July 2007
You are currently browsing the articles from Advertise My Business written in the month of July 2007.
Back in the 1760s, the great Dr Samuel Johnson delivered himself of the dictum that promise, large promise is the soul of advertising? Its a good thought, a great thought; and I contend that what was true then is equally true today. But it seems to me that modern advertisers are tying themselves into unnecessary knots in an attempt to reach audiences which they believe are becoming increasingly indifferent to their blandishments.
Well, yes, markets are turning deaf ears and blind eyes, but they always have done, though not for the reasons generally espoused by the worlds marketers. I am convinced that despite all the sophisticated research and marketing effort that goes into advertising these days, the real reason that markets are indifferent to advertising is because much of it ignores the many splendoured principle that people dont buy products, they buy the benefits of owning those products.
Today, the great proportion of advertisers dont deliver sales messages, they tell what they hope are emotive stories with which the market can empathise, then they drop the product in as an afterthought, hoping that enough emotional cross-communication has been achieved for people to reach for their credit cards. That it doesnt and people wont has resulted in huge advertising budget cut-backs in the developed world in recent years. Only a manufacturer who has taken leave of his senses will throw even more money at a strategy that doesnt work.
The strategy responsible operates under the title Emotional Sales Proposition (ESP), thought in some quarters to be an advance on the Unique Sales Proposition (USP) which, on the contrary, does actually work. What has been overlooked or, more likely, ignored, is that in developing the principle of the USP in the late 1950s, the brilliant Rosser Reeves was striving to replace an advertising strategy that had been in situ for 30 or so years and was fast running out of steam. What was the device he was hoping to supersede? Well, by any other name, it was the emotional sales proposition. I wont bore you with the detail, but if youd like to find out more, you should lay your hands on Reeves?book, Reality in Advertising (MacGibbon & Kee ?1961). It could be an eye-opener.
So, its true ?the one thing we learn from history is that we never learn anything from history. Lets go back to Dr Johnson. Its worth remembering that the kind of advertising old Sam was talking about in the 18th century was fairly innocuous and largely unexceptionable. It could be read in coffee- house flyers, in chapbooks and in rudimentary newspapers; and it consisted of sales messages as diverse as where to get your wig powdered and the date of the next public hanging at Tyburn. Even so, the products and services on offer were as important to the people of the time as mobile phones and computers are to us.
In the human condition, nothing much changes. Our egos still need to be massaged and we are all in hot pursuit of happiness. Only our methods for achieving these goals, only our technologies, vary with time.
So the next time you are tempted to commit advertising, think about Sam Johnson and give your market a reason for owning your product. A good reason.
About The Author
Patrick Quinn is an award winning copywriter with 40 years’ experience of the advertising business in London, Miami, Dublin and Edinburgh. He publishes a FREE monthly newsletter, AdBriefing. Subscriptions are available at: http://www.adbriefing.com
Advertising Made Easy, and Cost EffectiveAdvertising made easy, and your wallet will love it too!In today’s market, anyone in business knows that advertising is the backbone to the success, and without it, you are “dead in the water”. Even with the greatest product on the planet, a product that you know everyone needs and wants. Without advertising, it’s just […]
Where Should you Spend your Advertising Dollars?One of the most common questions people ask me is: Where should I spend my advertising dollars?? Their experience can typically be summed up as follows:I recently opened my business as an interior designer. I was so excited. But now ?two months later ?Im getting frustrated. I believe that my services […]
Building Business With Free Online Classified AdsOne time sellers and long term sellers can cash in on the advantages of free online classifieds. Despite the service is given to you free of cost, free online classifieds ad websites offer great service in helping you sell your products.Free online classifieds websites generally are of two kinds ?some have an option for upgrading […]
Banner Stand ExhibitsBanner Stands are a high impact, inexpensive and attractive medium of advertisement. They are usually found at exhibitions, trade shows, retail stores ?just about anywhere the potential customer can be attracted by high wattage graphics.The attractive thing about banner stands is that they are portable, flexible and easy to set up. There are different kinds […]
Advertising InsertsOne of the best and easiest ways to advertise without having to worry about shelf life of those who would most likely use your services or buy the products from your small business is to use inserts in your local newspaper. A marketing piece might also be to insert our flyers in the daily newspaper. […]
Written by info on July 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Advertise My Business.
No Teletrack Payday Loans
Achieving sales is probably the biggest
challenge a web business owner has. It requires
a balanced mix of the right products, competitive
pricing, optimal web design, aggressive advertising
and attracting the right online visitors.
While all of the above are equally important in
achieving abundant sales, none of them will work
at all if you don’t target the people that are most
likely to buy your products or services. These
people are known as your target or niche market.
Focusing in on your niche market will allow you to
find only those that are ready, willing and able to
buy what you have to offer.
Your niche market provides you the competitive edge
over larger corporations because larger companies
tend to market to a much broader range of people.
Their promotions are more generalized and less focused.
