Tag: advertising
Advertising Secrets
When I first got into the online advertising business, I was looking for the magical combination that would put my website into the top search engine rankings, catapult me to the forefront of the minds or individuals looking to buy my product, and generally make me rich beyond my wildest dreams!
After succeeding in the business for this long, I’m able to look back on my old self with this kind of thinking and shake my head.
If you’re reading this article and you’ve come this far, you’re probably looking for the magic answer yourself. You’ve probably read a few dozen or a few hundred articles just like this about pay-per-click advertising, maximizing return on investment, keyword stuffing, black-hat seo tactics, text-link banner exchanges, and the list goes on.
Well, I’m here to tell you that I have the one be all end all answer and I’m sharing it with the world!
The truth is that there is no magic secret to online advertising. No one method will generate the largest amount of income/exposure for every website or business imaginable – it’s all a matter of trial and error, time and talent.
That’s a pretty weak answer, I know. It would have been much cooler for me to tell you that buying tiny classified ads in your local paper was the key to success and riches. Well, I’m sorry. For the few of you that have been down this road before and are starting to get it, you’ll hear a ring of truth in my words. The sooner you stop looking for a quick fix to make your message stick, the better.
For what it’s worth, these are my thoughts.
1) The internet has only been alive for a few short years, and in that time it has changed dramatically many times over. Remember in 1995 when everyone first discovered the cool little animated envelope .gif that you would click on to send them email? Where was your online bill-pay, instant messaging, and dynamically generated page content then? And only a few short years later you can see how far we’ve come and use that as a measure for how far we can go.
The point is that the internet, like other forms of media, is a rapidly evolving monster. What works for online advertisers today might be completely ineffectual only a few months from now. That’s why the best advertisers are constantly researching and creating their own unique marketing strategies. The trick is to find out what works for you, and to make sure that you revisit it from time to time to tune it up as the market changes.
2) You Have to Spend Money to Make Money. It’s a tired line, but it’s that way because everyone says it. Don’t be afraid to add fuel to your advertising fire and take it to another level. Try investing (note that I said investing and not spending) five, ten, or fifty thousand dollars in advertising. If you don’t jump out a window the first time you do it, you may walk away with a big smile and a little pocket money!
The hard part about investing a big chunk of money is coming up with it in the first place. If you already have $50,000 laying around for advertising and are just looking for a place to put it, give me a call. If you’re not that lucky, try looking at the Small Business Administration for ideas on how to get a small business loan.
If you don’t want to go farther than your mailbox, examine some of those credit checks your bank keeps sending you in the mail. A lot of people take advantage of their fairly reasonable interest rates to fund projects.
3) Presentation is Key. You’ll find that excellent writing skills and good marketing go hand in hand. As you improve on one, the other is bound to follow. Knowing how to write, and how to write well will give you an extraordinary advantage of the majority of individuals vying for your customers’ attention. I don’t know about you, but I get a lot of spam for people wanting to sell me their “good, cheap, A+ #1 $$$ rolex watch, discount Viagra, H0t s1utz, etc.”
Needless to say, I have never purchased anything from them and most likely, neither have you. If you have, please drop me a line and let me know how it worked out. I’m always wondering how many of those are a scam.
The emails and circulars that I do purchase from come from GoDaddy, buy.com, Google and a host of other professional companies that take a few minutes to earn my trust with good punctuation, grammar, and quality content.
If you don’t have a talent for writing (and you know who you are) you have two choices:
Get better – easier said than done. Like most things, writing is one part talent and nine parts hard work. Take some classes, do peer editing suggestions, or send it to me look over (first ten-thousand submissions only).
Or, get someone else to do it – leaving more time for you at the helm. I like this option not only because it’s a time saver for me, but also because the work generally comes out better than anything I could have done. This article is an excellent example. I provided a detailed outline, some good anecdotes, and the strategies above and the copywriters at danifer.com did the rest. I made a deal with them to write the article for $149 and we share the syndication rights. Not bad for half an hour’s work.
If you can’t afford to hire a pro, be courteous to yourself and your audience by simply re-reading your work, running a spell check, and letting your wife/husband/friend/co-worker look it over. You’d be surprised at how many things invisible to you will stand out to a fresh set of eyes.
