Free internet advertising is one very important method for promoting your products and services to thousands of free classified ads.
Most of these free classified ads web sites give you the power to facilitate marketing with features such as classified ads submitter forms. Features like this give free Internet advertising an extremely fast way of getting your products or services on line. It is accessible 24/7 allowing you access anytime, it's very effective and efficient and most of it comes free. No downloads. No sign-up fees. No hidden charges. No annual or monthly fees. No sales fees. It is absolutely free.
Free internet advertising makes it easy for you to put free ads on several of the premier quality web sites whenever you want, for free. This kind of benefit you get from free internet advertising can only do, to say the least, miracles for your business. Most of these free internet advertising companies give you 3 slots to advertise any product or service for free.
Free internet advertising is the perfect way and best way to make your products or services known to the millions of prospective consumers in the Internet and make your web site start producing money. There is an enormous audience for free internet advertising that is present in the Internet, that the probability of anyone needing your services or wanting to buy your products is very high. There are free services out there that may suit your services, products and web site. Browse the internet for the best free internet advertising for assessment on their amenities and features how to advertise or join your web site for free internet advertising.
Most web sites promoting free internet advertising have features like classified ads submitter – where you can get a enormous exposure with instant results and expand your sales by large volumes over night, opt-in email lists – non spam bulk emailing program, guaranteed 100% legal. Opt-in email lists are created by people who have volunteered or ‘opted-in' their email addresses to these lists. These lists are very effective for creating personalized email to prospective clients.
Free internet advertising provides a great technique for building traffic. People constantly search on online free internet advertising ads for specific services or products. Free internet advertising target clients inclined to buying a particular kind of product or service in mind.
And the best reason to advertise in free internet advertising is because it is absolutely free.
Showing posts with label Advertising. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Advertising. Show all posts
Thursday, 23 July 2009
Catalog Printing: A Subtle Way Of Seducing Customers
As a business grows so is its need for better and cost-effective advertising materials. One option that business owners may try to consider is catalog printing. Catalogs are not only known for its ability to effectively grab the attention of customer but it is also famous in terms of the convenience it brought its readers. Convenience in the sense that it can be easily browsed and especially when done in full colors can really left a mark on the minds of its readers.
Catalogs are best option for businesses who may want to increase their sales. Another advantage derived in employing catalogs is that it saves the business time and money. There would be no need to employ separate advertisement materials for each product and services since everything are incorporated in a single catalog. The catalog will not only showcase products and services but will also show the prices as well as the individual description of each products and services. Customers are therefore provided with ample information that assists them in deciding whether they want to purchase or not.
Catalogs also provide a source of future sales since customers who may not have at present the money to buy any of the products and services on display would tend to keep the catalog for future reference of any product and services they may want to purchase. The significance of catalogs in promoting business is undeniable that is why it is important to hire only the best catalog printing company there is.
A well crafted catalog can tempt customers to take hold of products and services even if they don't have a need for it yet. Professionally done catalogs are like nymphs seducing customers to indulge and take hold of products and services. You can attest to the catalog's effectiveness in captivating customers, how many times have you ordered products that you don't necessarily need, simply because the pictures look so tempting that you feel you just have to have one of those displayed products? I for one have always been a victim to the allure of catalogs. I just can't seem to resist astounding pictures of cosmetics, bags, shoes….you name it, I ask you what a girl to do especially when the catalog is teeming with great discounts?
And how about catalogs on cars? Those awesome full color catalogs that seem to say go and ask your bank if they can grant you a loan right away! The effects that catalogs have on its readers are simply amazing that is why it is important to hire only the best catalog printing services available.
Catalogs are best option for businesses who may want to increase their sales. Another advantage derived in employing catalogs is that it saves the business time and money. There would be no need to employ separate advertisement materials for each product and services since everything are incorporated in a single catalog. The catalog will not only showcase products and services but will also show the prices as well as the individual description of each products and services. Customers are therefore provided with ample information that assists them in deciding whether they want to purchase or not.
Catalogs also provide a source of future sales since customers who may not have at present the money to buy any of the products and services on display would tend to keep the catalog for future reference of any product and services they may want to purchase. The significance of catalogs in promoting business is undeniable that is why it is important to hire only the best catalog printing company there is.
A well crafted catalog can tempt customers to take hold of products and services even if they don't have a need for it yet. Professionally done catalogs are like nymphs seducing customers to indulge and take hold of products and services. You can attest to the catalog's effectiveness in captivating customers, how many times have you ordered products that you don't necessarily need, simply because the pictures look so tempting that you feel you just have to have one of those displayed products? I for one have always been a victim to the allure of catalogs. I just can't seem to resist astounding pictures of cosmetics, bags, shoes….you name it, I ask you what a girl to do especially when the catalog is teeming with great discounts?
And how about catalogs on cars? Those awesome full color catalogs that seem to say go and ask your bank if they can grant you a loan right away! The effects that catalogs have on its readers are simply amazing that is why it is important to hire only the best catalog printing services available.
How to Write Ad Copy that Sells
When I write copy for my advertising clients, I always check to make sure the three key elements are in place. 1. psychology, 2. logic, and 3. creativity. These are three very different aspects of ad writing, which, when combined, produce a highly effective message. Master the technique of each, and create ads that really sell!
It doesn't matter which part you address when. You can write out a first draft and then go back and insert the missing aspects, or you can craft your copy piece by piece and then put it all together at the end. For the most part, I tend to piece together my message, but you can work however you'd like.
Advertising wouldn't be advertising without psychology. How else would you persuade or convince people that your product is outstanding in its category? What other way is there to go about creating a need for what you sell? Persuasion relies on emotional appeal, and emotions are driven by our psychological make-up. A long time ago, someone thought up the AIDA method, which is good enough to serve my purpose in explaining the psychology of advertising. It's really very simple. A.I.D.A. Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
Attention: Capture your audience's attention right away, with a riveting photo and headline. Exceptional ads showcase headlines and images that work together. (Read more about this in the paragraph about creativity.)
Interest: If you wrote a good headline, likely they'll be intrigued and continue reading. Your ad copy is where you can isolate a fear, problem, concern or need of theirs. Then go right into:
Desire. Make them want what you have. Pose your product as the solution to the aforementioned problem. Build your case with examples, or even testimonials.
Action. Finally, tell your audience what to do. Buy Now! Cick here and save! It's amazing what just a quick directive will do.
The next key feature of your message should be logic. By logic, I'm referring to how you order the words and sentences in your message to make your point. A good writer knows to craft his message in an outline form- with the first paragraph driven by a main idea, and supporting sentences following that premise. Each paragraph should reinforce what's been said in the main paragraph. This is basic English, and it's the key to crafting a solid argument. You should be able to convert your sentences to bullet points if you had to- with each bullet logically supporting a main concept. In fact, you may even want to use bullets, as they're a quick way to sum up the benefits of what you sell with no extra words to dilute the impact of what you say.
Finally, creativity is what will give your ad presentation that POW, and your copy that extra sparkle that makes it interesting to read. Earlier, I mentioned headlines and images that work together conceptually. What I mean by this is a play on words that's reinforced by an image. This is the stuff of amazing advertising, the kind that brings home a Cleo or an Addy award! Think of those incredibly powerful Nike ads: Just Do It. Tell you customer something they won't forget, and use a dramatic photo to cement your message into their brains. Map out your long-term campaign, if you plan on having one, following the same creative concept in each ad. This is brand-building at its finest!
Infuse creativity into your written message. Write in a clever and/or amusing way, and make your ad stand out from the crowd. Use a tone that's appropriate to your audience. Choose words that belong to that particular genre.
At any point during the conception of your written material, you can brainstorm words or phrases that your audience uses and will likely respond to. I call this learning their language.” What this is, essentially, is imitation. Remember when you were a little kid playing make-believe? (okay, maybe you don't--but I do!) Play make-believe now. To warm up, read some existing material that relates to your target group. Next, sit in a quiet spot and pretend you ARE your key customer. Write out a list of their expressions. I wrote web copy for a high-end caterer last month. To get my thoughts flowing, I made a list of words. Sophistication, delectable, tasteful, elegant” so on and so forth. When I was done thinking of as many different words as possible, I was ready to inject them into my copy. Replace lackluster words with more zippy ones. But use your adjectives and adverbs sparingly! There's such a thing as copy overkill, and it will make you look like an amateur.
No matter how you approach the creation process, the most powerful ads require that each of these key elements are in place. Again: you can implement them in any order. When you're ready to bring it all together, take a good, hard look at your finished draft. Go through it with a fine-tooth comb. Get a couple of outside opinions. Step away, for a little while, and then go back to it when you've cleared your mind. Make your changes, then give it a final once-over. Your final presentation should be error-free and perfect in every way!
To those that think advertising is an easy or slap-dash process: not true at all! The greatest ads are a perfect fusion of three very different modes of thought, expertly combined and presented in a powerfully compelling and persuasive package. Realize this, and you're on the way to creating magical ad copy; the kind that sells!
It doesn't matter which part you address when. You can write out a first draft and then go back and insert the missing aspects, or you can craft your copy piece by piece and then put it all together at the end. For the most part, I tend to piece together my message, but you can work however you'd like.
Advertising wouldn't be advertising without psychology. How else would you persuade or convince people that your product is outstanding in its category? What other way is there to go about creating a need for what you sell? Persuasion relies on emotional appeal, and emotions are driven by our psychological make-up. A long time ago, someone thought up the AIDA method, which is good enough to serve my purpose in explaining the psychology of advertising. It's really very simple. A.I.D.A. Attention, Interest, Desire, Action.
Attention: Capture your audience's attention right away, with a riveting photo and headline. Exceptional ads showcase headlines and images that work together. (Read more about this in the paragraph about creativity.)
Interest: If you wrote a good headline, likely they'll be intrigued and continue reading. Your ad copy is where you can isolate a fear, problem, concern or need of theirs. Then go right into:
Desire. Make them want what you have. Pose your product as the solution to the aforementioned problem. Build your case with examples, or even testimonials.
Action. Finally, tell your audience what to do. Buy Now! Cick here and save! It's amazing what just a quick directive will do.
The next key feature of your message should be logic. By logic, I'm referring to how you order the words and sentences in your message to make your point. A good writer knows to craft his message in an outline form- with the first paragraph driven by a main idea, and supporting sentences following that premise. Each paragraph should reinforce what's been said in the main paragraph. This is basic English, and it's the key to crafting a solid argument. You should be able to convert your sentences to bullet points if you had to- with each bullet logically supporting a main concept. In fact, you may even want to use bullets, as they're a quick way to sum up the benefits of what you sell with no extra words to dilute the impact of what you say.
Finally, creativity is what will give your ad presentation that POW, and your copy that extra sparkle that makes it interesting to read. Earlier, I mentioned headlines and images that work together conceptually. What I mean by this is a play on words that's reinforced by an image. This is the stuff of amazing advertising, the kind that brings home a Cleo or an Addy award! Think of those incredibly powerful Nike ads: Just Do It. Tell you customer something they won't forget, and use a dramatic photo to cement your message into their brains. Map out your long-term campaign, if you plan on having one, following the same creative concept in each ad. This is brand-building at its finest!
