October 2007
You are currently browsing the articles from written in the month of October 2007.
It’s not about traffic; it’s about generating leads.
That’s right. It only took me eight words to give you the secret super tip on using pay-per-click (PPC) search engines successfully. It’s not about generating traffic to your website; it’s about generating leads from the traffic for which you are paying. This slight shift in understanding about where the value resides in PPC search engines could make all the difference when it comes to capitalizing on the web promotional resource known as PPC.
How are you currently using PPC?
Most (and this is spoken from experience) PPC advertisers bid on tens of thousands of keywords and direct all of that traffic to the same page on their website. While it is a good idea to use as many keywords and key phrases as possible in your overall PPC marketing campaigns, what a prospect finds when they visit your landing page is more important.
How should you be using PPC?
If you are you only trying to make the sale,?you could be losing the visitors who are looking for information about your products or services. By exchanging informational sales material for a prospects contact information, you will dramatically increase your long-term return on investment.
Research has shown that when customers are knowledgeable about the products and services they are seeking, they are more likely in the future to buy from the organization that provided them the information in the first place. If you are paying one cent per visitor and receive just five sign-ups for a newsletter, you have already covered your costs because the average value of one qualified email address is over twenty-five cents! So to answer the question of how you should be using PPC, you should use it not just to make direct sales, but to generate leads.
Putting it into practice:
There are many ways that successful web marketers get Internet surfers to provide personal information. The most preferred are 1) surveys and contests in exchange for a freebie?and 2) newsletters and articles, which provide information about what the surfer is searching for.
To put this into practice, promote a page that equally 1) provides information about your product or service and 2) emphasizes your special offer or offering. You will see that even if they dont directly purchase the product or service you are selling, chances increase exponentially that they will want to find out more information and sign up for your special offer thus providing you with a qualified lead.
Thank you for reading this article! If you would like more advice about PPC advertising, become an advertiser of 7Search.com ?where you have access to 500 million searches per month, low bid prices and free campaign assistance. Visit 7Search.com today.
Local Classifieds Convert BestWith internet taking over the whole business transactions, the focus of advertising re-shifts to the power of words. Local classifieds used to have a stigma as being read by only people in the lower income strata. The runaway success of real estate classifieds in real estate magazines, auto classifieds in auto classifieds section of newspapers […]
Writing Effective AdvertsAdvertising ?Who Needs It? - Who doesnt!Most people who read information about business or advertising are doing so because they are trying to make some kind of positive change in their life. Perhaps get a job, make money, and increase their customer base ?whatever. Thats the central purpose of a classified ad. […]
When and How Do I Track My Advertising?Each and every time it runs!That’s the easy answer. After all, it’s your money and your business at stake. You should be learning from every campaign. Here are some basic questions:(1) How many customers did you reach?(2) Why did they pick your business?(3) What was in the ad that made them call or […]
You Are WrongIt appears that most gurus if you want to call them that represent themselves as experts. In several statements that Ive read, they refer to other marketers as making mistakes. Yet, when they make the same mistakes, they call it testing.I read a quote one time about a child learning to walk. […]
Written by info on October 31st, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
Everybody shops on line today since the launching of Ebay, Amazon.com and other companies. iAdvertising your business online is probably the best way to reach a large audience when you are marketing on a budget. The following are a few cleaver and unique marketing ideas to promote your product or business:
Yellow Pages: The Yellow Pages directories are good sources of advertising. Almost every business can benefit from advertising in the Yellow Pages of the telephone directory. Listing your business in the Yellow Pages will inform clients of the location and services that you provide.
Radio: Contact your local radio stations for their advertising prices. The best prices are usually offered during non-peak times.
Television: The best times to advertise on television are non-peak times, usually late at night. You may contact the television station in your area to find out more information on their advertising prices.
Newspapers: Contact the classified department of your local newspaper regarding placing an advertisement with them. Before placing the advertisement, you must decide who your target audience. For example, if you only want to reach Maryland residents in your local area, you might want to advertise in the paper that serves that local area.
Brochures: You may also use brochures in the company’s presentation package. This package should include the company’s stationary, brochure, and business card.
Business Cards: The personalized business cards can be used as a form of advertising that will give others information about the business. The information on the card will give them the name of the company, type of business, location, telephone number, and the contact person.
Ezines and Newsletters: Circulating Ezine-newsletter is another a way of getting the word out about your business. These are informational pieces that inform potential customers what your business is doing, and they can be as small as one page.
Direct Mail: There are companies that will send you a mailing list for a small fee. Check your Yellow Pages for a list of the companies that produce mailing lists. Contact the company to get copies of their current lists. The price of the lists varies from company to company.
Organizations: Joining several organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce and trade associations in your area and actively participating in them is also a way of getting the word out about your product or business.
Are you looking to super charge your business? Did you know that you can start a legitimate business with little or no money? Sign up for Dr. Mary E. Waters?free “Easy Business” bi-monthly ezine at http://www.drmewaters.com It has many tips and techniques to help make your dream of becoming a successful business owner to become a reality. Plus, each month one lucky subscriber receives a free 30 minute on demand business consulting session!