OK. That’s all I’ve got for now. Stay tuned at howtoadvertise.net for more advice on how to get started with online advertising. Please remember though that how far you go is up to you. There is no substitute for your own work and effort in succeeding in this business.
Good Luck!
More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar
Originally posted 2018-05-04 09:25:00.
Advertising on a budget — Part 3: Frequency, frequency, frequency
This is the third article of a three-part series. I’m illustrating the marketing challenges of PrescottWeddings.com, a small business.
If you don’t remember anything else about marketing, remember this: Frequency is king.
The more often you can get your name in front of your potential and current customers, the more likely you will make a sale.
Depending on what study you look at, people need to see your message anywhere from three to 27 times before they act upon it.
And, if you want to brand your business, then you need to get it in front of your customers as often as possible.
How do you think Ivory Soap, Campbell Soup and Tide all built their brands so deeply into our minds? Through years and years of repeatedly advertising. That’s why those brands pop into our head when we think about soap, soup or laundry detergent.
So if you want to build your brand, then you need to advertise frequently.
There’s another benefit to advertising frequently. It also helps your current customers.
People like to know they made the right decision after they purchased something. How much reassurance they need depends on how much they spend, but everyone needs some confirmation they made the right decision. Your advertising can help.
Studies have shown that people are more aware of car ads after they purchased a car — specifically car ads of the model they bought. And they’re more likely to both believe and approve of the message. Again, because they want to know they made the right decision.
So there are many good reasons to advertise frequently. Does that mean you have to spend a fortune? Not necessarily. There are a few tricks you can use to get the frequency you need at a low cost. (These are print tricks — other advertising outlets, such as radio and online, we’ll talk about in future issues.)
1. Make your ad as small as possible. Small ads cost less. See “Advertising on a Budget ñ Part 2: Thinking Small” for more information on shrinking your ad.
2. It’s better to schedule your ads to run all at once than spread them out. People will never remember when they don’t see your ad, only when they do. If they see your ad a lot in one week, they’re going to be under the impression you advertise all the time because they won’t remember NOT seeing your ad other weeks.
3. Take advantage of any frequency programs your newspaper offers. And definitely sign a contract — don’t run ads under the open rate.
Here’s how it worked for PWC.
The newspaper had a program called “3 For Free.” If you ran an ad three days in a row, you got the next three days for free (the paper was published six days a week).
We designed a tiny ad — a one by two inch ad — and we ran it six days in a row. Then we skipped the next three weeks and did the same thing again the next month.
After a year of doing this, PWC had people coming up to her telling her they saw her ad “all the time.” Business owners wanted to advertise on PWC because they could see the commitment PWC had to advertising. Brides and grooms were visiting PWC on a regular basis because they were being “reminded” monthly.
What did all this cost? About $100 a month.
But, a word of caution. It takes time to build a business and a brand. It won’t happen overnight. But it will happen, especially if you remember to keep getting your name in front of your customers and potential customers as often as you possibly can.
More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar
Originally posted 2018-05-03 08:00:00.
Advertising Ideas To Get Your Mind Bubbling
There are a couple of truths that seem to apply to many small businesses, especially ones that are also newly established. One of them is that budgets do not allow for all ideas to be implemented. Another is that advertising is necessary. A quick look over these two statements will result in a belief that they are contradictory factors of a business if they are both true. That is unfortunately a misconception held by many new business owners. As we all know the majority of new business to not make it past their second year in business.
One of the factors that can assist in the difficulties of establishing a new, small business is the belief that important money to sustain the business cannot be spent on advertising. The allocation of money to advertising usually has a very low priority in a small businesses budget. This is a mistake, advertising is necessary, but there are a number of ways that it can be done in a cost effective manner.
First on a businesses list should be the largest yellow pages ad they are able to afford. Although the phone book is an old form of advertising with the importance that the internet is taking on, this is still one of the first things potential clients do when looking for a business or product.
Other print advertising ideas can be done with newspaper advertising. Local papers can get your geographic region narrowed in on. This is especially important given that the majority of small business clients come from a 3 to 5 mile radius. Also, papers can be good because they frequently have specialized advertising sections, which will be read by just the people you want. Local business groups also create special advertising sections that can be a great advertising idea and cost effective too.
