comprehensive online presence will help you get your message across to business professionals who rely on the Internet for work-related information, resulting in increased exposure for your products and services.