How to Use Magnetic Business Cards Effectively
The use of magnetic business cards is often overlooked. Businesses tend to stick with what they have used over the years, and end up missing out on some new techniques that can help them expand their customer base. All business owners know that marketing is a key factor in growing a business. After all, if nobody knows about your product or service, nobody will buy your product or service. That’s elemetery. Do experiment with magnetic business cards. They typically “stick around” (pardon the pun) longer than ordinary cards.
Magnetic business cards can be a very effective marketing tool. In addition to supplying your prospective client with your contact information, you are also ensuring that they will see your information on a daily basis. A magnetic business card is something that your prospective client can actually use. They can put them on their refrigerator at home or at work or on their desk. Every time they use your magnetic business card, they will be reminded of your product or service. I have used this technique myself and have seen sales go up.
Also, if you are into promoting your own company, you can place magnetic business cards on your car (blown up size for better viewing) or anywhere else that they may stick. Magnetic business cards do not have to be the same size as regular business cards, but that is also an option. Either way, you are going to make a positive impact.
This is not to say that you should not buy regular paper cards as well. The two used together can make a very effective marketing plan. Most business card printers will also be able to supply you with magnetic business cards. These magnetic business cards can appear exactly the same as the paper version, but printed on a magnet. If you would rather have a different design printed, you can do that as well. If your printer does not offer this service, you can check out the yellow pages and find one that does. Or go online and visit Vistaprints. I get all my busineess cards from them and have for years.
Even though magnetic business cards are not used a lot, they can be very effective. Order yourself a couple batches and see if you get any results. This marketing effort can help grow your business without spending a ton of money. And that is the name of the game
Keith Londrie II is a well known author. Also see the other site at http://business-card-info.info/
for a wealth of information.
Radio Or Television – Is One Better Than The Other?
Making the most of your media efforts is important to every organization. Even more important is maximizing your profit potential when advertising through radio, television, and other methods of exposure.
The two most common forms of advertising consist of radio and television. First off, let’s talk about how radio spots can be an effective form of advertising.
Radio has many distinct advantages that a media buyer should take into consideration. Radio spots can be had on both local and national levels. This allows targeted marketing efforts to be coordinated. In other words, if you are advertising for a local company, you would be best off using local radio stations. Also, radio can be used in cooperation with other media efforts. Many companies find success in using radio spots to correspond with television efforts, or vice versa. This guarantees that you are reaching as many people as possible, both while at home, and while in the car. Also, it should be remembered that people often listen to the radio while on their way to purchase new products. So, if somebody is on their way to the car dealership to look at a new car, and hear a radio spot advertising for the newest luxury sport utility vehicle, the buyer would be more so inclined to check it out. When used alone, or with another form of media, radio advertising can be most effective and a great way to maximize return on investment.
Now let’s talk about advertising via television commercials. To many companies who can afford it, this is the most effective way to reach potential clients. Millions of people spend millions of hour’s everyday watching television, including the commercials. During the Super Bowl, advertisers spend millions of dollars on a single 30 second spot. That alone shows that advertisers feel that television is the greatest way to reach the largest amount of the population, with the smallest amount of effort. Like the radio, television spots are also available on both a national and local level. During the Super Bowl advertisers are paying to be seen by everyone watching the game, thus the price increases greatly. On a more local level, companies can place spots on local access television stations. Again, if you are going for a more regional presence, local stations would more than likely be the way to go. It will save you time, and also ensure that you are in front of your most prized customers.
The biggest factor in determining which media to use, outside of who your audience is, would be money. It is much less expensive to run a 30 second local radio advertisement than running a 30 second television spot during the Super Bowl. All of these factors are taken into consideration by the buyer before making a decision.
Overall, both radio and television provide a great way to get your message out. The more research that is done before the buying, the better chance you will have of making the most of your hard-earned money. The next decision will be think about whether you want a 40 inch television or a 35 inch television.