Other ideas might look into specialized magazine advertising, using vehicle graphics and using the billing and other mailing necessities you have to further promote upcoming events and specials. There are a lot of ways out there that offer advertising idea possibilities, but the one thing that must be adhered to is that you must do something.
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Originally posted 2018-04-30 21:17:00.
Advertising and Internet: a Long term relationship
Entrepreneurs these days work hard to take their business to the next level. Now, they are frequently using Internet as an important medium for advertising. To create brand awareness and to reach universal markets, online advertising is now excessively used. In India alone, over 41,000 advertisers have advertised on Internet, which means around 46 million advertisers. This makes India a sizeable target market for Internet advertisers.
Due to rise in competition, online advertisement agency or online advertising companies are hired. They help in promotion and well planned advertising. This also proves that advertising is the major part of promotional blend and also is crucial for achieving success. It is always a good idea to start the advertising campaign with best planning and proper coordination of advertising agency and advertising company.
It is acknowledgeable that online advertising is valuable since it reaches out more and is best for the advertisers. Any person of any social segment can view online advertisements. Another main positive feature of online advertising is that this type of advertising is not restricted by time zones or geographical boundaries.
To create an impact on potential customer and to ensure good returns, advertisers donít hesitate on ad spends. They are assured that returns would be considerably good. A successful advertising campaign becomes obvious only when ads are placed right and are targeted perfectly.
The many search engines on Internet have drawn attention towards advertising through information technology. This helps common buyer also deeply as a person always tries to find out more about the product before buying the needful product of service.
If a person wants to go for banner advertising, then a lot of aspects those have to be managed intentionally. A professional Internet advertising agency or an Internet advertising company can be appointed for it.
Internet advertising comes under new media. Online advertising or Internet advertising is a whole new world of potential. It is not just cheaper but a very fast medium also. Youngsters spend a lot of time online; therefore to get money, tricks like ëclick throughí on advertisements are uses. In some collages, companies give free Internet access. For any company; youngsters are a major market, therefore most feasible to create brand familiarity. For this purpose companies provide free games, chat rooms, free downloads, etc. By doing this, the advertiser tends to create a positive notion for the product in youngsters mind.
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Originally posted 2018-04-28 08:51:00.
Advertising – Are You Wasting Your Money?
Anybody who has a product to sell, an idea to promote or a service to offer relies on advertising to get the attention they require.
There are so many forms of advertising that finding the correct medium can sometimes be a daunting task.
Depending on the type of business, or the reason for your need for promotion you may find it easier to seek some professional advice.
Firstly you need to decide who your target market is, whether it is men or woman, older generation, younger generation, companies etc.
Secondly you need to ascertain whether your market is local, national or global. This is important, as leaflet dropping in your local supermarket car park is fine if your product or service is a local one, but if your services can be offered world wide or nationally, then you are seriously losing out on the largest percentage of your market.
Once you know who you are planning to target, and where they are, you can begin to research the how, which are the options you have available.
There is an absolute ton of free information on the internet, and if you are reading this, you must have access to it!
If you have a low budget, try doing the advertising yourself, you can knock up some great leaflets from your own pc, (providing your market is local).
Making a website has become a lot easier over the years, and if you shop around you can get some great prices on hosting packages and domain names. Try downloading a free html editor, preferably with a wysiwyg platform, (what you see is what you get), there is a wealth of information on the internet to guide you through making a simple website.
If you have a bigger budget, then consulting with one of the many advertising companies is an option. These people can advise you, and come up with some fantastic ideas, but be sure to shop around and not just go with the first company you come across. Prices will vary, and their expertise will vary also, so itís an idea to ask to see some references, or some of their projects with other clients that they have worked on.
Done correctly, and with proper research, advertising will reap rewards. It is after all one of the most important factors in any business. So I personally, would always recommend that you give this area the attention it deserves!
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Originally posted 2018-04-27 23:41:00.
Advertising: Laying Your Cards on the Table
Successful marketing is not really measured in how many customers you were able to sell today. To be really able to say that you have a great marketing strategy is to be able to know that your customers were happy and satisfied with their purchase and that they were able to get their moneyís worth.