Infuse creativity into your written message. Write in a clever and/or amusing way, and make your ad stand out from the crowd. Use a tone that's appropriate to your audience. Choose words that belong to that particular genre.
At any point during the conception of your written material, you can brainstorm words or phrases that your audience uses and will likely respond to. I call this learning their language.” What this is, essentially, is imitation. Remember when you were a little kid playing make-believe? (okay, maybe you don't--but I do!) Play make-believe now. To warm up, read some existing material that relates to your target group. Next, sit in a quiet spot and pretend you ARE your key customer. Write out a list of their expressions. I wrote web copy for a high-end caterer last month. To get my thoughts flowing, I made a list of words. Sophistication, delectable, tasteful, elegant” so on and so forth. When I was done thinking of as many different words as possible, I was ready to inject them into my copy. Replace lackluster words with more zippy ones. But use your adjectives and adverbs sparingly! There's such a thing as copy overkill, and it will make you look like an amateur.
No matter how you approach the creation process, the most powerful ads require that each of these key elements are in place. Again: you can implement them in any order. When you're ready to bring it all together, take a good, hard look at your finished draft. Go through it with a fine-tooth comb. Get a couple of outside opinions. Step away, for a little while, and then go back to it when you've cleared your mind. Make your changes, then give it a final once-over. Your final presentation should be error-free and perfect in every way!
To those that think advertising is an easy or slap-dash process: not true at all! The greatest ads are a perfect fusion of three very different modes of thought, expertly combined and presented in a powerfully compelling and persuasive package. Realize this, and you're on the way to creating magical ad copy; the kind that sells!
3 Elements to a Deal-Sealing Classified ad
Have you ever wondered why your perfectly fine classified ad fails to attract the attention you desire? There should be dozens—no, hundreds—of perspective buyers swamping your e-mail inbox with offers. After all, you are offering a mint baseball card, a vintage coat, pristine used car, those wholesale-priced sporting goods, and whatever other attractive items are in your inventory. Instead, you only have a slow trickle of questions, a handful of sales. What gives? More than likely, your sales are slow because you have not mastered the three techniques of writing a classic classified ad.
Of course, give yourself credit for recognizing one important facet of today's selling world. You decided to sell your stuff at an online classified site. As anybody in the business knows, online classified ads get you more privacy, a broader selection of buyers, and a wealth of tools to help you keep tabs on your transactions. When compared to a newspaper, cyberspace is also a wee bit more spacious. There are billions of pages on the Web, and only a few dozen in your typical neighborhood rag. For you, that means a lot more space for your ad to say the least.
With that space, however, comes great responsibility—and great potential. The extra room gives you the freedom to include as much product description and sale copy as you want. You can't just slap together a whole bunch of information, though. You need to use the three special ad writing techniques that will attract buyers and seal the deal: attention, interest, and action.
Attention. Make sure the buyer stops at your ad instead of the thousands upon thousands of others out there in cyberspace. Your ad's title is the first lure to grab his or her attention, and the first component of a catchy title is the item's best feature, whether it's the price, the item's rarity, or its popularity. Next, be sure the title includes keywords or other synonyms for your item that a buyer might use in a search. For instance, a buyer could search for automobile” instead of car,” pullover” instead of sweater.”
Interest. Once you have the buyer's attention, hook them with details. There is a direct relationship between the amount of information you provide and the number of sales you'll make. So describe the item as completely as possible—size, color, material, designer, model—and provide a clear, digital photo to finish the job where your words leave off. Even offer your prospective customer the item's history if possible.
Also, try to list as many possible benefits that your sales item could offer the buyer. Come up with some that the buyer probably wouldn't think of on his or her own. And zone in on specific benefits. Use what you already know about your target. For instance, if you were selling a car, you know that whoever is looking at your ad is in need of a vehicle. If your car is compact, perhaps the buyer is in search of great gas mileage. Or perhaps it's power he or she wants if your car is a sports model.
Action. Finish your ad strongly. Don't just suggest to the buyer that you offer a great deal. Tell them it's a fantastic offer that they can't pass up. Use phrases like Call me now before someone else does” or Buy now, this opportunity won't last long.” Be cordial while you're pressing the issue, of course. Thank them for reading your ad and make sure they know you appreciate their business.
Most importantly, your customers will also value your honesty throughout the whole ad. So whether it's the attention, interest, or action you're shooting for, never lie or exaggerate. Go so far to include any defects if your product is not in mint shape. Your honesty will build trust, and trust above all else makes an ad work. What's more, it makes for repeat customers.
Remember, if you use all three of these elements—or four if you include honesty. When you're finished with it, it should read something like the two examples below.
Example 1:
Discover the beauty of a Forest Hill Home
2500 sq. ft. home, 4 bedroom, 3 baths, double garage, upgraded kitchen, 12 ft. ceilings
This open concept house is situated in a historical landmark district of Rhode Island. It's a wonderful neighborhood to raise your family, with nearby schools and amenities.
(Insert your image or photo here.)
Call for an on-site appointment. Thanks for looking!
Example 2:
Looking for an inexpensive used car that drives well? only $4,950.
2003 Honda Civic, Limited Edition, 65,000 miles, manual transmission, CD, AM/FM radio, power steering, low maintenance. Great on gas - this car will save you $$$ on high gasoline prices.
(Insert your image or photo here.)
Send me a message now. Thanks for looking!
Of course, give yourself credit for recognizing one important facet of today's selling world. You decided to sell your stuff at an online classified site. As anybody in the business knows, online classified ads get you more privacy, a broader selection of buyers, and a wealth of tools to help you keep tabs on your transactions. When compared to a newspaper, cyberspace is also a wee bit more spacious. There are billions of pages on the Web, and only a few dozen in your typical neighborhood rag. For you, that means a lot more space for your ad to say the least.
With that space, however, comes great responsibility—and great potential. The extra room gives you the freedom to include as much product description and sale copy as you want. You can't just slap together a whole bunch of information, though. You need to use the three special ad writing techniques that will attract buyers and seal the deal: attention, interest, and action.
Attention. Make sure the buyer stops at your ad instead of the thousands upon thousands of others out there in cyberspace. Your ad's title is the first lure to grab his or her attention, and the first component of a catchy title is the item's best feature, whether it's the price, the item's rarity, or its popularity. Next, be sure the title includes keywords or other synonyms for your item that a buyer might use in a search. For instance, a buyer could search for automobile” instead of car,” pullover” instead of sweater.”
Interest. Once you have the buyer's attention, hook them with details. There is a direct relationship between the amount of information you provide and the number of sales you'll make. So describe the item as completely as possible—size, color, material, designer, model—and provide a clear, digital photo to finish the job where your words leave off. Even offer your prospective customer the item's history if possible.
Also, try to list as many possible benefits that your sales item could offer the buyer. Come up with some that the buyer probably wouldn't think of on his or her own. And zone in on specific benefits. Use what you already know about your target. For instance, if you were selling a car, you know that whoever is looking at your ad is in need of a vehicle. If your car is compact, perhaps the buyer is in search of great gas mileage. Or perhaps it's power he or she wants if your car is a sports model.
Action. Finish your ad strongly. Don't just suggest to the buyer that you offer a great deal. Tell them it's a fantastic offer that they can't pass up. Use phrases like Call me now before someone else does” or Buy now, this opportunity won't last long.” Be cordial while you're pressing the issue, of course. Thank them for reading your ad and make sure they know you appreciate their business.
Most importantly, your customers will also value your honesty throughout the whole ad. So whether it's the attention, interest, or action you're shooting for, never lie or exaggerate. Go so far to include any defects if your product is not in mint shape. Your honesty will build trust, and trust above all else makes an ad work. What's more, it makes for repeat customers.
Remember, if you use all three of these elements—or four if you include honesty. When you're finished with it, it should read something like the two examples below.
Example 1:
Discover the beauty of a Forest Hill Home
2500 sq. ft. home, 4 bedroom, 3 baths, double garage, upgraded kitchen, 12 ft. ceilings
This open concept house is situated in a historical landmark district of Rhode Island. It's a wonderful neighborhood to raise your family, with nearby schools and amenities.
(Insert your image or photo here.)
Call for an on-site appointment. Thanks for looking!
Example 2:
Looking for an inexpensive used car that drives well? only $4,950.
2003 Honda Civic, Limited Edition, 65,000 miles, manual transmission, CD, AM/FM radio, power steering, low maintenance. Great on gas - this car will save you $$$ on high gasoline prices.
(Insert your image or photo here.)
Send me a message now. Thanks for looking!
How to write your own personal ad
Writing a personal ad is like writing a love letter, a poem dedicated to your future life partner. You're essentially writing an ad seeking someone who could and would live the rest of their life loving you, for better or for worse. While there are no real SECRETS to writing a good personal ad, there are good personal ads, there are bad personal ads and then there are the SMASHING ones! It's a guess that you want to write a smashing personal ad that brings you people who are looking for you. you don't want any Tom, Dick and Harry or Mary, Jane and Barbie. When writing your personal ad, your focus should be on finding someone who suits you and likes you for what you are. So, the number one rule about writing your own personal ad is to be as positive and honest as possible.
Remember, words mean very little in a personal ad. The most important thing about writing your own personal ad is that you should try, in every single way possible, to prove and show that you have whatever it is that you say you have. For instance, if you say you are a positive person with a healthy sense of humor, show it, write it that way. Don't just say it because people reading your personal ad will try to read between the lines.
If you are a writer and is adept in writing poems, use it creatively. The conventional personal ad is boring and after reading through about 30, the person reading the personal ad is probably numb with the flood of self-praise there. Instead, write your own personal ad in a creative way…like in a form of a joke, letter or poem. Your personal ad will surely stand out among the few hundred other personal ads there are splashed across the pages.
It's important to include your own personality and characteristics in the personal ad instead of just rattling on and on about the kind of life partner you're looking for. And when you're writing that part of your personal ad, try to put yourself into the shoes of the person who's reading the personal ad. What would he/she most likely find interesting? What would he/she like to know about a prospective spouse? List down all those stuff and then write them out creatively.
If you want your personal ad to stand out, describe yourself, your interests, and hobbies in detail. Instead of saying you like movies, name a couple of your favorite movies. If you like music, write down the type or name of your favorite artists.
Remember, words mean very little in a personal ad. The most important thing about writing your own personal ad is that you should try, in every single way possible, to prove and show that you have whatever it is that you say you have. For instance, if you say you are a positive person with a healthy sense of humor, show it, write it that way. Don't just say it because people reading your personal ad will try to read between the lines.
If you are a writer and is adept in writing poems, use it creatively. The conventional personal ad is boring and after reading through about 30, the person reading the personal ad is probably numb with the flood of self-praise there. Instead, write your own personal ad in a creative way…like in a form of a joke, letter or poem. Your personal ad will surely stand out among the few hundred other personal ads there are splashed across the pages.
