January 2008
You are currently browsing the articles from written in the month of January 2008.
Attracting the attention of young and old alike is a goal of any kind of professional printing services, whether it involves letters/letterhead, brochures, flyers, web pages, or poster. A bright and vibrant, yet easy to read and communicative presentation is a must. Whats the solution when you need to get a lot of information across in a short amount of time? The answer is simple, poster of course. A simple poster can communicate a wealth of ideas using simple use of color and aesthetic design. Grand opening events, special occasions, big sales, or even big family events would make a perfect application for a well designed and implemented poster.
Imagine attracting new customer and new clients with a big GRAND OPENING?poster outside of a newly opened store, or to draw in a range of customers and/or clients who would otherwise not stop. A simple poster with the proper sale information and/or grand opening information can generate a great boost in sales and customer base. Posters in sizes ranging from 11?x 17?up to 24?x 36?(depending on retailer), and range in price(s) based on the quantity of the poster needed. Practical application for smaller posters can include to post at any given public place to attract the attention of passersby thereby drawing them in to your business. An important aspect to keep in mind when creating any advertisement of poster is that it should not be too flashy otherwise the prospective target group will simply pass it over. As a matter of practicality, the cost of the posters can easily be offset by the cost of the incoming business. Cheaper alternatives to traditional poster printing also exist in cyberspace.
The concept of attracting new business may be quite an appealing one to all ranges of business owners; however poster printing may be too costly for a new business owner. To help curb the cost, which may seem a little exorbitant to a newly started business, the option of banners and/or posters in cyberspace may be a little more cost effective. Banner space online, can be quite cheap and/or free when found in the right place. The design of the graphics and/or banner advertisements can be done at little or no cost, if done in house. One great advantage of banner ads over typical paper posters comes with the use of moving graphics and flashing, colorful text. Banners that say BIG SALE?or GRAND OPENING?with a company slogan and/or logo can attract momentary attention of surfers and attract them to invest even a little time in what they saw.
Banner and poster advertising has come a long way to where it is now, and offers a great variety of methods to come across with the needed information to the target audience. Poster printing is a cost effective and efficient way to bring in new people to any given cause whether it is a business or otherwise. With such a wide array of options, the only real question is Why wait??/p>
Our Printing Directory is dedicated to the printing industry. Find more information and other printing topics on our Poster Printing resource page.
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 […]
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 […]
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 January 31st, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
For decades, local mom and pop businesses could rely on word of mouth and
traditional print services to garner customers. If the local businesses had
a good or service that they wanted to promote, they could just call up the
local newspaper and ask for an advertisement. However, as media has evolved
towards more sophisticated routes such as the Internet, it has become
increasingly more difficult (and oftentimes prohibitively expensive) for
local businesses to stand-out against the crowd by advertising in both newer
and older types of media.
Yet, local businesses continually find themselves facing a problem. As
potential customers become more Internet savvy, local companies could be
doing themselves a great disservice by not having some sort of exposure on
the Internet.
According to Kelsey Research, 70% of US households now use the internet when
searching for local products and services. In fact, it is projected that
over 20 billion searches for local information will be made in 2007. 75% of
Internet users have looked for services and products within an area close to
their home or business. Moreover, recent Internet studies have found that
some of the most searched queries in search engines such as Google or Yahoo
are words such as local business, free, discount, cheap, and other terms
bearing the connotation that the searcher is looking for something to
purchase.
Although many may be trying to look for cheap electronics that can be
shipped to their homes, it is also extremely apparent that consumers are
searching for businesses in their local area that they can patronize. Most
consumption on a day to day basis is not on items such as electronics that
can be purchased online. People need automotive services, tutors, daycare,
lawn care, restaurants, grocery stores, salons, plumbers, and much, much
more within a few miles of their house. These daily rituals that we all
engage in are all predicated on knowing where to find business. And as
mentioned above, with an abundance of people turning to the Internet to find
out where well priced, convenient goods and services are located, even a
small Internet presence can skyrocket a business.
Unfortunately, the typical local business doesn’t have a lot of money to
spend on Internet exposure. Even if they do have the finances to build a
website, the process can be cumbersome and somewhat daunting for the
generations of small business that aren?t well-read in the ways of
cyberspace. If the typical website can run anywhere from hundreds to
thousands of dollars, is it still worth creating? Even if you get the
website up and running, how will people find you? How high will you be
ranked on search engines? If you are like me, all the worry involved takes
away time from all the daily customer service issues that come with the
territory of owning a business. Why should you spend an inordinate amount of
money when there is no guarantee of getting more customers for your trouble?
Many are pushed away because the return on investment just doesn’t seem
worth it.
If this is what you think, perhaps you can consider many other low cost
options for your small business to get attention and some exposure on the
web. Something as simple as a Facebook or Myspace account can be used to
garner advertisement for your business. The Internet is all about content
and link popularity, and having even a little bit can help. However, there
are services that are beginning to expand the range of possibilities for
local businesses and cater explicitly to them. Websites such as
www.Cityslick.net and www.Merchantcircle.com allow companies to create local
listings whereby customers can put basic contact information, slogans,
product descriptions and photos, customizable coupons, appointment
generators, documents, social bookmarking, and much more. The terrific part
about websites like these is that they are not static; companies do not
simply post a listing and hope for customers to show up. Consumers can
browse, request deals, request appointments, chat with other consumers and
businesses in the forums, and leave reviews.
If you decide to list on a business directory website, make sure that they
are doing their best to get you the most exposure possible. According to
webworkshop.net Link text (the text that is clicked on when clicking on
a link) is singly the most important factor when Google determines the
rankings for any given search-term. To help a small local business website
grow in this fashion, it is critical that business owners submit to local
directories that can provide custom back links.