Dr. Mary E. Waters is an author, speaker, business consultant. She is the author of Easy Business for Women with Little or No Money.?She strives on helping people to start their own business with little or no money. For many years, she has been helping people make their dreams of becoming a successful business owner come true!
Business URL: http://www.waienterprises.com
Personal URL: http://www.drmewaters.com
Business Ethics: Would You Buy From You?You can never find yourself until you face the truth. Pearl BaileyAT the beginning of the twentieth-first century, it seemed that business ethics had become an oxymoron, that integrity was for suckers and that profit was the singular force driving business.Then, as mega-corporations collapsed and scandalized companies fell, we witnessed the fragile framework of […]
The Only Bad Advertising Is No Advertising - Or Is It?Depending on whom you ask, you will get told many truths?about advertising. The question I have for you today is this ?Is the only bad advertising, no advertising??/p>Before we begin, it might help us to agree on what advertising is, so heres one definition:Advertising is the non-personal communication of an individuals paid persuasive information regarding […]
God Bless The Refrigerator Magnet!Ah, my very favorite promotional product of all, the refrigerator magnet. They are my favorite, because they are so extremely inexpensive, and extremely effective in getting your company name seen in countless locations.They dont make the greatest commission for a salesman of advertising specialties, but I cant stop myself from recommending these little beauties […]
Local Classifieds Convert BestWith internet taking over the whole business transactions, the focus of advertising re-shifts to the power of words. Local classifieds used to have a stigma as being read by only people in the lower income strata. The runaway success of real estate classifieds in real estate magazines, auto classifieds in auto classifieds section of newspapers […]
Written by info on October 30th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
An advertising balloon is a little known method to promote products, events and services. Advertising balloons are not only inexpensive, but also very efficient in conveying messages. It is just like having your own huge billboards, scattered across the city, but at a very low cost! Due to their lower running costs, advertising balloons are increasingly getting popular, to propagate marketing ideas and concepts. When you hoist a stunningly beautiful balloon on your roof or in the sky, you are also telling other people that your business is ready for the market. Look at sites: www.arizonaballoon.com, www.giantadvertisingblimps.com and www.bonanzaballoons.com for examples and prices.
As an advertising balloon is huge in size and shape, it is made to attract and convince onlookers who are passing by your office. An advertising balloon also lends your business enhanced visibility and assured sales. You can also consider using an advertising balloon for gala events, promotions, fairs and festivals, just to broadcast your messages to thousands of people at the same time.
Using an advertising balloon is very economical and easy to use, compared to any most advertising methods, like a big billboard or TV commercials. Unlike other costlier methods like radio and TV advertisements, you own the product and can re-use it, when you purchase advertising balloons. You can even set up an advertising balloon at your own convenience. No other methods target people as efficiently as an advertising balloon.
An advertising balloon can also add sheen and a touch of class to your business and products. People passing through your office are instantly attracted by a striking visual message sent out by an advertising balloon. Advertising balloons have that magical ability to cajole people to take a look at them. An impressive advertising balloon can fetch you assured sales and soaring profits.
Johnny Mulder is president and owner of Arizona Balloon Company. Arizona Balloon Company is responsible for generating millions of dollars of new business each year for a diverse group of companies and organizations.
Post-Katrina Role Of Property Insurers Threaten Consumers NationwidePrediction is very hard, especially when its about the future. Yogi BerraGiven the focus on the recent one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by the media and government officials and its label as the most costly catastrophic disaster in United States history, there has been little focus on the nationwide impact the property and […]
Business Ethics: Lesson Plans, Knowledge Management, Ethics and Capitalism CollideRecently I read of a new website where teachers can post and sell their lesson plans to recover the time that they had spent in developing these plans. On the surface, this sounds reasonable and why would anyone object to teachers making a little more money through such a capitalist venture and leveraging their […]
The Only Bad Advertising Is No Advertising - Or Is It?Depending on whom you ask, you will get told many truths?about advertising. The question I have for you today is this ?Is the only bad advertising, no advertising??/p>Before we begin, it might help us to agree on what advertising is, so heres one definition:Advertising is the non-personal communication of an individuals paid persuasive information regarding […]
You Are WrongIt appears that most gurus if you want to call them that represent themselves as experts. In several statements that Ive read, they refer to other marketers as making mistakes. Yet, when they make the same mistakes, they call it testing.I read a quote one time about a child learning to walk. […]
Written by info on October 29th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
As one man has put it, a business without advertisement is like winking at a girl in the dark. No one could have probably said it better and nothing rings truer than this. Indeed, without advertising or any sort of promotion, a business would falter.
Certain businesses bloom did bloom by word of mouth. However, putting your name in print and using a variety of printed materials is still the certified way to go.