For them, the smaller markets are not worth bothering
with. This now becomes your opportunity to capture
those highly defined niche markets that they left behind.
Defining your Market
In order to find these people you must first determine
who they are. This might sound like a simple or
perhaps insignificant question at first but it can
possibly make or break the success of your sales if
you don’t give it some serious thought.
Here’s how to get started.
Think about the following and jot down all those
that might apply to people interested in your products
or services. Don’t rule out any category completely.
Think about each group of people and how they might
apply.
Age Group:
infants, Children, teens, young adults, baby boomers,
middle aged, elderly or all.
Gender:
Male, female or both
Marital status:
single, married, divorced, widowed or all
Ethnic or religious backgrounds
Occupations:
Executives, doctors, lawyers, housewives,
business owners, teachers, blue collar,
white collar, students, out of work, etc.
Health Status:
healthy, diseased, home bound, active, sedentary, etc.
Interests:
sports, hiking, music, arts, computers, reading
television, animals, home decorating, cars,
walking, running, relaxation, health conscious,
age conscious, physical fitness, etc.
Income status:
low income, middle income, high income, no income.
Education:
high school dropout, high school, college, MBA
PHD, hates school, loves school, etc.
Certainly all categories are not listed above,
however these can get you started on thinking about
all the possibilities.
Next, it’s important to determine what benefits
you are offering. Examine your products or services
carefully listing all the benefits that you can
think of. Perhaps take a poll of your existing
customers and ask them what it is they like about
your products or services. What benefits them the
most.
Once you have a listed all of the benefits, think
about what people would be interested in these
benefits based on your list above. Then put them
together to assist you in reaching a market that
will bring you sales.
Reaching Your Target Market
Search engines are the best way of finding a
targeted market because those searching on the
web can type in exactly what they are searching
for and receive the targeted traffic the search
engines so proudly advertise.
But attaining good placement on the search engines
is often difficult and time consuming.
Ezines and newsletters are a very effective alternative.
Most ezines cover specific subjects such as finance,
marketing, health, internet, etc. Your job will be to
find an ezine whose topic matches your target market.
To do this you must locate an ezine directory. Directories
usually list contact information, advertising rates, and
circulation. Once you find a targeted ezine then place
your ad. Be sure your ad includes as many of your product
benefits as the ad will allow.
The idea is to define your target market specifically
enough so that you can find the appropriate place to
advertise and then create sales messages that
make your readers feel you are talking directly to them.
You’ll be amazed at the amount of traffic you can receive
by finding your target market and reaching them in the
appropriate location.
Elizabeth McGee has spent 20 years in the service and support industry.
She has moved her expertise to the world wide web helping businesses
find trusted tools, enhance customer service, build confidence and
increase sales. Elizabeth’s sites can be viewed here:
http://www.pro-marketing-online.com
http://www.homenotion.com
Copyright ?2004 Adlite Enterprises
All Rights Reserved.
Where Should you Spend your Advertising Dollars?One of the most common questions people ask me is: Where should I spend my advertising dollars?? Their experience can typically be summed up as follows:I recently opened my business as an interior designer. I was so excited. But now ?two months later ?Im getting frustrated. I believe that my services […]
Advertising-The Best Marketing TipThe best marketing tip you will ever hear is to advertise your product or business. In fact, any marketing tip you hear or see will be related to some form of advertising. In this article, we will go over several marketing tips and the reason you should use them.One great marketing tip is […]
Promote yourself on radio for freeUnless you have become extremely popular in your personal or business name, you likely need all of the marketing and promotion you can get. Now, you may say, of course, I’m aware of this, but who has the money? This a good and fair question. It may surprise you, though, when I […]
Advertising InsertsOne of the best and easiest ways to advertise without having to worry about shelf life of those who would most likely use your services or buy the products from your small business is to use inserts in your local newspaper. A marketing piece might also be to insert our flyers in the daily newspaper. […]
50 Surefire Business Card TipsBusiness cards are one of the most powerful and inexpensive marketing tools you can use. Here are 50 surefire tips to make the most out of your business cards:Your business card must communicate more than just your contact information. Make sure that your card includes a tag line that explains what you or […]
Written by info on July 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Advertise My Business.
No Teletrack Payday Loans
Recently there was an article in USAToday by Edward C. Baig that cast doubt on the value of spending large amounts of money on pricey banner ads.
According to Baig, the Nielsen Norman Group, based in Fremont California, recently released a study where the Nielson firm asked more then 230 participants to research specific topics online. The participants were hooked up to sophisticated eye-tracking equipment that allowed the authors of the study to track what people were looking at on their computer screens.
Baig writes, the study findings show companies still have much to learn about how best to present an online image.? The findings of the study suggest people see very little on most web pages ?including the pricy banner ads at the top of most web pages.
This would explain why most banner ad click through rates are horrendously low. If most companies get a click through rate of 5% they are incredibly happy with the results of the ad campaign.