Cityslick.net in particular is proactive in its approach to ensure that
these sorts of interactions occur. By using the latest search engine
optimization (SEO) techniques, they are drawing customers to the website not
only by promoting it as a way to find cheap, local deals, but they are also
making it so that listings, just by themselves, have the same sort of
visibility as traditional websites.
Local and small business owners have a multitude of things to worry about
including how to best promote their venture. By using the internet to post
to sophisticated business directories, companies can get all the benefits of
having a website without having to pay a lot of money for their own website.
Take a look. Your customers and business will thank you for it.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
Written by info on January 30th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
Alone In A Swirling Sea of Classifieds?
All business owners are eventually confronted with a serious dillema — how to advertise, in which medium, and which is the best deal for each dollar spent.
Do newspaper ads outpull radio spots — or is the power of television the only way to go? And what about the high tech world wide web? The answer is different for each business, each situation, each location and each product.
The following are the pros and cons of each medium. Knowing these can help you decide which medium is right for advertising your product.
NEWSPAPERS
The Good:
* It’s fast. An ad in a magazine may take three months to break. A newspaper ad can come out the next day. If you need business fast, this is great.
* Newspapers have wide array of editorial topic selcition to match what you are advertising. For example, if you are selling car parts, you can place your ad in the paper’s automotive section, or have it placed next to news stories about cars. Newspapers also have international news, local news, etc., all of which help you focus your advertising effort.
* You get a lot of room, if you need it. Remember, long copy always sells better than short copy. The broad area of a newspaper page is ideal for long copy.
* Newspapers can insert your catalog, flyer or whatever preprinted materials you might have.
* You can use them to distribute reader response items, such as coupons, contest entry forms, surveys, and other such things.
* Radio advertising is sometimes called “invisible ink.” That’s because it is gone as soon as it is broadcast. With a newspaper, you can give the customer something to clip, or something they may see a second time if they read the newspaper a second time.
* Newspapers can reach large numbers of people, depending on circulation. Lage urban dailies, for example, may easily reach 1 or 2 million potential buyers overnight.
* They are available nationally, regionally, or locally.
* Newspapers allow you to reach possible nonreaders who might be part of your secondary target audience.
* Tend to be cheaper than other media, depending on a number of variables.
* Newspaper ads are easier to produce, and thus less costly. A TV ad, for example, may require special effects, actors, video footage, etc.
* Newspapers are good for repeat exposure, a vital element of effective advertising. Readers need to see something an average of six to eight times before they “see” an ad or respond to it.
* Newspapers can reach people who otherwise have little access to other media.
* Many people buy newspapers not for the news, but to find out what’s on sale today, or what’s happening today. Movie ads are a prime example.
* They have better local market penetration than magazines.
* You have more options in terms of space and unusual ad configurations
* You can use dealer listings.
The Bad:
* Newspapers tend to charge relatively high-cost premiums for less than full-run purchases.
* They are flat, and more than literally. In other words, they don’t beep, squeek, blast and make noise and colorful moving images as do radio and TV or a website.
* Do not have the reach other media forms, such as national magazines.
* Are not conducive to last minute changes beause of tight printing schedules.
* Newspapers do not produce as high a frequency level as other media forms.
* Large space ads are very expensive and their longevity is fleeting.
* Ads in newspapers tend to compete heavily with other ads on the page. Clutter is not good for your ad, but in a newspaper, there is usually a lot of clutter
* Use of color is crappy, and does not equal that of magazine color quality.
* Tend to deliver only an adult audience. If you have products targeted at teens or even college students, a newspaper probably won’t reach these people.
* Newspapers are usually only viewed by one person at a time.
RADIO
The good:
* Radio offers a wide array of formats which can reach listeners during a specific state of mind, which can complement a specific advertising message. Many people listen to radio while driving to and from work, others listen in the evening while relaxing next to a cozy fire.
* Delivers your message to everyone in the room or car at the same time.
* Is fast. Your ad could be heard the next day if production is available, ad copy is written and studio time is available.
* Radio advertising is intrusive — it butts in on your listening, and your only opiton is to listen or change the channel, (or shut it off!)
* Reaches a national, regional or local audience.
* Can be effectively targeted to consumer segments, such as teen-agers vs. seniors, or men vs. women.
* Can be repeated often, thus driving the message home. Once again, repeition is the heart of effective advertising.
* Radio ads can be heard 24 hours a day.
* Radio can reach people as they are on their way to the store. Messages delivered just prior to actual shopping are very powerful.
* Tends to be cheaper per announcement than either TV or print, and in fact, is probably the most cost efficient of all media.
* Uses “theater of the mind.” Radio uses voice and sound effects to conjur up images in the listener’s mind by engaging the human imagination. This can be more powerful than any pre-developed TV image or still photograph.
* Reaches people who do not like to read newspaper or magazine, or people who do not view outdoor mediums, such as billboards, and those who do not like TV or computers.
The Bad:
* Most people have the radio on “for noise.” That is, they are usually otherwise engaged with something while listening, and often are only half-listening.
* Repetition is more important to overcome general lack of attention on behalf of the listener, and thus, you have to spend more for more spots,which can make up for the lower cost.
* Makes it difficult for the listener to take physical action as a result of the advertising message. For eample, most listeners do not have a pen in hand when they hear an 800 number to call or an address to remember.
* You generally need more up-front money to buy up the large number of spots you need to get the job done.
* Is not visual, and many people retain better what they can see than what they hear. Also does not move, another aspect of capturing vital attention.
