Advertising: กันยายน 2008

วันอังคารที่ 30 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2551

Placemat Ad Advertising

Starting a placemat ad business can create more business for you; free advertising and income all while helping other local small businesses advertise their business all at a reasonable price.This is an idea not new by any means, but it can prove to be very profitable to you if done right. After you have your clients lined up, you will target small local diner's, many will jump at the chance especially when you explain it is "free" it is key to stay away from large establishments like McDonalds or Burger King since the franchise probably supplies the placemats they use.We all have seen placemats with ads of business offers discounts, coupons or just an announcement that they are around. Many of these ads have games, pictures for kids to color, word find puzzles and more.Placement ads can be the right vehicle that allows you to advertise your business without paying for all the cost to do it. Here is what you do; go around to local businesses like the pizza shop, new laundromat, auto body shops, new area businesses etc.You can call around or visit these businesses offering ad space on the new Jonas Placemat Ads give them the best price, target 8-10 businesses the first time around offer them an introductory price, one that will you costs for printing, and mileage and other related costs for getting the placemat ads made.Try to get these businesses to offer a coupon like ad customers love these type of ads, plus it will get them reading the ads as they are waiting for their meals to be made don't forget to make it fun for the kids as well, remember many of these ads are targeted for kids, you can add a twist by adding the ads of local business as well.Remember to leave at least two slots empty for your ad and one for the printer so that you can negotiate the price for the absolute lowest you can get.It may be a good idea to offer the printer the free ad space on each printing as long as he is willing to give you the absolute lowest and best price. If this does not work with you on this shop around someone will be willing to take you up on this offer it can be a win-win situation for both of you.You can start with 2,000-3,000 at first make sure you make it clear to your clients that the price they are buying the advertising at is only an introductory price of $59.95, so when you follow up with them in a few weeks or month or two later they are aware that the cost is up a little because it was the introductory price. Going up $10.00-$20.00 dollars may not seem so bad especially when you explain that they could not get such a wide audience at this low of a price elsewhere.Try to keep the cost under $99, this is sure to be hit, also if you can fit somewhere on the ads that in order to get the discount offered you must bring in the ad. This will also show as proof the business owner or manager that it is in fact working. This may also be a key factor in getting them to re-new advertising with you in a month or two on follow-up.The key here is you to get out of the deal 1) free advertising for your business and 2) the printing costs (at least a large part) paid for by your clients who have buy the ad in your new Jonas Placemat Ads service.In conclusion, as you can see just from some of the ideas presented here this could be something that could be very profitable for you plus the possibility of a new side business for you. While creating a vehicle for you to advertise your business for free. It is key to keep it at a reasonable price (under $99) so that other business will be happy to give it a try.Michelle Cobbs is the site administator of several sites ranging from home business ideas to building a real estate investing business. Visit here online at <a target="_new" href="http://home-making-money.com">http://home-making-money.com</a>

Advertising on a Budget -- Part 2: Thinking Small

This is the second article of a three-part series. I'm illustrating the marketing challenges of a small business, PrescottWeddings.com.Our goal was to both build the PWC brand and drive traffic to the Web site. Advertising regularly was essential. Yet it was also essential to keep our costs down. So we leveraged our monthly newspaper advertising to stretch our marketing dollar as far as we could.How did we do that? We "thought small."We bought one inch by two column inch ads (a column inch in this particular publication is approx. 1.88 inches). The ads were one inch high and almost 4 inches long.To reflect the small ad, the copy also had to be short and sweet. Like so:www.PrescottWeddings.com. Everything you need to say "I do."Just the name of the business and the slogan.We put the name in large type and made the tagline much smaller.Did it work?The first day this ad ran, we garnered 350 hits on the Web site and several phone calls from business owners who wanted more information.And that was just the beginning. Hits steadily grew during the campaign, and every time it ran we always noticed a jump.Not bad for a little ad.Conventional wisdom says bigger is better. And while it is true that big ads stand out (after all, they do take a big chunk of real estate on the page) it doesn't mean big is the only way to go. Small ads can pack a punch too.Why did the PWC ad work? First of all, it got noticed because it stuck out (yes, small ads can stick out). It had an odd shape -- long and thin, not a square like so many other ads. The name was big -- bigger than many other fonts surrounding it. (But not so big that the ad lacked sufficient white space.)But probably the biggest reason it worked was because the message was simple. This is clearly a Web site about having a wedding in the Prescott area. Therefore if you're involved with weddings, whether as a business or on a more personal level, and you're also associated with Prescott, then this is a Web site clearly worth taking a peek at.People instantly got the message. And they got it even if they only scanned the paper. It was quick and painless for them -- something all ads should strive to be.What's also interesting is how this ad hit its target market. I've spoken to people (mostly men) who have no interest in getting married and have never seen the ad even though they read the paper. Conversely, businesses in the wedding industry and brides have said they see the ad all the time.Now, you may have a business name that doesn't capture your business' products or services as well as PrescottWeddings.com (my business name for example). In this case, why not think of a catchy tag line you can use in those small ads to drive people to your Web site?Web sites can be huge, wordy, information-stuffed selling tools. So use short, sweet one-message statement to get people to go look and learn more about your business rather than try to shove everything in an ad. Don't forget to include your business name and logo for branding purposes.Okay, so small ads with one simple message work. For the final key in PWC's marketing program, check out Part 3: Frequency, frequency, frequency.Michele Pariza Wacek owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting, a writing, marketing and creativity agency. She offers two free e-newsletters that help subscribers combine their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. She can be reached at <a target="_new" href="http://www.writingusa.com">http://www.writingusa.com</a>

How To Write Kick-Ass, Profit Pulling Adverts For Your Business?

Doesn't that just grab you by the eyeballs and make you stop dead in your tracks? I mean it's a little harsh ? grammatically speaking ? but holy smokes, it does it have 'stopping power'...Now I'll share with you a few secrets for creating good adverts. So let's dive right in because we're all busy people ;-)First you need to be introduced AIDA.- A stands for ATTENTION, as in get some or you lose your chance - I stands for INTEREST, as in now keep me interested. - D stands for DESIRE, as in ok, make me want what you've got. - A stands for ACTION, because people need to take some for things to happen.Got it? That's all there is to it?Easy right?If it were that easy we'd all be rich and you wouldn't need marketing consultants like me. Truthfully, just invest a few thousand hours studying, read all the classic books on advertising that date as far back as 1920 (when advertising really became a science) and you'll have the subject down cold.And on the off-chance you don't have that much free time, I'll give you some wickedly powerful pointers that will let you leapfrog over the other guys. So let's begin?Headlines R Us (or is that You?)It all starts with a headline. You know, the first thing the prospect sees. The title at the top of the page, that's the headline. The first few words they hear on the radio, that's a 'headline' too. Take this article for example, the headline was the first thing you saw. A good headline can almost stand alone and you just 'get it'. It's an advert for the advert.Studies have shown the headline results in approximately 80% of the results. So the headline makes all the difference. In one test a changed headline improved response over 2000% (over 21 times!)Here's an example of a really bad headline? YOUR COMPANY NAMEThat's right, your company name is not a good headline. In fact your name, your contact details, how long you've been in business and all those other boring bits of data you often put at the top of adverts, is a waste of time?and money UNTIL the prospect wants to know who you are ? only then are they important.Next...Make Them An Offer They Can't RefuseThen you have to make a good offer. Don't beat around the bush. People are busy, your headline stopped them, now they're looking ? so make your pitch. Give them the best you've got. Make them an offer they can't refuse?Describe the benefits of having your product or service in a way that the prospect can experience. Don't focus on the specific features ? focus on benefits. People buy benefits. Here's an example:[Feature] 1/4 Inch Masonry Drill Bit.[Benefit] 1/4 Inch hole... Probably to hang a picture ? so the real benefit was admiring the picture or proving to your spouse that you really are handy around the home...Finally...Action!And once you've helped them see themselves experiencing your product or service tell them what you want them to do ? call, click or visit today. Or words to that effect. Remember, advertising that does anything other than sell is a waste of money for most of us ? brand advertising is expensive.Darn it...I've run out of time.Because headlines are so critical to the success of your adverts I wanted to sign-off with this formula for a good headline: SINC (Self Interest, Curiosity & News).If you can make the headline show the reader what's in it for them, make them curious to read more, and share something newsworthy you've likely got a winner on your hands.Remember, the money is ALWAYS in the headline.JAMES C. BURCHILL is a 20-year veteran entrepreneur and information technology executive who now provides strategic marketing consulting services to a select group of clients. He is a published author, a passionate advocate of technology and the Internet, as well as an avid study of classical advertising and marketing strategies (which he uses during 'Internet alchemy' experiments.) James is an expert in information and data management, Internet marketing and online networking. A self confessed 'information and technology enthusiast', James brings a wide range of valuable skills to any venture. Of singular note is James' ability to assimilate complex subject matter and produce clean clear 'easy-to-understand' messages. James has been interviewed many times and caused quite the media buzz when a client 'double-dog-dared' him to prove you can get front page coverage for $0. The details and that 'dumb stunt' are now part of EBay legend. Currently James lives in Ontario, Canada with his wife and family, their Siamese cat and one very nervous fish. Visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.JamesBurchill.com">http://www.JamesBurchill.com</a> for details.