There are literally thousands of pay per click advertisers on the net who will gladly take your money with no promise of any return or guarantee of success.
For some small start up companies or people interested in starting a home based online business, you may want to consider where you spend your hard earned advertising dollars.
There seems to be a growing opinion out there that a credible press release may in fact be the way to go when trying to get your companies name in front of the masses. Many reputable companies can often do a press release for under two hundred dollars. If you consider that some of these companies that submit press releases have instant credibility with news sites like Yahoo! and Google, then you can easily see how your press release can easily get picked up and posted on the web.
The other thing you should consider if you are considering submitting a press release is old adage that content is king?on the internet. There are many websites out there that are starving for online content. They would love nothing better then to post your press release online just to have content for their readers.
Gary Kelly is co-creator of the online dating website for golfers, http://www.DateAGolfer.com and http://www.PuttingForPar.com, a golf website specializing in personalized ball markers
Where Should you Spend your Advertising Dollars?One of the most common questions people ask me is: Where should I spend my advertising dollars?? Their experience can typically be summed up as follows:I recently opened my business as an interior designer. I was so excited. But now ?two months later ?Im getting frustrated. I believe that my services […]
Building Business With Free Online Classified AdsOne time sellers and long term sellers can cash in on the advantages of free online classifieds. Despite the service is given to you free of cost, free online classifieds ad websites offer great service in helping you sell your products.Free online classifieds websites generally are of two kinds ?some have an option for upgrading […]
Promote yourself on radio for freeUnless you have become extremely popular in your personal or business name, you likely need all of the marketing and promotion you can get. Now, you may say, of course, I’m aware of this, but who has the money? This a good and fair question. It may surprise you, though, when I […]
Advertising InsertsOne of the best and easiest ways to advertise without having to worry about shelf life of those who would most likely use your services or buy the products from your small business is to use inserts in your local newspaper. A marketing piece might also be to insert our flyers in the daily newspaper. […]
50 Surefire Business Card TipsBusiness cards are one of the most powerful and inexpensive marketing tools you can use. Here are 50 surefire tips to make the most out of your business cards:Your business card must communicate more than just your contact information. Make sure that your card includes a tag line that explains what you or […]
Written by info on July 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Advertise My Business.
Marketing is an important tool for attracting customers. It is commonplace to see banners announcing bargains of “70% off the retail price.” However a recent High Court decision illustrates that care must be taken with such marketing.
In the case of Office of Fair Trading v Officers Club Ltd and another [2005], the defendant advertised products at 70% off the retail price. The relevant product was offered for sale in a limited number of stores at a higher price for a period of 28 days before being released to most of the stores at the discounted price.
The Office of Fair Trading issued proceedings claiming that such a strategy was misleading to consumers.
The defendant claimed that:
there was no misleading advertising as the strategy had at all times complied with the guidelines enshrined in the Code of Practice for Traders on Price Indications issued by the Department for Trade and Industry; and
it was legally impossible for them to be in contravention of the misleading advertising rules when they were complying with the code.
The court rejected these arguments and found that:
the Code of Practice was designed to give retailers a degree of certainty while granting the regulatory authorities flexibility to curtail misleading practices despite strict adherence to the code;
although the defendant had offered the products for sale at the higher price in accordance with the Code, he had not had a genuine belief that it could sell the products at those prices; and
the adverts were misleading.
Sales and discount offers are an effective way of bringing in consumers and boosting revenue, however, businesses should be wary of using marketing strategies that may be misleading or in bad faith.
If you require further information contact us.
Email: enquiries@rtcoopers.com
?RT COOPERS, 2005. This Briefing Note does not provide a comprehensive or complete statement of the law relating to the issues discussed nor does it constitute legal advice. It is intended only to highlight general issues. Specialist legal advice should always be sought in relation to particular circumstances.
Full service commercial law firm based in the City of London specialising in Biotechnology Law, Employment Lawyers, Media lawyers, Entertainment Solicitors, Pharmaceutical Lawyers, Intellectual Property Law, Litigation, Corporate Finance, Copyright, Redundancies, Commercial Lawyers, Commercial Law, Commercial Contracts, Data Protection, property lawyers.
Contact us at enquiries@rtcoopers.com. Visit our website at http://www.rtcoopers.com
Building Business With Free Online Classified AdsOne time sellers and long term sellers can cash in on the advantages of free online classifieds. Despite the service is given to you free of cost, free online classifieds ad websites offer great service in helping you sell your products.Free online classifieds websites generally are of two kinds ?some have an option for upgrading […]
Why Should You Use Google Ads on Your Website?If you are interested in earning income from your website, should you consider using the Google AdSense program to place targeted ads on your web pages? When I first considered this idea, I wasnt sure if it was right for me. You see, I have a number of websites that promote affiliate links […]
50 Surefire Business Card TipsBusiness cards are one of the most powerful and inexpensive marketing tools you can use. Here are 50 surefire tips to make the most out of your business cards:Your business card must communicate more than just your contact information. Make sure that your card includes a tag line that explains what you or […]
Banner Stand ExhibitsBanner Stands are a high impact, inexpensive and attractive medium of advertisement. They are usually found at exhibitions, trade shows, retail stores ?just about anywhere the potential customer can be attracted by high wattage graphics.The attractive thing about banner stands is that they are portable, flexible and easy to set up. There are different kinds […]
Promote yourself on radio for freeUnless you have become extremely popular in your personal or business name, you likely need all of the marketing and promotion you can get. Now, you may say, of course, I’m aware of this, but who has the money? This a good and fair question. It may surprise you, though, when I […]
Written by info on July 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Advertise My Business.