TELEVISION
The Good:
* Is usually in vivid exciting color, and color is a prime motivator of the human mind.
* Uses all elements of sight, sound and movement at once to form a powerful package that hits on all level of human senses (except touch and smell).
* Can deliver your message to all people in a room simultaneously.
* Is fast, but not as fast as newspaper or radio because it tends to require more production.
* Like radio it is intrusive. The customer does not have to seek out the ad, like they must to find a movie listing or a rummage sale. The ad comes to the viewer.
* Available nationally, regionally, or locally.
* Television ads can be purchased to focus on concentrated geographical areas, especially with the advent of cable.
* Has a wide variety of programming to match the nature or subject matter of your ad. Want to sell rock-n-roll CDs? Buy ads during Grammy Awards or American Idol. Want to sell feminine hygiene products? Buy time during soap operas.
* TV has more reach than any other medium in terms of all segments of society. Just about everyone watches TV, but not everyone reads newspapers or magazines.
* Is good for repepetition of ads.
* TV can deliver your ad at any time of the day, 24 hours a day.
* You can get an exclusive, that is, your ad need not compete with a clutter of other ads — but you may have to pay dearly for it.
* Tends to be more cost efficient in terms of number of responses it produces compared to dollars invested.
* Is probably best for reaching those people who tend not to use any other form of media.
The Bad:
* Most often is very cluttered. your commerical may be sandwhiched deep within a string of other commericals, which have long since caused the viewer to head to the refrigerator. Also weakens long-term memory of your product message.
* Is sometimes hard to get. There are usually a limited number of TV spots available, and you may not get the program you want.
* Is perhaps the most expensive. There are a lot of production costs related to TV advertising.
* May be less demographically selective as some other media forms, although cable TV has helped in this category.
* Your audience can fluctuate widely. If 10,000 people see your ad one night, a mere 100 might see it the next if a high-interest program airs on another channel.
* TV is cost-inefficient when you are after highly focused target markets.
* VCRs are helping TV ads get beyond the “invisible ink” problem of broadcast media. A taped program may be viewed again and again — on the other hand, your commerical may be fast forwarded.
MAGAZINES
The Good:
* Magazines offer a wide variety of subject matter and editorial focuses to reach readers when they have a state of mind you are looking for. Thus, you can tailor your message to a high degree of specificity.
* Magazines have glossy, polished paper that makes color photographs and other graphic elements look like works of art. You ad will look superb. (That doesn’t mean it will sell, however!)
* Can reach very specific target markets without having to waste time or money on markets you do not care about.
* Like newspaper, you can have long copy. Full or even multiple pages let you make a pretty long and detailed pitch. Do people really read all that fine print? Yes! If you have their attention and interest.
* You can insert your catalog, card, flyer or whatever into the magazine.
* Like newspapers, they allow you to include reader response materials, such as coupons, entry or order forms, and more.
* They are not disappearing ink. In fact, magazines are even better on this count than newspapers because people are much more likley to re-read or go over a magazine a second time. Many people even collect magazines or go through them for research in the library, giving your ad the chance to be
seen again and again.
* Can reach a huge audience, easily in the millions with the bigger magazines.
* Magazines allow for a breathtaking array of creative options: pop-ups, special inks, holograms, unusual space configurations, personalizing elements for each reader of the publication, etc.
* They have national, regional and local reach.
* Magazine ads can reach specific demographic segments within the total readership of the magazine. That’s because most magazines have departments and areas of specific topic or subject matter, helping you to target your customers.
* Magazine ads can reach possible nonreaders who might be part of an advertiser’s secondary target audience.
* Because they are more highly focused and need less repetition, as in radio, they can actually be more cost effective than any other media form.
* Frequency of exposure is high, as we said, because magazines are often read more than once and by more than one person. Also, they may read other similar magazines you have targeted for your ads.
* May reach people that other media do not. Many people prefer to read magazines to newspapers, for example.
* Magazines can accommodate your listings.
The Bad:
* One of the biggest drawbacks is the long period before you buy the ad and when it appears. A magazine ad may take three to four months before it appears. If you need fast cash and customers, this is no help. Also, a reader may not get to his or her magazine right away upon receiving it.
* Tend to be expensive for one-time runs.
* Do not offer sound of movement, although some cutting edge ads, such as pop-ups or those with micro-chip intsertions are breaching this drawback. These are mega-expensive, however.
* Because they are more highly focused, they have less reach, which many do not consider a drawback.
* You must submit your final copy and ad prep many months before deadline. Some magazines have a fast close, and other will call up repeat advertisers with last minute deals, often because they have space to fill or when others back out at the last minute.
* Although once they start printing, you cannot backout. Generally, once you buy a magazine ad, you are locked in no matter what. Refunds are rare.
* You do not get high frequency unless you buy an entire year’s worth, but then readers will see them about once a month for most magazines.
* You only get exposure to one person at a time, as opposed to a whole room or car-full as in radio or TV.
SUNDAY MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENTS
The Good:
* You get superior quality color on high quality paper, allowing for effective product presentation, if you are willing to pay top dollar.
* Great for insertions. You know the way it is with all Sunday papers and magazines — lots of extras which many readers actually buy the publication for in the first place. Many people live to scan and clip coupons.
* You get ample opportunity for long copy. Sunday magazines are among the best place to make a long, detailed ptich.
* As we said, people love to clip coupons, and this is the place people will most likley use any kind of special insertion, from coupons to sweepstakes, contests or surveys.
* Have better chance of repeat exposure to your ad than newspapers or magazines. People tend to hang onto the Sunday paper longer and also give it a better read because they are more relaxed and have more time on Sunday to linger over the paper.
