Advertising Rules Proposed for Business Opportunities in the General Media

Writen by Lance Winslow

There are new rules being proposed for Business Opportunities (Biz Ops), which advertise in the General Media, such as Infomercials, Websites, Radio, Cable or Pod Caste. Have you ever heard some of the business opportunity advertisements out there? Make $10,000 per month stuffing envelopes part-time from your own home?

And you are thinking yah right? Sure I am going to make 10K monthly working a few hours a day in my under ware? Well The Federal Trade Commission agrees, so they have proposed a new set of rules to govern business opportunity advertising in the general media and here is their proposed rule.

Proposed section 437.4(b): General media claims

“Proposed section 437.4(b) would address the making of earnings claims in the general media.197 Specifically, a seller can make an earnings claim in the general media provided the seller:

(1) Has a reasonable basis for the claim at the time the claim is made;

(2) Has written material that substantiates the claim at the time the claim is made;

(3) States in immediate conjunction with the claim the beginning and ending date when the represented earnings were achieved and the number and percentage of those who have achieved the presented earnings in the given time period.

200 These requirements are necessary to prevent deceptive and misleading earnings representations in advertisements, as well as to enable a prospect to assess the typicality of any advertised earnings claim.”

If you are a seller or specialist in the Business Opportunity sector you may wish to comment on this proposed set of rules by the Federal Trade Commission. If you are in the advertising industry, heads up to you also, as you may wish to perhaps ask some questions when your hear outrageous claims from your clients. Consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Advertising Risk - Social Proof Overpowers Authority

Writen by Ron Strand

The other day I was out for a mountain bike ride in a nearby wilderness area. As I neared the woods, I noticed a police SUV stopped by two bikers. It looked like the police were talking to them about something, then the car took off down a trail in the direction of a dense part of the forest. When I reached the bikers that had been stopped by the police car, they flagged me down and told me that a bear had been spotted in the area. The police asked them advertise the presence of the bear to other bikers.

The couple seemed a bit excited. They explained that they were new to the area and asked if bear sightings were common. I told them that I had been riding in the area for fifteen years and had only seen bear twice. I thought this would reassure them that bear were rare. They took it as confirmation that a bear was a very real threat and took off in the opposite direction. I thought I would explore a bit more and went down the trail in the direction of the police and presumably the bear. I didn’t go very far, when I realized that there was no one else on what would normally be a busy trail on a nice Sunday afternoon. Obviously, all the bikers in the area had heeded the warning. So I decided not to press my luck either and left the area.

Heading in the other direction, I decided to follow a trail that runs along side a lake. But to my surprise, there was a big metal gate blocking the trail with a very official looking warning sign advertising that the park authority had closed the trail due to unsafe conditions. I stood there for a moment, and noticed that mountain bikers had been bypassing the gate and using the trail in spite of the warning. I waited a moment longer and could see people heading in both directions on the trail. So I ignored the sign and biked down the trail.

As I biked along the trail, I didn’t see anything that looked dangerous or would cause the trail to be closed. The only thing I could think of was a couple of spots where it looked like some mud had slid down a cliff during a heavy rain. This would have made the trail very slippery in those spots when it was wet. Probably someone had been riding there in the rain, slid and hurt themselves, and sued the park authority. But it had not rained in at least a week and the trail was safe. Leaving the gate up and declaring the trail closed accomplished nothing as people soon learned that there was nothing to fear.

As I continued my ride, I thought about what these two incidents taught me about advertising risk. Two powerful ways to motivate human behaviour are authority and social proof. When risk is communicated, an authority of some sort often delivers the message or is cited by whoever is delivering the message. This makes sense, especially because it is often the authorities and experts who identify the risk in the first place. But communicators need to remember that social proof, the phenomenon of looking to others to guide appropriate behaviour will override authority. Part of a risk communication strategy must anticipate how people are going to react and plan the resulting social proof as a part of the risk communication plan.

Ron Strand is a college instructor and consultant who writes on a variety of topics including golf and fundraising.

Advertising - R.I.P.

Writen by Scott G

A fateful day is coming when there will be no more advertising, marketing, or public relations. Why? Simple: we're killing our industry by being too successful at it.

The communications field keeps finding new ways to send sales messages to target audiences, and by utilizing these new methods to the maximum extent possible, we are strangling the effectiveness of all media. Quite frankly, marketing intrusiveness is out of control.

Ads Beyond Counting.

Some reports claim you'll view 10,000,000 ads in your lifetime, yet with new communication channels and new techniques of marketing, that number is probably under-estimated.

Sponsored data is built into your mail, e-mail, Web sites, video games, online games, magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and media broadcasts. Ads are delivered by TV, radio, phones, outdoor boards, private vehicles, and transit posters. Marketing messages are sprayed on walls, chalked on sidewalks, printed on condoms, acted out in the streets, waiting to ambush you in restrooms, and beamed at you from electronic displays of every shape, size, and description, including sound-emitting urinal cakes.