Various printing services are available online that are suited to provide any businesses?needs.There are professional printers who adequately aid and furnish businesses?demands in their promotional or marketing strategies.
These are the various areas where printing services lends out a helping out to businesses advertising campaigns and even operational functions. Printing service provide products such as business cards, calendars, flyers, posters and the like to fully equip businesses with the potential to grow and flourish.
Signage
Adhesive back or window clings effectively act as signage, as these are designed for both indoor and outdoor use. Window spaces are maximized and can be attractively decorated using such prints.
Signage makes the business stand out from the crowd and establish itself as an it?place in the neighborhood. It enables clients to readily identify your business establishment for practical reasons. All the more, it has the potential to attract interested parties who may be drawn to your prominent signs.
Label
Labels are all too important for it helps distinguish your products. Affixing labels on products helps establish the brand identity better.
Graphic
Posters, flyers and postcards are all advertising materials that can announce an event or any business related happening such as a product launch and the like.
Posters invest in the visual elements that can attract attention. It is placed in the most noticeable places where it can reach out to a number of people at the same time.
Company Profile
Build your company image and create company stationery to further boost and establish the core values of the company and subtly instill company identity.
Moreover, stationery helps affirm the companys professional image among business partners during transactions and networking. Pocket folders, letterhead and envelopes are all useful during business presentations. Business cards are ideal in networking conventions.
Business cards are pivotal in creating connections among a diverse set of clientele. It most convenient and can be handed out easily.
Direct Mail Marketing
Catalogs and brochures are commonly sent out to a people who may be included in the companys mailing list or strategically targeted to a particular niche. For example, a particular age group, gender, or people with certain lifestyle preferences.
Mailing catalogs and brochures helps generate responses from consumers that are valuable in increasing sales and business activity. Catalogs and brochures contains your businesses products and services that aptly entices the readers to make a purchase, visit your business establishment or go online to your website. As a promotional and marketing material, it effectively encourages the recipients to take a course of action, suggested by the catalogs of brochures.
Some motivating elements in your catalogs may be offerings of discounts, introductory prices, buy one take one promos and other incentives that they may get from buying or visiting your store.
Printing services plays hosts to every businesses need, but is not limited to it. All its range of products is also popular for commercial and personal use as well.
Printing Services guides and topics can be found at Full Color Printing Online - U Printing
When and How Do I Track My Advertising?Each and every time it runs!That’s the easy answer. After all, it’s your money and your business at stake. You should be learning from every campaign. Here are some basic questions:(1) How many customers did you reach?(2) Why did they pick your business?(3) What was in the ad that made them call or […]
Local Classifieds Convert BestWith internet taking over the whole business transactions, the focus of advertising re-shifts to the power of words. Local classifieds used to have a stigma as being read by only people in the lower income strata. The runaway success of real estate classifieds in real estate magazines, auto classifieds in auto classifieds section of newspapers […]
The Only Bad Advertising Is No Advertising - Or Is It?Depending on whom you ask, you will get told many truths?about advertising. The question I have for you today is this ?Is the only bad advertising, no advertising??/p>Before we begin, it might help us to agree on what advertising is, so heres one definition:Advertising is the non-personal communication of an individuals paid persuasive information regarding […]
God Bless The Refrigerator Magnet!Ah, my very favorite promotional product of all, the refrigerator magnet. They are my favorite, because they are so extremely inexpensive, and extremely effective in getting your company name seen in countless locations.They dont make the greatest commission for a salesman of advertising specialties, but I cant stop myself from recommending these little beauties […]
Written by info on October 29th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
So you’ve decided to run a print ad in your local newspaper. The paper may have even told you they could produce the artwork for you if you just tell them what should be in the ad. Problem is, you’re not sure what should be in the ad.
The first thing you need to do is answer the following question: What is your objective for the ad? You need to know what result you expect the ad to accomplish in order to determine what needs to go into the ad.
Once you determine your objective (e.g. I want them to visit my store; I want them to call me for more information; I want them to take advantage of my promotion) you can decide what needs to be in the ad to successfully convince them to take this action.
The problem I see with most ads is they lack focus. There is too much information and too much going on in the ad for the reader to be able to clearly understand the primary message the advertiser is trying to impart.
Your goal should be to impart one SINGLE message. And that message should support your objective.
Keep your ad simple and to the point. You can be creative, but make sure the reader clearly understands what you are selling, what you want them to do, and several ways they can take action (e.g. call, visit your store, visit your web site, email).