* Can reach large numbers of people in a short time.
* You can get very creative, as you can with magazines. This means pop-ups, specials inks, scratch-and-sniff — even insertion of product samples.
* Distribution of the advertisement to possible nonreaders who might be part of an advertiser’s secondary target audience.
* Because of high readership and better repetition factor, can be a good deal for the your scarce advertising dollar.
* Production costs for your ad will be less than all other media, except for newspaper.
* Can reach people who do not ordinarily read newspapers or pay attention to other media. Many consider the Sunday papre “special.”
* You get immediate delivery to entire audience — even millions of people — in just one day.
* They can have national, regional, or local distribution, although national is less likely with most Sundays, except the real biggies, such as the New York Times.
* Sunday publications have higher penetration and greater readership locally than do competing publications or other media.
* You can use dealer listings.
The Bad:
* Ads do not force themselves on reader as in radio or TV. In other words, they are nonintrusive.
* No sound or movement in general.
* Usually require advertising materials well in advance of issue date. Some even have longer lead time time than magazines.
* Relatively inflexible for accommodating last minute changes. Most Sunday ads are set in stone after you issue a check. You won’t get a refund.
* Frequency is lacking because they only come out on Sundays, and people don’t make connections from one Sunday to the next, in most cases.
* Are extremely expensive if you want national or regional coverage.
* Large space ads are very expensive and they are here today and gone tomorrow most of the time.
* Again, they are relatively short-lived, and quickly end up lining a bird cage or wrapping a fish.
* Are not good for delivering ad messages to young people: teens, young adults and children.
* Most often only expose ad to one person at a time, unlike radio or TV, which can deliver a message to a roomful of people all at once.
INTERNET
The Good:
*The Internet is the global community of computers that makes the exchange of information, pictures and sounds possible.
*Can be in vivid exciting color, and color is a prime motivator of the human mind.
* Is fast. Can achieve astounding success if your website receives enough traffic.
*Available, nationally, regionally, locally and internationally.
*An ALTERNATIVE form of marketing that has many strengths and weaknesses.
*Can be done at low or no cost and levels the playing field. A home based business can appear an compete with large companies.
*A large assortment of creative options: popups, popunders, audio, video, personalizing etc. The list goes on and on.
The Bad:
*The learning curve can be a long one. It takes time before you really understand what you are doing.
*No insertions.
*No social contact. You work alone.
*Ezine ads, classified ads, top ads and solo ads can be expensive.
*Failure rate is high.
*Earning an income online isn’t difficult–but it can be confusing if you don’t manage your time and money, have a consistent plan and stick to it to avoid becomeing derailed.
There you have it. Based on what you have learned above, you should now be in a better position to decide which medium is best for your business, product or service.
Of course, the only perfect way to make a final decision is through test marketing with each medium. You can do that by starting out with small, inexpensive ads in each medium. Those that bring the best results deserve to get your future business and a larger share of your advertising dollar.
Good Luck!
Copyright 2006 Kevin Lankford All Rights Reserved.
Bettering Your Best, Web-Spin, Lankford Enterprise are trademarks of Kevin Lankford.
Visit us on the web: http://www.KevinLankford.ws or http://lulu.com/kevin2
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 […]
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 January 30th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same”. That saying couldn’t be more true, especially when it comes to writing ads and sales letters.
The same things that worked fifty years ago, continue to work today. Yes, times and technology has changed, but people haven’t. At least, not the way we react to an effective advertisement.
When writing an ad or sales letter, there are two critical points you must NEVER, EVER forget:
1. Most people don’t make a buying decision based on logic. They make a buying decision based on their emotions.
2. People don’t want to feel like they’re being coerced or pushed into anything. They want to feel like they arrived at a buying decision completely of their own free will.
Go back and read point number two again. That’s a very fine line. But you MUST learn the distinction, if you want to master the art of writing effective sales material.
Actually, writing effective sales material is quite simple, really. In fact, I’m going to teach you all of the basics in this article today. And if you consistently apply those basics, you’ll see your income skyrocket!
Here’s the key: You MUST write every single ad and sales letter using the following classic AIDA formula:
A=ATTENTION
I=INTEREST
D=DESIRE
A=ACTION
Let’s break down each letter, so that you can understand the full import of the formula:
A=ATTENTION: The very first thing your ad or sales letter must do is get your prospects attention. The very best way to do that is with an effective headline.
So, what’s an effective headline? An effective headline is any headline that answers this question: “What’s in it for me”? That’s all your prospects really cares about. What’s in it for them? Here’s an up-to-the-second example of an effective headline: “How To Write Super-Effective Ads and Sales Letters”!
So, what makes the title of this article an effective headline? Two things: First of all, I answered the “What’s in it for me” question. Secondly, the headline made you read this article.
And that my friend is the whole point! You want prospects to read your sales material!
Now, we come to the second letter in the aforementioned AIDA formula: I=”INTEREST”. After you get your prospects attention, you want to get them “INTERESTED” in your product or service. You do that by immediately telling them what your headline promises. You don’t waste their time with a bunch of fluff and garbage that nobody but you cares about.
Tell them what they want to know, starting with the very first paragraph, and continue to tell them, right through to the very last paragraph. If you keep them interested, they’ll keep reading, right to the very end.
Next comes the third letter letter in the formula: D=”DESIRE”. You have to make your prospects “DESIRE” your product or service. And the way to do that is with benefits, benefits and more benefits!
Remember, just keep telling them what your headline promised. Also, tell them what they stands to gain by purchasing your product or service. More importantly, tell them what they stand to lose, if they doesn’t purchase.