To create a powerful brochure, you need to think about your potential clients. How can you compose the brochure to attract your targeted market in the best way possible?
1. Personalize
Colors, fonts, tones and pictures will all affect how well your brochure catches the readers’ attention. Even if we don’t think or want to admit it, the look is important and you want to give a good first impression. This doesn’t mean you should put together a brochure with showy colors and an eye-catching picture just to get people to notice. Black and white might work better because less is sometimes more. It’s all about giving a face to your content.
2. Content
You need attention-grabbing content that is easy to read and understand. What is more important you want them to want more. Do not reveal everything in the brochure. Give them a reason to contact you for more information.
3. Talk your clients’ language
You may have terrific ideas on what to write, but if you don’t present it in the right way it doesn’t matter. Write in your costumers’ language. Teenage girls have a different vocabulary than 30-year-old mothers, and I don’t think 20-something males speak as your 60-year old neighbor. Even if this is an obvious fact people sometimes tend to overlook it.
4. Look professional
Right spelled words and grammatically correct sentences are a must. If readers spot a misspelling or a grammatical error it doesn’t matter how great your brochure look or how interesting your content are. Misspellings are off-putting. Period.
5. Make people trust you
If appropriate, put one or a few testimonials from previous costumers and clients on your brochure. This makes you look reliable and gives you credibility. People often want what other people want.
6. Availability
Make yourself available. End your text with your name (or your company’s name), address, phone number, mobile number, fax number and website address. Don’t give your costumers any reason not to contact you. While some people prefer to call, others rely upon the fax and many of us handle our business online. Cater for everyone’s needs.
Follow these steps and your brochure will give you the result you want.
Erica Johansson is a freelance writer from Sweden. Visit her internet- and network marketing blog http://earnprowealth.blogspot.com to receive “The 7 Keys to Success” by Will Edwards. Find out more about her favorite business at http://earn.prowealthresults.com
Advertising Made Easy, and Cost EffectiveAdvertising made easy, and your wallet will love it too!In today’s market, anyone in business knows that advertising is the backbone to the success, and without it, you are “dead in the water”. Even with the greatest product on the planet, a product that you know everyone needs and wants. Without advertising, it’s just […]
Where Should you Spend your Advertising Dollars?One of the most common questions people ask me is: Where should I spend my advertising dollars?? Their experience can typically be summed up as follows:I recently opened my business as an interior designer. I was so excited. But now ?two months later ?Im getting frustrated. I believe that my services […]
Advertising-The Best Marketing TipThe best marketing tip you will ever hear is to advertise your product or business. In fact, any marketing tip you hear or see will be related to some form of advertising. In this article, we will go over several marketing tips and the reason you should use them.One great marketing tip is […]
Banner Stand ExhibitsBanner Stands are a high impact, inexpensive and attractive medium of advertisement. They are usually found at exhibitions, trade shows, retail stores ?just about anywhere the potential customer can be attracted by high wattage graphics.The attractive thing about banner stands is that they are portable, flexible and easy to set up. There are different kinds […]
Promote yourself on radio for freeUnless you have become extremely popular in your personal or business name, you likely need all of the marketing and promotion you can get. Now, you may say, of course, I’m aware of this, but who has the money? This a good and fair question. It may surprise you, though, when I […]
Written by info on July 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Advertise My Business.
Postcards are widely used around the world, even at the height of internet technology; they are still used for greeting people and sending best wishes. Along with these basic ideas, you can also use them on business purposes, but having to print them at your custom size or preference needs a little more details, time and effort to give them proper results.
Sizes on postcards vary, they usually come to 4.25?x 5.5?as the smallest to 6?x 9? there are also other formats but they are the ones commonly used.
Postcards have different type of paper used with other printing needs. They usually have a gloss coating, they can be of excellent quality, and a 10 pt. coated side is the most common with postcard printing usage.
There are different postcard formats. The widely used formats are 4/0, 4/1-blk, and 4/4. They represent the amount of colors to be printed on each side. Four color printing is full color, so 4/0 basically means fully printed on one side and no print on the other. Using black on the other side represents 4/1-blk. lastly the 4/4 can have both sides full printed.
Postcards are also widely used within business purposes; it can be a very economical way to promote your products and services. They may be used for some of these purpose namely; real estate, mortgage marketing, business, direct marketing, and corporate postcards.