It's important to include your own personality and characteristics in the personal ad instead of just rattling on and on about the kind of life partner you're looking for. And when you're writing that part of your personal ad, try to put yourself into the shoes of the person who's reading the personal ad. What would he/she most likely find interesting? What would he/she like to know about a prospective spouse? List down all those stuff and then write them out creatively.
If you want your personal ad to stand out, describe yourself, your interests, and hobbies in detail. Instead of saying you like movies, name a couple of your favorite movies. If you like music, write down the type or name of your favorite artists.
The 12 Reasons Why Most Ads Fall Flat On Their Face, Costing You A Fortune Instead of Making You The Money You Deserve
1.You think you need ‘Image' or ‘branding' advertising because that's all the so-called ‘top guns' use in their advertising. You don't use direct response advertising they don't and you'd think they know best.
2.You never offer compelling benefits that cause your prospect to want to do business with you of your competitor.
3.You don't use powerful, benefit driven headlines that literally stop your prospect in their tracks and draw them into the body of your ad.
4.You don't tell your prospect what's in your offer from them. But you do ramble on about your image, your business and what you are trying to sell him.
5.You don't talk to your prospect like you know him. You don't get specific and don't motivate him.
6.You don't address your prospect needs, wants and desires in your opening headlines. You're to busying thinking about yourself or your company image! Remember, your prospect is thinking of one thing only WIIFM (What's I It For Me?)
7.Your ads are boring and dull and look like all the other hundreds of ads. You don't motivate your prospect to take ACTION. You don't use energetic, exciting, action words! Your about as exciting as wet paint!
8.Because you copy what everyone else is doing, or do as the ad agency suggests, your ads are full of white space” which leaves little room to add any benefits. (The only thing your prospect is looking for) You never have ads with a lot of copy. It's the copy your prospects want. Information is King!
9.You don't give specifics in your ads. Your prospects want exact numbers, percentages, results and testimonials. They want all the facts before they will make the decision to move towards a buying decision.
10.You don't give your prospects any reason to act on your offer NOW. Tell them how to in a step by step process. Unless you tell them, them may not know what the next step is?
11.You don't see your marketing, sales and advertising as a total system. It's this total system that can either make or break you as a profitable business. They are not separate functions, with separate goals.
12.You focus on YOU, YOUR COMPANY, YOUR LOGO, YOUR CREDENTIALS, instead of focusing on what all of this can do for your prospect. What BENEFITS will them get if they buy with you?
Now you know the 12 reasons why maybe, some of the ads you are running are not pulling any responses at all! In fact they will be costing you and your company money EVERY TIME YOU RUN THEM!
2.You never offer compelling benefits that cause your prospect to want to do business with you of your competitor.
3.You don't use powerful, benefit driven headlines that literally stop your prospect in their tracks and draw them into the body of your ad.
4.You don't tell your prospect what's in your offer from them. But you do ramble on about your image, your business and what you are trying to sell him.
5.You don't talk to your prospect like you know him. You don't get specific and don't motivate him.
6.You don't address your prospect needs, wants and desires in your opening headlines. You're to busying thinking about yourself or your company image! Remember, your prospect is thinking of one thing only WIIFM (What's I It For Me?)
7.Your ads are boring and dull and look like all the other hundreds of ads. You don't motivate your prospect to take ACTION. You don't use energetic, exciting, action words! Your about as exciting as wet paint!
8.Because you copy what everyone else is doing, or do as the ad agency suggests, your ads are full of white space” which leaves little room to add any benefits. (The only thing your prospect is looking for) You never have ads with a lot of copy. It's the copy your prospects want. Information is King!
9.You don't give specifics in your ads. Your prospects want exact numbers, percentages, results and testimonials. They want all the facts before they will make the decision to move towards a buying decision.
10.You don't give your prospects any reason to act on your offer NOW. Tell them how to in a step by step process. Unless you tell them, them may not know what the next step is?
11.You don't see your marketing, sales and advertising as a total system. It's this total system that can either make or break you as a profitable business. They are not separate functions, with separate goals.
12.You focus on YOU, YOUR COMPANY, YOUR LOGO, YOUR CREDENTIALS, instead of focusing on what all of this can do for your prospect. What BENEFITS will them get if they buy with you?
Now you know the 12 reasons why maybe, some of the ads you are running are not pulling any responses at all! In fact they will be costing you and your company money EVERY TIME YOU RUN THEM!
How To Get Your Contact Details Across: When The Organisers Won't Let You
Have you ever spoken at an event and they won't allow you to give your details? Have you gone on the radio and they forget to announce where you can be contacted?
If your contact details are left out or if you're prevented from giving information, you'll need to play the game a little smarter.
Understand that most reporters/radio announcers/organisers are quite accomodating. They understand that you're giving your valuable time in exchange for the publicity. But often enough you'll run into someone who's power drunk or whose organisation just won't budge.
And here's what I've done. And you can do too.
Refer to your product or service many times in the speech. Give an example and say how that particular example coincides with the example on Page 34 or Page 65. Or in the third CD of your 20 CD Workshop. Or the FREE Report you gave at the last event. As long as you're making perfect sense, you will not be stopped or reprimanded. Your speech will meet the host's guidelines, yet all the time you're leaking out information.
By the end of the speech, you should have created enough leaks for the audience to be extremely curious. They'll want to know about Page 34. They'll want to know about the FREE Headline Report you gave at the last event.
As your fame grows, you may not need to do any of the above. If the organisation doesn't allow you to give your contact details you can refuse to do the interview/speech. However when you're starting out, you may crave the additional publicity and that's okay.
Be sure of one thing. Don't let your speech be random. Create leaks and watch how the audience swarms around you after the event!
If your contact details are left out or if you're prevented from giving information, you'll need to play the game a little smarter.
Understand that most reporters/radio announcers/organisers are quite accomodating. They understand that you're giving your valuable time in exchange for the publicity. But often enough you'll run into someone who's power drunk or whose organisation just won't budge.
And here's what I've done. And you can do too.
Refer to your product or service many times in the speech. Give an example and say how that particular example coincides with the example on Page 34 or Page 65. Or in the third CD of your 20 CD Workshop. Or the FREE Report you gave at the last event. As long as you're making perfect sense, you will not be stopped or reprimanded. Your speech will meet the host's guidelines, yet all the time you're leaking out information.
By the end of the speech, you should have created enough leaks for the audience to be extremely curious. They'll want to know about Page 34. They'll want to know about the FREE Headline Report you gave at the last event.
As your fame grows, you may not need to do any of the above. If the organisation doesn't allow you to give your contact details you can refuse to do the interview/speech. However when you're starting out, you may crave the additional publicity and that's okay.
Be sure of one thing. Don't let your speech be random. Create leaks and watch how the audience swarms around you after the event!
Why didn't I think of that? Jaw Dropping Ad Copy Secrets
Congratulations, you've finally finished your ad copy. You've gotten feedback and it all looks good. Now do something to make your copy even better. For instance? Well...
1. Use a hand written letter on your ad copy instead
of text. Write the ad on a piece of paper, scan it and
publish the ad on your web page. Adding a personal
touch will always increase your sales.
2. Publish a list of famous and respected customers
who have bought from you on your a copy. People
will think that if these people bought from you, they
should also trust your business and purchase your
products. Make sure to get their permission first.
3. Show before and after photos for your products
on your web page copy. Show the problem picture
and then beside it, show the picture of the resolution
to the problem when they use your product.
4. Include an article or review that has been written
about you or your business with your ad copy. This
will show people that your business is respected and
will increase your credibility.
5. When you offer free bonuses in your ad copy, also
list the dollar value beside each bonus. People will
feel they're getting a good deal and it will increase the
value of your product.
6. Hire a famous person to endorse your product or
service. Make sure the person is well known to your
target audience. Include their picture and statements
on your ad copy.
7. Include your own picture on your ad copy. This
will show people that you're not hiding behind your
ad copy and will increase their trust. Also, include
your contact information below the picture and a
brief statement or quote.
8. Tell your potential customers on your ad copy
that you will donate a percentage of their purchase
price to specific charity. This will show them you
really care about the people. They may just buy
your product to donate to the charity.
9. Ask your potential customers plenty of yes and
no questions in your ad copy. The questions should
remind them of their problem and make them think
about what will happen if they don't purchase your
product.
10. Tell your potential customers they will receive a
free prize if they find the five words in your ad copy
that are misspelled or spelled backwards. The longer
you can keep someone reading your copy the greater
chance of them purchasing.
No there's no substitute for good ad copy. But remember you can always use your imagination to add to your ad copy. Bad pun intended.
1. Use a hand written letter on your ad copy instead
of text. Write the ad on a piece of paper, scan it and
publish the ad on your web page. Adding a personal
touch will always increase your sales.
2. Publish a list of famous and respected customers
who have bought from you on your a copy. People
will think that if these people bought from you, they
should also trust your business and purchase your
products. Make sure to get their permission first.
3. Show before and after photos for your products
on your web page copy. Show the problem picture
and then beside it, show the picture of the resolution
to the problem when they use your product.
4. Include an article or review that has been written
about you or your business with your ad copy. This
will show people that your business is respected and
will increase your credibility.
5. When you offer free bonuses in your ad copy, also
list the dollar value beside each bonus. People will
feel they're getting a good deal and it will increase the
value of your product.
6. Hire a famous person to endorse your product or
service. Make sure the person is well known to your
target audience. Include their picture and statements
on your ad copy.
7. Include your own picture on your ad copy. This
will show people that you're not hiding behind your
ad copy and will increase their trust. Also, include
your contact information below the picture and a
brief statement or quote.
8. Tell your potential customers on your ad copy
that you will donate a percentage of their purchase
price to specific charity. This will show them you
really care about the people. They may just buy
your product to donate to the charity.
9. Ask your potential customers plenty of yes and
no questions in your ad copy. The questions should
remind them of their problem and make them think
about what will happen if they don't purchase your
product.
10. Tell your potential customers they will receive a
free prize if they find the five words in your ad copy
that are misspelled or spelled backwards. The longer
you can keep someone reading your copy the greater
chance of them purchasing.
No there's no substitute for good ad copy. But remember you can always use your imagination to add to your ad copy. Bad pun intended.
Why Your Online Advertising Traffic Leaves as Soon as It Arrives
Online advertising traffic leaves when advertisers don't make it easy to stick around.
Business website owners who buy online advertising often get frustrated when most of their
expensive traffic leaves as soon as it arrives--i.e, it "bounces."
Why does traffic from online advertising bounce? Think about it: you've done the same thing many
times. You've searched on a search engine, clicked on a result, then left that page less than ten
seconds after you arrived. You did that again and again until you found what you were looking for.
You might easily have left a trail of bounces on the server logs of a dozen websites, for a dozen
website owners to worry over.
