Software Promotion

Software Announce

by Sharon Housley

Creating amazing software is only half the battle. Telling
the world about your software is the other half. With
working capital, consider employing someone who specializes
in software promotion. To work with an established reputable
firm can esure success when marketing software. Two
promotional companies that know the software industry, and
can provide valuable marketing advice and insight are:
Shareware Promotions - http://www.sharewarepromotions.com
Dr File Finder http://www.drff.com .

Outside of hiring professionals to market software, there
are still a number of options for marketing software, in
most cases, the only investment will be time.

1. Post Press Releases to Online Resources
If press releases or product announcements are sent out,
consider posting the announcements to websites, there are a
number that allow for press release posting free of charge.
The releases on these sites are occasionally picked up by
publications looking for information or filler content.
Another side benefit to these listings is increased link
popularity, which helps with search engine ranking. A list
of sites that allow for press release posting can be found
under 'press release posting' A number are available at -
http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com/pressreleases.html

2. Post Announcement on Usenet
A number of Usenet groups allow for posting of announcements
or press releases. Most of the announce groups in Usenet
contain 'ann.' in the domain address. To locate topic
specific announce groups consider searching Newsguy.com. A
list of common software announce groups are listed below.
comp.software.shareware.announce
fm.announce

3. Post to Forums
Forums also contain sections in which you can post
announcements. If the application is niche product, consider
searching for topic specific forums in addition to the
general software announce forums listed below. Be sure to
post any announcements in the appropriately marked 'announce
forum'
http://www.small-business-software.net/forum/
http://forum.mypdacafe.com
http://forums.digital-sea.com/
http://download.net/forums/index.php
http://www.developers-forum.com/
http://v2.tlab404.com/forum

Topic specific software announce forums are also available,
such as -
http://www.messaging-software.com/forum - only messaging
related announcements are welcome

4. Search Usenet
To determine if there are recent inquiries regarding related
software or your products and to post appropriate responses
search Google's Forum directory (by date):
http://groups.google.com/

5. Present to Local User Groups
User groups are filled with technically savvy individuals
who have an interest in technology and software. Consider
attending and presenting software at a local user group
meeting or a SIG (special interest group). The targeted
audience will often share information, about software that
impresses them, with friends or other user groups. To find
local user groups search the database located on the
Association of Professional User Group (APCUG) website at
http://www.apcug.org or post an inquiry to the user group
forum on http://www.small-business-software.net/forum/

6. Partner with Other Developers
Consider a developer newsletter exchange. Complimentary
products often do well when presented properly. Provide a
discount or affiliate exchange to sweeten the offer of a
mention.

The extra effort expended to make potential customers aware
of products can go a long way to ensure the success of a
well designed application.