There was a time in history when advertising was overstated. This was during the time when advertising was still new and only few people were aware of it. All business owners have to do is make up some claims and hopefully many people will be attracted to buy their products. But today, this strategy doesnít work anymore. People are much wiser these days when buying products and availing of services. They know that when a certain marketing material is exaggerated it has hidden flaws and faults. Competition is also stiff that is why business owners would rather put sincere advertising in their materials than risk losing their customers and their business.
So when businesses need to promote something these days they make sure that it contains good content, design and of course honest advertising. Customers are fussier these days. They make sure that they get their dollarís worth for whatever product they buy. So letís say you want to advertise your new products through posters. It is important to not only put a lot of attention to the design but to the content as well. What you put in your poster will reflect not only your business and product but who you really are. If you are able to convey a sincere and professional impression to your target customers then they might continue buying your products and even refer you to their friends and colleagues.
In addition to honesty in your contents, you can also add humor to it. People never fail to recognize a good laugh when they see one. It is always pleasing for people to read funny and lighthearted materials. Consequently, they would never look at your poster as an advertisement; rather they would be encouraged to see what is it that you have to offer.
Remember that your business image is priceless so you have to maintain and preserve it at all times. And keep in mind that the success of your business will most likely depend on how you project your image to your prospects. So be very careful in what you write in your advertisements. Write and edit them with utmost regard for honesty, bluntness and common sense.
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Originally posted 2018-04-27 10:44:00.
Advertise, Advertise, Advertise
Many people sign up for affiliate programs with the hopes of making some serious money. They advertise a few places and then wait for the money to start pouring in. When it doesnít, they blame it on the program and quit.
I am convinced the only way to make money online is to have a consistent Advertising plan. A plan you are willing to work hard on and commit to for a selected period of time. When making this plan, you need to do two things. First, you should pick a few affiliate programs that are of interest to you. Second, you need to decide how long you want to work these programs. Once you decide on a time period (I recommend 6 months to a year), you must make a promise to yourself that you will not stop advertising until that time period is up. This is perhaps the most important factor in your success.
Next, you need to consider your advertising options: traffic exchanges, classified ads, e-mail campaigns, ezine articles, posting to forums or message boards, chatting with others who are interested in what you have to offer, and posting flyers around your town. Now you see the many possible advertising avenues you can choose from. I recommend doing all of them. It may sound like a lot of work, but when broken down into a plan, it is not.
One possible plan may look like this: Traffic Exchanges-1 hour per day. Post 15 classified ads per day. Make 5 posts to a message board or forum per day. Submit an article once per week to an ezine. Visit chat rooms and distribute flyers as you have extra time during the week. This all can be accomplished by spending 2-3 hours per day. You will be surprised how much you get done when you have a plan. You may also choose whether you will work 5 or 6 days per week. Make a checklist for each day of the week, and mark each task off as you finish it. That will keep you on focus, and will make you feel good that you are one step closer to reaching your goal.
Make a commitment to your new plan and donít get involved in any other programs until your current programs are making you money consistently. Donít give up. Sticking with this plan will significantly improve your success. Remember, Advertise, Advertise, Advertise.
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Originally posted 2018-04-26 19:54:00.
dvertise to millions -#6- Multiple marketing techniques.
Introduction:
This is a series of articles about marketing and advertising. There are different ways you can reach an audience of millions of individuals all around the world. I show you on this series how to implement profitable strategies in your marketing career.
It has been said that “what matters is not what you sell but how you promote it.” So, the secret to success lays within your marketing techniques. That’s why it is very important for business owners to develop skills which allow them to increase the sales of their products.
One of the most important skills you must have is the ability to reach a lot of people quickly. To do this you need to realize how powerful media is an how it can drastically increase your revenues.
– Newspaper ads –
Americans read their newspapers a lot, that’s a fact. Check the statistics and you will realize that the newspaper have always being a good place to advertise. Depending on the kind of products or services that you sell you could use the American’s newspapers to generate new sources of income for your business.