You can use different offered templates along the web. They can usually come with the online printer of your choice. The pricing is determined with the number of printouts of your postcard needs; there can usually be big discounts if you choose to order by bulk, with this matter, you can use the free rate quote tool at your disposal. Quantity is really one of the aspects that can affect the cost, you can even get them at bargain prices for as low as 50 cents.
Your postcard printing can be as hassle free when you use the online printing sites?services. You can usually get by the hassle of other printing hassles with them, a credible and fast turnaround printer has the latest printing equipment and staff to facilitate your project.
But these services can be better if you choose for the right printing solution. There are some printers which can handle these projects, you can spot them by giving yourself some time to evaluate them. From easy navigation, low per project rate quotes and the quality of service they give.
You can also request for a product sample if you want to assess their printouts. There is usually some difference with the results due to printing equipment differences. Often you obtain them for free, they can easily let your compare other printouts with other online printing sites.
As with the production phase, you can get more quality if you study some of the basic terms and processes involved with four color printing and digital printing. This will allow you to get more choices discovered and potentially lower the costs of your project. Also, you can get relevant information easily along the web.
Your project can be both be enhance within the design and production phase, give some time to keep track on the production especially if you need high quantities. Postcard printing can really take advantage of the convenience of the internet, you can easily order your printouts at the comfort of your office computer.
Postcards Design tips and articles can be found at Full Color Online Printing Services - U Printing
Advertising-The Best Marketing TipThe best marketing tip you will ever hear is to advertise your product or business. In fact, any marketing tip you hear or see will be related to some form of advertising. In this article, we will go over several marketing tips and the reason you should use them.One great marketing tip is […]
Generate Millions of Advertising Impressions and Drive Your Business Forward!What does your vehicle say about your business? You drive to work, commute through traffic, stop at the shop for refreshments, park up outside your business, take care of deliveries and run some errands during the day, finally, you drive home in the evening. How many people did you pass or meet today? All potential […]
Why Should You Use Google Ads on Your Website?If you are interested in earning income from your website, should you consider using the Google AdSense program to place targeted ads on your web pages? When I first considered this idea, I wasnt sure if it was right for me. You see, I have a number of websites that promote affiliate links […]
Advertising Made Easy, and Cost EffectiveAdvertising made easy, and your wallet will love it too!In today’s market, anyone in business knows that advertising is the backbone to the success, and without it, you are “dead in the water”. Even with the greatest product on the planet, a product that you know everyone needs and wants. Without advertising, it’s just […]
Building Business With Free Online Classified AdsOne time sellers and long term sellers can cash in on the advantages of free online classifieds. Despite the service is given to you free of cost, free online classifieds ad websites offer great service in helping you sell your products.Free online classifieds websites generally are of two kinds ?some have an option for upgrading […]
Written by info on July 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Advertise My Business.
As far as sign technology goes digital signage has really become popular and it is a wonderful way to market products, services, and everything else. In fact, it is an advertisers dream. The only problem with this IP video technology is that it requires some knowledge on how to set it up and keep it running. Of course, there is digital signage software that helps manage this new technology and keep it running properly but nevertheless there are some management issues surrounding digital signage that requires a knowledgeable technician.
A system of this type is made up of a TV, usually a plasma, software, and a PC or server that is able to provide color content to a variety of locations. Implementing this software is significantly cheaper than it was even just a few years ago which makes it very popular in todays market. In fact, you have probably seen digital signage used a lot at hotels, restaurants, airports, malls, and even museum. In fact, expect to see even more of it as the technology increases and more and more locations are able to afford this new technology.
When it comes to content generation and management with digital signage it is important for the software to be easy for every day people to understand and run. Thats because companies using this marketing technique will not want to have to pay someone to keep the system running and it is essential that they can learn to run it themselves. Some of the problems that have cropped up include the creation of content, content management, and its distribution. Fortunately, an ASP model can reduce barriers and make it easy for any business to begin using digital signage. This software allows customers to sign up for an account and then create their own messages right from their very own computer. The software is easy to understand and use the first time around and the learning curve is really fast and easy even for the most non technical of people. Typically the content creation require someone trained in graphic design, but this software makes composing content easy and fast.
As you can see this technology is really catching on and will become even more popular in the future. If you are interested in digital signage make sure you do your research and find out all there is to know so that you are prepared to handle the content management and all on your own to really make this marketing cost effective.
Caitlina Fuller is a freelance writer. As far as sign technology goes digital signage has really become popular and it is a wonderful way to market products, services, and everything else. In fact, it is an advertisers dream. The only problem with this IP video technology is that it requires some knowledge on how to set it up and keep it running. Of course, there is digital signage software that helps manage this new technology and keep it running properly.