Why did you keep leaving? Because you weren't finding what you were looking for on those websites
within the first ten to thirty seconds of arriving. Experience had taught you that you'd find what
you were looking for faster clicking on other search results, one of which was bound to have what you
were looking for, than sifting through the pages of a website that didn't look very promising from
the start.
That's how everyone searches, and how everyone treats online advertising. You have to work with this
behavior rather than against it.
How to Catch Your Online Advertising Traffic before It Bounces
So how do you keep online advertising traffic from bouncing? Think about why you bounced. What made
you doubt that the website had what you were searching for? If you were using a search engine, you
had searched on a keyword--let's say you searched on "small business website content." Without
realizing it, you were scanning each page for the keyword, "small business website content," or
something very close to it.
A website that talked about "small business web copy" might have been what you were looking for, but
if you didn't know that "web copy" is just another term for "website content," you'd have hit the
"back" button. You’d keep hitting the "back" button until you arrived at a page that had that keyword
in the page title, page headings, and in the first few lines of the body, maybe in boldface to make
it easier to find.
Of course, if you arrived at the page via a link from another website, you weren't looking for a
search engine keyword. You were just looking (hoping) for something that had to do with what made you
click on the link in the first place. If the page title and the first page heading resembled the text
of the link you had clicked on, you'd feel like you had found what you were looking for--no worries
about this being one of those pages that changed after the other site started linking to it.
But if the link promised no. 72 monkey wrenches, you'd feel let down if it brought you to the
homepage of a hardware store. Experience tells you the store might have stopped selling no. 72 monkey
wrenches long ago and never bothered updating its inbound links. Experience also tells you that even
if the site does have what you're looking for, it may be more trouble than it's worth to find it. Why
search through a website when search results from the entire world wide web are just a click of the
"back" button away?
Thanks to the "back" button, on the web, no one has to feel let down for long. Except advertisers who
let visitors down.
Cheap Advertising Methods That Work
Advertising is necessary to get name recognition for your business and attract customers. But, what steps can you take to advertise your business if your promotion budget is limited?
Plenty!
The following methods are some of the best and cheapest ways to promote your business online.
-Start An Ezine That's right! Start your very own ezine. This is an excellent way to get immediate recognition for your business without spending a dime. It's easy to start a special interest ezine on the Internet. Several free list hosting services will handle all the emailing duties and subscribers. Here's one source below:
-Ad Swaps...Once you have an ezine start swapping ads with other ezine owners. You will score big time if you swap ads with a major player.
-Trade Links..trade links with similar sites. Your search engine rank will increase if your site links with many sites. Leading to more website visitors.
-Search Engine Submission. Submit your site to the top search engines. Pay close attention to meta tags and headings to get a higher listing. Sprinkle a few keywords in your web page copy. Here's a few sources to automatically submit your website to search engines.
-Write Articles. Compose articles on popular topics. Submit your work to online article directories. If your articles are popular, you will get immediate free promotion, and recognition as an expert in your field. Here's a good guide to writing articles for the Internet.
Confessions Of An Ezine Writer:
-Write An Ebook! Great free promo idea. Need I say more? Write an ebook on a unique topic and give it away to website visitors. Encourage them to distribute to online associates. Include links in the ebook leading to your website.
-Signature Files! This is your opportunity to promote your business or affiliate links. Include them in all your emails. Example Follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------
BB Lee is the editor and publisher of SmallBizBits Newsletter.
Visit: http://www.angelfire.com/zine/smallbiz
----------------------------------------------------------------
-Free Classifieds are more important than you think. They give you experience writing copy before you plunk down hard cash on more extravagant ads. Many marketers still manually post their ads and browse the free classified afterwards. A few interested readers will visit your site.
-FFA Links are important too. When you submit to the ffa pages your website's search engine position increases because it links to more sites. (Although it is temporary and you'll have submit on a regular daily basis.) This will circulate your name to a wider Internet market. And before submitting to the ffa pages, get a free email account to receive the multitude of ffa responses. You certainly don't want these responses mixed with your regular email account.
That's it! Experiment with the methods above! And have fun learning what works for you!
The Psychology of Colors in Advertising and Marketing
Are you stimulating emotions while marketing with your
business logo, stationary, business cards, brochures, signs
and with your website?
If you know it or not, colors speak very loud to our
subconscious and have a positive or negative reaction within
90 seconds. On the web you have less that 30 seconds to make
a good first impression.
Are you using the silent language of color to impress,
motivate, divert and persuade your prospects to buy from
you?
BLACK suggests authority, power, boldness, seriousness, is
distinguishing and classic. Business wise it's great for
creating drama and is good for a background color (except on
websites, it is very hard on the eyes). It is ideal for text
on a light background. Black also implies submission and is
associated with evil.
BLUE suggests security, authority, faithfulness and dignity.
For business it suggests sanctuary and fiscal
responsibility. It is the most popular and the second most
powerful color. Blue can also be cold and depressing. People
are more productive in blue rooms.
BROWN suggests richness, politeness, helpfulness and
effectiveness. In business it suggests less important items.
Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant
in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown
is similar to wood or leather.
GRAY suggests authority, practicality, earnestness and
creativity. Business wise it is traditional and
conservative.
GREEN suggests health, fertility, freedom, freshness,
healing, tranquility and jealousy. Businesses use it to
communicate status and wealth. It is the easiest color on
the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing
color.
ORANGE suggests pleasure, cool, excitement, cheer,
endurance, strength and ambition. For business it is good
for highlighting information on charts and graphs.
PINK suggests femininity, gentleness, well being and
innocence. For business you must be aware of it's feminine
links and implications.
PURPLE suggests spirituality, royalty, luxury, wealth,
sophistication, authority and mournfulness. In business it
is upscale and works with artistic types. It is also
feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in
nature, purple can appear artificial.
RED suggests excitement, strength, sex, passion, vitality,
aggressiveness and commands attention. Business wise it
associated with debt, is great for boldness and accents. The
most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster
heartbeat and breathing.
WHITE suggests refined, purity, devotion, contemporary and
truthfulness. For business it can be sterile and refreshing.
The best color on the web for a background color. Doctors
and nurses wear white to imply sterility.
YELLOW suggests warmth, sunshine, cheer, happiness, jealousy
deceit and cowardice. Business wise it appeals to the
intellectual types and is a good accent. Yellow enhances
concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds
metabolism. It is the most difficult color for the eye to
take in, so it can be overpowering if overused.
Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red
is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is
an appetite stimulant.
People respond more to non verbal cues than verbal ones.
Make sure you use the psychology of colors in all your
marketing, especially when you can't be face to face.
business logo, stationary, business cards, brochures, signs
and with your website?
If you know it or not, colors speak very loud to our
subconscious and have a positive or negative reaction within
90 seconds. On the web you have less that 30 seconds to make
a good first impression.
Are you using the silent language of color to impress,
motivate, divert and persuade your prospects to buy from
you?
BLACK suggests authority, power, boldness, seriousness, is
distinguishing and classic. Business wise it's great for
creating drama and is good for a background color (except on
websites, it is very hard on the eyes). It is ideal for text
on a light background. Black also implies submission and is
associated with evil.
BLUE suggests security, authority, faithfulness and dignity.
For business it suggests sanctuary and fiscal
responsibility. It is the most popular and the second most
powerful color. Blue can also be cold and depressing. People
are more productive in blue rooms.
BROWN suggests richness, politeness, helpfulness and
effectiveness. In business it suggests less important items.
Solid, reliable brown is the color of earth and is abundant
in nature. Light brown implies genuineness while dark brown
is similar to wood or leather.
GRAY suggests authority, practicality, earnestness and
creativity. Business wise it is traditional and
conservative.
GREEN suggests health, fertility, freedom, freshness,
healing, tranquility and jealousy. Businesses use it to
communicate status and wealth. It is the easiest color on
the eye and can improve vision. It is a calming, refreshing
color.
ORANGE suggests pleasure, cool, excitement, cheer,
endurance, strength and ambition. For business it is good
for highlighting information on charts and graphs.
PINK suggests femininity, gentleness, well being and
innocence. For business you must be aware of it's feminine
links and implications.
PURPLE suggests spirituality, royalty, luxury, wealth,
sophistication, authority and mournfulness. In business it
is upscale and works with artistic types. It is also
feminine and romantic. However, because it is rare in
nature, purple can appear artificial.
RED suggests excitement, strength, sex, passion, vitality,
aggressiveness and commands attention. Business wise it
associated with debt, is great for boldness and accents. The
most emotionally intense color, red stimulates a faster
heartbeat and breathing.
WHITE suggests refined, purity, devotion, contemporary and
truthfulness. For business it can be sterile and refreshing.
The best color on the web for a background color. Doctors
and nurses wear white to imply sterility.
YELLOW suggests warmth, sunshine, cheer, happiness, jealousy
deceit and cowardice. Business wise it appeals to the
intellectual types and is a good accent. Yellow enhances
concentration, hence its use for legal pads. It also speeds
metabolism. It is the most difficult color for the eye to
take in, so it can be overpowering if overused.
Green, brown, and red are the most popular food colors. Red
is often used in restaurant decorating schemes because it is
an appetite stimulant.
People respond more to non verbal cues than verbal ones.
Make sure you use the psychology of colors in all your
marketing, especially when you can't be face to face.
Attract Media Coverage Without Spending Advertising Money
Advertising is expensive. PR is often low cost or free.
Try these ten tips for attracting free PR to your business. But here is a word of caution. When sending press releases to the media, remember that less is more. The journalist who encounters a press release from your company every week learn to ignore anything with your name on it.
1. Capitalize on an Anniversary
Is your business having a significant anniversary? Tenth year in business? Ten thousandth customer served? Five thousand books sold? Arrange some sort of celebration, draft a press release and contact your local media. You can never tell. You must might coverage from the local newspaper, radio or television station.
2. Donate Something
Does your networking group have draws for door prizes? Offer to donate the prize, then give something that's heavily branded with your businesses name and contact information. Similarly, find out if local charities are engaged in fund raising opportunities. Offer one of your products or services as a prize or to be auctioned.
3. Host a Special Event
Have a Singles Night, a Kid's Night, or a Senior Citizen's Night. Send a press release to your local media. A supermarket did a smashing business following a well publicized Singles Night complete with dancing in the aisles, games and contests.
4. Sponsor Something
Provide sponsorship at a trade show, a convention, a sporting event, or an arts festival. Sponsor a local kid to attend an event in another city. Sponsor a kid's sports team. Offer a scholarship to help a young person attend university. Remember to send the press release.
5. Decorate Creatively
Put up a stunning decoration or window display for the Holidays, or for spring, or fall, or in recognition of some particular event in your city. Then invite the media to take a look. The key is to have something unique or original that'll warrant pictures and video taping.
6. Write Articles
If you're in business, you're an expert on some topic. Write articles on your area of expertise. Submit them to local or national media, magazines, web sites, trade journals or other pertinent publications. Your article should not be a promotion of your business, but should inform readers about a topic of interest. Accountants might write articles on tax tips, for example, or florists could write about plant care.
