Advertising

by: Terri Seymour An Overlooked Fr~e Advertising Opportunity � Terri Seymour When you have an online business you need to utilize every possible avenue of advertising and promotion. As I sign up for more ezines and discussion groups, I am finding numerous publishers are overlooking a very effective and fr~e advertising opportunity. After I sign up for an ezine or email discussion group, I await the welcome letter for guidelines and to learn a bit more about the ezine/website/webmaster. Too often all I get in the welcome letter is the standard default letter. No personal welcome, no introductions, no links to check out and no email. This disappoints me as I always like to check out the sites of the people I am signing up with. It almost makes me want to unsubscribe.......almost. ;-) But I know that some publishers may just not know that you can take advantage of this advertising opportunity. I also didn't know of such opportunity when I was first starting. So, by writing this article, I hope to make publishers and listowners aware of this fr~e advertising. Whether you use Yahoogroups, Topica or a list manager that you have purchased, you can change the welcome message. Personalize it by introducing yourself and letting the subscriber know about your website/business. *Inform them of any specials you might have. *Tell them your advertising rates and add a testimonial. *Invite them to your site to utilize the fr~e resources. *Let them know your email so they can contact you. *Use some of the space for ad swapping with other publishers and their welcome letters. *Add an affiliate product or program review. There are numerous things you can promote with your welcome letter. Also, do not overlook your goodbye letter. You have one last chance to get this person back. Make it a good one. ;-) I also have a little message in my goodbye letter that encourages people to let me know why they unsubbed. Example: Thank you for being a subscriber to My Own Ezine. I am sorry to see you go. If you could take a minute to let me know why you unsubbed, I would appreciate it. Please drop a quick note to mailto:ter02@newnorth.net?subject=unsub Thank you. You might learn ways to improve your ezine by asking former subs this question. Of course, they do not all answer, but a good many do! Always reply to them with a short but appreciative thank you note! I also promote many of the same things as I do with my welcome letter. By doing this you just might get this person to think........"Maybe I will take one last look and see what they have." In this business, you have to utilize every opportunity possible and this FR~E advertising could turn out to be a golden one! Happy Holidays to you and yours! About the Author ************* Terri Seymour and her husband Terry of www.seymourproducts.com offer a no cost, home business opportunity. Apply online. Resources and more for your home business available at www.myownezine.com Free ecourse business-building-ecourse@getresponse.com

by: Martin Cargill At the bottom of this article you will find my "sig file". I attach it to every article that I write. As you can see it bears my name, web-site address and e-mail address. This is not done out of vanity, or a desire to see my name in print. It is done because it costs me nothing. When I submit my article to an Ezine or other publication, I do so on the condition that the article be re-printed in its' entirety. This means that the company that re-prints my article sends it to their subscriber base, at no cost to me, and even better that the publication considers my work to be authorative. What do you know, I'm an "expert", at least to the entire subscriber list of the Ezine in question. If I were not an "expert", the publisher would not re-print my article !! Every time I see one of my articles re-printed, I see an immediate increase in my own subscriber base, as people who did not previously know me check out my web-site, and click through on one or more of the banners there. The result is a Marketers' dream come true. Potential buyers at absolutely no cost to me. I write the articles in question for my own use in my "Independence Day Ezine", so I would have to expend the time and effort anyway, and the fact that I can use them as an active part of my Marketing Campaign is a huge bonus. I recommend most strenuously that you start to write articles if you have not already done so, and make sure to attach your own "sig file". This valuable piece of free advertising should be attached to every piece of e-mail that you send out, as well as each article. I can see you sitting there reading this and saying to yourself, "it's all right for him to say write an article, but I don't know how. I've never tried." It's easy, once you know how. First open a new file in whatever word pro- cessing system you normally use. There, a nice blank page. All you have to do now is fill it up. You need a subject for your article. "Marvellous", you say,"I all ready knew that but what can I write about?" Examine your life carefully and make a list of all your experiences to this point. Here is just part of mine: I was born and bred in the North of England Started in the Direct Mail business selling collectibles to Soccer fans. Served in the Manchester City Police Force Emigrated to Canada My first real job was driving a City bus in Vancouver I sold Life Insurance I ran a tele-marketing centre I am married I have two children, one boy and one girl. I have had my own retail business (Electronics) I lost the business when I was diagnosed with Cancer. I underwent Cobalt radiation treatment for 6 months. After I recovered I was a Business Management Consultant. Until I had a heart attack, while shoveling snow (stupid !!) The cardiologist forbids me to work as I could suffer another attack, if I am under too much stress. I started my own on-line business in Internet Marketing. I had to do something to retain my sanity. That's a partial list, it tells you nothing of my hobbies, areas of expertise, likes or dislikes, as I wanted