Kevin Dark is an online marketer. Know more about his new project at http://www.invicti.info
How To Tell The World About Your New Gizmo
The Internet has opened an immense number of doors for Internet businesses to market their products and services and gizmos. Becoming your own boss and establishing a national or global audience has never been easier. Some of the quality Classified Ad Distribution Sites will provide entrepreneurs with their own storefront. In addition, their is little or no programming knowledge required for these ready-made sales web site, as the administrator of the Classified Ad Distribution Site will ensure modern and enhanced features for consumers to find and purchase your products or services. However, there are a few elements to familiarize yourself with prior to deciding where you want to advertise.
Free Classified Ads
If you explore the Internet, you will find a variety of web sites that are promoting “Free Classified Ads”. Many advertisers will jump in and take advantage of these offers, without researching the possible ramifications. However, you should use prudence when dealing with these types of web sites. If they do not provide a Privacy Policy, steer clear of them all together.
Always remember, maintaining a web site has a price. If they are not selling their advertising space, another method is being used to generate income.
A frequent practice is the sale of e-mail addresses. In an online report by the University of Arizona, they describe how spammers obtain e-mail addresses. They went on to say, “Many sites, when the dot-bomb implosion hit, realized a list of e-mail addresses was an asset to be sold. The people buying didn’t care if you only opted-in to one site. They had your address and probably sold it off again and again.” There is a huge market for e-mail addresses. In fact, the value of an e-mail address rose considerably with the new legislation enforcing the “Can-Spam Act”. By opting-in to a web site, and providing your e-mail address, you are agreeing to allow that specific advertiser to market to you via your address. You are not agreeing to have your e-mail address marketed to other, less than honest businesses. Most of us appreciate your faith in us as honorable business folks and protect your information and privacy as though it was our own. I, like many others, NEVER share your e-mail address outside my own company.
There are some Free Classified Ad Distribution Sites that are legitimate. Some sites may advertise, “Free Classifieds,” but charge for extended time-periods of the advertisement’s run. For example, an advertisement that will run for one week is free. In contrast, an advertisement that runs for one month has a fee. In addition, some free Classified Ad Distribution Sites may charge a fee for additional features. This may include making yours a featured advertisement, bold text, color, graphics, placement of your advertisement above all others within a category, etc.
In any case, look for a Privacy Policy. Ensure that the web site clearly states they will not sell, trade, or share your registration information.
Features to look for in a Classified Ad Distribution Site
When choosing a Classified Ad Distribution Site, take a look at some of the features they offer. A good advertising venue should concentrate on customer friendliness. Navigation should be clear and simple for the user. They should offer features that help patrons shop and compare. This is what will make consumers come back to the resource for their future needs.
Here are some basic features to look for:
Classified Search Engine: While some people enjoy sifting through the vast quantities of Classified Ads, others want a Search Engine that will filter out the ads that are of no interest to them. The site should offer a search engine, and an advanced search engine that allows surfers to sort ads by specific item information. For example, a consumer should be able to shop for cars by the manufacture, model, location, price range, mileage, and other details related to the car they want.
Classified Watch List: Watch Lists are a more recent feature that will automatically notify a buyer when an item is advertised on the web site. This feature ensures that advertisements are targeted to customers that are interested in the offer you have. In addition, it informs the customer without their having to continually browse the internet.
Simple Navigation: The buyer side of the web site should have clear and fundamental navigation. If a buyer has to pass through several pages before seeing products for sale, avoid the site. They will not appreciate having to click on an assortment of links to find what they’re interested in. Classification of the products listed on the web site should be easy and straight forward.
Target Audience: The web site you are advertising has a Target Audience. If you are advertising something in Europe, it would not make much sense to place your advertisement on a Classified Ad Distribution Site for the United States. This will apply to other countries that speak similar languages as well.
Other Content: In addition to a Classified Marketplace, web sites need to offer additional content to ensure that users enjoy the web site. Content is what keeps people coming back, or draws them to a web site.