7. Let Them Know You're an Expert
When newsworthy stories become available, media often look for a local expert for quotes and comments. Contact your local or national media, and let them know you are available to comment on topics within your area of expertise. Suppose your expertise is ecommerce, for example. Next time your local paper has an ecommerce-related story, they just might contact you for a comment. You (and your business) will get some excellent and cost-free publicity.
8. Get T-shirts and Go Public
Decorate t-shirts with your company's logo. Sign up your staff to participate in charity walks and other community events. Ensure that everyone wears the t-shirts.
9. Donate Something to a Local Charity
Donate books, used computers, products or services to a school or charity. In one community, local businesses attracted enormous publicity by organizing an event in which they outfitted adolescent youth from low-income families for the spring prom. Participating clothing shops, beauticians, florists, even taxi companies got in on the act and attracted enormous publicity while doing good works.
10. Publicize a New Product, Service or Research Finding
Have something new to offer? If it's at all unique in your area, write your press release and send it to media and trade journals. Even if you get mentioned in the gossip column of a trade journal, it's still good publicity!
11. Offer Something Unique
Local shops in one community worked together to hold a Men's Night and shortly before the Holidays. Males received assistance in purchasing lingerie, perfumes, jewelry and accessories for the woman in their lives. It was a new concept in the area and a big success. The media loved it.
Try these ten tips for attracting free PR to your business. But here is a word of caution. When sending press releases to the media, remember that less is more. The journalist who encounters a press release from your company every week learn to ignore anything with your name on it.
1. Capitalize on an Anniversary
Is your business having a significant anniversary? Tenth year in business? Ten thousandth customer served? Five thousand books sold? Arrange some sort of celebration, draft a press release and contact your local media. You can never tell. You must might coverage from the local newspaper, radio or television station.
2. Donate Something
Does your networking group have draws for door prizes? Offer to donate the prize, then give something that's heavily branded with your businesses name and contact information. Similarly, find out if local charities are engaged in fund raising opportunities. Offer one of your products or services as a prize or to be auctioned.
3. Host a Special Event
Have a Singles Night, a Kid's Night, or a Senior Citizen's Night. Send a press release to your local media. A supermarket did a smashing business following a well publicized Singles Night complete with dancing in the aisles, games and contests.
4. Sponsor Something
Provide sponsorship at a trade show, a convention, a sporting event, or an arts festival. Sponsor a local kid to attend an event in another city. Sponsor a kid's sports team. Offer a scholarship to help a young person attend university. Remember to send the press release.
5. Decorate Creatively
Put up a stunning decoration or window display for the Holidays, or for spring, or fall, or in recognition of some particular event in your city. Then invite the media to take a look. The key is to have something unique or original that'll warrant pictures and video taping.
6. Write Articles
If you're in business, you're an expert on some topic. Write articles on your area of expertise. Submit them to local or national media, magazines, web sites, trade journals or other pertinent publications. Your article should not be a promotion of your business, but should inform readers about a topic of interest. Accountants might write articles on tax tips, for example, or florists could write about plant care.
7. Let Them Know You're an Expert
When newsworthy stories become available, media often look for a local expert for quotes and comments. Contact your local or national media, and let them know you are available to comment on topics within your area of expertise. Suppose your expertise is ecommerce, for example. Next time your local paper has an ecommerce-related story, they just might contact you for a comment. You (and your business) will get some excellent and cost-free publicity.
8. Get T-shirts and Go Public
Decorate t-shirts with your company's logo. Sign up your staff to participate in charity walks and other community events. Ensure that everyone wears the t-shirts.
9. Donate Something to a Local Charity
Donate books, used computers, products or services to a school or charity. In one community, local businesses attracted enormous publicity by organizing an event in which they outfitted adolescent youth from low-income families for the spring prom. Participating clothing shops, beauticians, florists, even taxi companies got in on the act and attracted enormous publicity while doing good works.
10. Publicize a New Product, Service or Research Finding
Have something new to offer? If it's at all unique in your area, write your press release and send it to media and trade journals. Even if you get mentioned in the gossip column of a trade journal, it's still good publicity!
11. Offer Something Unique
Local shops in one community worked together to hold a Men's Night and shortly before the Holidays. Males received assistance in purchasing lingerie, perfumes, jewelry and accessories for the woman in their lives. It was a new concept in the area and a big success. The media loved it.
10 Effective Advertising Tips!
Writing a classified ad to sell your product isn't as hard as you might think, if you spend time researching effective copy writing strategies.
Here are a few to try NOW!
1. Never try to sell expensive items from a small classified ad.
Use the two step method. Request the reader visit your site
for free information or email an auto responder address
for more details where you will respond with longer
ad copy to effectively sell your product.
2. Study how other marketers write their sales copy. This is a no brainer. Simply study the ads in newsletters you are subscribed to.
Or surf to a few of the free classified ad sites and study the ads placed there. Don't copy their ads word for word but use them as an effective design to write your own adverts.
3. Advertise in the right Newsletter. That's right. This is basic stuff. Don't place your ad for cooking lessons in a Sports Trivia Newsletter. Or High Tech Ebooks on Java-Scripting in a Romance
Writers Newsletter.
4. Target several appropriate publications. Subscribe to the
publications and study their classified ads for several editions
before placing your ads. Practice writing adverts following their
basic ad writing guidelines.
5. Advertise in more than one publication at a time. Why?
You want to pull in as many interested readers as possible in
order to make sales.
6. Change your ad copy if it's not working. If people read the same old
ad copy in the publication every month they will get bored and
probably ignore your copy. It's human nature to do this.
Freshen up your copy with new headlines, different lengths, new
wording, power words, appropriate humor, details, interesting facts,
testimonials.
7. Key your ads to find out which one's are working. Or simply have
several email addresses or auto responders and calculate which
email address receives the most response to your ads.
8. Keep records of every one who responds to your ads. Follow up
with appropriate messages about your product. Of course give
them the option to opt out of receiving further correspondence.
9. Free Classified Ad Sites are a great way to test your ad
writing skills before placing paid ads in publications online.
Study how other marketers at these sites write their ads.
Respond to their ads to see how they further market their
product. Don't forget to set up a free email account
especially to handle your request.
10. Study offline publications. And, advertisements you receive
by snail-mail to see how they put it all together. This will
help to build your ad writing skills and confidence in your copy writing abilities.
Here are a few to try NOW!
1. Never try to sell expensive items from a small classified ad.
Use the two step method. Request the reader visit your site
for free information or email an auto responder address
for more details where you will respond with longer
ad copy to effectively sell your product.
2. Study how other marketers write their sales copy. This is a no brainer. Simply study the ads in newsletters you are subscribed to.
Or surf to a few of the free classified ad sites and study the ads placed there. Don't copy their ads word for word but use them as an effective design to write your own adverts.
3. Advertise in the right Newsletter. That's right. This is basic stuff. Don't place your ad for cooking lessons in a Sports Trivia Newsletter. Or High Tech Ebooks on Java-Scripting in a Romance
Writers Newsletter.
4. Target several appropriate publications. Subscribe to the
publications and study their classified ads for several editions
before placing your ads. Practice writing adverts following their
basic ad writing guidelines.
5. Advertise in more than one publication at a time. Why?
You want to pull in as many interested readers as possible in
order to make sales.
6. Change your ad copy if it's not working. If people read the same old
ad copy in the publication every month they will get bored and
probably ignore your copy. It's human nature to do this.
Freshen up your copy with new headlines, different lengths, new
wording, power words, appropriate humor, details, interesting facts,
testimonials.
7. Key your ads to find out which one's are working. Or simply have
several email addresses or auto responders and calculate which
email address receives the most response to your ads.
8. Keep records of every one who responds to your ads. Follow up
with appropriate messages about your product. Of course give
them the option to opt out of receiving further correspondence.
9. Free Classified Ad Sites are a great way to test your ad
writing skills before placing paid ads in publications online.
Study how other marketers at these sites write their ads.
Respond to their ads to see how they further market their
product. Don't forget to set up a free email account
especially to handle your request.
10. Study offline publications. And, advertisements you receive
by snail-mail to see how they put it all together. This will
help to build your ad writing skills and confidence in your copy writing abilities.
Advertising Sucks! Long Live The Web!
How much does an advert in Yellow Pages cost? How many enquiries would you expect to get back for that investment each day? 1? 10? 100?
What about an ad in the local newspaper or a trade publication? They don't come cheap. When was the last time you heard an advertising salesman say:
"If you're not happy with the volume of responses and sales you get from the ad I will give you your money back."
How many times have you heard an ad salesman say:
"I will tell you exactly how many people view your advertisement, how long they read it for and which ad they were looking at before they starting reading your ad. You can use this to work out the profile of your potential customers."
Hardly likely is it? Yet this is the kind of information that you can get your hands on via your website.
Expensive is a dirty word. Nothing is about cost - everything is about value. Having a great profile on the web can not only bring you more customers and sales but it can boost the perceived size and stature of your company.
As a business owner of course you want to see your website at the top of the search engines - everyone wants to be higher than their competitors - what value would you put on this?
Imagine placing an ad in a magazine and asking the salesperson:
"Can you guarantee me more sales? Will you give me my money back if people read the ad but don't buy my product?"
It just wouldn't happen. And yet there is a lot of scepticism surrounding the web - I come across it every single day.
"Mike, we've had our fingers burned in the past and though I like what you're saying how do I know you're not one of the cowboys?"
Ultimately nobody will ever buy anything from anybody unless buyer confidence is establsihed - no matter what is being sold. And the only way to establish buyer confidence is to develop a lasting relationship built on trust, two-way communication and transparency of information.
I don't believe that website marketing is, or should be, a black art. I don't believe that copywriting or accounting are black arts. They are all just things that, if you want done right, you need to get the professionals in to do.
Wednesday, 22 July 2009
Why Hire an Advertising/Marketing Consultant?
As a business owner, you have the option of taking several different approaches to handling your Marketing and Advertising. You may choose to handle the responsibility yourself, with the idea that no one understands your business quite the way you do.. You may also consider hiring a full time marketing manager or even assigning the tasks, as they arise, to someone already working within your organization. Consider this When your business needs plumbing work do you do it yourself? Hire a plumber to be on staff full time? Or ask your accountant to handle it?
Call in the Experts.
Though some advertising and marketing ventures seems simple enough to be handled in house, nothing is as costly as a marketing misfire. Not only may you be sending out the wrong messages, to the wrong markets, but also by the time you catch it, your budget may be in no shape to recover and redirect. The truth is, no one can do the job as effectively and efficiently as someone who lives and breathes the industry everyday. Plus, the added perk of consistent media contacts that will prove to be financially beneficial to your business.
Seeing the forest and the trees.