to keep the list short enough that I didn't lose your interest. Choose one of the items on your list, type it on the blank screen, and then just sit and type out whatever comes into your head. Keep going until you can't think of anything else to type. Don't correct your spelling errors or punctuation. Don't second guess yourself and re-write anything. It doesn't matter whether all this typing is making sense or not. When you're finished, save the file and take a break. Re-open the file and proof-read what you've just written. Check the spelling carefully, and smooth out any awkward passages. Correct the punctuation and spacing where needed. Congratulations, you've finished your first article. Do you think I could write an interesting article about sailing across the North Atlantic, from Liverpool to Montreal, via Quebec City, in the mid 1960's ?? Or the three day train ride across Canada from Montreal to Vancouver, on the West Coast ?? Or any of the other facts on my list ?? Could I find someone who was willing to re-print such an article ?? There are tens of thousands of Ezines on the Web, covering every area of human experience. They all have one thing in common. They are looking for, no desperately seeking, quality content for their publications. When your article is finished to your satis- faction, search the Web for 10 Ezines that cover the same area of interest as your article. E-mail the editor of each one and inquire if they accept unsolicited articles for re-print. No matter which ten you choose at least five will reply encouraging you to submit your article. You'll never be at a loss for a subject again. As proof please reflect on the fact that I have just finished an article on how to write an article. It took me thirty minutes. Until next time Martin Cargill Martin Cargill has his website at www.millionsbynet.com and gives a FREE mini-course at mini-course@getresponse.com This and his newsletter " Independence Day Ezine " are available FREE on an opt-in basis only. After over 40 years in Direct Marketing, I am trying to come to terms with that "new-fangled" internet. It's a steep learning curve, but I'm getting there. I can offer you the chance to learn from my experience (and mistakes), and the best of the web guest articles and web resources. capnblack_ca@shaw.ca

by: Diane Hughes Everyone knows that advertising is essential to growing a business. One problem that small business owners have always faced is the high cost of marketing. Most, however don't realize that there is an effective way to reduce the cost of your advertising while - at the same time - increasing its reach. Advertising co-ops are nothing new. Usually they are a "perk" offered by major manufacturers to encourage retailers to promote their products. Because the retailer has direct access to customers that would want to buy certain products, it only makes sense that they should do joint advertising. You've seen it - McDonalds mentioning Coke in their commercials, Dell stating that you get a free Epson printer with purchase and so on. The retailer doesn't make the product the manufacturer is providing, but it IS a great match with what they DO offer. Nobody would want to eat a Big Mac without something to drink, and a computer wouldn't do a lot of good without a printer. Now you can use this same strategy to create your own advertising co-op to increase the reach of your ads and drastically reduce the cost, too. --- How It Works Generally speaking, the cost of any advertisements (bulk emailings, ezine ads, banners, newspaper, etc.) would be split equally between all participants. If you and two associates decide to purchase a solo ad, you would each receive equal mentions in the ad and you would each pay equal portions of the cost. So if the solo ad were going to a list of 200,000 and cost $150, each of the three would pay $50. You get to reach 200,000 people for 1/3 the cost you would have normally paid. And, because this ad relates you to other types of businesses, you actually expand your advertising reach. --- Getting Started So who would be qualified to enter into an ad co-op with you? It depends on the nature of your business. Think of others that reach your same target customer and make a list. If you design Web sites, you might approach hosting companies, graphic artists, copywriters or programmers. If your business is landscaping, you could invite yard maintenance companies to join you. Once you have a list of one or more business types, think of current associates you know who belong to those groups. Also, ask others if they know of any reliable businesses that fall into the categories you've outlined. --- Making the Approach When you have a list of businesses to approach, simply write or email them with your offer. Be sure to point out the benefits such as: * a win-win situation * reduced cost of advertising * expanded reach of advertising * larger, more prominent ads for a fraction of the cost Also, be sure to ask about the advertising outlets these businesses currently use. You will likely find new avenues that lead to greater exposure. --- Finalizing the Deal You'll need to work out payment arrangements with your partners prior to placing the ad(s). The best way I have found to handle the finances is for each party to pay me for their portion of the cost with a credit card. I then place the ad order with MY credit card. This way, you are assured of receiving the dollar amount due to you; and your partners have the assurance that - should you default on your end of the deal - they have recourse for getting their money back. Working in cooperation with other businesses can lead to tremendous successes with advertising. When like-minded companies pool their resources to reach one target audience, the impact is doubled while the cost is reduced by at least half. That's the best advertising bargain around today! About the author: Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful) Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane

by: Jeremy Gislason As you begin marketing and promoting your online business you are going to run into some unbelievable advertising opportunities. Generally speaking if the ad offering sounds too good to be true--It is. There are companies that will tell you they will get you listed in the top 10 search engines or place your link on millions of sites or they will get you listed in the top 10 returns of search engines. This last one sounds similar to the first, but there is a big difference. Google searches over 3 billion pages during their searches. The companies that tell you they will get you listed in the top 10 of the major search engines would have to defy all the principles of math to do this. They could not work with more than a few companies in order to achieve this and honestly, there is no way they can get you listed in the top 10 of the search engines placements at all unless they make up their own search terms and people search on that specific term. Stay away from the companies that tell you they are going to place you in search engines for a fee, for the most part they will do nothing more than use a site software submitter. You can get your own software for this or use an online service and submit your site yourself for a lot less than what most SEO companies charge for this service. Guaranteed traffic-- They work fine for free sites or if your goal is to build a database of names, but if you are selling a product or service, you will get hits, but not many sales. Mass email -- Any company that tells you they will send your ad to millions of people for $20 or $30 is simply taking your money. This might sound inviting, but do not waste your money. They are either using site submit tools or sending your ad to millions of harvested email addresses. The companies who tell you they are going to submit your site to millions of pages will most likely do what they say, but you will not see any return and may even get you Spam complaints. Mass emails are a complete waste of your money regardless of what product you are selling. There are many sites that will tell you they will send your ad to double opt-in lists of people. We have tried over a dozen of these services and have barely received a hit, much less sales. The problem is you lose control over your ad when you use mass email companies. There is no way to verify the ad was sent and if you could verify it was sent, there is no way to tell it was sent to the numbers they promise. Plus, you run the risk of being accused of Spam. Solo ads-- These are by far one of the best methods of promoting your product and service. They are targeted, you can verify the numbers and you can subscribe using a unique email and verify the ad was sent on the day and time it was supposed to be sent. Consultants-- Use your best judgment when hiring consultants, call some or send an email and ask about a money back guarantee if they cannot meet the objectives they set forth. I am not a big believer in money-back guarantees because if a service is valuable and you can see the value before you buy, then a money back guarantee is not necessary. However, if someone comes to you and says, I can make your site profitable within 30 or 60 or 90 days and it is going to cost you X amount of money, then they should give you your money back if they do not achieve the desired results. A good consultant will work with companies that he or she knows they can help by relying on their background and expertise in certain areas of marketing and advertising. Nobody knows everything, but if someone has an expertise in an area that I lack knowledge with, I would hire him or her in a second if they can honestly help me and they can prove they can help me and they will back up what they tell me. We get emails every day from people who want to join ISOR with the plan of retiring in a month, making a million dollars without doing anything, etc. and we turn every one of them down. There is no business on the Internet or in traditional business where you can accomplish this type of unrealistic goal. There are, however consultants who will tell you what you want to hear, just to get your business. They take your money and run and they will not help you a bit. We hired a copy writer one time who seemed like a good fit for our company and only after she finished the writing at $120 an hour did she tell me that she would not buy my product. Not because she could not benefit from it, but she refused to pay for anything online. Her copy was terrible and we ended up re--writing the entire sales page. Her feelings and beliefs came across in her writings. It was simply impossible for her to write positively when her mind was telling her negative things. We have many marketing and advertising partners and all the companies we partner with have been tested by us to offer valuable services, but there are thousands of other companies on the Internet and you might find a very good company with a very good service that works for you and within your budget. Not all companies are out to cheat you, but the purpose of this article is to forewarn you regarding where you spend your advertising dollars. We have spent a lot of money and time buying and trying different advertising options and by using our own ad campaign and link tracking system for all our advertising campaigns we have the data to back up what we say. Research your advertising options carefully and do not get pulled into a good deal just because it sounds like a good deal. You do not need to spend a lot of money to advertise and promote your business, you just need to use your common sense and think long term. Copyright 2004 Jeremy Gislason About The Author Jeremy Gislason has over 15 years of marketing experience and is the Vice President of ISORegister, Inc. We are dedicated to helping online businesses succeed by providing them with the tools and resources every online business should not be without. Discover how ISOR has helped 1000's of ordinary people and dozens of top Internet marketers earn a living online. Visit http://www.isoregister.com today.

