When I first began doing business on the Internet in 1997, I believed a widely circulating rumor that all one had to do to become successful (and, wealthy) was to build a web site.

Well, after doing so and, repeatedly, making mistakes and failing, I quickly became depressed with online marketing. Being accustomed to accomplishing many, if not most, things I set out to do (except 8th-Grade Algebra), I figured I had finally met my match. I also figured that I must simply be the only person online not making a 6-figure income. Oh, the price of naiveté!

Fueling this idea, were ongoing unsolicited Emails from others who, alternatively, stated they were raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. Some were even willing to (and did) provide "checks" as proof! Today, I'm embarrassed to admit to my naiveté, as I now realize that, given the right tools, virtually anything can be fabricated online.

In an effort to save you from emotional woes, or relieve you of them if you have already encountered them, I am going to provide you with information on how you can realistically garner success online as I have now, successfully, three years later.

And you, likewise, can use these same methods to successfully promote any product, service, or information online as well. So, let's get started...

1. Pre-Promotion Campaign - Prior to beginning your active promotion campaign, initiate a pre- promotion campaign by joining as many online discussion lists relating to your area of business as possible.

You should be able to easily find such lists at "Egroups.com" (www.egroups.com), "Topica.com" (www.topica.com), Listbot (www.listbot.com), or a few other lesser- known list groups.

Next, place a reference to whatever you wish to promote, within your Email signature file so that when you post notices, questions, concerns, or answers to your lists, information regarding your business will automatically post along with it in your signature file as well for others to see and, hopefully, acquire what you are promoting within it.

Your signature file reference should contain an attention-grabbing headline, along with a 4-5 line text of information regarding your business. Review the "Help" section of your Email software or manual in order to learn how to set up your signature file correctly.

2. News Releases - Pull up your favorite search engine(s) and search for "news sites," "news posts," or any related term. What you are seeking, are sites that allow posting of news releases and notices regarding your business, products, services, information, ventures, etc.

These are very detailed and instructional on how to get your information posted within them. One of the most recognizable sites is the Internet News Bureau, which requires a fee. However, there are other sites, many of which are free, as well.

Also, forward news releases to the editors of any online ezines, as well as offline magazines, most of which will have web sites as well. You can also locate most of these through search engines by searching on the term, "ezines." Popular sites for offline publications include the AJR Newslink at ajr.newslink.org.

3. Articles - If you are familiar fairly well with various details of your business (and you should be), consider the idea of providing tips, shortcuts, advice, and any additional helpful information to editors of ezines and magazines.

There are also databanks, whereby, you can list your articles for other publishers and editors to freely use with the condition that they maintain your byline with your article to insure credit to you. One such databank is at www.ideamarketers.com, and there are more.

Ongoing content is the primary need at any publication. At the end of your article, include a notice that is commonly known in the publishing industry as a "byline." This is actually 2-tools-in-1. First, the content of the article itself, then, the byline containing information regarding your own business, product, service, or information.

4. Search Engines - List, not only the main or home page of your web site with the search engines, but also your additional pages, as long as they are different and titled accordingly. Doing this, will dramatically increase the traffic to your site. In fact, at some point, you should experience an increase geometrically.

5. Announcement Sites - This is a 1-shot opportunity, so make it good. What you want to do at announcement sites, is to provide the most attention-getting information you possibly can for your venture, as you can, generally, only do this once for new startup businesses. Two popular announcement sites are the "What's New" and the "What's New Too" sites.

6. Announcement Lists - There also exists Email announcement lists, much like announcement sites, whereby, you can provide notices and posts regarding your product, service, or information.

The main difference, however, is that as announcement sites only allow for a 1-time post, announcement lists, in contrast, allow postings periodically and, generally, on a weekly or monthly basis. You can also find these at the Egroups, Topica, and Listbot sites.

7. Ezine Ads - Ezine ads are great, as long as their publications contain high enough circulation to warrant the CPM (Cost Per Thousand) readers. However, the drawback is that many readers pass them by, naturally, having more interest in the content of the publication.

Additionally, ads tend to get "lost" in publications that publish a high number of ads in issues. In most cases in the offline publishing world, an ideal CPM rate is 10,000 readers per $1.00 spent. Try for this same ratio in your Ezine ads as well. A great resource for advertising in ezines is the Ezine Directory (www.ezinedirectory.com).

8. Publisher Swaps - This promotion method is exclusive to Ezine and newsletter publishers, and is, whereby, publishers trade ads with each other to be placed in their respective publications in the effort of gaining new subscribers.

Successful ad swaps can provide dramatic increases in the subscriber base of your own publications. The Ezine Directory should provide some, if not all, information regarding it. Or, you can use the directory's content to contact publishers with a "swap proposal."

9. Opt-In Direct Email - To "opt-in" means to voluntarily accept information or notices via Email from outside sources regarding particular interests that you have. There are, literally, millions of people online who are members of such lists.

As a business owner interested in promoting your product, service, or information, you rent such a list from the opt-in service, providing your sales letter or material to the service, then allowing the information to be sent via Email by the service to the list members you have selected.

This is the popular and preferred alternative to unsolicited bulk emailing or "spamming." Once a list is mailed, your response is almost immediate.

The interested responders then purchase your offer, or request more information, at which time, you should have an auto responder already set up to "feedback" more sales literature. An auto responder is an automated Email address that, when accessed, returns certain pre-input information.

Once purchases are made, these particular list buyers then become your own customers, and you can usually provide them with similar follow- up products, services, or information in the future without re-renting their name from the list. The most widely know is Postmaster Direct at www.postmasterdirect.com.

These are the methods and techniques that I have found to be realistic, sound and, most importantly, successful. They are applicable to anything that lends itself commercially viable, whether it is a product, service, or information.