|
|
|
Advertising Approach For The First-time Webmaster
For the first time internet entrepreneur [newbie] the best ways to promote your website at first instance are :
1. Express inclusion of your website for the usual 12 months offered by most of the major search engines. You can choose express...
Free Advertising For Your Online Business
You have finished building your own website. You have introduced
your company and presented your products and services. You have
added propositions and promos to catch your target audience's
attention. You think you are doing everything "right",...
Increasing Your Profits Through Other Peoples Advertising.
How can other peoples advertising increase your online income? One of the first questions I ask a new prospect who joins my family of highly motivated people is: What other programs have you been involved with, and if you are no longer an active...
Learn the Secret of Low Cost Advertising for Your Horse Business
As a ezine publisher I have discovered several methods to target "The Horse Industry" market. Through trial and error this is what I have come up with. It worked for me and I know it will work for you too!
Ezines or newsletters are simply-...
Online Advertising for Dummies
Whether you are checking your email, shopping on a website or just searching for information, online ads are everywhere! A new marketing landscape, the Internet offers a new and cheaper advertising space, as compared to traditional spaces like...
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Seven Inexpensive, Not Cheap, Advertising Tactics
Copyright 2005 Mary Eule
Most small businesses have limited marketing communication, aka advertising, budgets making it even more crucial to research thoroughly; select the best medium(s) and target prospects carefully.
The following list contains seven suggestions for achieving “champagne” results on a “beer” budget!
1. Develop one or several, robust customer referral programs
Although most business owners acknowledge that customer referrals generate a great deal of their new business, very few have implemented a “formal” referral incentive program, even though this is one of the most effective, least risky way to acquire valuable customers… particularly if you’re a service professional!
Example: Offer current customers who refer a friend a free month/hour of service; instant “bottom of the bill” credit; or free merchandise AND a “spiff” for the “referee”! The details are up to you… I go into much greater detail of types of referral programs in my book, “Marketing” The Art and Science of Getting and Keeping Profitable Customers” if you’d like to learn more.
2. Dance with the Guy Who Brought You
There is absolutely no reason to ditch old marketing collateral (marketing lingo for brochures; direct mail letters; signs; point-of-sale displays; ad copy; promotions, etc.) if they still work! It’s okay to use the very same creative, send it to the very same prospects and/or run it in the very same publications over and over again, as long as it generates the desired results. However, it’s always a great idea to continually conduct small, statically valid tests of new looks, offers and messages.
3. Don’t overdo the quality and quantity of your advertising pieces or media mix
Smart marketers know when to “put on the dog” and when it’s a waste of money. Falling in love with fancy four-colored brochures; glitzy magazine ads; primetime TV spots; or silver-embossed letterhead is a huge mistake.
The sales vehicles, look and feel, and quality of all of your marketing communications must be appropriate for your product or service and most importantly, have a measurable impact on its effectiveness.
For example, variables like paper quality and graphics on a direct mail letter are far less important than the offer, so you could potentially save thousands of dollars by cutting back on the frills. The opposite is true when you’re developing a professional brochure meant to represent your company to the outside world.
Bottom line: Don’t do fancy for fancy’s sake… it’s a waste of money; unproductive and may even be totally inappropriate for your target audience.
4. Use studies, reports and articles to assist in educating potential customers about your products or services
This is a wonderful, low-cost way to add clout! Can you imagine including a New York Times article on obesity with your nutritional services direct mail piece? What an impact! Or perhaps the same nutritionist would
enclose a reprint of a medical report that linked certain childhood diseases with poor eating habits?
5.Use Boiler-Plated Literature Templates
What a simple, but powerful, tip! A very perplexing, and often expensive problem is how to develop market-appropriate material for diverse audiences without going broke.
The solution is simple. For instance, you can develop various sales letters using a “boiler plated” template; identical layout and content that are suitable for any audience. However, several predetermined sections are left blank for personalization. This is often called “modular literature”.
6. Don’t change your own car oil
How do you think I know this? You’ve probably had similar experiences… You know the ones… trying to save a few bucks by doing it yourself? So off you go… drive to the store; wait in line; ask questions; look at the merchandise; select the oil, pan, funnel; wait in line to check-out; pay the cashier $24.97; drive back home; try to jack up the car so you can get underneath it to put the pan in place; undo the screw; get some oil in the pan; get most of the oil on you; get the funnel and fill it with the new oil; close everything down; throw your oil-laden shirt in the trash; and take a shower.
Cost? $24.97 in stuff; $1.32 in gas; $25.00 ruined shirt; 3.25 hours of your time; $1,000,000 in frustration… All this, when you could have had it done for you for $32.00!!
Lesson learned: Know what’s best left in the hands of professionals. Low cost is not always best cost!