Push their emotional “hot buttons”, by using magic selling words like, new, save, amazing, free, guaranteed, security, no-risk, look younger, feel better, etc!
Now we come to the last letter in the formula, but certainly not the least: A=”ACTION”. You want to close your ad or sales letter with a call to action! In other words, ask them for the order. It’s important to ask for the order at least three times, preferably six or more.
Here are a few examples of effective closes:
1. “Just click on the button below to order NOW, Risk-Free”!
2. “To get your FREE website, Order NOW”!
3. “Don’t waste another minute! Order NOW”!
Something else that’s very effective is to include a post- script (P.S.) at the end of your ad or sales letter. Your post-script should include an enticement of some sort, to get your prospects to order NOW. You should also use the post-script as a final call to “ACTION”!
Here’s an example of an effective post-script:
P.S. “Don’t forget, if your order within the next ten days, you’ll also receive a personalized calculator mouse pad FREE, with your company’s name embossed in gold lettering! Order NOW”!
You can also use a post script to tie everything together, by summarizing your most important benefits.
Another reason that you should use a post-script is strictly elementary. Studies have shown that most people, when reading an ad or sales letter will read the headline and then immediately zoom right down to the bottom of the page to check out the price and see if your offer is anything that they’d be interested in.
Anyway, that’s it. That’s “How To Write Super-Effective Ads and Sales Letters”!
Follow the formula faithfully and it will rarely let you down.
And remember, when writing your ads and sales letters, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS keep in mind that one question we all want to know: “What’s in it for me”?
About The Author
Dean Phillips is an Internet marketing expert, writer, publisher and entrepreneur. Questions? Comments? Dean can be reached at mailto: dean@lets-make-money.net.
Make Money Online! Internet marketing expert, Dean Phillips will help you make money online, starting today…Guaranteed! For details just visit my website: http://www.lets-make-money.net
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 […]
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 January 30th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
If you’ve been searching around for business cards that will best represent the image you want to portray for your business, then you’ve no doubt encountered many options. The Big Two, as I like to think of them, are “Raised Letter” and “Full Color.”
What are the differences in raised letter and full color business cards? What are the price differences? What looks best for how I want to represent my business? These are all questions I hear on a daily basis.
1. The difference between Raised Letter and Full Color printing is in how the ink is applied to the card stock. Thermography is the type of printing that produces ink that stands up off the page slightly. When you run your fingers across the surface, you can feel the printing on the stock. Each color that is printed has a separate plate, and the cards have to be run through the press for each color chosen. These types of cards have a very elegant and refined look about them, especially if the colors and stocks chosen are complimentary. There are hundreds of varieties of stocks and inks to choose from.
Full Color printing is much like printing from your ink jet printer at home. All the inks are printed on the page at the same time, and combined to create hues, shades–photo images. So, one run through and the cards are printed. These cards have been traditionally used by real estate agents, insurance agents and the like. But now, with this type of printing becoming more affordable and available, anyone can choose this option. These designs most of the time seem jazzier, sharper, more upbeat.
2. The cost difference is an oddity. Spot printing (the process of laying the colors on one at a time, as in Raised Letter cards), can be much cheaper–if only one color or black is chosen. White plate (65 lb stocks) will be cheaper than a cordwain or linen. But, if you start adding more colors (equals more time through the press) then you’ll start racking up the cost. If your colors touch each other (called registration–the printer must make sure the cards run through correctly) then you’ll tack on some extra expense there.
If you have a full color logo, the least expensive way to go would be with full color (process printing). But, you generally have to get a minimum of 1000. You can get 250 from some places, but you’ll pay about the same price. It’s the setup fee from the printer that is the biggest expense. Printing them is the cheap part, which is why the more you get, the better the price.
3. To choose the look that’s right for you, I would think first about the image you are projecting for your company. Are you a doctor? You probably would rather have a classier linen stock with black and gold inks. Same for lawyers and other professionals. A handsome bordeaux (burgundy) on grey fiber stock would speak volumes about your professionalism. The raised letter would add to the expensive feel. There is really no need to add more than 1 color and black in printing raised letter cards. If that’s the way you’re heading, then you probably have a flashier business image and would need full color cards. A doctor or lawyer is usually using cards to provide clients with contact information, not get more business.
Full color is proven to get a 30% better response rate than regular printing, but this is only a bonus if your business aims to use the business cards to get more business. If you sell a product, using full color cards would be a brilliant idea–you can have a photo of it right on the cards. If you’re in a service industry like real estate, you’ll want your prospects to remember your face. Add your professionally taken photo to your cards. If you’re trying to express a concept of what you can do for customers, then finding the right stock photo image can speak thousands of words with just one image!
In reality, cost usually dictates the biggest part of your decision making process. However, I would caution you to consider your IMAGE first. You might find that if you choose the card that has the best representation of your image, the cost ends up being less than if you choose the wrong one.
About The Author
Business card designer, Miton?Cooke, specializes in full color business card designs at her website http://drbusinesscards.com. You can also give her a call at 1-800-431-3407 to order raised letter cards! Miton?can be reached by email at moi@mitone.com. Sign up for the free e-newsletter about Business Card Marketing by sending a blank email to bizcardmarketing@getresponse.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 […]
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 […]
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 January 30th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
Copy makeovers can work magic.
Perhaps all you need is a little medicine… and not major surgery. Take whatever sales copy you have now and modify it. Recast, rework and repackage what you’ve got.
Chances are youre sitting on some solid (yet hidden) sales material. Often simple copy makeovers can work wonders in terms of response. So, before you crumple it up and toss your sales letter in the trash, try tweaking it first. You might be surprised at the result.