(C) 2005 Debbie LaChusa
Debbie LaChusa created The 10stepmarketing System to make marketing your own business as simple as answering 10 questions. Learn more about this unique, step-by-step system and get a free 10-week Marketing E-Course when you subscribe to the free, weekly 10stepmarketing Ezine at
http://www.10stepmarketing.com
Post-Katrina Role Of Property Insurers Threaten Consumers NationwidePrediction is very hard, especially when its about the future. Yogi BerraGiven the focus on the recent one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by the media and government officials and its label as the most costly catastrophic disaster in United States history, there has been little focus on the nationwide impact the property and […]
The Only Bad Advertising Is No Advertising - Or Is It?Depending on whom you ask, you will get told many truths?about advertising. The question I have for you today is this ?Is the only bad advertising, no advertising??/p>Before we begin, it might help us to agree on what advertising is, so heres one definition:Advertising is the non-personal communication of an individuals paid persuasive information regarding […]
Local Classifieds Convert BestWith internet taking over the whole business transactions, the focus of advertising re-shifts to the power of words. Local classifieds used to have a stigma as being read by only people in the lower income strata. The runaway success of real estate classifieds in real estate magazines, auto classifieds in auto classifieds section of newspapers […]
Writing Effective AdvertsAdvertising ?Who Needs It? - Who doesnt!Most people who read information about business or advertising are doing so because they are trying to make some kind of positive change in their life. Perhaps get a job, make money, and increase their customer base ?whatever. Thats the central purpose of a classified ad. […]
Written by info on October 29th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
A special yearly issue of Success Magazine called “The Selling Issue” quoted Scott DeGarmo,
“The big money goes to those companies with superior marketing operations. Entrepreneurial companies of today must evolve from being sales oriented to being marketing oriented in order to now win the consumer.”
Let me explain why it’s important to focus on marketing instead of selling. There was a time known as “the days of simple selling.” The days of simple selling are generally considered the days before 1980 or, in some industries, before 1990. In this period of selling, it was a lot easier for a salesperson to go in and sell to a buyer. The reason was simply because the marketplace was a lot less crowded.
For example, in 1980, if you wanted to buy a Ford pick-up truck, where did you go? You went to the dealership. This was the only way to see your choices and ask your questions. You couldn’t go online or to Barnes & Noble and read fifteen magazines that compared and contrasted new trucks and cars because these sources of information didn’t exist. The dealership was the only source of up-to-date information. In the days of simple selling, there was less competition, fewer choices, and it was easier to make a buying decision. Let’s wrap this up by saying, “in the days of simple selling, the seller had the power because the buyer had very few options.”
The Days Of Simple Selling Are Over!
Now we have a new situation; buyers no longer have to rely on limited sources of information about a product or service. The landscape of business now involves increased competition, information, choices, and more resistance. It has made buying cycles longer. There is price competition now that didn’t exist before. Products are becoming commodities and a lot of the marketing messages are identical. Now a wedge has been created between the seller and the buyer. This wedge is called “The Confidence Gap.”
“The Confidence Gap” is the consumer’s inability to determine whether any of the products or any of the services are any better or worse or any different than any of the others. This creates a big problem. What you need to understand is that people, who will be buying from you, have all these different choices. It’s very difficult for them to determine whether you are any better or any different from anyone else. So your marketing goal should be to narrow the Confidence Gap and restore the consumer’s trust and confidence.
How Do I Fix This Problem?
The questions you may be asking yourself are: “How do I figure this out? How do I fix this problem?” Go to the business section of any bookstore and you’ll find all kinds of books on this topic. You’ll find things like “Better Customer Service.” The theory is if you have better customer service, you’ll have more customers. The problem with this philosophy is you must have a customer in order to give them service. You can’t just say, “I’ve got great customer service.” It doesn’t work that way; you must have a system that will drive the customer to you! One of the things you might hear business gurus say is, “If you have more sales training and if you are better at sales, then you’ll be able to get more customers.” The problem with that is, again, you’ve got to have prospects in order to use your sales skills. If you look at all the sales training books and all the sales training seminars, they are all short on advice in this particular area, namely: “How do I find someone to sell to in the first place?”
There is another way that business books and business gurus tell you how to overcome this thing we call the Confidence Gap. “Use advertising tricks and techniques.” Through misleading advertisements you can trick people to call you or come in. For example, I saw a car ad that said, “Pay no tax on all new vehicles.” Do you think that sounds like a pretty good deal? Would you be thinking: If I weren’t paying any tax, then I’d probably save a couple grand.?The problem is that in the fine print it said, “Customers responsible for all sales taxes, state, and local. The dealer will pay for the inventory tax.” This is a sales trick. It does nothing to build trust and confidence. Instead it builds contempt, hatred, and suspicion. The result is a widening of the Confidence Gap when the goal of the advertisement should have been to narrow it.
These examples reveal a problem. We used to have the days of simple selling; now we have The Confidence Gap. You, as a business owner, need to overcome this in order to be successful. You need to find a solution to the problem. For more information please visit www.gregwriter.com.