Viral creations contain ad messages. Word of mouth advertising (WOM) is expanding fast. Channel One delivers commercials to kids in schools.

In stores, RFID (radio frequency identification) chips track your purchases. Watch TV and your selections are tracked. Online, every click is monitored. That information is available for sale, so demographic and psychographic data can be accumulated and you, the targeted consumer, can be more accurately reached.

Sponsormania.

Phrases like this emerge from your radio and TV: "Welcome to the Nextel Halftime Report, brought to you by Toyota." They might reel off a whole string of sponsors for a ten-minute programming segment that features interviews with players and coaches wearing corporate logos while standing in front of electronically shimmering backgrounds displaying other corporate logos. The way we're going, we can soon expect to hear: "Welcome to C-SPAN's coverage of the Halliburton Congress, brought to you by Bechtel."

Ads by the Pound.

Grab the Sunday morning newspaper. Weight: 3.4 lbs. Remove the advertising booklets, inserts, leaflets, flyers, announcements, mini-magazines, and the classified section. Remaining weight of news sections: 1.2 lbs. But each of these sections also contains ads. And some entire sections could be viewed as ad-oriented, such as Entertainment, Style, Food, Real Estate and Automotive.

Most of us don't begrudge the puffery in the movie or TV sections, but we're blurring the line between information and marketing in all other areas of the paper.

In an "article" on a new car were the following phrases: "…unique charm… head-turning good looks along with outstanding usefulness... exceptional headroom… feeling of spaciousness… Definitely a good buy." Mileage was reported to be 22/city and 30/highway. Hardly impressive, yet the article concluded with "attractive gas mileage" as one of the vehicle's features.

I think money changed hands to get that favorable review. Or there was pressure on the writer to state everything in a positive manner so the auto maker as well as their dealers will take out more ads.

We've gotten used to these things in the auto, movie, TV, cooking, lifestyle and home sections. But now they're happening in every section. Indeed, they happen in every aspect of today's communications.

The Pay-To-Say Society.

In advertising, marketing, and public relations, editorial and news coverage are now available for a price. We are in the "pay-to-say" society.

Consider:

* Authors interviewed on TV: the time has been bought and paid for.

* That lighthearted TV show roundup of the best kitchen appliances: the products have been "placed" in the program (just as the clothing, cars, restaurants, cameras, TV sets, furniture, dishware and other products have been placed in movies and TV programming).

* That model/actress/hunk/entrepreneur on a magazine cover: the space has been sold according to a rate card, just like an ad.

* That "news report" on government support of education: the entire mock documentary was written, produced and distributed by the people who want to shape your opinion.

You may be reading this on a Web site that places ads all around the text and/or links to ads embedded in the editorial content, just awaiting your unsuspecting cursor to roll over them.

If you're reading this in a magazine, an RFID may be inside. (For that matter, there may be RFIDs in the lining of your jacket, in your shoes, in your jeans, or in that pack of gum in your pocket.)

The Truth: On Sale.

I once ghostwrote an article for a coalition of companies that made polystyrene products. Their industry was facing problems over the waste issue and they needed to have an upbeat but corporate magazine story about how dedicated they were to recycling. So I was paid three thousand dollars to state their case.

Since I was supplied with reams of input and interviews, the article was full of facts and figures about the miracles of their recycling process, the enticingly high percentage of re-used product that the industry could accommodate in its manufacturing processes, and on and on.

What wasn't in the article was one teeny tiny little fact: there was no means of collecting the used products in order for any of this recycling to take place. That minor detail negated the underlying point of the propaganda. Oops, I mean informative editorial piece.

With the improprieties of Jayson Blair and Judith Miller came doubts about the print media. These doubts grew after learning that a male prostitute was allowed to penetrate the White House press corps so he could lob softball questions to the president's Press Secretary.

The main problem with all of the "advertorial" placements, made-up stories, and outright lying is obvious. What is left for anyone to believe? With everything becoming an ad, people will start to turn away from ad messages in greater numbers.

The NASCARizing of Everything.

We've all seen and made fun of the maze of logos on NASCAR vehicles but now other sports are mulling the idea of ads on uniforms and equipment. Horseracing, the NBA, all sports are considering it.

The digital age has already enabled ads to be placed where ads don't actually exist. For example, there are continually-changing billboards behind the batter in televised baseball games. That would be distracting to the pitcher, so they don't appear in real life, only on your TV screen.

There's a new magazine called "Other Advertising" dedicated to the new forms of advertising intrusiveness. That's where I read about digital outdoor billboards that sense the FM station playing in your vehicle and change the display to match demographic choices that align with your choice of programming.

American Technology Corporation's HyperSonic Sound system and Holosonics' Audio Spotlight are perfecting the ability to direct audio messages to individuals passing nearby. So, for example, based on the RFID chip in your purchases, each person in a checkout line would hear a different ad. (Full disclosure: there is a message about ATC's HSS system in the song "Paranormal Radio" on my ELECTRO BOP album.)