Advertising InsertsOne of the best and easiest ways to advertise without having to worry about shelf life of those who would most likely use your services or buy the products from your small business is to use inserts in your local newspaper. A marketing piece might also be to insert our flyers in the daily newspaper. […]
Why Should You Use Google Ads on Your Website?If you are interested in earning income from your website, should you consider using the Google AdSense program to place targeted ads on your web pages? When I first considered this idea, I wasnt sure if it was right for me. You see, I have a number of websites that promote affiliate links […]
Generate Millions of Advertising Impressions and Drive Your Business Forward!What does your vehicle say about your business? You drive to work, commute through traffic, stop at the shop for refreshments, park up outside your business, take care of deliveries and run some errands during the day, finally, you drive home in the evening. How many people did you pass or meet today? All potential […]
Promote yourself on radio for freeUnless you have become extremely popular in your personal or business name, you likely need all of the marketing and promotion you can get. Now, you may say, of course, I’m aware of this, but who has the money? This a good and fair question. It may surprise you, though, when I […]
Building Business With Free Online Classified AdsOne time sellers and long term sellers can cash in on the advantages of free online classifieds. Despite the service is given to you free of cost, free online classifieds ad websites offer great service in helping you sell your products.Free online classifieds websites generally are of two kinds ?some have an option for upgrading […]
Written by info on July 29th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Advertise My Business.
1. Spend money on decent quality business cards. Home made cards just don’t compare to the quality of professionally printed cards. Your cards reflect your business - do you really want your cards screaming cheap!
2. Always hand out two business cards ?one for the prospect and one for them to handout to a colleague.
3. Enter your business cards in Free Lunch draws at restaurants.
4. Make your card unique in size, shape or texture. You want your card to stand out from the crowd. There are very nice folded cards that will provide more room to detail your services.
5. Leave your business cards everywhere you go ?leave one on the table in a restaurant, post a few on community bulletin boards.
6. Tuck one of your business cards inside of library books ?especially books related to your services. Perhaps someone who is researching databases will decide to save him or herself the trouble and will hire you instead!
7. Include business cards with your invoices, or bill payments.
8. Quite often, you will see vehicles lettered with their business info parked in parking lots ?tuck your business card in the window on the drivers door.
9. Are you attending a trade or consumer show? Use your business card as a ballot for the many draws and contests through out the event.
10. When handing out a business card to a prospecting take the time to write a personal message on the back of the card. This could be a promotion or discount or even your cell phone number. This personal message can make the prospect feel special and will save your business card from the dumpster.
11. Make your business card useful. On the backside of the card, include a calendar, map, or even keyboarding shortcuts. Something that will encourage the prospect to hold on to your card.
?2004-2005 Tanya Beaudoin o/a Office on Demand, All rights reserved. You are free to use this article in its entirety, as long as you include complete attribution, including live web site link. Please also notify Mrs. Beaudoin as to where the material will appear. The attribution should read:
Tanya Beaudoin, B.A. is a virtual assistant who specializes in e-solutions (including graphic and and web site design) and administrative support for small businesses and non-profit organizations.
Please visit Tanya’s web site at http://www.officeondemand.ca for additional business related articles”
Why Should You Use Google Ads on Your Website?If you are interested in earning income from your website, should you consider using the Google AdSense program to place targeted ads on your web pages? When I first considered this idea, I wasnt sure if it was right for me. You see, I have a number of websites that promote affiliate links […]
50 Surefire Business Card TipsBusiness cards are one of the most powerful and inexpensive marketing tools you can use. Here are 50 surefire tips to make the most out of your business cards:Your business card must communicate more than just your contact information. Make sure that your card includes a tag line that explains what you or […]
Advertising Made Easy, and Cost EffectiveAdvertising made easy, and your wallet will love it too!In today’s market, anyone in business knows that advertising is the backbone to the success, and without it, you are “dead in the water”. Even with the greatest product on the planet, a product that you know everyone needs and wants. Without advertising, it’s just […]
Banner Stand ExhibitsBanner Stands are a high impact, inexpensive and attractive medium of advertisement. They are usually found at exhibitions, trade shows, retail stores ?just about anywhere the potential customer can be attracted by high wattage graphics.The attractive thing about banner stands is that they are portable, flexible and easy to set up. There are different kinds […]
Advertising InsertsOne of the best and easiest ways to advertise without having to worry about shelf life of those who would most likely use your services or buy the products from your small business is to use inserts in your local newspaper. A marketing piece might also be to insert our flyers in the daily newspaper. […]
Written by info on July 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Advertise My Business.
A flyer is an inexpensive and highly effective way to grab attention in a very busy marketplace. How do you make your flyer stand out in the crowd? Here are some techniques that professional designers use to make flyers “pop.”
1. Write a snappy headline or title.
Make it memorable, unusual or provocative using a few carefully chosen powerful words. Popular titles contain one or more of these words: Easy, The Secrets to, Unlock, Finally, Insider, Time Sensitive, How to, Free Bonuses, Now You Can, Discover, Proven.