วันจันทร์ที่ 29 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2551

Effective Promotions Through Local Classified Sites

Today's online marketplace is extremely competitive. People want to market their products and services with the most cost effective manner possible. Some will market the old fashion way by placing ads in local newspapers while others will aggressively market on the Internet for less money. There are many online resources for marketing but the most attractive marketing medium is <a target="_new" href="http://plugstar.com"> free online classifieds</a>. The reason for this is obvious. It doesn't get much better than free. Thousands of people promote products and services everyday via online classified sites. Since classified sites are free users often do not bother to take the time to construct quality ads that sell. If your going to promote your product or service shouldn't it be done so you can get a reaction? The answers is yes! The goal is to get a reaction. Those who place free classified ads should pay attention to detail. Describe your product or service by painting a clear and concise picture. If you answer all questions before they are asked it will save you a lot of time. If you opt not to specify details the prospective buyer might find a better advertisement. Before writing up the classified ad you should look around at other ads to see how others with similar advertisements construct their ads. A good ad will be concise. It will be descriptive and it will be an eye catcher. When creating an ad for a product you should always try to include a picture to show what you are selling. A picture can sell better than a few lines of text. This doesn't mean writing isn't important because the two ad components (picture & text) compliment each other. Make sure to poof the layout and grammar of your classified ad before submission.Visit <a target="_new" href="http://plugstar.com">PlugStar</a> and take advantage of quality marketing.Andrew Hillman owns and operates <a target="_new" href="http://plugstar.com">PlugStar</a> - Americas Community Classified Site. Providing quality free classifieds for all local communities within the United States. Promote Services, Items for sale, real estate, jobs and community events.

Wheres Me Pot of Gold and Lucky Charms?

We already know this from our history books. If you want to make money today, you must first look back in time to the first time in history that a large portion of our country all tried to get rich at the same time in the same place. The first discovery of gold was at Sutter's Mill by James W. Marshall in 1948, Mr. Sutter's mill contractor and builder. This discovery sprang thousands upon thousands of ambitious individuals to get rich which we refer to as the "Gold Rush."As you can imagine, these people were not that much different from the thousands of new entrepreneurs trying to get rich on the Internet. But out of all those thousands of people seeking their fortunes, only about 4% to 6% of them even found enough gold to feed themselves. And history books tell us that less than 1% ever became wealthy. This is so similar to the Internet of today that the two are worth comparing.BUT Wait! A completely different group of people became extremely wealthy in those exact same gold fields...Who were these people who managed to get rich during those hard times?They were the people who opened little stores not far from where all the people were digging and panning for gold! These people were the smartest group because they chose to sell the tools that they knew all those gold diggers were going to need. This special group of individuals some how knew that it was a waste of time to dig and pan for gold. This amazing group of people wanted something with better odds. They wanted a sure thing!They knew that the miners couldn't mine unless they had clothing, tools, and food. So these genius store owners made their fortunes selling the shovels, jackets, pants, wheel barrows, picks, pans, beer, food, hats, medicine and etc. So it didn't matter to them if a miner found gold and got rich or whether that miner couldn't find an ounce of gold. It just didn't matter to the men and women who owned the stores because no matter what, all those people in search of gold still needed massive amounts of supplies to live and more tools to keep trying. The shopkeepers were always there to sell all these supplies!Whether gold was found or not, during any given day, the shop keepers made the same consistent amount of solid income!Below you're about to find out why all this is relevant to you and your Internet income.You now know that history has proven that if you do exactly what the masses of people are doing to get rich, you'll most likely fail. And you now know that if you provide products or services to that large group of people that are all trying to get rich, you'll most likely become wealthy. It's simple! Turn those gold diggers into your customers!Just for a moment, separate yourself from the rest of them - sit back and relax. While sitting there, watch what they are doing; pay attention to what they are looking for and what they are using to get it. Once you have figured these things out you will know what to do to turn them into your customers.But in case you don't, here's the simple answer to how you're about to turn all of today's Internet gold diggers into your own customers. First of all, you must ask yourself this question: "What is the single most important thing to all of today's Internet gold diggers? What do they crave and desire the most?"The answer is "Traffic." In case you're new to the Internet, the word "Traffic," of course, means visitors to your web site. It doesn't take Internet marketers long to figure out that even though they have a professional web site up, not a single person is ever going to visit that web site unless it gets advertised. You have to know where to get traffic and generate MORE traffic.With all that in mind, I'm about to discuss a very important subject and it may be very controversial to some, and even cause me to lose a few customers but I MUST make my point.You hear this from people around you, your teachers, your advisors, even television, "knowledge is power." Do you agree?Please explain.I've asked a few people this same question and some have explained, "Well, yeah, without knowledge you have no authority.""Well, it's obvious, without knowledge you have no power.""Knowledge is what gets the job done in your everyday task."While these are good explanations, I disagree. You're baffled. Totally understandable because I'm probably the only person on Earth standing up to this worldwide, coined phrase. So I better begin explaining myself before I start receiving hate mails. Allow me to explain by using an example.Electricity.Can you agree electricity is power? It has the power to turn your lights on, it's what plays your radio, and it's what starts up your car. Or does it? Electricity doesn't just magically turn your light on, automatically play your radio nor does it mysteriously start your engine. No. The electricity HAS TO BE APPLIED.Like electricity, knowledge doesn't magically write your sales letter, knowledge doesn't automatically file your folders and knowledge doesn't mysteriously tune up your car. It has to be "APPLIED.""Where are you going with this," you might ask.Simply this, "knowledge" is only POTENTIAL POWER. All the knowledge that you hold within you is nothing unless you put it to use. That's it. If after reading this article and you decide to do nothing then you will have wasted your time and effort. Unless you apply what I've taught you, you will have thrown away your money. You can learn from my 4 years of experience or you can ignore it, the choice is yours.I'm not here to change your mind about anything, I'm just pointing out important aspects to consider and I can only hope it has opened your mind and drive you to take action.Van Lam is a business opportunity reviewer who speaks his mind and shares his thoughts. He has written a new ebook called, "The Hidden Secrets Revealed." Visit his web site to read the reviews and register at his Private Forum for plenty of free products to download and to chat with other network marketers and online opportunity enthusiasts. <a target="_new" href="http://www.networkersdebut.com">http://www.networkersdebut.com</a>

How To Make A Fortune With FREE Advertising!