Greg Writer is a dynamic speaker, author, teacher and coach with over 23 years experience in corporate finance, capital formation, executive level management, mergers, acquisitions, IPOs, sales/marketing and has facilitated the formation and financing of hundreds of start up & early stage companies. A number of FREE resources are available at http://www.gregwriter.com
Business Ethics: Would You Buy From You?You can never find yourself until you face the truth. Pearl BaileyAT the beginning of the twentieth-first century, it seemed that business ethics had become an oxymoron, that integrity was for suckers and that profit was the singular force driving business.Then, as mega-corporations collapsed and scandalized companies fell, we witnessed the fragile framework of […]
Business Ethics: Lesson Plans, Knowledge Management, Ethics and Capitalism CollideRecently I read of a new website where teachers can post and sell their lesson plans to recover the time that they had spent in developing these plans. On the surface, this sounds reasonable and why would anyone object to teachers making a little more money through such a capitalist venture and leveraging their […]
You Are WrongIt appears that most gurus if you want to call them that represent themselves as experts. In several statements that Ive read, they refer to other marketers as making mistakes. Yet, when they make the same mistakes, they call it testing.I read a quote one time about a child learning to walk. […]
Local Classifieds Convert BestWith internet taking over the whole business transactions, the focus of advertising re-shifts to the power of words. Local classifieds used to have a stigma as being read by only people in the lower income strata. The runaway success of real estate classifieds in real estate magazines, auto classifieds in auto classifieds section of newspapers […]
Written by info on October 28th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
I suspect that everyone has an idea of what lamination is even if you have only seen it in passing. Restaurant menus are a common example. A plastic finish is placed over the menu to protect it from food and stains. But did you know that you can laminate just about anything that is flat? If it needs to be protected and reused, it is something to consider for lamination. The laminate also makes the original material stronger and more durable. All of our signs can be laminated, but the reasons are varied and not all signs should be laminated.
A number of our customers have fondly taken to our dry erase laminate. They can have engineering plans, tables, or other diagrams printed on almost any of our substrates (for example, PVC or aluminum). Once we cover them with the dry erase laminate, it allows the users to mark up the signs with dry erase ink which can easily be wiped off. It is wonderful for talks and demonstrations.
But our primary use for laminates is to protect signs and give them longer life expectancy. For example, our UV inks used in digital printing have a life time of about 3 years before they begin to fade without lamination. But a laminate can give them an additional 2 to 3 years without fading.
We like to encourage our customers to laminate the magnetic car signs we produce, because it protects the inks from abrasions ?the roads constantly kick up dirt and dust which strike the signs. You should also consider laminates for signs that are frequently taken down and put back up. Real estate signs are a perfect example. They can come easily scratched without lamination. The user can also roll the sign up after meetings and reuse it without fear of the sign becoming warn.
And finally, we like to use laminates because they give the sign a nice professional finish. There are two basic types of finishes that can be achieved from laminate: matte and gloss. Matte finishes look a bit granular and are not reflective, but they tend to make colors on the sign more striking and vivid. In contrast, gloss finishes are reflective and tend to make bright colors radiate with strong definition.
There are two basic types of laminates: hot and cold. Hot laminates are placed on signs at approximately 220 to 300 degrees F. The process is a little more expensive than cold laminates, but the laminate lasts a bit longer. Unfortunately, some inks used in digital printing will melt under the hot conditions. You also cannot use hot laminates on heat sensitive papers.
Under these conditions, cold laminators are required. They use pressure sensitive adhesives to secure the lamination film. We also use a spray laminate (cold) to protect signs when cost is an issue. Spray laminates protect the sign but do not give a gloss finish or make the material more rigid.
Written by: Tony Nagy
Email: info@designasign.biz
To learn more about Magnetic signs and other types of signs please visit http://designasign.blogspot.com/ to purchase Magnets, Vinyl and just about every type of sign imaginable visit http://www.designasign.biz
When and How Do I Track My Advertising?Each and every time it runs!That’s the easy answer. After all, it’s your money and your business at stake. You should be learning from every campaign. Here are some basic questions:(1) How many customers did you reach?(2) Why did they pick your business?(3) What was in the ad that made them call or […]
Business Ethics: Would You Buy From You?You can never find yourself until you face the truth. Pearl BaileyAT the beginning of the twentieth-first century, it seemed that business ethics had become an oxymoron, that integrity was for suckers and that profit was the singular force driving business.Then, as mega-corporations collapsed and scandalized companies fell, we witnessed the fragile framework of […]
Advanced Tips for Advertising OnlineAdvertising online is really important for the online business. It is also very effective. You can use different types of online advertising methods to get the desired result.Place all your online advertisements in a website that has the maximum visitors a day. This is important because more visitors will ensure that you get good numbers […]
You Are WrongIt appears that most gurus if you want to call them that represent themselves as experts. In several statements that Ive read, they refer to other marketers as making mistakes. Yet, when they make the same mistakes, they call it testing.I read a quote one time about a child learning to walk. […]
Written by info on October 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
Back from a nice week in Devon, doing nothing except walk on the moors and lazing about. Couple of calls to the office ?Anything good happening??Well, its good you arent here??and thats about it. Didnt even bother to travel 30 miles to take up the offer of a free lunch at Cornwalls most famous seafood restaurant though, as this was compensation for a lunch I had there last year that pole axed me for three days with food poisoning, my non-attendance wasnt 100% sloth related.