2. Use colorful or striking graphics.
One large image will have more impact than many smaller images. A stunning photo or illustration grabs attention, creates a mood, and supports your story. This image is your “focal point” and will draw your readers in. You can purchase inexpensive but quality stock photos on the Internet. Download individual photos or purchase a CD with hundreds of images.
3. Focus on the benefits of your product or service.
Your prospects will ask the question, “What’s in it for me?” Write from the their perspective using the words “you” and “your.” Avoid using the following words: we, us, I and our. Be sure to keep your text short and to the point. Some of the most powerful words to use are: free, save, love, new, results, and guarantee. Break up long paragraphs with bullet points and place them in a separate box.
4. Use compelling testimonials and case studies.
Nothing strikes a chord like an endorsement from a happy customer, especially if it demonstrates the results they’ve had with your product or service. Be sure to include the first and last name, company name and location of the person providing the endorsement.
5. Organize your page with boxes, borders and areas of contrasting colors.
You don’t need to fill your flyer with wall-to-wall text and graphics. Incorporate some white space to make certain elements stand out and to make the flyer easy to read.
6. Make your points easily identifiable.
Highlight titles and subtitles in bold, but avoid using ALL CAPS because they are more difficult to read.
7. Don’t get too complicated.
Make it simple with two typefaces, and align items to a grid. Your page layout program will provide non-printing guidelines. Use the “snap to guidelines” function to align items easily to the grid. Be aware of printing margins. I suggest you create your layout with 1/2″ margins on all sides, or add 1/8″ for bleeds on items that print off the edge of the page.
8. Don’t forget to proofread.
Have someone else proofread your work. Check your contact information. Dial the phone numbers on the flyer to make sure they are correct, and type in the URL of your website to make sure it is correct, too.
9. If you are on a tight budget, try this.
Select bright-colored or unique paper, and print with black ink. Use shades of grey to provide tones and contrasting background areas.
10. Offer a discount or special limited-time price.
Design a coupon on the bottom quarter of the flyer. Be sure to clearly state the deadlines and limitations of the offer. If it is a mail-in coupon, be sure to include the payment specifications with areas for filling out credit card information, mailing address, etc.
You don’t need to re-invent the wheel when creating your flyer. Use these proven techniques and you will see big results in your marketing efforts.
Copyright 2006 Karen Saunders
Karen Saunders is the author of “Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools!” Hundreds of business owners have used her simple do-it-yourself design system to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! FREE audio classes, articles, an eCourse, and ezines on marketing tips are available at http://www.macgraphics.net.
Advertising Made Easy, and Cost EffectiveAdvertising made easy, and your wallet will love it too!In today’s market, anyone in business knows that advertising is the backbone to the success, and without it, you are “dead in the water”. Even with the greatest product on the planet, a product that you know everyone needs and wants. Without advertising, it’s just […]
Where Should you Spend your Advertising Dollars?One of the most common questions people ask me is: Where should I spend my advertising dollars?? Their experience can typically be summed up as follows:I recently opened my business as an interior designer. I was so excited. But now ?two months later ?Im getting frustrated. I believe that my services […]
Building Business With Free Online Classified AdsOne time sellers and long term sellers can cash in on the advantages of free online classifieds. Despite the service is given to you free of cost, free online classifieds ad websites offer great service in helping you sell your products.Free online classifieds websites generally are of two kinds ?some have an option for upgrading […]
Banner Stand ExhibitsBanner Stands are a high impact, inexpensive and attractive medium of advertisement. They are usually found at exhibitions, trade shows, retail stores ?just about anywhere the potential customer can be attracted by high wattage graphics.The attractive thing about banner stands is that they are portable, flexible and easy to set up. There are different kinds […]
50 Surefire Business Card TipsBusiness cards are one of the most powerful and inexpensive marketing tools you can use. Here are 50 surefire tips to make the most out of your business cards:Your business card must communicate more than just your contact information. Make sure that your card includes a tag line that explains what you or […]
Written by info on July 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Advertise My Business.
In this article, we want to explore the idea of using the popularity of celebrities and current event (news) topics to help market any internet business.
The Idea
Celebrities and news events are not only popular topics, they are also popular “keywords” in the major search engines. Thousands upon thousands of users everyday search the engines to find the latest info.
The idea is to build mini sites that target this market.
We call these “pop surfer” sites.
It sounds a bit far fetched at first, but with a little strategy, these “pop surfers” can help sell our products - NO MATTER WHAT WE SELL, or at least generate a decent amount of qualified traffic.
To get an idea of the type of traffic, have a look at these sites:
http://buzz.yahoo.com
http://50.lycos.com
http://www.wordtracker.com
http://www.google.com/press/zeitgeist.html
Look at the terms in these lists. I’m sure you recognize most of them, as they are an indication of what and who is “happening” right now. Also, keep in mind these sites (Yahoo, Google, Lycos, etc.) are among the most visited sites on the net.