When you hire a consultant you hire an objective opinion, as well as a fresh point of view. Sometimes a business may lose perspective on itself by being too heavily immersed in the day-to-day operations, and lose itself in the big picture, missing the small details or vice-versa. Sadly, sometimes a businesss marketing will clearly reflect this. The president of a private jet companys focus is on the bells and whistles of his fleet. Its what he sees as important in his view of his business. Inevitably, his marketing may also focus on this portion of his business, ignoring what he is really selling to his potential clients: The feeling and the status of private jets.
If you add another ball, technically it is juggling.
If you, as a business owner, or an employee take on the added tasks of the marketing of the business, attention is being taken from other projects and responsibilities. Inescapably, focus and demands are bound to pull from one and take away from others until something falls to the floor. Consultants are dedicated to one, and only one, portion of your business. Their focus is committed, and they allow you to keep yours where it should be.
The Gumby Factor.
Consultants are very flexible. Immediately ready and available to take on assignments at a moments notice. Accessibility to getting a new project off the ground is just a phone call away. On the other hand, trying to hire a new employee specifically to handle your marketing needs takes valuable time to places ads; conduct interviews and then sort through applicants, hoping to find the right person for the job.
The M Word Money.
When you total up the actual cost of bringing on a new employee, you will most likely find that hiring a consultant is much more cost effective. The hourly rates may seem to favor a full time employee, but when you factor in employee benefits, training time, vacation/sick time, 401(k), the added overhead involved in situating a new employee, and the sheer fact that you may be paying full time wages for something that may not need full time attention, the cost effectiveness will fall in favor of a consultant. Which bring us to....
The C- Word Commitment.
Hiring a full time employee is a commitment. And bringing on an employee to handle a special marketing project, or set up an initial marketing plan, may in the long run leave you scrambling to find a new project or position for that employee. Or worse yet, you find yourself paying a full time marketing director to do basic maintenance. Hiring a consultant requires no long-term commitment. When a consultant completes a project, they have the flexibility to move into whatever position you need them, from quarterly analysis, to basic maintenance, to completely out of the picture, but on the sidelines when youre ready to take a new step forward.
"There are many ways of going forward, but only one way of standing still." -Franklin D. Roosevelt
Successful Print Advertising Designs
Do you often see print advertisements outdoors, as much as you see Web advertisements when you surf through the Web? I'm pretty sure that you have entirely different views and reactions upon seeing and actually taking notice to these two different kinds of advertising. The differences may vary in their use of color, typefaces, and space.
Whatever else the difference is between Print Ads and Web Ads, many would still prefer the traditional print advertisements in order to promote their business, products or services. Not all people have access to the Web, such that Print Ads are still widely used and appreciated. It is also practical for a short-term marketing plan or strategy.
Do you know what makes successful print advertisements? Here are several useful things to remember if you are launching a Print Ad:
- Take advantage of a small space by not crowding too much information into it. Leave a white space which can actually lead your reader to the important information.
- Ads with large photos or illustrations of merchandise get higher readership and appreciation than those with small illustrations or no art.
- People do not actually read your copy, but take a look at your visuals. Thus, make your photographs or illustration occupy at least half of your entire Ad.
- You must know now how your readers read, so that you could strategically place your content and not be left unread.
- Typography is an important key to effective communication.
In your print ads' headlines, avoid all capital letters. Our eyes and brains are conditioned to identify lower case letters and words. Letters and words in lower cases may just be glanced over, but with full comprehension since people are familiar with them. People also tend to read words by the shape of the word and not by reading individual letters thus, your print ads' words must be of a distinctive shape.
- Your print ads must be consistent with important information placed where readers would expect to see it. Consistency is an important aspect of your print ad since most readers must be exposed to it seven times before they notice it or take action on it. Your ad must have consistency in:
- Logo
- Color
- Typography
- Margins and borders
- Layout
- Spacing
- Photographs and captions
- You must also be consistent in your page lay out and other design elements like contrast, balance, etc.
- On top of everything else, you have to make sure that your print ad communicates the main point of your advertisement – the main attraction and the necessary information for your prospective clients.
For your print ads to turn out successfully, you must have at least a single great idea, on top of several good ideas. Remember, there's a world of difference between a great idea and a good idea. -30-
How to Gain Credibility, and Save on Advertising Costs
How would you like to learn a way to become established as an expert in your field, earn some money, and get free hot information products at the same time?
I recently had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Jim Edwards. Jim is the author of the new hot selling "Turn Words Into Traffic" In one of several Bonus Reports that come with this new ebook, he details, a fast and easy way to brainstorm article topics.
This report also shows a proven way to receive many of the internet's hot selling topics for free, in a legal and ethical way.
Jim is not new to the internet marking scene. He has written or coauothered such books
as
---"Turn Words Into Traffic"
---"The Lazy Man's Guide to Online Business." by Jim & Dallas Edwards.
---"eBook Secrets Exposed: How to Make Massive Amounts of Money in Record Time With Your Own eBook (whether you wrote it or not!)," the authoritative guide to publishing and marketing ebooks on the Web.Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel
---"33 Days to Online Profits"
---"33 Days to Online Profits Video Enhanced Tutorial eBook"
---"Affiliate Link Cloaker"
---"eBook Secrets Exposed"
---"How to Write and Publish your own eBook... in as little as 7 Days"
---"One Minute Poll"
---"Selling Your Home Alone"
---"The TEN Dirty Little Secrets of Mortgage Financing"
Some of his resources are listed in the Top 10 Ezine Resources site at
http://you2cansellonline.com/ezines. Check it out. There are other great resources there as well.
The Bonus Report that I reviewed, was actually AN UNADVERTISED BONUS. He offers 7 great bonuses with his "Turn Words Into Traffic" ebook. 3 you can download immediately, and 4 more to follow later.
In my opinion, that in and of itself, says something about the type of person Jim is. It shows me that this is a person who delivers more than is expected.
This report is a quick read, however it is packed with solid, put it to good use information.
As a single WAHM, (work at home mom), I get very frustrated when I purchase an information product that is just basically an over glorified sales letter trying to get you to spend more money.
That is not the case with this ebook report.
After reading this report, I was able to take his advice to work, step by step and get moving on it. I did not need to invest any more money. This report actually showed ways I could save money, and take steps to start earning some cash without spending any on advertising.
This ebook is in pdf format, which allows it to be easily read on any computer system, Windows or Mac. It can be printed out quickly, and has clickable resource links. Jim also provides you with some email templates, that you can modify and use for your own application of his ideas.
To recieve some free information written by Jim and Dallas Edwards, and more:
Sign up for my free Ecourse-- How to Get More Traffic to Your Website
Sampling of the things you will learn:
---A simple, easy, legitimate way to get FREE traffic to Your Site!
---If you have zero budget to advertise your website then this e book was written for you!
---This Simple "Traffic Machine" works for ANYONE - no matter what product, service, or information you sell!
--- many more titles in this ecourse, too many to list.
So if you would you like to learn a way to become established as an expert in your field, earn some money, and get free hot information products at the same time, you should check out the resources and information available from this well established ebook author.
I recently had the wonderful opportunity to chat with Jim Edwards. Jim is the author of the new hot selling "Turn Words Into Traffic" In one of several Bonus Reports that come with this new ebook, he details, a fast and easy way to brainstorm article topics.
This report also shows a proven way to receive many of the internet's hot selling topics for free, in a legal and ethical way.
Jim is not new to the internet marking scene. He has written or coauothered such books
as
---"Turn Words Into Traffic"
---"The Lazy Man's Guide to Online Business." by Jim & Dallas Edwards.
---"eBook Secrets Exposed: How to Make Massive Amounts of Money in Record Time With Your Own eBook (whether you wrote it or not!)," the authoritative guide to publishing and marketing ebooks on the Web.Jim Edwards and David Garfinkel
---"33 Days to Online Profits"
---"33 Days to Online Profits Video Enhanced Tutorial eBook"
---"Affiliate Link Cloaker"
---"eBook Secrets Exposed"
---"How to Write and Publish your own eBook... in as little as 7 Days"
---"One Minute Poll"
---"Selling Your Home Alone"
---"The TEN Dirty Little Secrets of Mortgage Financing"
Some of his resources are listed in the Top 10 Ezine Resources site at
http://you2cansellonline.com/ezines. Check it out. There are other great resources there as well.
The Bonus Report that I reviewed, was actually AN UNADVERTISED BONUS. He offers 7 great bonuses with his "Turn Words Into Traffic" ebook. 3 you can download immediately, and 4 more to follow later.
In my opinion, that in and of itself, says something about the type of person Jim is. It shows me that this is a person who delivers more than is expected.
This report is a quick read, however it is packed with solid, put it to good use information.
As a single WAHM, (work at home mom), I get very frustrated when I purchase an information product that is just basically an over glorified sales letter trying to get you to spend more money.
That is not the case with this ebook report.
After reading this report, I was able to take his advice to work, step by step and get moving on it. I did not need to invest any more money. This report actually showed ways I could save money, and take steps to start earning some cash without spending any on advertising.
This ebook is in pdf format, which allows it to be easily read on any computer system, Windows or Mac. It can be printed out quickly, and has clickable resource links. Jim also provides you with some email templates, that you can modify and use for your own application of his ideas.
To recieve some free information written by Jim and Dallas Edwards, and more:
Sign up for my free Ecourse-- How to Get More Traffic to Your Website
Sampling of the things you will learn:
---A simple, easy, legitimate way to get FREE traffic to Your Site!
---If you have zero budget to advertise your website then this e book was written for you!
---This Simple "Traffic Machine" works for ANYONE - no matter what product, service, or information you sell!
--- many more titles in this ecourse, too many to list.
So if you would you like to learn a way to become established as an expert in your field, earn some money, and get free hot information products at the same time, you should check out the resources and information available from this well established ebook author.
Email Advertising Doesn't Get Any Cheaper Than This
What is the most powerful marketing tool a web site owner has?
I'll give you a hint - it's not banner advertising! It's e-mail -
nothing else even comes close.
Have you ever really considered just how many people use e-
mail? There are millions upon millions of people out there who, if
they're anything like me, just plain love to get e-mail and
communicate with others using this wonderful medium. Part of the
beauty of e-mail is that people pay attention to e-mail. People will
actually read your advertisements if they're mixed with information
that's valuable to them. E-mail is the ultimate marketing tool.
How to Harness the Power
---------------------------
"Great," you say, "but how do I use this 'awesome power?'"
There are an unbelievable number of innovative and really effective
ways to use e-mail to advertise yourself and your business on the
Internet, but for the scope of this article, we're going to focus on
one.
E-mail Signatures
--------------------------
E-mail signatures, or "sigs," are one of the easiest and most
effective ways for an Internet marketer to promote his web site (or
other people's sites, for that matter.) For those of you who don't
know what an e-mail signature is, here's an example of one I use
on a daily basis:
Sincerely,
Micah D. Cranman
Sybren Design
http://sybren.net
========================================
Would you like to tap the money making potential
of the Internet with a powerful website? If so,
contact Sybren today for a FREE consultation!
http://sybren.net | mdc@sybren.net | 770-971-9868
========================================
(NOTE: Signatures can also be an effective tool when used in
newsgroups, discussion groups, or message boards. Use them
anywhere possible!)