How To Gain FREE Advertising That Will Make You Rich!Okay-Just What Exactly Is "Free Advertising"???Before I get into the specifics of actually HOW to get free advertising - it's important for you to completely understand exactly what free advertising is."Free Advertising" is any mention, listing or "blurb" about your product in a magazine, newsletter, book, manual, directory etc. You see, advertising does not have to be paid for. There are tons of ways in which you can attract public attention to your product or business?and never pay a penny!Imagine seeing your profits soar thanks to publicity you gained for FREE. It's one hell of a buzz I can tell you. So let's take a look at a way to gain free publicity which is quite literally making people tens of thousands of pounds...Viral MarketingThis method is mainly applicable to gaining free publicity via the internet. If you want to make big money these days you've got to be involved in the net somehow. And viral marketing is proof of the amazing power of the internet. This method is HUGE in America. Viral marketing is the key to the success of the massive site Hotmail.com. That's right. Hotmail used this technique to get their name out there and recognised. Now it's your turn to do the same.Whilst viral marketing may sound nasty, it is a truly powerful way to get your name noticed. You see, people will be spreading your marketing message without even knowing it. This is a great way to sell a truckload of your products, and have other people doing your marketing for?you guessed it?FREE!The easiest way to explain viral marketing would be to use hotmail as an example. In case you didn't know hotmail offer free email. The way they make money is through selling advertising on their site. Obviously the more people that see the advertising on their site the more they can charge for companies to advertise.Now this is where viral marketing comes in. Every time an email is sent out from a hotmail user, at the very bottom of the page is a marketing message that says "Sign Up For Your Own Free E-Mail Address At Hotmail.com". So every time an e-mail is sent out people are unwittingly helping hotmail market their site. It spreads like a virus. Their own customers are helping them market their web site!How One Free eBook Could Make You Very RichNow don't panic. You don't need to have to write your own ebook (electronic book). I'll show you a way where you can get FREE products on any subject for you to turn into your own personalised eBook in just a second. But eBook viral marketing can make you a whole load of money. eBooks don't cost a penny to send as you can send them via email or as a download, yet they can make you tens of thousands of pounds in extra sales. I'll give you a concrete example of how this work's in a second.Rather then selling your eBook for ?10, ?20 even ?30 why not give it away free? Why? What is the point of giving away free information I hear you ask. FREE advertising that's why. Here's an example of how I increased the traffic to my website without paying a penny.I created an eBook called "How To Make ?5,000-?10,000 A Month From Home". At the bottom of each page was a little note saying "Receive Personal Millionaire coaching at www.millionaire-enterprises.com". What I did was to offer this eBook for free to all my customers and even those who visited my site but didn't buy anything. And here's the clincher. I offered full resale and giveaway rights with the eBook.And this is where viral marketing kicked in with my business. Some people who got my free eBook would not do anything with it. However others would pass it on or sell it. These people would then pass it onto others, who then in turn passed it onto even more. Are you starting to see how this works?Within a matter of months the name of my site was being seen by thousands. Thousands of people were seeing the name of my site time and time again as they read the eBook until eventually curiosity got the better of them and they just had to visit my site to see what all the fuss was about. Now if your sales message is good enough, you can turn these thousands of people who it's likely would never have seen your sales message into customers!And the eBook continues to be spread around like a virus even now. With each day that goes by more and more people are seeing the name of my site. Isn't that amazing. I'm not a penny out of pocket, yet have gained tons of new customers due to a service that is free. Perfect.Ezines Can Market Your Product To Millions!!And here's another amazing trick using eBook viral marketing ? E-zines.An e-zine is basically just an electronic newsletter delivered directly to peoples email. The subjects covered in e-zines are literally endless. This is how free advertising in an e-zine aimed at your target market can make you more money then you could ever have hoped for.Again it involves eBooks, but you can adapt the whole of this article to whatever you are selling. Here's an example of how I used it to promote my business. I am not saying this to blow my own trumpet. But it will be easier for you to understand should you see a real life example of how it works.Due to the fact my target market are business opportunity seekers I did a simple search on the net for "business opportunity ezines". I then found a site which I advise you use too ? http://www.ezines1.com/. Here I found a comprehensive list of thousands of bizz opp ezines.Now here's the clever bit in gaining 100% free advertising. I contacted each ezine offering them a copy of my eBook "How To Make ?5000-?10,000 A Month From Home" to give to their ezine subscribers. I explained that their customers would be delighted at receiving a quality free money making ebook. All they needed to do was contain in their ezine a link to my website. This worked fantastically.One ezine alone might have 10,000 subscribers. There were thousands in my market. If the ezines decide to go with your free eBook offer, and the majority will, you can be reaching hundreds of thousands of potential new customers. And remember, it won't stop there. Because these will all have giveaway and resell rights to your book. So they can all then pass your book on. And with the name of your site at the bottom of every page you're really going to notice the massive difference to your bank account thanks to 100% FREE advertising.Warning?Entrepreneurs DO NOT Want You To Know This?There's a closesly guarded secret of the rich. It's a secret which enables you to get FREE videos, FREE books, FREE audiocassettes etc for you to sell for profit. It's called the public domain.The public domain contains a limitless supply of copyright free products. This means that they are there for you to do with as you wish. You can sell anything in the P.B for 100% profit if you wish (for example did you know that the copyright had expired on all of Charles Dickens novels? You could get them out of the public domain, put them all onto a C.D. Rom and sell them on eBay as "The Ultimate Dickens' Collection". See the power of the P.B!). But as we are talking about viral marketing I'm going to show you how the public domain can make you money!.Simply go to www.altavista.digital.com and search for the following keyword terms:"public domain", "reprint rights", "free reports", "duplication licence", "unlimited duplication" (Ensure you use quotation marks when searching on altavista)Then search through for an item relevant to what product you are selling. For example, if you were selling business opportunities it would be pointless offering the resell rights to the "Ultimate Charles Dickens" collection. You want to have a free book that will excite your potential customers into getting it and spreading it.Once you have found the book you wish to use as a free bonus simply type the name of your site on the bottom of each page. And there you have it. Your FREE eBook that can and will gain you thousands and thousands of free custom!! Take a look at my eBook if you so desire and you will see exactly how the layout entices people to the site.This Works?Try It Yourself And Watch Your Profits Explode!Imagine an upside down pyramid. This is how viral marketing is. The tip of the pyramid represents when just a handful of people have your eBook. But as they spread it the pyramid starts to get wider and wider and your profits start to explode.I know that this might seem an unusual way of marketing to you. It did to me when I first heard it. And there's a reason for that?Its brand new to the U.K. That's right, thanks to money master you are way ahead of the pack in the U.K. Whilst this is a massive marketing method in the U.S it is virtually unheard of here.Using the power of viral marketing, tied in with the product of the moment ? eBooks- you can spread your message and your information all across the internet and pull people to your web site. Which is fantastic. Because you ALWAYS make more sales if you pull people to your products rather then push them. (an advert would be an example of pushing them to your site).I have used eBooks as an example of viral marketing. However you can adapt this method to whatever line of business you are in. It may just take a little time to come up with a winning ideaViral Marketing is a free way to market your product to potentially millions of customers. I hope you will use this amazing new method to watch your profits explode.Happy BankingJonathan StreetJonathan Street is a master at making vast sums of money for very little investment. Direct mail, mail order, selling domain names, eBay...you name it - he's making money from it. He's also the author of "How To Make ?5,000 - ?10,000 A Month From Home". A book which he invites you to get for free from his ever popular web site.Jonathan learnt how to make his fortune from 3 ordinary people who built a $50 million+ empire from home. Now there'll let you copy their proven system.For FREE info and to get a copy of Jonathans book go to: <a target="_new" href="http://www.millionaire-enterprises.com">http://www.millionaire-enterprises.com</a>

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 don't make the greatest commission for a salesman of advertising specialties, but I can't stop myself from recommending these little beauties first and foremost to my new customers and prospects. And the reason is so simple. They WORK! I've yet to approach anyone in any kind of business where I don't feel that a refrigerator magnet will be effective advertising. Granted, some are more suited than others, but I still maintain that they'd be of use to any business.Domino's Pizza is notorious for giving out a magnet with deliveries that includes their logo and the phone number of the local store. I worked for Domino's when I was a young guy, as a delivery driver. Often, whenever sales would dip a little, or the manager was bucking for a prize, we would go "door hanging". Boy did these door hangers produce strong results. Inexpensive marketing that had proven itself time and time again. My fellow employees and I would spend time in a "slow" neighborhood, hanging these on the door knobs of as many homes and apartments as we could, and the results would be immediate. Sales would shoot through the roof! If a crew went out "door hanging" you could count on a lot of calls coming in that evening from the area you'd just targeted, for the next 3 days. The problem with these door hangers is, they're paper, and they wind up in the trash, rather quickly.A refrigerator magnet, almost always ? always winds up on the refrigerator. And there it stays, for a long, long time. What other conventional advertising stays in a home that long? A commercial, printed advertisement, a radio address, nothing ? stays as long as the magnet. And no matter what is put on the fridge, be it your child's neatest drawing of a hairy fire truck, or their lunch menu at school, what's on the very top? The beautiful, blessed magnet sporting YOUR company logo!Let's say you own a heating and a/c company. You get a call from a referral, or yellow page ad. You show up, fix the problem the customer is happy with the work you've done, the price you charged, and then you or one of your service technicians leaves. Three, or four years go by, and this same customer's a/c breaks down. He says to his wife, "honey, what was the name of that company we used last time?" Who can remember that long ago? Had the customer been left with a refrigerator magnet, had the service tech actually physically went and put it on this customer's fridge the last time he was over, the number would be right there waiting for him. What if this time, he's going to need his complete a/c unit replaced? That's one heck of a sale to miss out on.Now most men will probably gripe at me for this one, but c'est la vie. Let's say you're a florist. A young teen boy calls to get a mum for his girlfriend for homecoming or a corsage for prom or roses for Valentines. You deliver the item(s) with a refrigerator magnet. Months roll by, and the teen girl's father wakes up and realizes TODAY is his anniversary, and he didn't buy his wife a gift! Trust me; his immediate thought goes to flowers. The old faithful, the default at any time, flowers. He's going to have them delivered to her work. He remembers the "free delivery" comment on the magnet of your shop, and goes right to it. He calls the number and places his order. Without the magnet, he would have called AAAAmanda's Flowers in the yellow pages.Online businesses can benefit too. Now if promoting a web site, one would immediately think to sell a promotional item that would sit by a computer, but I disagree. If you sent a magnet to an existing customer, it'd wind up on his or her fridge. A friend, family member, or delivery person could see it, and inquire about the site. In addition, magnets will adhere to most automobiles. You can carry them around with you, and put them on cars, for focused advertising. I have one client that does this, he's in real estate. Often he'll stop by a prospect's home, and if no one answers the door, yet a car is in the driveway, he puts a magnet on the car as he leaves. It's produced positive results for him, he says. And he's gotten word of mouth advertising from those people as well. I'd be willing to bet that it came from friends and family seeing the magnet on the former customer's refrigerator, or toolbox, beer keg cooler, etc.In my opinion, no business is unable to benefit from this item. So if you own a company and you're looking to advertise, consider the refrigerator magnet. They're inexpensive, and last a long, long time. Plus the Dominos one on your fridge is lonely, I'm sure.Need content? You may use this article at your website, or in your newsletter. The only requirement is inclusion of the following sentence - Article by Kirk Otto of <a target="_new" href="http://www.MakeYourCompanyVisible.com">http://www.MakeYourCompanyVisible.com</a> - a premiere source for promotional advertising products.