Here are 3 simple steps to complete copy makeovers…
Copy Makeovers — Strategy #1: Create A More Compelling Headline.
This is critical. The headline is the first thing your audience sees. It either “grabs” prospects by the jugular… or it doesn’t. If the headline fails, nothing else matters much because it wont even get a fair reading.
Make your headline and/or sub-heading alluring. Talk to your prospect about what is most important to her. Think in terms of the BIG BENEFIT your product offers and deliver it in a captivating and compelling way.
Craft a handful of words that attract attention, identify specific target markets, and deliver enough interest and intrigue to pull true prospects inside. If youre struggling with your headline, just think about the greatest advantage your product offers and promise it right up front.
Copy Makeovers — Strategy #2: Take The “YOU” Point Of View.
You’re weight-loss story might be admirable, but what does it mean to your reader or prospect? Talk about yourself and the audience turns off. Talk to your reader one-on-one about something important in her life?and youve got her undivided attention ?at least momentarily.
If you could re-shape your story… if you could express it in a way that was more meaningful to your individual readers, you’d quickly capture their interest.
There’s a difference between telling your audience that you lost X number of pounds… and telling them how they can lose X pounds, enjoy the process, and feel terrific about their slim, new look.
Remember the old marketing phrase “What’s In It For Me?” Everything your prospect reads gets filtered through this frame of reference. With each statement you make, your audience is thinking… “So What? What does this have to do with me in my situation? How does this help me?”
If the answer isn’t obvious immediately, off they go and you lose the sale. Many times the decision to stay or go is made in the blink of an eye ?and often unconsciously.
Copy Makeovers — Strategy #3: Turn Your Bullet Points Into Irresistible, Benefit-Packed Mini-Headlines.
Make each bullet a “grabber” in its own right. Prospects tend to scan certain segments of an ad or sales letter, to determine if it offers something they really want.
While many marketers use bullets in their sales letters, most settle for weak bullet point copy — copy that lacks enthusiasm and passion.
If youre going to employ this powerful sales tool, you might as well make the most of it. Craft your bullet points with the same emotion and magnetic appeal, as youd inject into a major headline. After a while, this gets easier to do.
Bullet points are one of those sales letter components that have the power to quickly stimulate intense reader interest. Use them for all they’re worth by making each point justify itself. Each and every bullet point should be capable of compelling the reader to read on — with heightened desire and interest.
Before you do anything else, try implementing these simple copy makeover strategies. You just might notice an immediate improvement in your conversion rate. Read more at www.makeyoursalessoar.com
Robert Boduch is an author of dozens of best-selling books, reports and articles on the art and science of selling. A free newsletter targeted at anyone interested in selling more of anything is available at http://www.makeyoursalessoar.com
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. […]
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 January 29th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
(Or Any Other Print Ad)
If you think that advertising in the Yellow Pages is not right for you, you may be right. But before you write off the Yellow Pages, you should do a bit of research into how many responses your heading receives every year. You might be surprised. You might find a great opportunity that a lot of your competitors are missing out on.
If you DO advertise in the Yellow Pages, there are a few things you need to know. First of all, you should understand the nature of the beast, which may come as a surprise.
The Yellow Pages directories are a marketing orphan? They are unloved, unglamorous, unsexy. Most marketing experts know next to nothing about how to use them. But Ive seen many very profitable businesses derive virtually all their business from one good ad run in many directories.
But, and this is extremely important, less than 1% of Yellow Pages advertisers know what an effective ad is. The bad rap the Yellow Pages has is not earned. If you know how to use them, the Yellow Pages can be incredible!
Most advertisers have the vague notion that they want a response. Thats logical. We want the phone to ring!?they say. But the way they go about it leaves a lot to be desired.
Exposed: The #1 Cardinal Sin of Print Advertising
The biggest mistake neophyte advertisers make is to assume that the theme of their ad should be: Who we are, what we do, and how to reach us? The second biggest error is not having a great headline. Heres a clue: Your name and logo are not a headline. They are the least important things in your aduntil a person wants to call you and knows exactly why. At that moment, and not before, your company name and number become important.
The name, rank and serial number?approach is wrong for any print ad, but especially the Yellow Pages, which is a magic moment?medium. There is no other medium where people in need go to find an instant solution, ready to take buying action right away. If you could but understand the mindset of your prospect in their moment of need, you would dominate your heading year after year.
The Ultimate Secret To Acing The Yellow Pages
Now let me share with you a powerful secret that very few people in the marketing business understand. You may not believe it at first, but if you take it to heart, this secret could revolutionize your Yellow Pages response foreverand the rest of your direct response print ads too!
Heres the secret: the Yellow Pages Is NOT A Visual Medium! (Huh?) Yes, really, no kidding.
But how can that be? Arent all ads supposed to look great and employ a lot of white space? Sorry to break it to you, but those are two of the big lies that agencies and graphic artists have been perpetuating for years, which have been consistently disproved by measuring response.
The Yellow Pages may be full of colour and pictures and maps and words. And yes, you have to LOOK at the page to read it, but it is not a visual medium. Let me offer you an analogy to explain:
Imagine going to a fancy restaurant and ordering supper. The waiter brings your order along with a picture of a beautiful meal, which looks even better than the one, you ordered. Which one would you want to eat?
The incorrect assumption everyone makes is that appearance counts for more than substance in the Yellow Pages. Anybody who tells you this does not understand the state of mind of your Yellow Pages prospect in need. The only time a prospect looks at your ad is when they are in dire need and ready to take action. They are not looking for pretty pictures.
With nothing but pretty pictures to choose from, your prospect will have to pick one. But, when theres one good information ad, and several pretty pictures, the information ad will win, hands down, every time.