by: Christopher Kyalo That's right. The most effective way of advertising your business on the net is FREE and mostly ignored. And yet it's so easy to see why it is so effective. We just need to ask ourselves two simple questions. Question 1- What do most people use the internet for? Answer - For email and to seek information to solve problems. Question 2 - How do you get information from the net? Answer - I go directly to certain web sites or I use a search engine like Yahoo or Google. So shouldn't it be obvious that a free article on the net that mentions your business after providing valuable information free will be seen by hundreds of thousands of your eager prospects over time? The biggest marketing mistake that many businesses have made and continue to make over the internet is treating this new medium as if it were just an extension or advancement of the last new medium to change the marketing world, namely Television. In Television, advertising is king. And therefore many assumed that the internet was the next big thing in conventional advertising with predictably disastrous results. The internet is primarily an information medium. So is it any wonder that people get so upset when somebody tries to interrupt their search for information with an advertisement? Being an information medium, it stands to reason that you will only attract attention by providing information - free, valuable information. So the most effective way to advertise on the net is to give away free information of a very specific nature. The free information will of course have something to do with your product or service. But it should be written in such an interesting way and should focus on solving a problem or need of your potential clientele that it will be of great value without them having to purchase your product immediately. For example, somebody selling anti-glare gadgets for computers or headache medication or whatever service or product that deals with the problem of headaches, can post the following useful free information; 1) An article about the different types of headaches caused by sitting in front of a computer the whole day. 2) He can post yet another article hinged on a case study of a headache that refused to go away despite medication etc. 3) How a deadly type of headache feels like e.g caused by a developing brain tumour etc. In all the articles, no direct reference should be made to the product or service except in the resource box right at the end which should have your web-site, email and any other contact information. An article on the web is a very powerful advertising tool that will do more for you than any conventional advertising or email list. Firstly you are guaranteed that many of your target market or people who may be interested in your product or service will read your article and the name of your business. Most so-called advertisements on the net, never get read at all, even by the people targeted - they get deleted long before. Secondly, you create a very favorable image of a knowledgeable and competent person or business and you do this instantly. Offline this is rather difficult to do even over a longer period of time. In fact articles can't even be posted as easily as they can on the net. For example it will be virtually impossible for any newspaper or magazine with a decent readership to find the space for any of the suggested headache articles above. There are various ways one can post articles on the net. You can do it on your web site or you can do it at a wide range of different sites. Actually the idea here is to get it posted in as many different places as you possibly can (remember it's an advertisment.) The real power of the internet is in its' ability to reach a colossal number of people within a very short time, who are interested in the subject at hand. Most of the people you reach may not be in the market for your offering right now, but they will have heard of you and will already have a very favourable image of you. Some of the people who will benefit from your information will be in the market for your product and will request for more information, visit your web-site and so on - still they will not buy immediately. A fraction of these people may buy from you one day in the future. They may also like you enough to tell others about you. The last group of people may end up being a very tiny decimal fraction of the total but these are the people who will become your customers shortly after benefiting from your FREE information. Still there will be a steady and constant flow of these wonderful people who put money in your bank account, as your articles get posted in newer web sites all the time. Can you sincerely think of another marketing weapon on the web that even comes close to this one in terms of effectiveness? ---------------- If you found this article interesting, you can read another article by this author at the link below that will give you the only 2 things you need to acknowledge to gurantee success in any online marketing program. Here's the link:- http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=26206 About the Author Christopher Kyalo has over 20 years experience in marketing and creative writing. Order his FREE report "How to use the most effective advertising weapon on the net, it's free" by sending a blank email to ckyalo at yahoo.com. Or download his favourite ebook. You can get it FREE at; http://aff-masters.sitesell.com/valueinfo.html

by: Dave Collins The previous article examined some of the basic ideas involved in advertising. We looked at why a company may want to advertise, the factors involved in choosing a suitable venue and the costs and time involved. We also explored some of the practicalities to consider and how to research your potential venue. Once you've chosen where you're going to advertise, the next critical factor will be how well you know the target audience. The more information that you have to hand, the better you can tailor your content around their needs and expectations. You need to make sure that you speak in their language, try to give them what they're already used to, or grab their attention with something new. But be warned, these are pushy and innovative times. Whatever gimmick or spin you use to stand out may well have been tried many times before, so don't over-rely on it. Like a good informative web page, the ad needs to first of all catch their attention, and compel them to click on it. There should be more focus on the benefits of the software than the features, and the ad should really push the download or sale. It should also be as compelling and striking as possible - not easy when you're limited by a number of characters, file size or space