What Is Most Important ? Copy Or Pic?

When, some little time ago now, I first descended upon the advertising scene, we were a good deal more concerned than most people seem to be today about the nature of the business we found ourselves in. We were always holding debates ? in the saloon bar of the Coach & Horses in New Bond Street, to be tiresomely precise ? about the meaning of advertising, the significance of advertising, and the past, present and future of advertising. And an unconscionably serious lot we no doubt were. Not to mention drunk.Among the hardy perennials of our debates was the relevance of sex in advertising, and also the question of whether the copy element in ads was more important than the visual or vice versa.Of course, these were the days when it was possible for agency personnel to slope off round the pub during working hours and nobody on the management side of things turned so much as a hair at our absence. Just so long as the work got done on time, nobody gave so much as a tinker's cuss whether you were doing it in the office or down at the dog track. These days, agencies are a little more sanguine in their approach to creative people; and I recently heard of a designer being sacked on the spot for turning up at a client meeting wearing jeans ? and I kid you not.But back to our hardy perennials. The 'sex in advertising' question was a hotly debated topic, mainly because the copywriters and designers in my milieu were always anxious to attend the relevant photo-shoots, and not because sex was liable to help sell anything. Thus, we were constantly coming up with speculative ad campaigns that featured semi-clad females so that we might catch a glimpse of a naked thigh or better. Few of these concepts saw the light of day, but it was always worth a try.As to the copy versus pic argument, this has still not been resolved to this day. Then, as now, I was on the side of the angels, holding that around 80 per cent of ads could, at a pinch, do without illustrations, whereas only about 2 per cent could do without words. (In regard to the other 18 per cent, you can make your own arrangements.)Such an argument, as you'd expect, was met with widespread alarm by the designers, who saw that I was presaging their redundancy. Then as now, they would do everything they could to give their illustrations the prominence they thought they deserved. This usually resulted in a design in which the pic took up four-fifths of the ad, while the copy was relegated to eight-point solid and rendered practically illegible.My attitude, obviously, was simply a debating stance ? true though it undoubtedly is. I am not suggesting for a moment that 8 out of 10 ads should be wholly typographical. But if you take a dispassionate look around you, you might agree with me that a whole lot of ads (and brochures and websites, too, come to that) carry pictures for pictures' sake; and that in quite a few cases the pictures, far from helping the transmission of a message, actually hinder it.The biggest offenders in this respect are what might be describes as semi-industrial ads. Just leaf through a trade mag (or brochure or website) and you'll see irrelevance in illustration well carried out. You'll see, for instance, pictures of the factory or, as they call it these days, the production operation. You'll see pics of two obvious male models in white coats staring idiotically at a computer screen or a blueprint. And you'll see pics of two obvious male models, plus a female model, in white coats staring idiotically at a computer screen. The female is included in the latter pic because the designer had originally planned for her to be shot with her clothes off.Here's what I think. With today's wonderful digital photography opportunities, with an instant replay of whatever has been shot, one might hope that illustrations in ads, brochures and websites might be made more relevant. They might actually show the product in action ? demonstration is, after all, the soul of advertising. But, no, we still get pics which have nothing whatsoever to do with the product or its benefits.I don't mind admitting that there can be few people in the whole wide world who know less about photography than I do. What I do know, however, is that promotional material is far better off without an illustration if that illustration does not augment the sales message. So, in this respect, copy is more important than illustration.Mind you, there is a lot of copy around that doesn't augment the sales message either. But that's another story.About The AuthorPatrick Quinn is an award winning copywriter with 40 years' experience of the advertising business in London, Miami, Dublin and Edinburgh.He publishes a FREE online monthly newsletter, AdBriefing, designed for those who have a very real interest in producing good advertising. Subscriptions are available at: <a href="http://www.adbriefing.com" target="_new">http://www.adbriefing.com</a><a href="mailto:j.p@markethillpublishing.co.uk">j.p@markethillpublishing.co.uk</a>

Creating a Winning Logo

Creating a logo to get you noticed.When you're branding a company with a name, a colour scheme and a logo the logo is often not given enough care and attention. It should follow the chosen colour scheme and reflect the business that your company is in. Too often, particularly on the WWW logos are seen as a way to show off the design talents of the author. To create a free logo I have created this easy to follow step by step guide.PlanningYour logo should reflect the company it represents. Create a list of all the services or products the company supplies and try to find some common ground.Sit down and choose the colours you will be using. This is best achieved by studying the corporate colours and maybe adding a few more shades of these colours. You should aim for a maximum of 12 but ideally you will want only one or two colours. Avoid very dark colours unless it is relevant to your company. If you send out a letter on headed notepaper to a client you will want your logo to jump off the desk at them to remind them who you are.Remember that your design may have to be very small (a business card) or very large (the side of a van) so whatever you come up with must be scaleable. Try imagining your logo as a tiny image and then as a large image. If your using lettering will it must be readable at a very small size. Will the font appear correctly in a user browser on the internet?Consider every place your logo might appear and work out what you will need to design for. A company that deals with older people does not to be bright and modern, something a little more sedate would be more appropriate.Until you know the answers to all the questions above don't move on to the next section.CreatingKeep it simple. Look at any major company in the world and see how simple their logos are. Nothing fancy for the experts so why should you have a fancy design?Look at what the competion are doing. DO NOT COPY somebody else's work. Sometimes I get me best inspiration from studying other people ideas and coming up with a really original one based on a concept they have used. As long as it's not a copy of somebody else's work your not infringing copyright.A tip for doing this is to use Googles Image Search. Type in some key word and select the image search with the word logo. For example if you were selling cars search for "cars + logo". You will be presented with a selection of rival logos for other sites.Use this to see what works and what does not. You will be drawn to the good designs and you will recognise what represents a company that sells cars. This search brings up the Alpha Romeo logo in the first few entries. This logo is slightly more complicated than you will want but works perfectly for a company producing cars.Now start sketching some designs on paper. Keep all of the designs you make to hand as you never know when you might decide that the picture you drew before could be the one. When you have an idea don't over develop it. You should aim to have at least 15 to 20 rough ideas before choosing 2 or 3 to work on further.DevelopingWhen you have chosen your two or three best ideas ask some friends what they think. Use your friends and family to test your logo. Everybody loves to give their opinion on everything so use that to your own advantage. Listen to what people have to say about your designs and you may learn something. Little things that you have not seen can be very obvious to someone that has never seen it before. Take a note of all the comments and go back to the drawing board. Look over what was said about every design and then, based on your own feelings and the comments you have collected, decide which idea you are going to develop more.Create a slightly more refined drawing, or if you have some computer skills, make up an approximate design using a graphics program (don't worry if you can't do this as the next step will take care of that anyway.)Unless you're either a graphic designer or a printer, employ a professional to finish the work to a high standard. Your logo will appear on every bit of literature your company will ever produce and if it does not look professional then you don't look professional. You will have saved a lot of money by developing the logo yourself so it is now time to ask a professional to finish the work.Well done. You have just created an effective and attractive logo for your company. Be proud of your work and display it everywhere.About The AuthorPhilip Gillespie is a proffesional website designer and graphic artist. His works include <a href="http://www.echo-art.com" target="_new">www.echo-art.com</a>, <a href="http://www.thekimberleyinn.com" target="_new">www.thekimberleyinn.com</a>, <a href="http://www.yellowsands.com" target="_new">www.yellowsands.com</a> and www.integratedbodytherapy.com. Please contact for any further information or help.<a href="mailto:philipgillespie@hotmail.com">philipgillespie@hotmail.com</a>

Change, or Reinforce?