Signatures can be easily set up in any e-mail program that's worth
something, and usually very easily. Just look in the "help" section
or browse around the program menus and you should be able to
figure out how to set them up pretty quickly. I personally use
Microsoft Outlook Express, and have found it to be totally
sufficient for my needs. (www.microsoft.com) Others swear by
Qualcomm's Eudora Pro, (www.eudora.com) and still others by
other programs. Just pick one that suits your needs.
Now, there are three key components to a signature, each with a
different purposes:
1. The closing of the letter - this is the first four lines you see in the
signature above. It's purpose is two-fold: to avoid having to type
a closing to save time (which can really add up if you get a lot of e-
mail), and to provide information about yourself, and possibly,
some contact information.
2. The advertisement - this is where you try to generate interest
for whatever you're trying to promote in the recipient of the e-
mail. It should in someway catch the reader's eye or stir up some
emotion that will impel them to act. (Note: FREE works especially
well as an attention grabber. Try to offer something free in your
signature.) This "ad" of sorts should be no more than 5 or 6 lines
long, and should probably be separated in some way from the rest
of your message, as seen above.
3. The information which shows the reader how to act - you have
to include some form of information about how an interested
reader can access a deal, contact someone, visit a web site, or
whatever else you're trying to get that reader to do. So, offer
them a way (or several ways) to go about "taking action," with
contact info, a web address, a phone number, etc.
How to Use "Sigs"
-------------------
Signatures can be a powerful tool for the budget-conscious web
site owner, if used effectively. If used poorly, they're simply a
waste of time and effort. So, in order to use signatures in a manner
that will produce positive results, here are a few things that you
should do:
a) Use as many different signatures as you can. Don't just send
one signature you've developed over and over again to the same
people. Think of several different ones you could use for your
business, and alternate. Also, signatures are an excellent tool for
promoting an affiliate program that you're involved in. Again, have
as many as you can, and rotate.
b) Test the effectiveness of your signatures. Don't just keep
sending the same group of signatures if it hasn't generated good
results. Try some new ones, testing each particular signature for a
little while to see if it's working better than other sigs you've tried.
And once you've improved on your initial results, don't just stop
experimenting. KEEP trying to improve upon your signatures
more and more and eventually, you'll really be generating some
good results.
c) Have a signature for every "type" of message that you send. If
you make a signature for every different situation and "type" of e-
mail you encounter, you can boost their effectiveness. For
example, since most of your friends probably don't want to hear
about your business or some affiliate program you're promoting,
think of something else that they would like and would benefit
them. Here's an example: you ever hear of those "get paid to
surf" programs? Well, since it would be unprofessional for me to
try to get people to sign up for them on this site, I promote the
programs to my friends through the use of e-mail signatures.
P.S. Have you heard of those new "get paid to surf the web"
programs? Well, I signed up with one called AllAdvantage.com,
and they really work! I got a check for like $30 last week in the
mail.
See how effective that could be? And that applies for ANY e-mail
"situation" you might encounter.
I'll give you a hint - it's not banner advertising! It's e-mail -
nothing else even comes close.
Have you ever really considered just how many people use e-
mail? There are millions upon millions of people out there who, if
they're anything like me, just plain love to get e-mail and
communicate with others using this wonderful medium. Part of the
beauty of e-mail is that people pay attention to e-mail. People will
actually read your advertisements if they're mixed with information
that's valuable to them. E-mail is the ultimate marketing tool.
How to Harness the Power
---------------------------
"Great," you say, "but how do I use this 'awesome power?'"
There are an unbelievable number of innovative and really effective
ways to use e-mail to advertise yourself and your business on the
Internet, but for the scope of this article, we're going to focus on
one.
E-mail Signatures
--------------------------
E-mail signatures, or "sigs," are one of the easiest and most
effective ways for an Internet marketer to promote his web site (or
other people's sites, for that matter.) For those of you who don't
know what an e-mail signature is, here's an example of one I use
on a daily basis:
Sincerely,
Micah D. Cranman
Sybren Design
http://sybren.net
========================================
Would you like to tap the money making potential
of the Internet with a powerful website? If so,
contact Sybren today for a FREE consultation!
http://sybren.net | mdc@sybren.net | 770-971-9868
========================================
(NOTE: Signatures can also be an effective tool when used in
newsgroups, discussion groups, or message boards. Use them
anywhere possible!)
Signatures can be easily set up in any e-mail program that's worth
something, and usually very easily. Just look in the "help" section
or browse around the program menus and you should be able to
figure out how to set them up pretty quickly. I personally use
Microsoft Outlook Express, and have found it to be totally
sufficient for my needs. (www.microsoft.com) Others swear by
Qualcomm's Eudora Pro, (www.eudora.com) and still others by
other programs. Just pick one that suits your needs.
Now, there are three key components to a signature, each with a
different purposes:
1. The closing of the letter - this is the first four lines you see in the
signature above. It's purpose is two-fold: to avoid having to type
a closing to save time (which can really add up if you get a lot of e-
mail), and to provide information about yourself, and possibly,
some contact information.
2. The advertisement - this is where you try to generate interest
for whatever you're trying to promote in the recipient of the e-
mail. It should in someway catch the reader's eye or stir up some
emotion that will impel them to act. (Note: FREE works especially
well as an attention grabber. Try to offer something free in your
signature.) This "ad" of sorts should be no more than 5 or 6 lines
long, and should probably be separated in some way from the rest
of your message, as seen above.
3. The information which shows the reader how to act - you have
to include some form of information about how an interested
reader can access a deal, contact someone, visit a web site, or
whatever else you're trying to get that reader to do. So, offer
them a way (or several ways) to go about "taking action," with
contact info, a web address, a phone number, etc.
How to Use "Sigs"
-------------------
Signatures can be a powerful tool for the budget-conscious web
site owner, if used effectively. If used poorly, they're simply a
waste of time and effort. So, in order to use signatures in a manner
that will produce positive results, here are a few things that you
should do:
a) Use as many different signatures as you can. Don't just send
one signature you've developed over and over again to the same
people. Think of several different ones you could use for your
business, and alternate. Also, signatures are an excellent tool for
promoting an affiliate program that you're involved in. Again, have
as many as you can, and rotate.
b) Test the effectiveness of your signatures. Don't just keep
sending the same group of signatures if it hasn't generated good
results. Try some new ones, testing each particular signature for a
little while to see if it's working better than other sigs you've tried.
And once you've improved on your initial results, don't just stop
experimenting. KEEP trying to improve upon your signatures
more and more and eventually, you'll really be generating some
good results.
c) Have a signature for every "type" of message that you send. If
you make a signature for every different situation and "type" of e-
mail you encounter, you can boost their effectiveness. For
example, since most of your friends probably don't want to hear
about your business or some affiliate program you're promoting,
think of something else that they would like and would benefit
them. Here's an example: you ever hear of those "get paid to
surf" programs? Well, since it would be unprofessional for me to
try to get people to sign up for them on this site, I promote the
programs to my friends through the use of e-mail signatures.
P.S. Have you heard of those new "get paid to surf the web"
programs? Well, I signed up with one called AllAdvantage.com,
and they really work! I got a check for like $30 last week in the
mail.
See how effective that could be? And that applies for ANY e-mail
"situation" you might encounter.
Direct Mail Advertising; Email Is Not Like Postal Mail
One of the most popular and potentially effective advertising
methods is direct email. If you deliver a well- written message
and execute delivery properly you will be rewarded with new
leads, sales, and traffic to your Web site. If the message is
poorly written or you commit a netiquette faux pas, however, your
efforts could end in disaster.
If you are new to Internet marketing, you might equate direct
email to direct postal mail. The concepts are very similar; in
both you broadcast a standard message to a large number of
individuals in hopes of receiving positive responses. To the
uninitiated, it is logical to assume you can approach the two in
the same way. It seems like the only difference is the means of
communication. If you are thinking this way, STOP! STOP! STOP!
Many people perceive unsolicited commercial message (UCE) - spam
- differently than junk mail from the postal service. The sender
pays for direct mail sent through the postal service. Not so for
UCE. Spam on the Internet ties up the recipient's resources by
using storage space, slowing down systems, and sometimes crashing
equipment. For this reason and others, many abhor spam. Some
assertively condemn spammers. If you spam you will undoubtedly be
reported to your ISP and email provider. Depending on the
circumstances, your accounts could be closed and your Web site
may be shut down. Need I say it? This is NOT the result you are
looking for from your email marketing program.
Some email advertisers feel that as long as there are unsubscribe
instructions in the email or they only send one message it is
okay to send unsolicited email. A few use never-passed
legislative proposals in their defense. In marketing, perception
is far closer to reality than loophole rationalizations. Some
recipients are offended whether the unsubscribe phrase is there
or not and they are offended even when they receive only one
message from you.
Different individuals define spam differently. Some consider all
forms of UCE or unsolicited commercial postings spam. This means
that if you send advertisements without prior permission from the
individuals you will get complaints. In all likelihood you will
be reported as a spammer. Because service providers generally
have user agreements that are stricter than current U.S. state
and federal laws, you are likely to be reprimanded, have your
site shut down, and/or be put on a blacklist if you send out UCE.
* Spam/UCE Law
As of this writing there are no U.S. federal laws governing UCE.
Some states, however, have laws that regulate UCE. These states
are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois,
Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada,
Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah,
Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. Depending on the state,
allowable claims range from $10 per message up to unlimited
damages. Most state laws allow opt-out procedures. In other
words, companies can *legally* add a recipient's email to a list
without his/her knowledge as long as a means of removal is
provided. For details by state, go to
http://law.spamcon.org/us-laws/index.shtml.
International laws are stricter. Seven countries - Austria,
Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Norway - have opt-
in laws. In order to legally send UCE, you must first have the
recipient's permission. Other countries have opt- out directives
or pending legislation. EuroCAUCE provide details at
http://www.euro.cauce.org/en/countries/index.html.
Worldwide, there is much discussion about UCE and laws are
changing quickly. There are several sites you can monitor for
details about UCE. These include the SpamCon Foundation
(law.spamcon.org), the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial
Email (CAUCE, www.cauce.org), and the spam section of The Open
Directory Project (dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/Abuse/Spam).
methods is direct email. If you deliver a well- written message
and execute delivery properly you will be rewarded with new
leads, sales, and traffic to your Web site. If the message is
poorly written or you commit a netiquette faux pas, however, your
efforts could end in disaster.
If you are new to Internet marketing, you might equate direct
email to direct postal mail. The concepts are very similar; in
both you broadcast a standard message to a large number of
individuals in hopes of receiving positive responses. To the
uninitiated, it is logical to assume you can approach the two in
the same way. It seems like the only difference is the means of
communication. If you are thinking this way, STOP! STOP! STOP!