In my next article, I’ll talk about how to go about writing the sales copy that will make your prospects want to buy your gizmo.
Don Resh is CEO of WebForce, Inc. He is a respected authority on Internet Marketing, especially in the area of home based business. A more detailed bio is available on his web sites at:
http://www.WebForceSolutions.com
http://www.BizBuildSoftware.com
http://www.TurboMaxSoftware.com
How To Write Compelling Copy That Will Sell Your New Gizmo
What many may consider the most important part of advertising is writing an effective ad. The information that you provide in your classified ad may be the deciding factor in whether it is succeeds or a bombs.
Create a variety of advertisements that employ various approaches. Be prepared to revise your content from time to time. This ensures that you are representing different aspects of your offering. In addition, you can promote your product from several angles, to see which will produce the best results.
Choosing the approach to your advertising may vary, depending on what you are offering. Writing a Classified Ad is not much different than writing an essay, although it clearly is not a literary work. There are three general approaches that you should consider using to promote your product. These are Expressive ads, Persuasive ads, and Informative Ads. However, you should always include a “call to action” regardless of the approach you choose. Additionally, it may not be a good idea to mix any of the three forms. This is because advertisements need to have focus and be to the point.
Here are some definitions and examples of the different types of advertising:
Writing an Expressive Classified Ad
An expressive advertisement is very personal. Expressive ads may be a good idea for a small business, wanting to use a personal approach. When taking an expressive approach, think of writing an excerpt of the day in a journal. As the writer of the advertisement, you want to express your personal feelings, thoughts, or opinions related to the product or service. For example, a Business Opportunity may be advertised as, “I made over $100,000.00 in one year. I cannot believe how easy it was”. This eliminates the need to use examples or testimonials, as the author becomes the example.
Writing a Persuasive Classified Ad
A persuasive advertisement is used to convince the reader or change their opinion. To be successful with a persuasive classified ad, the writer needs to have a firm, direct, and clear point. The goal is to induce a reaction that causes the reader to have the same point-of-view as the Author. A very common form of advertising that uses a Persuasive approach is the Government’s “Register to Vote,” Campaign. They are generally direct and to the point. They provide a succinct reason why you should register to vote. “Make your voice heard.” By making a simple benefit obvious, they are accomplishing the task of the persuasive advertisement, getting unregistered citizens to register.
Writing an Informative Classified Ad
Informative advertising provides information to the reader and generally explains what is being offered. When constructing such an advertisement, the author should demonstrate observations, ideas, facts, statistics, or research data. This is rapidly becoming a very common method of advertising on the internet, as more people are becoming information hungry. Consumers want to know what they are buying. In addition, this is a wise choice if consumers cannot physically see the item you are selling. An example of Informative Advertising is an auto manufactures advertisement for their cars (not dealerships). They generally print large advertisements that inform readers of the engine horsepower, torque, maintenance schedule, improvements from prior models, available colors, wheelbase, seating, trunk size, etc. All the information is based on facts and research. It allows consumers to compare their vehicles to similar models from another manufacturer without taking a test drive.
Headlines and Body of your Classified Advertisements
Headlines are often referred to as titles, and are extremely important in grabbing the reader’s attention. Headlines should always be typed in capital letters. In addition, use simple name recognition techniques. For example, if you are advertising a Car for Sale, input the Make and Model for the headline. In contrast, if you are selling Real Estate, you should use the street and town where the property is located.
Business advertisements should always use the name of the company. The more the name is seen, the better your Public Relations becomes.
Don’t overextend the headline. An example of an overextended headline is adding, “Car for Sale,” when placing an advertisement under a, “Cars for Sale,” category. This text is redundant, as the consumer is already aware that they are looking at, “Cars for Sale”.
Consider what you see from professional journalists that writes columns in a newspaper. Simple and to the point. Inform the reader what the Classified Ad is promoting. The pros never mention the words that are already in the columns’ header (Entertainment, Movies, Lifestyle, etc..).