Do you know about the distinction - and it's a useful one - between communication that tries to reinforce and communication that tries to get change?If you follow politics you'll already be familiar with this idea: Incumbents send messages that reinforce existing voter behavior, while challengers call for changes.Any thoughtful marketing communication (and political communication is marketing communication) will be strongly influenced by this distinction, which affects not only the content, but also the presentation, and perhaps even the medium.For example, suppose you own a bookstore and every couple of months you send a newsletter to all residences within a two mile radius.Now, if you have good market share and you're profitable, you won't want to rock the boat. You'll want to reinforce existing behaviors (which include buying at your store).On the other hand, if you just opened a new bookstore and need to take market share from other bookstores, then you want change existing book buying behavior.Another example: Suppose your employee safety program has worked well for the past year and you want to maintain the practices that led to this longest-ever period without an accident. Your communication would reinforce. On the other hand, if the safety record was unacceptable, you would try to get change through your communication.In a change situation, we want to upset the status quo, to challenge existing beliefs and ways of doing things. That means the words and style could be somewhat inflammatory.We can do this by making bold claims or allegations: Just listen to, or look at, advertising claims like these: "If you shop at Joe's Bookstore, you may be paying too much!" or, "Drive a bit further and save a lot more at Jane's Bookstore!"Change also might be hurried by painting negative scenarios , as in "Unless we get more efficient, senior management will outsource the whole department."Tactically, change usually demands more communication, as in more often and more words or pages. As you can imagine, it takes more communication to drive change than to stay on the same course.There are also tactics we can use to reinforce existing beliefs or actions.To maintain the status quo we can stress a service record, as in, "Serving you with quality and service for 25 years." or "Your performance has been very good over the past year, Betty. Keep up the good work."Reinforcement does not automatically rule out change; however, it emphasizes incremental and gradual change rather than major and abrupt change.You can also appeal to shared values or experiences to reinforce. Nothing commits us to staying the course like emotional cues that link good times to the status quo. For example, consider the power of an advertising slogan that begins, "Remember when...." It connects a powerful, positive emotion with a product or service. By extension, the product or service offers an opportunity to relive that good time.In summary, make a distinction in your communication between reinforcing and changing. Decide which way you want to go, and then choose the appropriate strategies, tactics, and tools.Robert F. Abbott writes and publishes Abbott's Communication Letter. Learn how you can use communication to help achieve your goals, by reading articles or subscribing to this ad-supported newsletter. An excellent resource for leaders and managers, at: <a target="_new" href="http://www.communication-newsletter.com">http://www.communication-newsletter.com</a>

A Quick And Easy Way Of Getting More Customers From Every Single Ad You Write... Guaranteed!

FACT: Most people don't spend anywhere near enough time on creating a strong, compelling headline.Which is why many copywriting experts... including John Caples, David Ogilvy, Brett McFall... and yours truly... recommend you invest at least 80% of your time on the headline.Why? Because if the headline doesn't grab the attention of your reader? then you can be guaranteed that nothing else will.So how many headlines should you write?I always recommend that you generate at least 30-50 headlines to grab your customer's attention. Then choose the best headline you can find.So how do you get ideas for headlines. The best method is to base your headlines on proven and tested formulas.You'll find a bundle of these formulas in? How To Write a Good Advertisement by Victor O. Schwab(available from Amazon.com)? Tested Advertising Methods by John Caples (available fromAmazon.com)? Or my own 180+ page home study course: Cash-FlowAdvertising (email me for details)But here's a few examples to get you started:WARNING:Announcing?Who else wants?How to?7 good reasons whyLet's make this practical with an example of how a mechanic could apply this to his business:WARNING: Don't call any other mechanic until you read thisAnnouncing: The mechanic that guarantees he'll fix your car on time? or your money backWho else wants a mechanic that specializes in fixing BMW's (perhaps this could be used in a BMW Magazine!)How to instantly make your car as safe as possible7 good reasons why you should call Scott's Mechanic's right now?Remember, come up with 30-50 of your own? circle the 5 you like the best and then nut it all down to your one ultimate headline.Hope this tip helps ? there's lots more, so stay tuned.Scott Bywater Copywriting That SELLSVisit my web site for your complimentary copy of my ebook (valued at $29.95) and free subscription to my ezine "Copywriting Selling Secrets" where you'll discover how to write ads and sales letters that sell. And one's which put money in your pocket over and over and over again.Here's the address: <a target="_new" href="http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au">http://www.copywritingthatsells.com.au</a>Don't muck around. Go there now. You'll be glad you did!P.S. One more thing. Just because I've given you an example for a mechanic, it doesn't mean it won't work for you. You can adapt all of the headlines above and in the resources I mentioned to ANY business.

6 Must-Have Elements of a Powerful Brochure

Most brochures that businesses put out today end up doing little to impact the sales of that business. By applying the 6 must-have elements listed below you will transform you brochure from trash can lining into a powerful sales tool.1. A Benefit-Filled Headline. On the cover of most brochures you'll usually find nothing more than the company name, logo, and maybe a quick slogan like "committed to excellence". This isn't horrible, but there is a much better way to enhance your brochure. If you want to turn your brochure into a powerful sales tool you need to grab your prospects attention immediately. You do that through a benefit-loaded headline.A benefit-loaded headline is a headline that clearly and powerfully communicates a desirable benefit that your product or service offers your customers. For example a benefit-loaded headline for a heating and cooling company would be "How the New XYZ System Can Shave $800 Off Your Utility Bill This Year". This headline is clear, specific, and powerful. If a customer were in the market for a new heating or cooling system this headline would draw the prospect into the brochure.2. Educational Content. Prospects read brochures because they want to make the best possible buying decision. Usually when someone reads a brochure, they are hungry for knowledge about your product or service. Make sure your brochure is written in such a way that your prospects will know more about your product or service after they read the brochure than they did before.3. Unique Selling Proposition (USP). A USP is something that separates you from your competition. To be ultimately effective you want your brochure to cause prospects to lean toward your company instead of your competitors. Your USP is a statement that either your competitors can't, or aren't saying. A popular old USP that you'll recognize is "Delivered in 30 Minutes or It's FREE!" This USP was effective because nobody else was saying it.4. Proof. Anytime you make a statement regarding the benefits that your product will bring, you need to back that statement up with proof. Testimonials, quotes, charts, graphs, pictures, endorsements, and articles are great ways to prove your claims and cause your prospects to believe what you are saying. Remember that most people are skeptical initially, but you can overcome that skepticism with proof.5. A Low-Risk Offer. After a customer has read your USP, your educational content, and your proof, you need to encourage them to take the next step in the buying process.The next step could be to make a purchase, to call for more information, to set an appointment, or whatever. Whatever the next logical step is you need to invite your prospect to take it, and make them feel comfortable about taking it. If you want them to make a purchase, mention a money-back guarantee. If you want them to call for more information, reassure them that they won't be pressured. You need to try and remove all of the possible barriers that would prevent a person from taking the next step.Incorporate as many or these elements as you can to ensure your brochure leads your prospects closer to making a buying decision.Brett Curry is a Marketing Consultant and Marketing Director for Brochures.com. Brochures.com is the home of top quality, full color brochures, business cards, postcards and more at up to 70% off of retail. <a target="_new" href="http://www.brochures.com">http://www.brochures.com</a> <a href="mailto:marketing@brochures.com">marketing@brochures.com</a>