The “Pop Surfer” Mini Site
The first step is to develop a “pop surfer” mini site (or sites - the more the better). It doesn’t have to be the greatest or prettiest site ever created. Don’t put as much work into it as you would your primary site. The key to these sites is to get the popular names and terms on the page so the search engines can find and spider them.
When developing your “pop surfer” page, keep in mind that you want a page that will 1) get into the search engines, and 2) grab the pop surfers’ attention while they are searching for their favorite artist, news story, etc.
The Strategy
After we have our “pop surfer” mini site(s) built and listed in the engines, how do we use it get customers to our businesses?
There are two models that we will call the Indirect model and the Direct model. Each approach has it’s own advantages and uses. In one model we “indirectly” target the “pop surfers”, and in the other model we “directly” target them.
The Indirect Model
This model gives us the most qualified visitors. In this model, we utilize the power of traffic “exchanges”. After we start getting our share of “pop surfer” traffic, we use the exposure ratio from these “exchanges” to drive qualified, targeted visitors to our primary business site.
This works because exchanges allow us to target our visitors. When signing up for an exchange you are usually asked what category you want exposure in. They often give you a list with such categories as Health and fitness or Business Opportunities. This gives us control over where we want our primary sites’ information viewed.
Some exchanges have a 1:1 ratio where one exposure on your page is worth one exposure on someone else’s page. Others use different ratios such as 2:1 which gives two exposures on your page for one exposure on someone else’s.
There are several types of exchanges. The more popular ones are:
Banner Exchanges, which gives banner exposures in exchange for placing other banners on our site.
Exit Exchanges display your whole website, usually as a pop under window when a visitor leaves your site, in exchange for your site being displayed (as an exit pop under window) on someone else’s site.
The most powerful, however, are:
Opt In list exchanges. These are special, because in every marketing circle, the number one rule for promoting your online business is to obtain an opt in list of subscribers. Opt in exchanges deliver the most targeted, and qualified visitors we can get with the exchange model.
How they work is when someone enters or leaves your site, a list of newsletter, or business opportunity sign up forms are generated in a small unobtrusive window. When that happens, your newsletter or biz-opportunity is listed on someone else’s website - IN THE TARGETED CATEGORY THAT YOU CHOSE when you signed up.
Put the exchange code(s) on your “pop surfer” sites, and take advantage of the traffic.
The Direct Model
The direct model is more of an indirect approach in that we may not necessarily use the “pop surfers” for our primary business but we can still profit from them.
How?
One way is by utilizing Pay Per Click. Not pay per click in the sense that we bid for our sites’ exposure in a search engine, but Pay Per Click in the sense that we place listings on OUR sites and GET PAID for having them there. Every time someone clicks a result in your page, you get a percentage of the bidding amount for that click. If you use pay per click strategically, it can be very profitable.
Merchant affiliate programs work well also. Amazon.com, for example, sells books, music, toys, and more. They let you place their products on your website, and you get a percentage when someone buys from you.
Several other merchants work the same way. Do a search for merchants who sell CDs, books, video, toys, or clothing, and have an affiliate program. There are many out there.
Finally, you don’t only have to look for affiliate programs. If you have a business or product that you think might cater to popular culture, target the “pop surfers” directly!! For instance, if you print T-shirts, you could probably sell some with hottest stars’ faces on them.
Do your research for your pop surfer page topic. You can bet that if a celebrity or topic has recently made news, the traffic is sure to follow.
Rony Perry is an internet marketer with a B.S. In Computer Science. He maintains websites on various popular topics.
http://www.fasbnet.com/celeb/
Advertising Made Easy, and Cost EffectiveAdvertising made easy, and your wallet will love it too!In today’s market, anyone in business knows that advertising is the backbone to the success, and without it, you are “dead in the water”. Even with the greatest product on the planet, a product that you know everyone needs and wants. Without advertising, it’s just […]
Generate Millions of Advertising Impressions and Drive Your Business Forward!What does your vehicle say about your business? You drive to work, commute through traffic, stop at the shop for refreshments, park up outside your business, take care of deliveries and run some errands during the day, finally, you drive home in the evening. How many people did you pass or meet today? All potential […]
Building Business With Free Online Classified AdsOne time sellers and long term sellers can cash in on the advantages of free online classifieds. Despite the service is given to you free of cost, free online classifieds ad websites offer great service in helping you sell your products.Free online classifieds websites generally are of two kinds ?some have an option for upgrading […]
Promote yourself on radio for freeUnless you have become extremely popular in your personal or business name, you likely need all of the marketing and promotion you can get. Now, you may say, of course, I’m aware of this, but who has the money? This a good and fair question. It may surprise you, though, when I […]
50 Surefire Business Card TipsBusiness cards are one of the most powerful and inexpensive marketing tools you can use. Here are 50 surefire tips to make the most out of your business cards:Your business card must communicate more than just your contact information. Make sure that your card includes a tag line that explains what you or […]
Written by info on July 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on Advertise My Business.
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