Arrived to find an article - How to Write a Job Ad??left open on my desk (rather pointedly, I thought) which was vaguely thought provoking, though things like most are full of corporate puff and management-speakfail to give detailed informationgenerally dont get the people you want?were a bit too sweeping for me (and I hate all sweeping statements).
Copy can be quite emotive, not least because its the one area of advertising that anyone can do ?we dont all know the media, we cant all design, but we can all write ?so we all bring our own opinions/pet hates to it. For example, theres lots of things I dont like; from previous?experience (isnt all experience in the past or previous?), staff?as opposed to employees?(I use a staff to round up sheep. Well, I would if I had sheep. And if I had a staff), meticulous?attention to detail (you either have attention to detail or you dont). None of these are likely to alter the response to an ad (which probably should be the test of whether any copy change is necessary in an ideal world) but I will still try and amend any of these, every chance I get, so the ad is done my way? To be honest, I can get a bit precious about my personal copy conventions (aka hes off on one again?, so much so that we actually have a little list of them that we refer to ?hey, at least it ensures consistency. Though I like to think some of them achieve more than that ?isnt attractive?salary a better sell than the rather dull competitive? isnt you?rather more personal than the successful candidate? isnt we thank all candidates in advance for their interest and would appreciate all replies by xxx?warmer than closing date xxx?
Anyway, back to the article where, after the ritual slaughter of almost the entire industrys copy (banal?was another description used), the authors laid out their modestly titled Seven Golden Rules? based on psychological research, to get to the people you want ?who are so busy being successful in their current job that they dont have the time or inclination to read the recruitment section? Ignoring the fatal flaw in this argument (if these successful people are too busy to read the recruitment section you could write an ad that could outsell the entire Harry Potter?phenomenon and it still wouldnt work, would it?), their rules were:
1. Be bold about job title, salary and location
2. Spell out what you want
3. Describe the job in detail
4. Use questions
5. Tell a story about why you are advertising the job but keep it real
6. Make applying easy
7. Fly your flag - put your logo in the ad.
On the face of it nothing much new there, although it was a shame that their own example of good copy for a sales position youll be called in to clients when the door of opportunity has been opened, to provide the technical detail to close the deal?seemed to include the type of management-type speak they abhor and was too wordy - the one thing all clients dislike ?because, for example, youll use your technical knowledge to turn qualified leads into sales?says pretty much the same. In over 50% less words.
The idea of using questions (4) and telling stories, while keeping it real (5) are well known advertising techniques which, research shows, do boost response (questions involve the reader and make the process two way, while people do read stories). But I cant think of many examples where questions can be, or are, used meaningfully in recruitment (interestingly, the authors dont provide any examples) apart from the ubiquitous interested??just before the response details. Which, incidentally, is another of my pet hates ?because if they arent interested, Id like to know what they are doing reading the ad through to the end. Perhaps ploughing through ads of no interest is their sad hobby or something?
As for telling stories about why you are advertising the job, I have two issues. One, Im not entirely sure that, if candidates see jobs advertised that they really want, they give a fig why its become available. And two, as a Golden Rule, it has the severe limitation that jobs only become available for a very limited number of publishable reasons ?mainly growth or replacement (and, with the latter, you cant, for example, advertise that you need a new FD because the last one was a total twonk), so Im not sure how ad after ad repeating one version or another of these reasons enhances response to any of them.
Their other point about telling stories is that recruitment sections read as if failure never happens so you should stand out of the crowd by talking about your failures as well as your success? Hmmm. I cant recall the worlds number one brand ?Coca Cola ?advertising much about the effects of all that sugar on your teeth (If any, of course ?Legal Editor). Im all for truth (or tooth. Ho! Ho!) in advertising but, in recruitment, think this should be limited to facts ?which Id have as a Golden Rule ?and a description of the challenges or opportunities. Talking about your problems because chances are, you want people who can handle problems. And good people want a job they can get their teeth (whats this new dental fixation?) into, not one where the problems are all solved?isnt particularly logical or realistic; Id be interested to see if the authors could sell this warts n all?approach to any client, anywhere.
From my point of view, a recruitment ad is a little bit like riding down a few floors in an a elevator with your candidate ?you only have a few seconds to make a favourable impression - so tone (friendly, personable), facts (turnover details, number of employees rather than one of the largest? and having a real selling point for the job are far more important than whittering on about the issues you face, asking questions and telling stories. Im not that keen on their rule about describing the job in great detail either - a Marketing Manager knows what a Marketing Manager does most of the time without having every single detail spelled out as if for the hard-of-thinking.
Basically Im still a big fan of the Price Waterhouse 1990s research into recruitment advertising, just about the only objective work of this kind of which Im aware. This found that candidates want straightforward adverts, giving facts, cutting out excessive jargon and glossy adjectives. That candidates get irritated by the over-use of words like dynamic, pro-active, forward thinking, visionary etc? That they get tired of motherhood statements that tell us nothing? That many simply find the text of advertisements hard to believe. And that popular stocking fillers like growing, challenges, exciting opportunities?are not the winners any cursory glance at any recruitment section would have you believe. Quite the opposite.