วันอาทิตย์ที่ 28 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2551

Grab Your Share of Untold Amounts of Advertising Dollars

If you advertise in any way, the following information could show you how to find and utilize untold advertising dollars you may not be aware of.In the mid 80's I was an account executive for a radio station located in Santa Rosa, California. During that time I became very familiar with what is referred to as co-op advertising.Co-op advertising is a great source of advertising dollars. And there is so much of it available to people, yet most people know very little, if anything, about co-op dollars.Interestingly, I was one of the only reps at the station who made sure my clients knew about this benefit. The reason was simple, there was more work involved in getting my clients set up, and yet, there was financial gain for both my client and myself by taking time to help them stretch their marketing dollars.Co-opting is where you put in money for advertising and the manufacturer of a product you sell also puts in money. Often it is as much as 50% of the campaign. It is a great way to stretch your advertising campaign and to beef up your campaign.Unfortunately, even though the money is available if conditions are right, many people either aren't aware of this or if they are they think it's too much work to meet the criteria. Granted, in some cases it is, but often utilizing co-op money is a great way to stretch your marketing budget.There are many co-op-advertising opportunities available if you plan to do advertising on the Internet. Not all are good investments though. Check opportunities out very carefully before making a final commitment.Using co-op dollars is an excellent way to build a stronger relationship with your retail suppliers and to generate a lot more traffic in your store or on to your web site. If the overflow of business is handled correctly you will increase your sales and profits.The great thing about using co-op dollars when you are dealing with standard media is that your account rep can handle the paperwork for you. Many retailers hesitate using the "hidden" dollars due to feeling intimidated by the paperwork, the unknown.Not only can the rep help you with the paperwork, they can also help you to build the campaign. However, before you trust them completely, find out what their experience is, what successful campaigns they have spearheaded and get some references. Take the time to do some research upfront to save money over the long run.The reality is, if they are professionals in the truest sense of the word, they will be more than willing to take much of the paperwork burden off of you by handling it. After all, the more value an account rep creates for their clients the greater chance for an ongoing business.Co-op dollars are not limited to retail businesses. Often, there are hidden dollars for non-profits. There are city and state funds that are set aside to help various organizations increase their visibility and reach.One nice thing about using co-op dollars from a large manufacturer is that brand names do attract customers to your business-that's why you offer them. Advertising specific well known brands will increase your foot traffic. Harley Davidson has an amazing co-op program they offer to their retailers. It is a primary reason they have done so well. They encourage advertising based on specific guidelines.It is to the advantage of an advertiser to utilize these dollars. Manufacturers in virtually every industry want to help with advertising costs. They are very aware that when you correctly advertise their brand name product you will probably sell more of it, thus increasing your orders.The disadvantage of co-op advertising can be the restrictions set by the manufacturer. Often, they have such rigid guidelines about how to design the ad that you may lose all control of creative expression. For example, their logo may have to be positioned in an exact location in order for them to co-op the campaign.If you are working with someone who claims to be an expert at advertising and they know nothing about co-op dollars they are not the expert they claim to be. Be aware.Areas that you need to be educated on are program terms and reimbursement schedules. In some cases it can take months to receive reimbursement for a co-op campaign. In other cases, the company you are cooping with will send the money directly to the media source. Be sure to check this information out in order not to run into a cash flow problem.Advantages of co-op advertising<ul><li>Extra money to advertise<li>Account executive can do the paperwork<li>More frequency</ul>Disadvantages of co-op advertising<ul><li>Restrictions by manufacturer<li>No guarantee it will work<li>Limited creativity in ad copy</ul>Before making a final decision, research your options on co-op advertising. You may be pleasantly surprised with what you discover.Copyright: ? 2004 by Kathleen Gage<a href="http://www.kathleengage.com" target="_new">www.kathleengage.com</a>Publishing Guidelines: You may publish my article in your newsletter, on your web site, or in your print publication provided you include the resource box at the end. Notification would be appreciated but is not required.About The AuthorKathleen Gage is a business advisor, keynote speaker and trainer who helps others gain marketing dominance and visibility within their market. Get Gage's FR*EE report "Learn How One Salt Lake City Based Business Consultant Made Over 100k from One Idea" by visiting <a href="http://www.kathleengage.com" target="_new">www.kathleengage.com</a>.<a href="mailto:kathleen@turningpointpresents.com">kathleen@turningpointpresents.com</a>

Getting the Most Out of Your Networking Group

Here is my personal list of things to do at your networking group:(1) Bring your business cards. Sound simple? Well, I regularly meet people at networking groups who have forgotten their cards or their cards are at the printers. Keep an ample supply in your car, briefcase, and pockets; you never know when you're going to meet someone important to your business.(2) Wear a nametag. While attending a networking meeting, it is not realistic to expect to remember each person's name and the business they represent. If your nametag says what you do, it makes meeting you, and remembering you later, a lot easier. A nametag can also stimulate conversation about your business.(3) Door Prizes. At many networking groups, there is an opportunity to give away a door prize. This type of promotion is two-fold. First; your product or service will get mentioned in a special way with lots of attentive people listening. Second; the winner will have an experience of your product or service and may tell others within the networking group. Note-the door prize does not have to be expensive. Regardless of the price, your business will still be acknowledged-thus, getting more exposure.(4) Set a goal. After the guest speaker, there is time to network with others. You may want to make it a goal to network with a specific number of people at each meeting. While each person is introducing himself or herself, take note of who you want to talk to, so you can tell them about your business and ask about theirs. Remember, make it a two-way conversation.(5) Respect others. If there is someone you want to talk to and they are engaged in a conversation, respect their time with the other person, and do not interrupt them. Stand off to the side where they can see you. Interrupting them may break rapport between you and them, and between them and the person to whom they are speaking.(6) Have fun and be enthusiastic about your business.Michael Losier, a Law of Attraction Trainer and author, supports people in understanding and practicing the Art of Deliberate Attraction, so they can have more of what they want and less of what they don't. Michael has been applying the principles of Law of Attraction for many years and enjoys a wonderful and rewarding life in the city of Victoria, BC, Canada. He facilitates a number of in-person Law of Attraction seminars as well as Teleseminars to a worldwide audience.For more articles by Michael Losier, Teleclass information or to purchase the book, Law of Attraction, The Science of Attracting More of What You Want and Less of What You Don't, visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.LawOfAttractionBook.com">http://www.LawOfAttractionBook.com.</a>

10 Simple Techniques To Make Your Ad Get Powerful Attention

1. Make your ad's keywords and phrases standout by enlarging the text. This technique works wonders with headlines and sub headlines.2. Make your products list of benefits and features stand out by using a symbol in front of each of them. The symbol could be a dash, solid circle, star, etc.3. Use sub headlines to break up your ad copy and to capture a skimmers eye. You could make them even more powerful by highlighting them with color.4. Use attention grabbing adjectives to describe your product. For example sizzling, incredible, high power, ultramodern, killer, eye popping, etc.5. Place attention grabbing pictures above and within your ad copy. A powerful technique is to use before and after pictures of people using your product.6. Use a headline that catches the attention of your target audience. One of the most effective ways is to use a free offer as your headline.7. Place colorful graphs, pie charts and other charts in your ad copy. Use charts that will grab a persons eye and also support your product claims.8. Highlight buying incentives like free bonuses and money back guarantees. You could place them in boxes or in front of a different colored background.9. Use short sentences or sentence fragments in the body of your ad copy. A short burst of words can catch a skimmers eye with one quick glance.10. Highlight all the important keywords and phrases in your ad copy. You could use bolding, underlining and color to highlight the important words.Article by Sergio Salzberg Create a secure & low-cost full time internet income, using this proven program, just by working part time. <a target="_new" href="http://bestbusiness.thebusinesswebclub.com/">http://bestbusiness.thebusinesswebclub.com/</a> F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C Business Opportunity! L@@k! <a target="_new" href="http://moneymachine.thebusinesswebclub.com/">http://moneymachine.thebusinesswebclub.com/</a> Advertise free to Thousands of Targeted Leads! <a target="_new" href="http://www.thebusinesswebclub.com/">http://www.thebusinesswebclub.com/</a>

Double Your Sales Potential With Double-sided Business Cards

Swapping business cards is one of the most basic and common forms of networking in the business world. With something that is so common practice, people often hand out cards blindly while not really thinking about what the card does AFTER you hand it out.How do your clients feel about your business card? Put yourself in their shoes.Is it valuable to them?Does it solve a problem?Take advantage of the extra real estate on the other sideMost business owners don't utilize the backside of their business cards. It's prime space to include important facts, offers, and information that help sell your company to the holder. Including valuable offers on your business card will make it worth holding on to.P.T.O - How to get someone to turn over your business cardOne small abbreviation added to the front of your cards can double your success rate. P.T.O. (Please Turn Over) lets the holder know there is something of value of the backside, and it would be in their best interest to check it out. Alternatively, you could include "See back for special offer" if you have the space for it.Now that you have their attention, reel them in with a:Survey, redeemable for a free giftPunch card for frequent clientsValuable coupon URL to a special webpage targeting business card recipientsResearch your sector to learn what business card marketing words will flip their switch and turn them on to your company. Give them what THEY want.Even if you only hand out 50 cards using this technique, you've just created 50 opportunities for new business. Just imagine the possibilities that would come with having 1000 highly effective business cards floating around.Now that you've found the secret recipe for business card marketing success, hand those cards out wherever and whenever you can. The more you hand out, the better chance you have of scoring another life-time customer.About The AuthorChris Brunner specializes in helping people design and market their business cards for better results. Create inexpensive and effective business cards online at GreatFX Business Cards

