The holidays are already ramping up to full swing! This year, it seems that the shortened shopping season has jump-started the timing of “Black Friday” email deals. The online marketing world is no exception.
If you have an email address, you’ve already been barraged by “flash sales” from everyone you’ve ever heard of. This can be annoying… or you can see it as an opportunity to get a jump on your marketing plans for 2020 and save lots of money in the process.
I’ve recently been researching online courses to improve my SEO (search optimization) skills. If you’ve ever researched SEO – there’s a lot of advice out there, and some of it is either outdated or just plain wrong. It’s a tough subject that changes on a daily basis. I really wanted to learn from a proven, quality source, and was willing to pay to get it right. In my research, I joined a mailing list for a well-regarded online marketing/SEO training program – and I was considering it. As an email subscriber, I was able to sign up for the one-day “flash sale” they were offering at 75% off… with some bonus courses thrown in. This was a big win… and I’m looking forward to the course!
The moral of the story: I saved 4 figures by using my first savings tip below:
If you are interested in a service or course, sign up for their email list. Yep, it can be overwhelming and probably annoying, and you may not read everything they may send. However, just checking in now and then can offer a huge savings opportunity, just at the right time. Also, following on social media helps, too… but the bigger savings opportunities will arrive by email.
Leverage special offers on upgrades and annual-payment plans. Most online services from domain registration to web hosting to email marketing offer steep discounts for annual or multi-year payment. These extended term offers can save you as much as 30%. A bonus benefit for this approach is a bigger business expense write-off at year-end (of course, check with a tax pro on this).
Be an early-adopter. If you stumble upon a handy service in “early days” of its existence, you can lock in long term savings. The cost of a very successful service is likely to increase over time, but jumping in early can be like discovering a diamond in the rough! Plus, you’ll sound really hip when recommending your new discovery to others. 😉
Here’s a holiday limited-time web-hosting offer to get you started:
- WP Engine (my web host) is offering 30% off this weekend. Throw in annual payment, and you’ll be getting 5 months free. Remember to use code CYBERWKND30 at checkout.
Happy Thanksgiving!