You will double your response — EASILY — if you turn your ad into an information piece, or advertorial? Why? Because the person who is in distress wants informationall the credible information they can get their hands on. And, even more than that, you will stick out like a sore thumb. Your ad will jump off the page and it will look like an information piece, not a sales pitch. Everyone else is saying, Im the best!?and you are giving them precisely the information they crave. Who do you think theyll want to talk to?
I have seen information ads multiply the response of image ads in the Yellow Pages on numerous occasions. In every case, the directory rep tried to talk my client out of running the ad. Dont listen to them! Your directory sales rep is in the space selling business, not in the direct response business.
And one more thing: once you run your ad, try to resist the temptation to plaster the little Let Your Fingers Do The Walking Stickers?on your vehicles and in your store window. Did you ever stop to think how foolish it is to invite your prospects and customers to go where your competitors are advertising?
Tom St. Louis is a marketing strategist, copywriter and president of Zerald Communications of Toronto. For a free critique of your Yellow Pages or print ad, go to WWW.UltimateYellowPagesAd.com
Ultimate yellow pages ad - Increase your yellow pages response by up 600%, glancing your yellow pages ad and provide you Free report for your ad on yellow pages or yellow pages directory.
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 […]
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 […]
Written by info on January 28th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
Advertising online is very similar to advertising in any environment. You really are trying to get your message or your product out there by the most cost effective means possible.
Advertising online really is unique in the sense that you have the means to advertise anywhere in the world, almost instantly.
I have found through many years of advertising and research that it can get quite expensive and take many hours finding what works and what does not.
However, the most effective methods of advertising I believe, happen to be through search engines. Having them index you, and paying per click seem to be the most effective methods of marketing.
Advertising in ezines are also effective for short term sales but really have nowhere as much traffic as you will find in search engines which account for the majority of website traffic on the internet.
It is better to let a search engine index you rather than submitting to it, this way you will obtain higher rankings.
You must update your site and even trade traffic with other websites if possible if you want to improve your indexing chances and your ranking.
There are also directories you can look into that will possibly charge a fee to get into, but are well worth it.
By: Mark Shay
(C)Mark Shay
Where entrepreneurs earn $2,700 and more daily.
http://www.therealincome.com
(C) Mark Shay
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 […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
Written by info on January 27th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
Well, Super Bowl XXXIX is history. Too bad for the folks who
consider themselves the always-pullin’-for-the-underdog
type. The Bandwagon team won.
But, as far as Super Bowls go, the losers played well. For
those who care, the Eagles actually covered the 7-point
spread. T.O. is the deal, too. At least on the field, anyway.
They had a chance late in the game, but poor field position
and bad clock management did them in. Scoring from 95
yards out with 48 seconds left? That’s a tall order.
So is getting/maintaining ad recall 48 hours after the final
gun. Whose $80,000 per second ad was worth it? Who
would’ve done better by writing me a fat check for $2.4
million?
Read on, and find out. True to school yard rules: Suckers
Walk. Losers are up first.
Losers:
Sorry, Donovan, but your three picks lands you in with
GoDaddy.com, Quizno’s, and Silestone. I don’t care if you
were ill.
GoDaddy.com had a decent concept that quickly went bad.
OK. Boopsie talking to a Senate subcommittee on C-SPAN
about indecency. Good start- if they cut out any hint to last
year’s halftime debacle. But… they couldn’t resist. So the
buxom wench wearing a GoDaddy.com t-shirt has a near
wardrobe malfunction. One of the craggy senators has to hit
the oxygen mask.
This ad was supposed to run again, but Fox pulled it mid-
game. Good idea. I bet their stomachs were in as many
knots as Donovan McNabb’s.
The Quizno’s ad was mediocre at best. This talking baby
concept is tiresome. As clich?as it may be, it’s still 80%
less annoying than those whack rodents in pirate hats from
a couple of years ago.
The one stinky Bud Light ad was one that the ESPN crowd
really dug - the parachute-less pilot heading out the door for
the six of Diet Bud. Dumb. The desert island one with
Cedric the Entertainer was iffy, too.
Speaking of stinky… what was up with Napsters ad? Ugh! It
could wind up doing more to shut them down than the
Supreme Court.
This bad concept was in stark difference to their introductory
spots featuring Flash animation based around their logo.
Those were well-designed and entertaining. This one was
as fat and ugly as the seven shirtless blops they decided to
show with a letter on each of their overdeveloped beer guts
to spell N-A-P-S-T-E-R. It was done in house and, boy, did it
show.
The manufactured reality?of the game and its atmosphere
was lame and no one bought it. An ad taking place at the
Super Bowl should be IN the Super Bowl- done real time.
And… trying to take on Apples iTunes on price? That was
the second dumbest decision of this ad. No wonder it
finished dead last in likability and recognition.
Now… Silestone. Valiant effort of an ad featuring Chicago
sports legends. Voice over was good. It was shot nicely.
But, it was a little too jumpy in the cuts to get the whole
picture the first time through. The quick cut style hurt the
name recognition of the line of counter tops.
Silestone and Diana Pearl are not exactly household
names. And Dennis Rodman slurred his line. It sounded
like “Dinah Pearl, rather than, “Diana Pearl.” I’m sure the
director or writer got dissed when they said, “Uh, Worm… it’s
‘Di-A- na’.”
“Sure. Dinah.”
As a side note, why were only Chicago Bears in it until
Dennis Rodman at the end? No Scottie Pippen or Slammin?
Sammy?
On to the good ‘uns…
Winners:
This year, the game was nearly as good as the ads, as
there were a surprisingly good number of breaking spots.