to work with! Bear in mind that like any strategy, your advertising will only be as strong as its weakest link. Don't spend thousands of dollars on good placement, only to use some awful home-created banner that you knocked together with Paint Shop Pro 4 three years ago. If graphic design is not your strong point, then get a firm to design some decent graphics for you. The same goes with writing the ad copy. Most people can write, but few are writers. Try to make sure that someone with more than a thesaurus-dictionary gift set writes your copy for you. Aside from the wording, the basic market principles apply. Grab their attention, tempt them, and compel them to act. "50% discount" is eye catching, as is some form of "only valid today" type of offer. But when the potential customer clicks on your ad, you're only half way there. You now need to make sure that the page they land on carries on the good work. Realistically, many will click on the ad out of idle curiosity, and very few (if any) will have made up their minds to purchase already. You should therefore use a separate landing page, as opposed to your regular main website page. It should contain the same information and use the same language, tone and focus of the ad, but now you're not restricted as to what you can do, or how much space you have to work with. Here, you have all the space you need to go all-out with the sales drive. On a technical level, make sure that your landing page is not linked from anywhere in your website, so as to ensure that everyone coming to this page has been driven there by the ad. If you're sharing a landing page, then at least make sure that you use a unique referral string. To be able to evaluate the success of the ad, it's critical that you can distinguish these visitors from the regular site visitors. This brings us neatly onto the subject of tracking, without which you are effectively deaf, dumb and blind to the effects of the ad. A unique landing page on your website is ideal, and if possible, make this point to a separate payment page as well. You can also use cookies or referral strings in order to sharpen the accuracy of the tracking. Usage of decent web log analysis software should let you see how many people came to the landing page, how long they spent there, which links they then clicked on, who downloaded from there, who purchased, and perhaps even who came back to the website later. The analysis and follow-up of the campaign is surprisingly often completely overlooked. This is a great loss, as in some respects this is one of the most important stages of the whole process. When it comes to gauging the level of generated sales and registrations, you need to take into account the final date of the ad, plus the full length of the trial version and then add a little extra time. Some may view the ad, click, download the software, but may not install it for a few days or even longer. As an example, a company may choose to run a series of ads in a newsletter that is sent out from Monday to Friday of a given week. Some people may not respond to the ad until the following weekend (or later), and only then download your thirty day trial. So we're already looking at 35 days after the ad was first run, and that's assuming that they install the software as soon as they download it. Some people may even register after the trial has elapsed. So don't go writing it off as a failure on day two of your advertising campaign. To accurately evaluate the success of the campaign, you need to go back to your original goals. If your primary goal was to achieve a higher level of sales, then it should be reasonably easy to see how many were generated by the ad. As with everything related to advertising, your data won't be 100% accurate, but it should give you a good idea. If the primary goal was increased exposure, then you should be looking at how many people were exposed to the ad, how many viewed the landing page content and website, and perhaps even downloaded and purchased the software. At this point, there are four possible scenarios. (1) The ad appears to be successful. Your goals have been achieved as a direct result of the ad, and more advertising with this vendor may be considered for the future. Even with this success, don't rule out the fact that your figures can be further improved, but don't forget that they can worsen too. You should also be careful not to immediately engage in a long-term contract with this vendor. Not only because there are other advertising options out there, but also because any ad has a certain lifespan until it reaches its saturation point. At the very least consider trying different products, wording (or graphics) or even a different type of offer or discount. (2) The ad doesn't appear to be successful. There has been little generated in terms of exposure or sales, and you can't help but feel that the venture has been a failure. The first thing you have to do is to try to determine the reason for this. It may be the product itself, the ad copy, the ad, or perhaps the targeting was off. It may even be as a result of the ad placement, or the offer or discount not being generous enough. If the ad failed, it is very important to ascertain exactly why. Don't just dismiss it as a failure, or a "bad" place to advertise, and don't be afraid to go back to the vendor for feedback. If you explain that you're interested in making this work, as opposed to complaining that they didn't deliver the results you expected, you'll usually get a positive response. See what they can do to help, after all, it's in their interests that you walk away satisfied by your experience. (3) The ad appears to break-even, but little more than this. Go back and read number (2). Not being a success counts as a failure. (4) You're not sure whether the ad was worthwhile or not. There has been some response, but it's difficult to see whether it was a worthwhile experience or not. It's very important that you get to the bottom of this. Go through your statistics again, and filter through your logs to see exactly what the visitors did, where they clicked, and why they behaved as they did. It is extremely important that at the end of the process, you know whether it was worthwhile or not. Failure to do so will result either in a wastage of money or a wastage of opportunities. It's all too easy to throw money away on bad advertising. It's just as easy to be scared-off by risks, or for that matter throw potential opportunities away. Like any form of marketing, there are no guarantees that you'll achieve the results you hope for. But by failing to try, you're absolutely guaranteed never to reach them. The best you can do is to prepare the ground and cover all options as thoroughly as possible, take a deep breath and then take the plunge. Be seen, be sold. Copyright 2005 Dave Collins About The Author Dave Collins is the CEO of SharewarePromotions Ltd., a well established UK-based company working with software and shareware marketing activities, utilising all aspects of the internet. http://www.sharewarepromotions.com and http://www.davetalks.com

