| When we pick up a newspaper we have very | | | | on rudimentary skills in lawn care. They could submit |
| specific sections we like to go to. One reader might | | | | photos that show problem areas and you could point |
| gravitate toward the classified to look for the latest | | | | out products or plants that could help them correct a |
| bargain, for another it is the cartoons, still another | | | | problem. Of course each advice column you post |
| always hunts for the sports section or entertainment. | | | | should be chock full of links to products you have |
| Yet there is one more section that is sought every | | | | available on your site that deals with the issue. You |
| day - the advice columns. These columns are filled | | | | might even throw in a homegrown treatment from |
| with advice about lost love, wayward children, rude | | | | time to time. This generosity facilitates increased |
| people, classic cars, yard and garden maintenance and | | | | trust in your ability to be both helpful and gracious. |
| a multitude of other life and how-to issues. Perhaps | | | | Getting a column like this started is always the most |
| you can capitalize on the idea of an advice column to | | | | difficult because no one wants to be the first to ask |
| act as a unique site promotion tool. Imagine being | | | | a question. You may have to come up with your |
| able to connect with people on a purely help oriented | | | | own questions for a while as you wait for the first |
| level - and they don't have to buy anything to gain | | | | brave soul to submit their question. It can be easy to |
| access to the advice. If, for instance, your business is | | | | give up when you haven't seen an email in the first |
| designed around the idea of lawn and garden care, | | | | few weeks, but the idea is a bit like Search Engine |
| you could answer questions from site visitors giving | | | | Optimization (SEO) strategies. This can take a while |
| them advice about the care and protection of their | | | | for site visitors to find and then it can take a bit |
| lawn and plants. Everybody loves free advice and | | | | longer for them to view this as a spot to come back |
| your advice column could double as a rather fun | | | | to on a regular basis. You should make sure you |
| version of FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions). For | | | | make the Advice column available through RSS (Real |
| list building purposes you could make the current | | | | Simple Syndication). The use of RSS provides the |
| advice column available to all site visitors while the | | | | best chance for interested, but busy, site visitors to |
| archive is only available to members, but make the | | | | have the chance to review new material. This too |
| membership free. This method simply provides a | | | | remains a potent site promotion tool. You're an |
| mechanism to build an organic list. You can include a | | | | expert in your field - let your voice be heard while |
| little humor in the column while resisting the urge to | | | | you promote your site. |
| be rude to customers who may not have a handle | | | | |