by Ginger Marin

Okay, so you have a web site already and it looks nice and you’re satisfied it’s going to bring in visitors for you. Well, it probably will, but there’s more you could be doing and you could be doing it for just the cost of your time. Here’s a smart marketing tip: it’s called cross-promotion and here’s an easy and free way to do it.

Take advantage of social networking websites where you can build free websites and profiles to enhance your visibility and link back to your original site. Of course, if you don’t already have a website, you could build one effectively, in most cases for free, or maybe just for the cost of domain name registration, by using social networking websites.

Obviously you’ll want to find one that offers the best features so that you can network, cross-promote and thus showcase yourself or your business. Some social media websites allow you to sell products or services in addition to offering video sharing, photo galleries, blogs and forums. They’re all designed for easy communication among friends, new or old. Another advantage of joining good social networking websites is that they can also help members find a job or establish business contacts through free classified advertising.

No matter what you’re trying to promote: yourself, your business or an organization, when building your social networking website, remember to include important keywords and phrases when describing your site. If you’re a business make sure you select the most appropriate business category for your site.

The best social networking websites will also have the best search results so their members and visitors can locate you easily and quickly. Free promotion is worth its weight in gold whether you’re an individual promoting your talents or interests or a business selling products or an organization promoting an important message. Social networking websites are great sources to maximize your cross promotion potential.

Author Ginger Marin is an actor, freelance writer and storyteller.  You can also find her on Google+