by: Khali S. Advertising Ideas for office cleaning business Even if you have built an ultra efficient state-of-the-art home office, polished your image with the finest of Armani suits, equipped yourself with the newest cell phone, PDA and laptop, and drafted the most exemplary of business plans, you are not going to go anywhere in the business world without some entities to do business with. "how to secure cleaning contracts" Establishing your clientele can be the most time consuming and intellectually challenging part of the office cleaning business or any other business. There are many issues and approaches to consider, and like many other challenges in life, there is no one single way to go about it. Everyone will have their own methods for acquiring business that will work well for them, but most businesspeople will agree that taking a multi-tiered or multi-pronged approach is the best way to go about it. That is, don�t put all your eggs in one basket�, so to speak, when approaching the cleaning business advertising issue. To be successful, you will need to do a little bit of this� and a �little bit of that� as they say. Here are a few ideas to get you started: Although it can be costly in some forms, advertising is perhaps the most common form of marketing and self-promotion. Television ads and full-page spreads in mainstream publications will most likely be out of your reach (unless Donald Trump is funding your consultancy), but there are plenty of other more affordable options out there. Like we have mentioned before, it is all about getting more bang for your buck�, so it will be in your best interest to maximize on your advertising dollar. Advertising in local magazines or the local newspaper can be cost effective when addressing certain demographics. Purchasing a short prime time spot on the radio is another method, but costs several orders of magnitude more than print to get across its message. When done properly, radio can be an awesome advertising vehicle, I also call this "The next step in advertising". Perhaps the most significant bang for your buck� outlet for your advertising dollar is the web. Web sites are very affordable (even free if you know what you are doing). A web site is an excellent method of advertising because you can attract many entities on a global scale (a little search engine optimization can garner 1000s of page views a day) and you can reach the widest audience possible (potentially, anyone with an internet connection). Be sure to print up a healthy portion of business card and in addition to land-line telephone, mobile phone and fax numbers make sure the URL (uniform resource locator) for your web site is displayed prominently on the front of the card. About the Author khali S. - http://www.office-cleaning-business.com Learn How To Start & promote Your own office cleaning business, Free mini-course "How To start Cleaning Business"

by: DOT Solutions Advertising Methods. Market Research Questionnaire for a Business Start Up. Which Method have you found effective? I would be grateful if you would take a few moments to complete this on-line form to help me gain self employment. Methods. Market Research Questionnaire. As part of some Market Research into starting a business to provide business such as you�re with online advertising Services I would be grateful if you would take a few moments to complete this on-line form.This is an independent survey carried out by DOT Solutions. Digitally Orientated Technologies ( http://www.solutions.ukdots.com ). All individual information will be kept in confidence.The online Market Research Questionnaire is at: - http://www.bosslinks.com/market_research_questionnaire.htmlClick on the following link if you need further descriptions of the Methods of Internet adverting: -http://www.solutions.ukdots.com/advertising_methods.html The question include:- Which methods do you use to promote your services/products? On-Line advertising: - Affiliated Links. Pay for Clicks. Website submission using Purchased software or using a service. Paid for search engine listing inclusion. E-mail campaigns. E-zine or newsletter campaigns. WAP, Wireless Application Protocol, (mobile phone), Short Message Service or other similar e.g. 3G and Wi-fi, etc. Off-Line advertising: - Local Newspaper, National Newspaper, Magazines, Television, Radio, Leafleting. Direct Marketing: - Phone calls. Promotions. Pens and other gifts. Advertising hoardings, billboards, and busses inside and out. Sponsorship e.g. sports, etc. General questions. Which methods used have given you the best Return On Investment over the short, medium and longer term? Which methods would you use again because of good response? Which methods would you not use again because of poor response? Invested amount? How often do you use/require the service/product? Do you always use the same supplier/business? Would you be willing to use my advertising and promoting products and service when I start my business. My products and services will help you advertise and promote your business.One example is the BOSS Links. Business Online Support Service ( http://www.bosslinks.com/index.html ) This website allows a searchable title, a description, Icons (small images to represent your services), Specialties, multiple keywords, linkable website address, linkable WAP site address, (if you own one), and contact details. Thank You For Your Time. The online Market Research Questionnaire is at: -http://www.bosslinks.com/market_research_questionnaire.html This is an independent survey carried out by DOT Solutions. Digitally Orientated Technologies ( http://www.solutions.ukdots.com/index.html ) Helping people and smaller businesses increase their brand image using low budget methods. Targeted Traffic "Keyword", "Pay for Clicks", "Cost-Per-Click", "Website submission" and off-line advertising. Able to provide step by step WEB and WAP (mobile phone) advertising solutions. This method is ideal for people or businesses with smaller budgets. It is our policy to get your website the best level of traffic. That is the most unique visitors and returning customers as possible. We would like to receive more custom from you and this depends on both the level and quality of traffic we are able to bring to your website.http://www.solutions.ukdots.com/index.html Compare Bargains. Someone Special or for a Business trying to reduce cost to its customers. Save some of your cash and still get great quality items. Something for everyone. Great RETAIL THERAPY...http://www.comparebargains.com Thank You For Your Time. http://www.agreatportal.com About the Author Internet Marketing, Web Master, Programmer