The text or body of your classified ad is very important. First, the body of your advertisement needs to have proper grammar. Having a classified ad with typos gives a bad impression. Next, make sure the body is easy to read. This can be accomplished by using paragraphs with short sentences and avoiding all capital letters. Keep in mind, the body is not a headline. You already grabbed the consumers’ attention. After all, they’re reading your advertisement.
The goal at this point should be to make the experience pleasant. Finally, end the advertisement with a call to action. How does a consumer proceed to accept your offer? What is the next step they need to take if they want to buy? Use power phrases similar to, “Call Now for Further Details”.
Consider the season your target audience is in (depending on the product.) In the winter, people may have different motives to buy than in the hot summer. Also, take into consideration up-and-coming Holidays. Simply wishing a “Merry Christmas” will suggest warm emotions when people are reading your copy. This can help reduce the hard-sell perception the consumer may have while reading your advertisements.
So, good luck and good copywriting. Sit down and write a killer ad to sell your gizmo.
Don Resh is CEO of WebForce, Inc. He is a respected authority on Internet Marketing, especially in the area of home based business. A more detailed bio is available on his web sites at:
http://www.WebForceSolutions.com
http://www.BizBuildSoftware.com
http://www.TurboMaxSoftware.com
Making Money from Inter-Net Traffic, Affiliates, and Ads
After you design your website, obtain a domain name, and list it on the search engines, you should focus on developing the traffic. There are several ways in which you can target traffic to drive it to your website.
Affiliate Programs
One way is starting your own Affiliate Program. An Affiliate Program is a no-risk partnership with a company, which entails the promotion of that company’s products on your website. In return, you earn a percentage of their sales. When you sign up for an affiliate program, you are assigned a special “affiliate URL” that tracks all the visitors you send to a company’s web site and all the sales you generate. Each time someone you’ve referred makes a purchase you earn a commission.
Free Regular Updates
Giving the target users free regular updates on topics of their interest, is another way of driving traffic to your website. You can provide your visitors with professional articles written by the topmost online writers. Most of them allow you to publish their articles on your web site completely free of charge. You can use a service to locate quality articles on the internet available for free publication and turn them into HTML to publish on your website every week.
Search Engines
Pay-per-click search engines are also an effective means of getting high traffic. You can bid on the targeted keywords for as little as .001 per click and get the targeted traffic.
Plan Effective Advertising Strategies
After you build reasonable traffic, you must convert your visitors into customers who are willing to pay for your products or your advertisers’ products. To achieve this any advertising on your site must be closely related to the content that brought the prospective customers there in the first place. You can induce the traffic driven to your site to buy in the following ways.
1 Paid Advertising: Sell your ad space to advertisers who have products related to the content on your website. The rate of online advertising has reduced considerably. This results in the advertisers making modest payments for ad placements on websites, unless the websites are the most visited ones.
2 Third Party Ads: You can place third party ads on your website and earn revenues from them. A search engine matches the ads to your site by finding similarities in the keywords of each ad. Earnings depend on how much the advertisers are paying the search engine for the keywords and how many people click those ads on your site. You can earn anywhere between $0.03 and $15.00 per click and as much as several hundred dollars a day, if you have a well-optimized site that draws lots of targeted traffic.
3 Promote Affiliate Products: Recommend products of your affiliates. The affiliate ads on your website can appear in a variety of forms ranging from a standard banner ad to an article about the company with a link at the end. All the ads, affiliate or otherwise, on your website must be closely related to the content of your site. Only then can the search engines locate them and direct them to the target users.
The Fundamentals of Website Trafficking
It isn’t difficult to generate traffic for your website and to translate it into revenues, if you understand the fundamentals clearly. You must provide a website that entertains the prospective buyers and keywords that drive them to the site. Once they get to your site you must sell them on a product whether it is your product or the product of an affiliate.
David Gass is President of Business Credit Services, Inc. His company publishes a free weekly e-newsletter on Small Business Consulting at their web site http://www.smallbusinessconsulting.com