Viral Marketing has exploded within the last couple of years. Placing your business and products in front of hungry eyes has morphed from static advertising to audio, video and other forms of viral content. Through the birth of Internet-ready cell phones, text messaging, blogging, wireless laptops, websites that allow video content to be uploaded, 24/7 and services such as iTunes, the ways of promoting yourself are as vast and widespread as your creativity allows.

Thinking "outside the box" has never been more important than it is now. There is cash to be made and the need to go where your customers are hanging their hats is vital to the survival and growth of your business. Don't look at it as extra work, but a new challenge and an exciting time to live and work.

BLOGGING

Blogging is something that every business owner needs to learn to do. Why? It is an everyday medium that is sweeping the Internet. There are blogs for every interest and on any subject you can think of. From breeding dogs to the correct usage of a lawn trimmer, people are out there on their blogs, informing and interacting with others who are interested in what they have to say. Taking it a step further, when you create a blog of interest and begin to generate traffic to it (and you will!), your visitors will want to share their thoughts about what you are talking about. People love to give their opinions and it's your job to open up that dialog. In essence, these people who respond are creating new content for you. The search engines are spidering your blog every time a new entry or comment is made. They love blogs and you will probably soon find that they are ranking your blog or blogs far better and quicker than your actual website! How cool is that? As you get into blogging, you will also be exposed to what is known as RSS Feeds. Quickly, this is a way of providing opt-in content to people through RSS readers and email. I won't go into detail, but will suggest you learn more about it. Just one more way of promoting yourself and spreading the word that you have what people are searching for.

Good places to get a free blog is Blogger.com or Wordpress.com. Start today and see that what I'm saying will indeed profit you. I can almost guarantee it.

VIDEO AND AUDIO

Unless you've been under a rock for the past year or so, you will have noticed the explosion of, what is called, "viral videos." These videos created by anyone who has access to a video camera are sweeping the `Net and growing as viewers post them to newsgroups, link to them from their own blogs or websites and share them with others, via instant messenger or email. With a single video submission to popular websites such as YouTube and Google Video, businesses are placing themselves before the eyes of millions of potential customers. They are making themselves known by promoting their website or product or even advertising for other companies. For example, say that you are a mechanic who would like to share your expertise with others by showing them how to check and change out their vehicle's brakes. You create a video in which you take them through the steps, showing them all they need to know. You market that video by either tagging it with your own mechanic shop location or website or by contact, say, Les Schwab and seeing it they would like to sponsor it. You tag it with their information at the end, collect some money from them, and put it on YouTube for all to see. You both get the exposure. That is only one example of the things you can do with video. The possibilities are as vast as your creativity.

You can do the same with audio. Create a MP3 podcast of your travels, ways to do something, interviews, whatever. Market them in the same ways and watch the traffic roll in.

FORUMS AND DISCUSSION GROUPS

Forums and discussion groups exist for any and all subjects under the sun. If you have an interest, you are sure to find a good handful of discussion groups made up of people who share that same passion. Register for those groups and make some friends and, more importantly, contacts. Share your knowledge and experiences, solve people's problems, and promote yourself through your posts. Not blantantly, but by way of the signature your create. Each of your posts will have your signature tagged onto the end of it. Here's your chance to link to your website or promote your product. Don't sell, but PRE-sell. Once the other group members find that you seem to be an expert on what you speak about, they will trust what you say and be more apt to click on the links in your signature. Find the groups, register for them and start making contacts.

A couple of the more popular places to find discussion groups are at Google and Yahoo. There are many more out there and they are looking for another voice of expertise. Do both them and you the favor of joining them.

Blogging, viral video and audio and discussion groups are just a small number of ways to market yourself and your business in the 21st century. Keep an eye on the technology as it crops up and evolves. Don't ever let a new type of opportunity pass you by. Doing things the old ways will leave you in the dust as your competitors move ahead of you. Find out where your potential customers are hanging out and be there to be the Pied Piper for your area of expertise. Give the people what they want, solve their problems, answer their questions and, they in turn, will be more than happy to give you want you want...KA-CHING!