It doesn’t matter whether you live in the USA or not. For example if you own an international e-business this could bring you good profits. I think this is another way you can diversify your marketing strategies.
There is a website called Nationwide Newspapers https://www.nationwideadvertising.com/, which allow you to post your ad in thousands and even millions of papers all around the country for a low fee. Imagine how much publicity you can get from that! You choose your budget and everything. They have different advertising packages to suit different business needs.
Whatever you choose to market, always use powerful phrases in your messages. The most effective ads are brief but they have the ability to act upon the feelings of the readers. Motivate them, intrigue them, make them feel the heat. Always remember that short phrases with a strong emotional impact are the most effective ones.
– Highway billboards –
If you want to advertise outdoor some companies may help you with this project like for example https://www.billboard-ads.com/. Keep in mind that this is an expensive type of advertisement. To rent an ad space on a well populated area will usually cost you a few thousand dollars per month.
On the other hand, I think the best choice you have is to buy a piece of land in or near a mayor highway and set everything up by yourself. Learn about the laws and regulations in your specific state. Probably the most important agency you will have to contact is your state Department of Transportation.
Visit https://www.tdot.state.tn.us/links.htm to find your state agency. They can give you specific information about this subject. Basically you will have to fill out an application where you affirm that you own the land where the billboard will be placed and you will pay an annual fee which may range from $100 to $500 depending on the state you live. To have someone design and create the ad for you will cost you $1,000 to $3,000. That’s a one time fee you will pay.
How much publicity can you get from this? A lot! But it all depends on your ad’s location. If your ad is next to a highway with a high traffic volume, let’s say that on average 45,000 different drivers travels through said highway everyday, then there will be more than a million individuals watching it every month.
That’s a lot, but to be honest with you, this kind of advertisement works better for local businesses like nearby restaurants or real estate Companies than for other kinds of businesses. Also transnational corporations with a large advertising budget, which would like to build reputation would want to have many billboard ads across the nation.
Small business owners usually prefer to market their products using other less expensive techniques. Anyway, I included this information here because I thought some of you would like to read about it. After all this is another way you can reach a vast amount of individuals in an everyday basis.
– TV Commercials –
To advertise on television will have a powerful impact on your business revenues. Different factors will determine how much this marketing strategy will cost you. For example the price vary depending on the channels you choose, how often you will advertise, etc.
There are some Companies which can help you reach your clients easily. I think the two most popular are https://www.nationaltvspots.com/ and https://www.metromarkcorp.com/. In National TV Spots some marketing packages start as low as $26 for a 30 seconds spot. This is other way to diversify your marketing techniques.
– Magazine Ads –
You can advertise on magazines and save up to 80% off the regular price. There is a company called Media Bids – https://www.mediabids.com, which allow you to meet other marketers as well as to choose among different marketing packages available. The service is free. You only pay for an ad if you choose to make a purchase.
As you can see, these techniques can increase your exposure and help you get more clients. You can read about other effective marketing techniques from my other articles on this series.
More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar
Originally posted 2018-04-26 04:19:00.
Advertising: Relationships vs Business Decisions
Successful businesses know the importance of building and maintaining good working relationships, whether it is with partners, employees, business or trade organizations, the government, media representatives, vendors, consumers, or the community at large. A business must carefully balance the benefits of these interpersonal relationships and should never allow these relationships to blind their judgment especially when it relates to what is in the best interest of the business’s continued success and growth
Buying advertising media based on interpersonal relationships is a common mistake made by many small businesses. This strategy throws the business’s strategic marketing plan into the winds of chance in exchange for the warm and fuzzy feelings that come with doing business among friends. However, when the smoke clears the business has made costly advertising expenditures with little or no results and the long term negative effects may not readily be seen. Simply, the marketing / advertising expenditures have been made, the budget may or may not be busted, and the results may be none to little measurable penetration into the business’s target demographic market segment.
Is buying media from a friend in the business always bad? No, however in order to choose the most effective media channels a business must first consider the audience or customer it is trying to reach. Developing a strong sense of the target demographics’ buying and shopping patterns, interests and hobbies, entertainment and media choices for example will lend itself a tremendous benefit to making informed media buying choices. Once the advertising business has developed a strong sense of what media channels may prove to be the most effective it should try each a little at a time carefully tracking the results of each. Once this is complete the business will be able to make an educated decision on where to invest its marketing dollars, prioritizing expenditures into the mediums that have proven results for the business.
