We would all like to get the word out about our wonderful, awesome home based business. However, how you get the word out can either propel your business around the world in 80 days or…

Land you a spot in my new category: How NOT To Promote Online. Sure, you may have heard of attraction marketing but have you ever heard of repellent marketing?

If you’ve been a member of any online community chance are you’ve either been the victim and maybe even a culprit (YIKES!)

That’s right, Not all marketing is attractive!

Sadly, you may very well be committing these reputation scaring sins in your feeble attempts to generated leads for you business online …

How Not to Promote Online is in effort to help you understand exactly what NOT to do when prospecting online and, more importantly, WHY.

The following is a real, unedited email from a social network “friend” to me and 58 other “friends” just days ago. Following the email I will explain in details the issues and how to avoid them.

The Message:

Head line: BIG SALE

CAN YOU BLAST THIS OUT FOR ME PLEASE….BIG SALE-Scentsy is having a big end of winter sale. 10% off the winter catalog ( except double the scentsy / scentsy sampler ) Warmers and scents are being discounted to make room for spring. Get your favorites now !
www.scentsy.com/GinaForet
PLEASE PASS ON TO FRIENDS

The Lesson:

Now here is why Gina has been elected as a Marketing Sin Celebrity of the Week.

Starting with the headline…

Smells Like Hype From A Mile Away

Any headline in all caps is, or at least is related to hype in the minds of your potential prospects. If you use it at all use it sparingly.

Also, a headline should include what is for sale… like: 5 cent Valentines Day cards or in this case, candles that were over priced to begin with.

Depending on your audience a BIG SALE could be a powerful incentive to buy now. However, it depends on the relationship with your audience as well. And since I had no clue from the headline what was in the BIG SALE, I knew there was only a slim chance that is could have been a personal message.

And Speaking of Relationships…

I had no previous interaction with her therefore would not trust any of her recommendations right off the bat. Which also lowers the chance a potential prospects will heed your call to action.

It seems like a catch all message with no added value for its reader.

Whats in a Name?

Unless your products or services have already been branded like Wells Fargo or at&t, don’t go throwing it around like it means something special to your potential prospects.

I don’t even know what Scentsy is or what it’s suppose to do which was assumed otherwise by my would be prospector.

An Indecent Proposal

Along with the headline, note the other part of the message that are emboldened. A plea to spread the marketing sin baton along to your “friends”!

Don’t go blasting anything out to your friends that you wouldn’t be proud to have your name on…. a big smelly sale is not one of those things I’ll be passing along.

Here’s to respecting your business,

Malika Duke

P.S. Got a Marketing Sin Celebrity you’d like to expose on “How NOT to promote” you can have your name and your mug attributed to the most down to earth networking and marketing training on the net! Send me your examples along with your full name, website and mug shot…er picture malika@savvybusinessmom.com