by: C. Bailey-Lloyd/LadyCamelot Being the Public Relations' Director for a major, online holistic journal, I often find myself brainstorming new and creative ways of marketing, and making our site not only visitor/client-friendly, but informative and entertaining as well. While we offer a broad array of alternative healing arts' schools, I wanted to explain exactly how successful marketing can lead to maximum, effective exposure. After a little research, I discovered quite a few interesting things about how advertising works. The Nielsen ratings are a classic example of how marketing techniques are applied. In the United States, Nielsen Media Research provides audience estimates for all national program sources. For example, during 'Sweeps' week, Nielsen Media Research mails out diaries to certain households across the country. The diaries are collected and processed at the end of each time period. In addition, Nielsen provides many other data services to display viewing records of television, cable and other multimedia programming. These viewing data reflect what, when and how often programs are watched. So, in essence, commercial advertising agencies depend on Nielsen ratings on what commercials to air, and how to design commercials to be 'eye candy' to the masses. The Coca-Cola company made a powerful move in its Christmas advertising campaign by integrating Santa Claus in their marketing plans. So powerful, in fact, that because of its commercials depicting Santa drinking Coca-Cola from a bottle, spawned consumers to take more and more bottles of Coca-Cola home with them! In an even more elaborate move, Toyota Motor Sales recently cornered the online market with being the only car Ad to sponsor Ebay! During the 1980s, Ms. Clara Peller was recruited to commercialize Wendy's "Where's the Beef?" Slogan in televisions ads everywhere. But what does this have to do with marketing essentials? Technically, the viewing and listening public - whether it be Radio, Cable TV, or the Internet - are diverse information and entertainment seekers. As consumers, we want a broad selection, we demand diversity, we expect 'eye candy.' Thus, while most advertising agencies can only produce and eccentuate the positive of products and/or services, it all boils down to viewer-ability. Clients demand results - and they want them to reflect their choice in advertising. As both a consumer and marketing specialist, a skilled advertising firm is able to fully comprehend the fundamentals of developing successful strategies in commercial promotion of products and services. So how does a good advertising firm produce positive results in a productive marketing campaign? Below are a few, finer points in proven 'viewer-ability' marketing strategies: 1. Research & Development - analysis of current marketing and advertising campaigns 2. Strategic Planning and Implementation 3. Media Buys - buying media at discounted rates and pass savings onto clients 4. Copywriting Services 5. Video Production - Informational and Corporate 6. Public Relations 7. Website Development and Promotion 8. Direct Mail/Email Campaigns 9. Electronic/Print Advertising 10. Brochure & Graphic Design 11. Telemarketing Consultation 12. Market Research The prime question one should ask himself (or his organization) is 'What do I want to accomplish?' Experienced ad agencies will review and analyze what is and isn't working through review of revenue streams and competition. Specific recommendations are then made on how to target particular audiences - much like that of the Nielsen Media Research. Since the conceptual design and implementation of the World Wide Web, advertising has taken on a dramatically new persepective, and is steadily climbing to popular ranks liken to mainstream media. Undeniably, many Americans are virtually living in the 'net.' Aside from being a vital tool for student research projects, the Internet has become a vast and ever-expanding media outlet for entertainment, information, work and direct-advertising system. By integrating all points of a strategic marketing campaign, electronic advertising agencies are able to assist clients with interactive ad campaigns that help promote exposure to clients (services and/or products). Realistically, whether we're selling products or services, we have to realize that exposure (or eye-candy) is what gains attention. In the field of advertising, we personally know that we, as consumers, are smart shoppers. We watch, listen, learn and investigate. Before we even decide to invest in a product or service, we have a pretty good idea of what we want. For example, if I am interested in attending a particular school, I will research the area for schools that meet my criteria. Hypothetically speaking, let's say there are 5 acupuncture institutions in one state - 2 are listed, 3 are not. Automatically, my choice of prospective schools has been narrowed down to just two. Now, of the 2 educational organizations, one is 60 miles away and one is just 10 minutes up the street. Okay, my option became a bit closer, but what does school A offer that school B doesn't? Or visa vi? This is where successful marketing plans come into action. Understandably, clients must want to achieve specific goals, so viewer-ability is a crucial component in becoming the deciding factor for potential consumers. Exposure is the key element to promoting products and/or services. The unique aspect of Internet advertising is that 1) it's less expensive, 2.) it reaches individuals one-on-one, 3) it gains worldwide exposure. With the boom of Internet advertising, people are able to attain information at their fingertips - literally. Television commercials convey consumer information to the viewing public. We might see a Land Cruiser ad, but that doesn't mean we're going to go run out and buy one right then. BUT, the notion has been planted in our heads to take a deeper look at Toyota vehicles. The same applies to Internet advertising, but there's a slightly unique difference: Because the Internet is interactive, we can invest our money and time instantly should we choose to do so. But like many wise shoppers, we selectively peruse our viewable options - But the notion has been planted in our minds for further review. How Do You Sell Yourself? Below is a list of questions one should ask: 1. Necessity: What is it about my product ( or service) that makes it essential to consumers? 