Theyre in fact seen as evidence of mass corporate delusion? Whoops.
Advertising Agency and Website Design Company London UK
After reading Law at Oxford, Kim qualified as a Barrister and then a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen(!). He subsequently held several senior finance roles in advertising, including European Financial Controller of Ted Bates, before moving into “real” advertising when he became President and Chief Financial Officer of MDK Boston (USA) in 1988. In 1995, with Maria Manzo, he set up the UK office of BSA International ?a USA- owned agency ?which he ran until deciding to set up Giraffe where he concentrates on copywriting and new business. Kim, a former Oxford blue, has played Welsh league football and was once chosen to play cricket for Northern Nigeria.
Post-Katrina Role Of Property Insurers Threaten Consumers NationwidePrediction is very hard, especially when its about the future. Yogi BerraGiven the focus on the recent one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by the media and government officials and its label as the most costly catastrophic disaster in United States history, there has been little focus on the nationwide impact the property and […]
The Only Bad Advertising Is No Advertising - Or Is It?Depending on whom you ask, you will get told many truths?about advertising. The question I have for you today is this ?Is the only bad advertising, no advertising??/p>Before we begin, it might help us to agree on what advertising is, so heres one definition:Advertising is the non-personal communication of an individuals paid persuasive information regarding […]
You Are WrongIt appears that most gurus if you want to call them that represent themselves as experts. In several statements that Ive read, they refer to other marketers as making mistakes. Yet, when they make the same mistakes, they call it testing.I read a quote one time about a child learning to walk. […]
Local Classifieds Convert BestWith internet taking over the whole business transactions, the focus of advertising re-shifts to the power of words. Local classifieds used to have a stigma as being read by only people in the lower income strata. The runaway success of real estate classifieds in real estate magazines, auto classifieds in auto classifieds section of newspapers […]
Written by info on October 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
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Sometimes it’s necessary to go back to the basics. I know many small businesses that do their own advertising and struggle to understand what they are doing and how to enact a marketing program. I’ll give you my take after thirty years on the job. Assuming you have a product or service, a basic logo and direction, we need to look at your market. Who are you customers? You can take that right from your business plan. Go grab it and I’ll wait. What, you don’t have a business plan? Shame on you!
Okay, it’s not the end of the world. But, you should develop one at the next break and keep it handy. But I’ll assume you have a pretty good idea of who your customers are and where they’re located. These are the “who” and “where” parts of the marketing equation. This is critical in determining your media and budget. Both should have been included in your business plan. Okay, I’ll stop beating a dead horse.
If I asked who your ideal customer was, the answer shouldn’t be everyone that’s breathing. Please be more specific. Women between 25 and 65. Young adult men. Seniors. That type of demographic data. And where would I find these people? Anywhere is not the answer. How far will your customers come from? Five or fifty square miles? This will narrow down the media and type. Does your typical customer read the paper, mailers, watch television or listen to the radio? Probably, but which ones and at which times?
Who is your competition? Don’t say you don’t have any. Be realistic and examine how they are reaching their customers. Then consider similar placements, You will catch the most fish where the other experienced anglers are dropping their lines. So now you have a fair idea of the “how,” or media, to use. Let’s look at the “when.”
Are you seasonal? If you’re an air conditioning repair business, the answer is obvious. But not so fast. Perhaps you need to do the most advertising when business is the slowest in the winter. In fact, during recessionary times, the businesses that increased their ads gained the most market share. So consider being counter-intuitive and promote yourself in ways you might not have considered.
Getting back to the a/c people, if everyone has full-page ads in the Yellow Pages and you have no chance of being in the front, consider a newspaper ad where there is far less competition. Or direct mailers for winter tune-ups. That would be the “when.”
The “why” question is the toughest of all. Why advertise when business is good and I get lots of word-of-mouth? Because even the best known companies like Coke and Microsoft need to keep the name out there. Do you live in a town where people move in and out? Are there newcomers in your neighborhood? How do you intend to reach them? If you said, “word-of-mouth,” that’s not advertising. That’s something beyond your control. Realize more people talk about their bad experiences than good. If you found a rusty nail in your onion soup you would tell far more people than if it was fine as usual. Right?
Plan your campaign by finding ways to reach your customers with a message that solves a problem. Every product or service does that very thing, so that’s the easy part. Then develop the approach, implement the strategy, and track the results. Ask your customers for feedback and tweak the ads as needed. And did I mention have a basic business plan?
Jeffrey Hausers latest book is, “Inside the Yellow Pages,?which can be viewed at http://www.poweradbook.com
He was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master’s Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.
