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Promoting your service based business can be done in the same way that you would promote a product. Though there are obvious differences, you can still use the same techniques to achieve the desired results.

The first step to marketing your service is to determine your unique selling point; this is what will set you apart from your competition. You need to give your clients a reason to choose your service over anyone else*s. Once you*ve done this, it will be become the focal point of your promotional strategies.

Your USP could be a money-back guarantee on your services, or perhaps you offer a discounted rate for clients who sign on with you for a certain amount of time. It can be any number of things, but when you decide what your USP is, use it to brand yourself and make you stand out from the crowd.

The next step is to start promoting and here's how you can do that:

Networking:

Building relationships with other people, either online or offline is a great way to generate clients. Once you*ve joined a few groups, there are a few things you'll want keep in mind to get the most out of your networking efforts.

The first and most important rule of networking is to be honest. Misleading people will quickly lead to distrust, a bad reputation, and no business at all. So for the sake of everyone involved, don*t be afraid to be yourself and to say *no,* if there's something you can*t do. Another way to grow your business is to help other business owners grow theirs. By sharing leads and referrals for other business owners, you'll quickly find the same coming back to you.

And finally, be patient and give networking time to work. You can*t expect people to meet you once and hire you on the spot; they want to be reassured of you and your business before they start handing over money.

Internet Talk Radio:

Over the past year, Internet radio programs have been popping up all over the web, and it has provided yet another way for business owners to promote their business. These shows provide a great way to reach a large listening audience of people who are interested in you. Do a search to find all the radio shows that will reach your target market, once you have a list of possible places to contact, listen to their shows and check out their archives to find out what their listening audiences are interested in.

The next step is to get the contact information for the host of the show or their Public Relations person, and then submit a press release outlining your expertise. If they*re interested in having you as a guest on the show, they'll certainly contact you to discuss it further.

Teleseminars:

A teleseminar is a presentation that you give over the telephone, and holding one is fantastic way to show off your expertise. You can either host your own seminar, or offer your services as a guest speaker to other business owners who have a large following of people within your target market.

For the most part, teleseminars are free for guests and will focus on a specific topic of interest to them. The best part about seminars is that it literally brings the clients to you, and once they hear you in action, they'll be more likely to contact you.

Blog:

Having a blog is yet another relationship building tool. You can focus the blog around your area of expertise, and provide free information and resources to potential clients. The more you post, the more your readership, and their trust in you and your opinions, will develop. You can use your blog to promote your services by posting articles on relevant topics and telling them to contact you for more information or assistance.