2. Consumerability: What sets my product (or service) aside from other competitors? 3. Communication: Do I inform my potential consumers with detailed accuracy? 4. Location: What makes my location attractive? 5. Amenities: Do I have any to offer? 6. Accessibility: Is my product (or service) easily accessible and within reach? 7. Catch-Phrase: Do I have a memorable slogan? (e.g., Wendy's "Where's the Beef?") 8. Presentation: Is my product (or service) being presented in its best light? Can I improve its viewer-ability? 9. Affordabilty: Is my product (or service) affordable? Are financing or other loan options available to consumers? 10. Extra: Do I offer any special tools (e.g., workshops, guides, etc.) that enhance my products and/or services? Overall, marketing your services and/or products boils down to proficient exposure. The better the presentation, the more likely consumers will be receptive. Clients who work closely with their advertising firms will attain prolific results. If something is not adequately working, it is important to review deficiencies and redefine how to better improve upon ourselves to attract more productive exposure. (See: How Do You Sell Yourself above) Advertising methods, if understood and implemented properly, are the vital foundation to abundant and powerful, commercial exposure. Knowing, or Knowledge, is still ultimately the key to success; and the key to goal achievements. *To learn how Holistic Junction can help you promote your products and/or services, feel free to email membership@holisticjunction.com today. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- �4/2005 - Advertising Methods: Understanding & Implementing Key Marketing Strategies by C. Bailey-Lloyd aka. LadyCamelot Public Relations' Director & Writer www.holisticjunction.com www.mediapositiveradio.com ABOUT THE AUTHOR C. Bailey-Lloyd aka. LadyCamelot Public Relations' Director & Writer www.holisticjunction.com www.mediapositiveradio.com

by: Michele Pariza Wacek I decided to try something a little different and illustrate the marketing challenges of a small business. I'm using one of my clients, PrescottWeddings.com. PWC is an online resource guide for couples planning their weddings. Along with a ton of information for brides and grooms, the site includes a resource guide where local businesses can advertise their products and services. We launched PWC in November 2001. Like many start-up businesses, PWC didn't have much money for marketing. Yet we had two major challenges (three counting the limited budget): 1. PWC had to attract two kinds of target markets to the site -- advertisers and couples -- essentially at the same time. And if that wasn't bad enough, we had to appeal to each group even though one was dependent on the other -- advertisers wanted brides and grooms logging onto the site, and brides and grooms wanted a complete resource center. 2. Several bridal print publications had come and gone in Prescott -- and had burned their advertisers while racing out of town. Businesses were understandably hesitant about sinking their money into another bridal venture. Armed with those challenges, we went to work. Now, just over two years later, PWC enjoys well over 40,000 hits a month and has increased its advertising base by over 600%. On top of that, PWC is well on its way to establishing a reliable brand in not just Prescott but throughout Yavapai County. So how did we do it? A great Web site with great content plus three main marketing strategies: 1) Using print to drive traffic online 2) Thinking small 3) Frequency, frequency, frequency I'll cover number two and three in the next two articles. Today we'll talk about number one: Using print to drive traffic online. The cornerstone of PWC's marketing program has been print advertising, more specifically monthly advertising in the local newspaper. Print advertising is an excellent choice for many businesses -- from small to large. In fact, it's not uncommon for small and medium-sized businesses to build their advertising program around print. The strength of print advertising is its flexibility. Print publications come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can appeal to a broad readership or a narrow one. They can be published every day or once a year. This variety gives you a lot of flexibility in fitting print advertising into your campaigns. You can also track print to a certain extent (coupons in newspapers for example). Print is physical, allowing your customers to carry something around with them. However, print's weakness is also its strength. It's a visual medium only, so it requires more effort and interaction from your audience to make an impact (they need to stop and read it). In the case of PWC, we chose monthly advertising in the local paper as the foundation of our marketing program. We decided upon the local newspaper because it has the broadest reach. Prescott isn't big enough to have its own evening television news, so the newspaper is the best vehicle for local news. If you live in a big city, the local newspaper may not be practical because of cost. In that case, you may want to try a niche newspaper or magazine, like a business or lifestyle journal, or maybe a regionalized newspaper. In Phoenix for instance, the Arizona Republic is the main newspaper, but all the cities around Phoenix, like Scottsdale and Tempe, also have their own papers. Because PWC is a Web site, there's an assumption we should be using only online methods to advertise. Online methods are good, and PWC does use them, but they only take you so far. Print is a part of the "real world" -- something you can touch and pick up, not virtual like a Web site. Print has also been around a lot longer, and carries more trust with it. We found by using print, some of that trust and "real world" essence rubbed off, making PWC seem less anonymous and more like a "bricks and mortar" business (a business with a store front). Also, since we were trying to drive local traffic to the site, it made sense to advertise locally rather than attracting people from all over the world. But even with our local advertising, we still have a substantial number of visitors from around the state, including Phoenix and Tucson, as well as all over the globe. The point of our marketing program was to advertise regularly so we could both build the PWC brand and drive traffic to the Web site. Yet it was essential to keep our costs down. So we leveraged our monthly newspaper advertising to stretch our marketing dollar as far as we could. More on that and how we "thought small" in the next article. About the author: 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 http://www.writingusa.comCopyright 2005 Michele Pariza Wacek