Business Ethics: Lesson Plans, Knowledge Management, Ethics and Capitalism CollideRecently I read of a new website where teachers can post and sell their lesson plans to recover the time that they had spent in developing these plans. On the surface, this sounds reasonable and why would anyone object to teachers making a little more money through such a capitalist venture and leveraging their […]
You Are WrongIt appears that most gurus if you want to call them that represent themselves as experts. In several statements that Ive read, they refer to other marketers as making mistakes. Yet, when they make the same mistakes, they call it testing.I read a quote one time about a child learning to walk. […]
God Bless The Refrigerator Magnet!Ah, my very favorite promotional product of all, the refrigerator magnet. They are my favorite, because they are so extremely inexpensive, and extremely effective in getting your company name seen in countless locations.They dont make the greatest commission for a salesman of advertising specialties, but I cant stop myself from recommending these little beauties […]
Writing Effective AdvertsAdvertising ?Who Needs It? - Who doesnt!Most people who read information about business or advertising are doing so because they are trying to make some kind of positive change in their life. Perhaps get a job, make money, and increase their customer base ?whatever. Thats the central purpose of a classified ad. […]
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What a fun title, it sounds apocalyptic doesn’t it? Well, for your business it can be - read on…
All Marketers Are Liars by Seth Godin introduced me to this unusual approach
to identifying who I really wanted to work with and who gets the most
out of working with me. Reading this article will give you clear insight
on how and why you’ll want to identify the customers you want to work with most.
In the world of business we all have angels and devils and how we deal
with them can make a huge difference in our sanity and our bottom line.
Angels are customers that are a good fit for you, they are easy
and enjoyable to work with, and they feel your product/service is of value. Angels
like the buying process; they usually enjoy the experience and enjoy doing business
with you. Devils on the other hand aren’t necessary bad people,
their just not good customers for YOU to work with. These are generally the price
shoppers and bargain hunters who really don’t see the value in your product/service;
they are out to pay the absolute lowest price they can. Devils don’t get a lot
of enjoyment out of doing business with you; the enjoyment they get is getting
a deal.
In this context, you’ve probably been an angel and you’ve at times been a devil.
That’s okay. For you as a businessperson, you must identify your angels,
those people you enjoy doing business with that want to do business with you rather
than beat you down on price. The more angels you have the more enjoyable and more
profitable business can be for you.
Here’s how to assemble your angels, and then get more of them
* Identify who you like working with
* Determine why you like working with them
* Catalog everything you know about your angels
* Ask your angels what value they got from working with you and why they chose to work with you
* Take what you’ve learned about who your angels are and find out where other ones are
* Take what your angels told you about value and use that as your marketing
If you aren’t as profitable as you’d like to be in your business, take a look
at your customer base and identify your angels and devils. Learn to develop
marketing strategies that encourage angels to work with you and encourage devils
to go somewhere else. If you have questions on this one, give me a call;
I’d be happy to talk to you about it.
One small note, if your business’ niche and strength on price, than bargain shoppers might not be devils for you. You still have them, but you might have to search a little harder.
Identify your angels, talk to them, learn about them, use your knowledge about them to find more angels, your bottom line will thank you for it.
About Jeremy:
I help small businesses build more confidence and credibility into their business brand. Through marketing and design initiatives; I help you feel better about your company. Making you feel good about your business gives you more confidence and less anxiety when you are networking, promoting or selling your business. If your business needs the reliability and talent of an in-house marketing and design department but doesnt want additional employees, salaries and benefits, give me a call at 480.391.0704 - I have a new approach for you.
If you are looking for more free insight and inspiration, youll want to get in on the Can-Do Confidence Builder? Emailed weekly, the Confidence Builder provides you with essential marketing and design insights that help you get the most out of your investment and help you to stay one step ahead of the competition. Email me at comments@candographics.com and asked to be added to our list.
Learn more about me and how you can gain a competitive advantage with a better brand by visiting http://www.candographics.com
Business Ethics: Would You Buy From You?You can never find yourself until you face the truth. Pearl BaileyAT the beginning of the twentieth-first century, it seemed that business ethics had become an oxymoron, that integrity was for suckers and that profit was the singular force driving business.Then, as mega-corporations collapsed and scandalized companies fell, we witnessed the fragile framework of […]
Advanced Tips for Advertising OnlineAdvertising online is really important for the online business. It is also very effective. You can use different types of online advertising methods to get the desired result.Place all your online advertisements in a website that has the maximum visitors a day. This is important because more visitors will ensure that you get good numbers […]
God Bless The Refrigerator Magnet!Ah, my very favorite promotional product of all, the refrigerator magnet. They are my favorite, because they are so extremely inexpensive, and extremely effective in getting your company name seen in countless locations.They dont make the greatest commission for a salesman of advertising specialties, but I cant stop myself from recommending these little beauties […]
Writing Effective AdvertsAdvertising ?Who Needs It? - Who doesnt!Most people who read information about business or advertising are doing so because they are trying to make some kind of positive change in their life. Perhaps get a job, make money, and increase their customer base ?whatever. Thats the central purpose of a classified ad. […]
Written by info on October 27th, 2007 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
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