Juice - Scam of the Decade or Opportunity of the Century

If you are an ardent web surfer and MLMer like I am, then I am sure you would have seen the sales pitch "Give away free broadband and earn ?27 GBP each time". Depending on which side of the fence you are, this product is either God's gift to freebies enthusiasts, MLMers and all paying ISP subscribers or it is the biggest scam yet, bar none. For those still in the dark, let me fill in the blanks for you. A new ISP service will be launched in October 2004 that will be offering its subscribers internet connections at speeds "Faster than Broadband". This service will be available worldwide and get this, you can now get a free connection just by submitting your name and email address. Among other things, JUICE: - Will work with any PC or Mac with 9600 kbps modem upwards. - Will work with any Internet connection including dial-up, ISDN, BROADBAND, GSM, GPRS and wireless connections in any country as long as you have a telephone line. - Requires no cabling, engineers and no need to alter your PC in any way. - Guarantees connection speeds 40 times faster than dial-up and 4 times faster than broadband. - Promises that you will never have to pay for this service if you sign up before October 1, 2004. For those who are not too technologically savvy, I guess you will ask "What's wrong with that? Sign me up!" Here is where the detractors of "JUICE" smell a SCAM - and I will excuse your outright laughter at these claims. - You will never see another dead, blank or irrelevant page ever again and if you do, they will pay you ?500 GBP. - You will NOT get another Spam email EVER, but if you do they will pay you ?100 GBP in compensation. - You are guaranteed to get a minimum connection speed of 2MB with 100% uptime. If Juice fail to meet either or both they will pay you ?500 GBP per failure. - YOU will NEVER receive a virus or worm in your email inbox again as Juice operate up to the millisecond software to stop the same, but if you do get one they will pay you ?500 GBP compensation. - JUICE will be able to block every porn and adult site on the Internet if you choose to filter it and if they fail, you will be paid ?200 GBP per reported instance. - JUICE can STOP your child from chatting to people who pretend to be children in chat rooms by using amazing breakthrough IP filtration and parenthesis technology. Amazingly, this company promises to pay you ?27 GBP for every person who you introduce to this service and they are accepting 80 million free subscribers by October 2004. They will also pay each affiliate ?1.79 GBP for each person their downline introduces for ten levels down. Assuming they meet their target and my math is correct, that is in excess of ? 2 billion payment even before the product is launched!. Scam, or the opportunity of the century? You can decide for yourself by visiting these two websites for more details. The first promotes Juice while the second expresses opinion of its detractors. <A target="_new" href="http://www.juiceboosted.com/index.php?RequestId=2&Id=qky5uxt">http://www.juiceboosted.com/index.php?RequestId=2&Id=qky5uxt</A> <A target="_new" target="_new" href="http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/51529">http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/51529</A> If you find this opportunity too tempting to ignore you may wish to take the precaution of not providing Email addresses you have used to set up your Paypal, Stormpay or other secure transaction account. Similarly, it may not be advisable to provide details of bank accounts and credit cards if in doubt. As one MLMer promoting JUICE points out, if you take the right precautions you can only be scammed out of your email address. His advice for the ultra-cautious, open a throwaway email account. Eservices & Globalsales Inc. <A href="mailto:michael_daniels3@hotmail.com">michael_daniels3@hotmail.com</A> Copyright 2004

วันเสาร์ที่ 27 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2551

Magnetic Signs: Where Do They Work Best?

Recently, a woman called to ask about replacing a magnetic sign she had purchased from another company. Her original sign had actually blown off the side of her car. I had visions of the sign flailing around in the wind and striking some poor motorist behind her or worse yet, some fellow on a motorcycle. I inquired as to whether she had tried to get her money back. But it seems the company refused to refund her money and worse yet, claimed it was her fault. Appallingly, they accused her of placing the sign on a dirty car surface.Although surfaces should always be cleaned before any type of sinage is placed on them, rarely should a magnetic sign "blow" off, if ever. The sign company that sold her the original magnetic probably made two glaring errors. 1) They used an inexpensive magnetic material not meant for vehicles, especially moving ones. The sign business is intensely competitive and some disreputable companies turn to cheap material for an edge. 2) They cut corners and I mean literally! They cut square corners instead of rounded corners. Rounded corners prevent the wind from "catching" an edge.In fairness to the company, maybe they didn't know any better. There are tricks of the trade that can come only with experience. But that does not help the woman that lost her sign. And even though these companies don't last long because they loose repeat business, it agitates me to see a customer have a bad experience buying a sign.So if you are off to buy a magnetic sign, concentrate on getting the right material. Make sure you ask for 30 mil thickness with rounded corners. And don't let them charge you for the rounding. It should be a standard!Written by: Tony Nagy Email: <a href="mailto:info@designasign.biz">info@designasign.biz</a> To learn more about Magnetic signs and other types of signs please visit <a target="_new" href="http://designasign.blogspot.com/">http://designasign.blogspot.com/</a> to purchase Magnets, Vinyl and just about every type of sign imaginable visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.designasign.biz">http://www.designasign.biz</a>

Advertising on a Budget -- Part 3: Frequency, Frequency, Frequency

This is the third article of a three-part series. I'm illustrating the marketing challenges of PrescottWeddings.com, a small business.If you don't remember anything else about marketing, remember this: Frequency is king.The more often you can get your name in front of your potential and current customers, the more likely you will make a sale.Depending on what study you look at, people need to see your message anywhere from three to 27 times before they act upon it.And, if you want to brand your business, then you need to get it in front of your customers as often as possible.How do you think Ivory Soap, Campbell Soup and Tide all built their brands so deeply into our minds? Through years and years of repeatedly advertising. That's why those brands pop into our head when we think about soap, soup or laundry detergent.So if you want to build your brand, then you need to advertise frequently.There's another benefit to advertising frequently. It also helps your current customers.People like to know they made the right decision after they purchased something. How much reassurance they need depends on how much they spend, but everyone needs some confirmation they made the right decision. Your advertising can help.Studies have shown that people are more aware of car ads after they purchased a car -- specifically car ads of the model they bought. And they're more likely to both believe and approve of the message. Again, because they want to know they made the right decision.So there are many good reasons to advertise frequently. Does that mean you have to spend a fortune? Not necessarily. There are a few tricks you can use to get the frequency you need at a low cost. (These are print tricks -- other advertising outlets, such as radio and online, we'll talk about in future issues.)1. Make your ad as small as possible. Small ads cost less. See "Advertising on a Budget ? Part 2: Thinking Small" for more information on shrinking your ad.2. It's better to schedule your ads to run all at once than spread them out. People will never remember when they don't see your ad, only when they do. If they see your ad a lot in one week, they're going to be under the impression you advertise all the time because they won't remember NOT seeing your ad other weeks.3. Take advantage of any frequency programs your newspaper offers. And definitely sign a contract -- don't run ads under the open rate.Here's how it worked for PWC.The newspaper had a program called "3 For Free." If you ran an ad three days in a row, you got the next three days for free (the paper was published six days a week).We designed a tiny ad -- a one by two inch ad -- and we ran it six days in a row. Then we skipped the next three weeks and did the same thing again the next month.After a year of doing this, PWC had people coming up to her telling her they saw her ad "all the time." Business owners wanted to advertise on PWC because they could see the commitment PWC had to advertising. Brides and grooms were visiting PWC on a regular basis because they were being "reminded" monthly.What did all this cost? About $100 a month.But, a word of caution. It takes time to build a business and a brand. It won't happen overnight. But it will happen, especially if you remember to keep getting your name in front of your customers and potential customers as often as you possibly can.Michele Pariza Wacek owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting, a writing, marketing and creativity agency. She offers two free e-newsletters that help subscribers combine their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting principles to become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. She can be reached at <a target="_new" href="http://www.writingusa.com">http://www.writingusa.com</a>