However, there are times when doing it yourself is smart! If you’ve got better than average computer skills or design talents it’s easy to create things like business cards, letterhead and bill stuffers… but please, unless you’re an ad buyer by trade, do not try to buy, book or design ANY media (especially TV and radio) by yourself! Trust me, you’ll waste more money than you’ll save!
7. Pay suppliers on time
Not only will you endear yourself to vendors, but you can take advantage of your suppliers’ standard early pay discounts or create your own! This also saves money on late fees and will surely make vendors more likely to extend even better prices and offer you ongoing top notch service.
About the author:
Mary Eule specializes in helping small and medium-sized businesses get and keep profitable customers. Formerly a Fortune 500 marketing executive; founder of two successful small businesses and award-winning speaker, Ms. Eule is President of Strategic Marketing Advisors, LLC. and co-author of a new book, "Marketing: What it Really Means and How to Make it Work for Your Business". She holds a master degree in marketing from Johns Hopkins University. Log onto http://www.StrategicMarketingAdvisors.comfor free articles, newsletter and helpful tools, tips and templates .
|
|
|
|
|
| Welcome to Advertising.com |
| This screen will only appear once. The country you select will become the default page for your return visits to Advertising.com ... |
| www.advertising.com |
|
| Advertising - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| Wall or rock painting for commercial advertising is another ... For example, think of an advertising campaign targeting a female audience aged 25 to 45. ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
|
| Online Behavioral Contextual Advertising and Marketing. |
| An advertising network offers content targeted advertising service on CPC/PPC basis. |
| www.clicksor.com |
|
| Online advertising service for webmasters and advertisers. |
| Promote your business with today's most effective internet advertising technology, contextual advertising at a cost effective metric of CPC, PPC, ... |
| www.clicksor.com |
|
| Advertising |
| You've found the ultimate resource for everything advertising. Weekly feature articles, in-depth coverage of the latest advertising mediums and industry ... |
| advertising.about.com |
|
| BidVertiser - Pay Per Click Advertising On Sites Of Your Choice. |
| Pay per click advertising - online advertising directly on sites of your choice, internet marketing solution for online advertisers. |
| www.bidvertiser.com |
|
| Google Advertising |
| Allows you to buy advertising on the Google search engine, or on other sites through its AdSense program. Includes a tour and FAQ. |
| www.google.com |
|
| Business Week Online: Advertising |
| Get advertising information on companies that have appeared in our directories, ... Click here to open a new window to our Special Advertising Section. ... |
| www.businessweek.com |
|
| Texas Advertising @ The University of Texas at Austin |
| Submit your URL to Advertising World ... Search WWW Search advertising.utexas.edu ... Center for Interactive Advertising Updated November 2006. |
| advertising.utexas.edu |
|
| Advertising Standards Authority - Home |
| The ASA is independent regulator for advertisements, sales promotion and direct marketing in the UK. |
| www.asa.org.uk |
|
| Boston Globe Media - Boston.com |
| More than one million registered users allow Boston.com to target advertising by demographics (age, gender, income, job title, and industry), ... |
| www.boston.com |
|
| Lycos Advertise@Lycos |
| Advertising Opportunities on the Lycos Network ... Banner Advertising, Rich Media, Display Advertising on Lycos Network. Ari Bluman - 24/7 RealMedia ... |
| advertising.lycos.com |
|
| PhysicsWeb - Advertising |
| Physics World and PhysicsWeb, the complete solution to your advertising needs ... For detailed guidelines on how to supply your advertising materials, ... |
| physicsweb.org |
|
| MaineToday.com 2006 Online Media Kit |
| ... Kit Why Advertise on MaineToday.com? Advertising Products · Audience · Content Areas · Service · Contact · Advertisers. Why Advertise on MaineToday.com. |
| advertising.mainetoday.com |
|
| The Wall Steet Journal |
| ... go to www.wsj.com/freetrial for a free month of WSJ.com to experience the benefits of using print and online together. spacer. Advertising Information ... |
| advertising.wsj.com |
|
| Inteactive Advertising Bureau |
| Global nonprofit group open to companies actively engaged in the sale of interactive advertising and marketing. Membership features IAB events, ... |
| www.iab.net |
|
| AAF: American Advertising Federation |
| The AAF protects and promotes the well-being of advertising through a unique, nationally coordinated grassroots network of advertisers, agencies, ... |
| www.aaf.org |
|
| MSN Advertising - Online Advertising from MSN including ad ... |
| Online advertising from MSN helps marketers build powerful brand and direct relationships with consumers. |
| advertising.msn.com |
|
| Advertising Association |
| The Advertising Association is a federation of 32 trade bodies representing the advertising and promotional marketing industries including advertisers, ... |
| www.adassoc.org.uk |
|
| Advertising: See what people are saying right now on Technorati |
| See all blog posts tagged with advertising on Technorati. |
| www.technorati.com |
|
|