It is true that strong interpersonal relationships skills and the ability to develop and maintain good working relationships with a variety of people, businesses, and other organizations are imperative in today’s business environments. However, the importance of a well designed and implemented strategic marketing plan can not be understated and is paramount to the business’s development and longevity never taking second seat to friendship.
More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar
Originally posted 2018-04-21 00:27:00.
Advertise to millions -#2- Classified ads, e-zine promotion, safe lists.
Introduction:
This is a series of articles about marketing and advertising. There are different ways you can reach an audience of millions of individuals all around the world. I show you on this series how to implement profitable strategies in your marketing career.
It has been said that “what matters is not what you sell but how you promote it.” So, the secret to success lays within your marketing techniques. That’s why it is very important for business owners to develop skills which allow them to increase the sales of their products.
One of the most important skills you must have is the ability to reach a lot of people quickly. To do this you need to realize how powerful media is an how it can drastically increase your revenues.
– Classified ads –
Free classified ads are another way you can advertise online at no cost to you. They represent on the Internet what a newspaper ad represents on the streets. You can post ads to thousands of web sites and reach millions of internet users.
The drawback of this strategy is that it is time consuming, but once you get used to it you will realize which are the easier ad sections to post to and the most effective ones. It may take some time though before you discover those that fit you well.
You can post your ads to the following websites:
https://classifieds.excite.com/
https://finditclassifieds.com
https://washingtonpost.com
Among others.
– E-zine promotion –
You can post an add to a vast amount of individuals by submitting it to many different e-zines at once. This is simple and free. Just go to https://www.subscribeme.net/ read the information they provide for you there and complete their form.
Your ad will be displayed in hundreds of e-zines all over the Internet. There is a combined amount of more than 1,000,000 subscribers at those web sites, so you will gain a lot of exposure from them.
I think it is better if you use an alternate e-mail address for this purpose. You can get a free email address from Yahoo. When I joined the list I received many messages every day.
This technique could bring you additional traffic. The only problem I see is that most other individuals also join the list to advertise to other people as you do. So, the goal of most subscribers is to sell products, not to buy them.
I think though it is a good way to diversify your trading strategies. You could give it a try and see if it works for you. Remember to use an alternate email address and read their terms and conditions first.
– Safe lists –
Safe lists are lists of e-mail addresses from people who have requested to receive messages and information about a specific topic. As you probably already know to deliver comments or advertisement via e-mail to others without their consent or authorization is called spamming and is illegal.
Also if you spam others do not expect to receive a reasonable response rate from them. What do I mean? I mean that you can send a message to millions of individuals, but if they are not interested in what you are selling and they didn’t requested that information from you, then you will probably make very few sales, plus you will receive a lot of complaints from hundreds of them.
Then what is the smart way to advertise using e-mail addresses? The answer is safe lists. Think about it. This people are looking for information related to the products or services you are selling. Many of them are even getting paid to read your messages. This technique is also called advertising to targeted opt-in mailing lists. You can create your own list of subscribers.
You can join Yahoo groups https://groups.yahoo.com/ or Google groups https://groups.google.com/ and start your own newsletter. The way you get subscribers is by posting valuable information there that your visitors would like to read. You can also join any of the companies bellow:
Bravenet
https://www.bravenet.com/
Topica
https://www.topica.com/
Zinester
https://www.zinester.com/
Your mailing list provider
https://www.yourmailinglistprovider.com/
Coollist
https://www.coollist.com/
Now, keep in mind that building your own list of subscribers takes time. Some people prefer to pay others for the privilege of advertising on their lists. For example, www.e-mailpaysu.com offer you the opportunity to advertise to their subscribers for a fee. This is just an example. There are many other companies like these on the Internet today and their prices vary.
As you can see, this techniques can increase your exposure and help you get more clients. You can read about other effective marketing techniques from my other articles on this series.
More info’s and free registrations (restricted to pros), please join our live seminar
Originally posted 2018-04-20 18:28:00.