Advertising Agency In Boston: Tips and Tricks

The big news on Wall Street last year was the initial public offering of Internet search engine Google. If you were a visitor from another planet, you might be asking yourself, What big, sophisticated, high-technology company is behind the success of Google? Could it be IBM, Microsoft, Intel, Apple, Oracle, SAP, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco, Dell, Xerox, Sun Microsystems, Philips or Siemens? Of course not. The brains behind Google are two Stanford students, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, who launched the Web site in 1998. Some six years later, the two founders are worth billions.All the advantages:With some exceptions big companies seldom launch new brands that become big successes, even though big companies have all the advantages. Big companies have the resources, the people, the credentials, the distribution networks, the media contacts. I can't think of a single advantage an individual entrepreneur has over a big global conglomerate. Yet there wasn't a big global conglomerate behind the success of brands such as Starbucks, Red Bull, Linux, JetBlue, Amazon, Yahoo!, eBay, Priceline, Monster.com and a host of others.Nor for that matter was a big global conglomerate behind the success of most of the big brands of the past. Brands like Apple, Microsoft, Digital Equipment, Dell, Sun Microsystems, Hewlett-Packard, Oracle, SAP, Siebel, Compaq, Quicken, McDonald's, Subway, Pizza Hut, Domino's Pizza, Papa John's, Wendy's, Gatorade, Mountain Dew, Wal-Mart or Costco. I repeat. Big companies seldom launch new brands that become big successes.Deadly sinsThere are two reasons for this phenomenon, which we call the "two deadly sins of marketing."The first deadly sin is timing.The good book says, "There is a time to be born and a time to die." The time for a brand to be born is before the category is established in the mind. It was 14 years after the launch of Red Bull that the Coca-Cola Co. finally responded by launching its own brand of energy drink-KMX Does KMX have enough energy to overtake Red Bull? Not a chance. Once a competitive brand is established in the prospect's mind, it's almost impossible for a me-too brand to overtake the leader.32-year head startIt was 32 years after the launch of Southwest Airlines that Delta finally responded by launching its own no-frills airline called Song. You can't give your competition a third-of-a-century head start and expect to build a brand. All the momentum is on Southwest's side. Not to mention the money and the resources. Imagine spending all day in the boardroom at Digital Equipment Corp. trying to persuade the chief executive and his staff to launch a serious 16-bit business personal computer before IBM did. No luck. We don't want to be first, said the chief executive. And I'm not concerned about IBM, he continued, because if IBM does go first, "we'll beat their specs."Well, IBM did go first with the launch of the PC in August 1981, the first 16-bit serious business personal computer, a product that went on to dominate a fast-growing market. And Digital Equipment did follow with not one, but three different lines of personal computers, none of which made a dent in the marketplace in spite of their presumably better specs. IBM had become the standard, and if you wanted to participate in the personal computer marketplace, you were only a clone. Digital Equipment lost Too bad. Digital Equipment had the credentials to dominate the PC market. Brought to you by "the world's largest maker of small computers" was the tagline for Digital Equipment's new personal computer.Imagine spending all day in a boardroom at Xerox trying to persuade the corporation to launch a desktop laser printer before the Hewlett-Packard LaserJet got strongly established. No luck. Too bad. Xerox had the credentials to dominate the laser printer market. In 1977, Xerox had introduced the 5700, the world's first successful laser printer.Second sinThe second deadly sin is naming.A big company wants to put its own name on a new brand. This is generally a mistake. New categories generally require new brand names. In spite of IBM's head start in business PCs, the company eventually lost out to Compaq and Dell, both new brands created especially for the personal computer category. To most prospects, IBM meant mainframe computers, not PCs (It's interesting to note how many marketing people chide IBM for not moving fast enough into personal computers, when in fact they were first. "Mainframe mentality" is their usual complaint.).Imagine spending all day in the boardroom at Continental Airlines, trying to persuade management not to name its new no-frills airline Continental Lite. You have two choices. Either you can make the entire Continental system a no-frills airline (the preference) or you can give your new no-frills airline a different name than Continental. No luck. Continental Airlines crashed The company went ahead with Continental Lite, an airline that took off and then just as rapidly came down to earth, after losing many millions of dollars.Then there's Kodak, a company that is paying the price for not giving its new digital camera line a different name than Kodak. Kodak means film photography, not digital photography. The irony is that Kodak invented the first digital camera (back in 1976.) Yet the Kodak name locks the company into the past. Like Digital Equipment and IBM, Kodak had the credentials, the organization and the resources to dominate an emerging new category, but not the foresight to recognize that a new category needs a new name.The exceptionOne exception should be mentioned. In 1994, Bill Gates asked Richard Barton to develop a Microsoft CD-ROM idea involving travel guides. Barton convinced Gates that the CD-ROM idea would fail, but that an online travel agency might succeed. Furthermore, he persuaded Mr. Gates to give the project a different name than Microsoft. Richard Barton called Microsoft's online travel agency "Expedia." Seven years later Microsoft sold control of Expedia to USA Networks for an estimated $1.3 billion.How Strong Is Your Brand? Do You Really Know? Do You Care? Would you like to take a simple test to see where your company's brand is now? Click on the link below:<a target="_new" href="http://www.brandidentityguru.com/bightml/brandmasterpiece.html">http://www.brandidentityguru.com/bightml/brandmasterpiece.html</a> then click on the button to the right that reads, "Take The Brand Strength Test". This is a very quick and easy way to see where you fall short in your marketing, advertising and branding efforts. It will also show you where you are strong. Take the test if you dare... you may be surprised at the results!Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru (<a target="_new" href="http://www.brandidentityguru.com">http://www.brandidentityguru.com</a>), a leading brand consulting and market research firm located in Easton, Massachusetts, USA, near Boston.Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation. Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Simon (America's largest shopping mall manager) and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies.Scott White is a very enthusiastic speaker and has the gift of being able to explain the principles of branding in a compelling and entertaining manner so that people at all levels can understand.

Why Most Advertisements Stink!

Question: What do you think the most important part of any ad is? Your company name? Your telephone number? Your offer? Look at your own advertising. What stands out? What is in the largest print? If it's your company name or logo hold out your wrist so I can whack it with a stick. What's the answer? THE HEADLINE!! You see, without a good compelling headline it won't matter much how great your copy or you offer is, because few will ever read it. REMEMBER: The Only Job Of A Headline Is To Get The Reader To Read The First Paragraph. It should be big, bold, dark and easy to read. But more importantly, it must force the reader to read on. "HEADLINE TEST" How do you know you have a powerful, effective headline? Here's a great acid test: separate the headline from everything else, out of context, and treat it as a classified ad; nothing but the headline and a response instruction....then ask yourself if people would respond. So if your headline is, say, the name of your company, the classified ad would read: "Acme Mortgage, No. 1 in service and reliability. For more info, call 1-800-000-0000." Trust me, that does NOT work. But if the headline is; "6 Things You Must Know Before Getting A Home Mortgage. Free Report Tells All. Call 1-800-000-0000". That does work. Put every headline you use in your ads, letters, flyers, brochures to this test. Tips For Stronger Headlines 1. Telegraph a dynamic benefit or promise. (You want to evoke emotion in every advertisement, always answering the reader's questions, "What's in it for me? And why should I continue reading this?") Example: "You Can Laugh At Money Worries -- If You Follow This Simple Plan" 2. Add "How To" to the beginning. Example: "How To Escape the Debt Rat-Race And Get Debt-Free, Fast....." 3. "Flag" your targeted prospects. Let them know who the ad is talking too. Example: "Credit Card Payment Sufferers: How To End The Pain In 3 Days!" 4. Arouse curiosity. Example: "What Your Banker Doesn't Want You To Know" 5. Use meaningful specifics. (3 days is more "specific" than "in days"). Example: "I Instantly Saved $103,239.83 and Never Took The TV Remote Out Of My Hand" 6. Use powerful attention-grabbing words. (Like "Warning", "Guaranteed", "New", "Now.") Example: "WARNING: Credit Card Users May Be Paying To Much" For a free instant reference guide that reveals time tested formulas to create dynamite, attention-getting <A target="_new" href="http://www.leadgenerationadvertising.com/">headlines</A> visit: <A target="_new" href="http://www.leadgenerationadvertising.com/">http://www.leadgenerationadvertising.com/</A> Shawn Meldrum has spent the last two decades marketing everything from almonds to landscape lighting. He currently specializes in marketing for mortgage brokers, loan officers and <A target="_new" href="http://real-estate-marketing-tips.com/">real estate agents</A>. For free <A target="_new" href="http://www.mortgagemarketingtips.com/">mortgage marketing</A> articles and much more visit: <A target="_new" href="http://www.mortgagemarketingtips.com">http://www.mortgagemarketingtips.com</A>

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