Many people perceive unsolicited commercial message (UCE) - spam
- differently than junk mail from the postal service. The sender
pays for direct mail sent through the postal service. Not so for
UCE. Spam on the Internet ties up the recipient's resources by
using storage space, slowing down systems, and sometimes crashing
equipment. For this reason and others, many abhor spam. Some
assertively condemn spammers. If you spam you will undoubtedly be
reported to your ISP and email provider. Depending on the
circumstances, your accounts could be closed and your Web site
may be shut down. Need I say it? This is NOT the result you are
looking for from your email marketing program.
Some email advertisers feel that as long as there are unsubscribe
instructions in the email or they only send one message it is
okay to send unsolicited email. A few use never-passed
legislative proposals in their defense. In marketing, perception
is far closer to reality than loophole rationalizations. Some
recipients are offended whether the unsubscribe phrase is there
or not and they are offended even when they receive only one
message from you.
Different individuals define spam differently. Some consider all
forms of UCE or unsolicited commercial postings spam. This means
that if you send advertisements without prior permission from the
individuals you will get complaints. In all likelihood you will
be reported as a spammer. Because service providers generally
have user agreements that are stricter than current U.S. state
and federal laws, you are likely to be reprimanded, have your
site shut down, and/or be put on a blacklist if you send out UCE.
* Spam/UCE Law
As of this writing there are no U.S. federal laws governing UCE.
Some states, however, have laws that regulate UCE. These states
are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois,
Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada,
Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah,
Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. Depending on the state,
allowable claims range from $10 per message up to unlimited
damages. Most state laws allow opt-out procedures. In other
words, companies can *legally* add a recipient's email to a list
without his/her knowledge as long as a means of removal is
provided. For details by state, go to
http://law.spamcon.org/us-laws/index.shtml.
International laws are stricter. Seven countries - Austria,
Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Norway - have opt-
in laws. In order to legally send UCE, you must first have the
recipient's permission. Other countries have opt- out directives
or pending legislation. EuroCAUCE provide details at
http://www.euro.cauce.org/en/countries/index.html.
Worldwide, there is much discussion about UCE and laws are
changing quickly. There are several sites you can monitor for
details about UCE. These include the SpamCon Foundation
(law.spamcon.org), the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial
Email (CAUCE, www.cauce.org), and the spam section of The Open
Directory Project (dmoz.org/Computers/Internet/Abuse/Spam).
Advertising on a Shoestring Budget When You Can't Afford the shoe or string
The best way to make money with your website, no matter what the business, is to get it noticed. To get it noticed, you need to advertise. But how do you do that when you're on a shoestring budget that's so tight you really can't afford the shoestring, let alone the shoe you took it off of? Well, there are three things you can do that won't cost you a dime. And you can get started with them today.
First, get yourself signed up for several hits-for-clicks sites. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, a 'hits-for-clicks' site is a site from which you surf the net and get points for viewing websites. In return for surfing, you get points. You use those points to get exposure for your site(s). Most hits-for-clicks have free signups and most will let you enter up to three (sometimes five) URLs into their system. Here are some hits-for-clicks sites I use:
Fontoon (http://www.fontoon.com/?refid=3446)
StartXchange (http://www.startxchange.com/index.php?referrer=htack210)
TrafficG (http://trafficg.com/index.php?member=htack210)
Profit Charger hits (http://profitchargerhits.com/www.profitchargerhits.com/?refid=10717)
Traffic Pods (http://www.trafficpods.com/index.jsp?ref=htack210)
MyTrafficStorm (http://www.mytrafficstorm.com/?ref=385)
Traffic Swarm (http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?329064)
SurfMaster Club (http://www.webideas4u.com/team/htack210/smcp1.shtml)
Second, you need to get yourself a good browser that allows you to do tabbed browsing. What's a tabbed browser? I'm glad you asked! A tabbed browser, simply put, is a browser that lets you browse several sites at once using tabs instead of separate windows. To get the most out hits-for-clicks sites you need to surf from the hits-for-clicks site's start page. The more you surf, the more points you get. The more points you get, the more exposure you get. You could surf from each one of your hits-for-clicks sites one at a time, but you'll make better headway surfing from as many of them as you can at once. Now imagine how cumbersome it would be to have each of the above sites open in a separate window! Having each site open in a separate tab in the same browser window is much more convenient because then you can move from tab to tab and surf several sites at once.
"What are some good tabbed browsers?" you ask. Well, one that comes immediately to mind is Netscape 7.x. It has tabbed browsing built in. All you do is open one site, hit CTRL+T (on the PC) or COMMAND+T (on the Apple), open another tab, open another site, and so on and so on. Then, all you need to do is tab between the sites all in the same window. Another tabbed web browser that comes to mind is CrazyBrowser available at crazybrowser.com (where else?). Crazy Browser works in much the same way as Netscape 7.x and allows you to open whole groups at once. So, if you organize your hits-for-clicks sites in one folder under Crazy Browser, you can opt to open all the links at once and Crazy Broswer will open each one in a separate tab.
Okay, so now you're surfing! You're gaining points and building exposure for your site. That's great! But guess what? It's still not enough. There's one more thing you need to do in order to get the most bang for your click.
Third, you need to build your hits-for-clicks downlines in order to get more points for your clicks. Hits-for-clicks sites thrive on getting more people to sign on. It's how they make their living. One way they do this is through referrals. As an incentive for their current customers to get them more customers, hits-for-clicks sites often give extra points for referrals. "How am I supposed to do that," you ask, "when I'm already clicking my fingers to the bone?" That's where free rotators come in.
A rotator is a web device that let's you put several URLs in one place. The rotator then takes those URLs and rotates them. In other words, when the user happens upon your rotator address, he or she will see one of several sites you have entered. Let me illustrate. Let's say I have a free web rotator that I signed up for at pageswirl. I log in and I put in several sites:
http://gman.167aday.com
http://solutions.juvio210.com
http://www.juvio210.com
http://pageswirl.com/?aff=htack210
When the user goes to my rotator site, he or she will see one of these sites. They will come up at random and I can weight the sites. In other words, I can cause one site to be seen more often than the others.
"Okay. So how does that help me?" you ask. With a free rotator, you can input the referral links for your hits-for-clicks sites along with the main site you're using to promote your business. Enter the free rotator URL into your hits-for-clicks sites. Make sure that your particular hits-for-clicks allows the use of rotators. Many do. Some do not. And some only accept rotators from certain providers. (For example, Profit Charger Hits only accepts Pageswirl rotators.) With the free rotator installed, you're getting referrals, building your clicks-for-hits downline, gaining more browsing points, and getting more exposure for your site. And what's nice about all of this is that you don't have to pay a dime!
When it comes right down to it, the sites that advertise the most, get the most hits and have the potential to make the most money. And with hits-for-clicks sites even people with little or no advertising budget can get the word out. So why are you still here? Get out there and start surfing!
First, get yourself signed up for several hits-for-clicks sites. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, a 'hits-for-clicks' site is a site from which you surf the net and get points for viewing websites. In return for surfing, you get points. You use those points to get exposure for your site(s). Most hits-for-clicks have free signups and most will let you enter up to three (sometimes five) URLs into their system. Here are some hits-for-clicks sites I use:
Fontoon (http://www.fontoon.com/?refid=3446)
StartXchange (http://www.startxchange.com/index.php?referrer=htack210)
TrafficG (http://trafficg.com/index.php?member=htack210)
Profit Charger hits (http://profitchargerhits.com/www.profitchargerhits.com/?refid=10717)
Traffic Pods (http://www.trafficpods.com/index.jsp?ref=htack210)
MyTrafficStorm (http://www.mytrafficstorm.com/?ref=385)
Traffic Swarm (http://www.trafficswarm.com/go.cgi?329064)
SurfMaster Club (http://www.webideas4u.com/team/htack210/smcp1.shtml)
Second, you need to get yourself a good browser that allows you to do tabbed browsing. What's a tabbed browser? I'm glad you asked! A tabbed browser, simply put, is a browser that lets you browse several sites at once using tabs instead of separate windows. To get the most out hits-for-clicks sites you need to surf from the hits-for-clicks site's start page. The more you surf, the more points you get. The more points you get, the more exposure you get. You could surf from each one of your hits-for-clicks sites one at a time, but you'll make better headway surfing from as many of them as you can at once. Now imagine how cumbersome it would be to have each of the above sites open in a separate window! Having each site open in a separate tab in the same browser window is much more convenient because then you can move from tab to tab and surf several sites at once.
"What are some good tabbed browsers?" you ask. Well, one that comes immediately to mind is Netscape 7.x. It has tabbed browsing built in. All you do is open one site, hit CTRL+T (on the PC) or COMMAND+T (on the Apple), open another tab, open another site, and so on and so on. Then, all you need to do is tab between the sites all in the same window. Another tabbed web browser that comes to mind is CrazyBrowser available at crazybrowser.com (where else?). Crazy Browser works in much the same way as Netscape 7.x and allows you to open whole groups at once. So, if you organize your hits-for-clicks sites in one folder under Crazy Browser, you can opt to open all the links at once and Crazy Broswer will open each one in a separate tab.
Okay, so now you're surfing! You're gaining points and building exposure for your site. That's great! But guess what? It's still not enough. There's one more thing you need to do in order to get the most bang for your click.
Third, you need to build your hits-for-clicks downlines in order to get more points for your clicks. Hits-for-clicks sites thrive on getting more people to sign on. It's how they make their living. One way they do this is through referrals. As an incentive for their current customers to get them more customers, hits-for-clicks sites often give extra points for referrals. "How am I supposed to do that," you ask, "when I'm already clicking my fingers to the bone?" That's where free rotators come in.
A rotator is a web device that let's you put several URLs in one place. The rotator then takes those URLs and rotates them. In other words, when the user happens upon your rotator address, he or she will see one of several sites you have entered. Let me illustrate. Let's say I have a free web rotator that I signed up for at pageswirl. I log in and I put in several sites:
http://gman.167aday.com
http://solutions.juvio210.com
http://www.juvio210.com
http://pageswirl.com/?aff=htack210
When the user goes to my rotator site, he or she will see one of these sites. They will come up at random and I can weight the sites. In other words, I can cause one site to be seen more often than the others.
"Okay. So how does that help me?" you ask. With a free rotator, you can input the referral links for your hits-for-clicks sites along with the main site you're using to promote your business. Enter the free rotator URL into your hits-for-clicks sites. Make sure that your particular hits-for-clicks allows the use of rotators. Many do. Some do not. And some only accept rotators from certain providers. (For example, Profit Charger Hits only accepts Pageswirl rotators.) With the free rotator installed, you're getting referrals, building your clicks-for-hits downline, gaining more browsing points, and getting more exposure for your site. And what's nice about all of this is that you don't have to pay a dime!
When it comes right down to it, the sites that advertise the most, get the most hits and have the potential to make the most money. And with hits-for-clicks sites even people with little or no advertising budget can get the word out. So why are you still here? Get out there and start surfing!
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