Leading the pack was Career Builder, FedEx, Mastercard,
and Anheuser-Busch.
FedEx likes to make ads relating to advertising on
advertising’s biggest stage. They did it again - patching
together 10 “tried and true” Super bowl ad conventions to
great results.
Career Builder put a great spin on a stale category with the
best work since Monster’s “I Wanna Be…” [a brown noser,
forced into retirement, etc.] from ‘98. Three ads featuring a
hapless chump working for chimps managed to put their
name into mind share largely dominated by two others.
MasterCard got a bunch of animated branded food icons
together for a meal and a nice touch of nostalgia. Ad fans
and agency folks dug this one.
A-B hit emotional hot buttons with a near-public service ad
saluting troops retuning home. Yes, they were real military -
not actors. Their uniforms just did not have any insignias,
so the common soldier would be represented. For their light
beer category, the ad with the head on the wall and the
designated driver spot were the best for Bud Light.
Pepsis second year of an iTunes promotion kicked off well.
They ran a humorous spot featuring people opening
winning bottles for a free song. When the bottles were
opened, a song reflecting the drinkers taste in music would
play. Although the spot was humorous and worked, Pepsi
couldve really hit a home run by involving the older
authority figure?more into the ad. But, keeping with brand
tradition, they kept the focus young.
AmeriQuest had two entertaining spots revolving around the
themes of misunderstanding and jumping to conclusions.
Their message was, We dont prejudge.?The ad featuring
spaghetti sauce, a cat, and knife will certainly make some
Best Of?reels this year.
Decent work also included Honda’s new pickup/SUV
product introduction. Good detail with benefit highlights. Left
the “Honda” out until the end. Cadillac and Volvo had solid
ads. Volvo should have bought another ad, if not two, as
many people missed the early run. The audience also may
have missed the details on their unique contest. But they
did follow up with some net portal ads the day after. Ford’s
F-150 Biker spot was OK. Their line that “it makes YOU
tough,” really undercut the effectiveness.~
John is a freelance commercial writer based in Omaha,
Nebraska. He publishes a free monthly e-zine focusing on
branding, advertising, and marketing from his web site http://www.brandedbetter.com Speaking with both agency and
in-house experience, he knows the most valuable asset of
a business is its brand.
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 January 26th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
Advertising in the paper works for many people in
business. The astute merchant understands the
newspapers weaknesses and works to avoid them
whenever possible.
Here are 13 facts you should know.
1 Despite declining circulation figures and
increasing ad rates, newspapers still reach large
audiences, daily.
2 Newspapers are considered the PRIMARY
advertising medium by 99.4% of all retailers.
Newspapers have been there in every step of the
typical store owners life from the very
beginning. Newspapers covered his birth, his high
school graduation, his engagement, his marriage,
the death of his parents and everything else.
3 Many, if not most, retailers, lay out their own
ads. It is said that over the years, merchants
have come to believe the only way to get it right
is to do it themselves. This thinking has given
rise to the new breed of newspaper salesperson. No
training, just a list of customers and the daily
question “Gotchyur ad ready yet?”
4 There is no proof full page or double-truck ads
are more effective than half page ads. The savings
can be spent on a concurrent radio campaign or
billboards.
5 The same with color. It looks great, but the
increased cost many times does not justify the
small increase in readership. Forget the color and
go with more frequency.
6 The paper is delivered daily, but there is no
need for an ad every day as the paper reaches the
same readers. 3 times a week works just fine.
Spend the difference in the shopper or on a
supporting radio campaign.
7 Newspaper coupons will have a better rate of
redemption with a radio chaser. Especially if the
coupons are NOT in a Sunday paper competing with
85% of all coupons weekly. Think about a coupons
on Tuesday with supporting radio to drive them
to it.
8 Less than half of newspaper readers read the
entire paper. Most are skimmers. How many times
through the paper does it take for you to find
your own ad?
9 Over half of every newspaper is advertising.
Almost as bad as TV where commercial breaks now
last more than three and a half minutes. More
than two-thirds of the huge and heavy Sunday
brick is advertising and stuffers and lap cards
(those pesky little cards that fall out when you
pick it up).
10 Newspaper rates are climbing faster than any
other advertising media. The smallest of ads in
the smallest papers can cost over $100. One time,
one shot and POW!, its at the bottom of the bird
cage or spread out for an indoor dog’s emergency.
11 Newsstand and subscriptions prices are rising,
too. 75 cents an issue is rapidly losing to 4
quarters.
12 Most papers offer no competitive protection.
Your ad can be placed side-by-side with your
competition. Get the salesperson to guarantee
you separation.
13 Daily newspaper numbers are dwindling. There
are less than 1000 daily papers left in the US.
Smaller communities must rely on weeklies or
papers from another area with a “local” section.
In some markets one publisher controls several
small town papers, printing them at a central
location, changing only the front page for each
community.
Newspapers are still a formidable advertising
force. Find ways to continue to use the paper to
increase store traffic, but do it with other
advertising too, so the media mix is efficient.
Don’t let anyone tell you NOT to advertise in the
paper. Just do it better.
For more about advertising, get my article
“Do Your Radio Ads Work?”
MailTo:RadioAds@BigIdeasGroup.com
?005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights Reserved
Mike@BIGIdeasGroup.com
BIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and Small
Business Consultant with over 30 years experience,
http://BIGIdeasGroup.com
Subscribe to “BIG Mike’s BIG Ideas” Newsletter
MailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net
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: 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 […]
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 January 26th, 2008 with comments disabled.
Read more articles on accounting.
« Older articles
No newer articles