AdverInfoEduTainment.
When I first wrote about the ways advertising messages were being placed inside almost every activity in the universe, I ended the article with some predictions that many people found outlandish, including:

* Debit card scanners in TV sets, so you can order during a commercial with the flick of your remote.

* Barcodes in songs, so you can download from iTunes or Real Rhapsody by swiping your XM or Sirius player with your Visa or MasterCard.

* Credit cards built into wristwatches.

* Interactive ads, where you get to star in a five-minute escape from reality.

* Holographic projections of commercials from postage stamps, car and house keys, magazine covers, etc.

* Microchips embedded under your skin, so YOU will be the receiver for TV, radio, satellite, telephone, and global positioning system signals

I was interviewed on many morning radio programs about how Big Brother might take over all forms of communication. This made for humorous drive-time banter, but what some people overlooked in my list of prognostications was the fact that every one of them had already come true by the time the article was published. They're not all being used in the marketplace due to high costs, but the announcements of their existence have been made.

Ad Industry Usefulness.

Without advertising, marketing, or PR, vital communication is thwarted and sales suffer. Company payrolls are cut and jobs are lost. Industries like manufacturing, packaging, transportation, and retailing are all hurt. Without us, parts of the economy evaporate like a puddle of water on sun-baked concrete.

So, what do we need to do? First, let's own up to what's going on. We justify things by developing highfalutin' names like "branded entertainment," "product integration," "street teaming," "buzz marketing," "positioned journalism," "secured placement," and the like. But when faced with intrusive technology for your marketing messages, ask yourself if you'd like to be assaulted by it. Let's treat consumers like someone we know. Let's treat them with respect instead of like a mark, a patsy, a rube, or a flock of sheep.

Second, can we attempt to insist on wit, taste and genuine humor in the ads and PR we create?

We advertisers are, at best, invited guests into people's homes or the public space. At worst, we are party crashers or unwanted intruders. And we're overloading everything with annoying messages.

Imagine if we behaved in this manner in our daily lives:

"Hi, Shirley! My good morning message is brought to you by Henderson's Hardware, for all your home improvement needs."

"Thanks, Jim! My Have-a-Nice-Day reply is courtesy Magnum Magnificence, your best choice for a complete line of lighting fixtures. Come to Magnum Magnificence and see the light."

Before it's too late, I hope we all see the light.

Scott G owns G-Man Music & Marketing Miracles in Los Angeles (http://www.gmanmusic.com), where he creates radio commercials and composes music for radio and TV spots. Scott adds: "Speaking for voiceover performers, please stop asking us to yell your message, and please stop giving us 72 seconds' worth of copy to read in 60 seconds. Speaking as a composer of commercial music, please don't ask us to rip off other artists' songs."

Advertising: Relationships vs Business Decisions

Writen by Amy Dube

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.

Amy Dube has over 16 years of sales experience and currently works in advertising for a major publishing company.For more free Articles and Marketing Tips go to http://adube.info

Advertising Questions Answered

Writen by Michael Harrison

1) If we accept that every business must have a mailing list. To me this is fundamental. The new business with one customer has a mailing list of one plus prospects?

That list is a means of communicating with the customer, verbally or in writing. Failure to communicate could mean losing the most valuable asset of the business, so your potential customers are just as important.

Cherish your customer(s) and grow your mailing list to consist of customers, lapsed customers, potential customers (qualified prospects), prospects and possibly new leads.

You can tailor your communications to the whole list or segments of the list. Learn how to grow and manage your list.

2) How do we grow the list? One of the most profitable ways is to use classifieds advertisements.

Classified advertising is best used to build a list of qualified prospects. A qualified prospect has been turned from a prospect (someone who may have a need for your product or service) to someone who has an identified need for your product or service.

Because they have responded to your advertising efforts they have indicated a possible need. Use classifieds to offer a free catalogue, booklet or report relative to your product or service.

3) Generally you can sell anything from classifieds so they are great for pulling enquiries with lines such as: Write for further information; free booklet offer, send for product or service information. Be creative in what you offer and have fun developing your advertising skills as you build your list.

4) Advertise all year round. Responses will vary, but by keying your advertisements

according to the month they appear, and by careful tabulation of your returns from each keyed advertisement you will find that steady year round responses will continue.

It has been known for enquiries and orders to still be coming as long as two years after the date of an advertisement! The media used for classifieds can lie around for a long time.

5) How can I decide where to advertise my product or service? Targeting! You have
to know your target market there are many sources of information. Public libraries, trade journals, the Internet and good old word of mouth.

In the UK we have BRAD (British Rate and Data). You are sure to have similar where you are.

BRAD contains information on nearly all journals and magazines in Britain. However you do it, make a list of the addresses, circulation figures, reader demographics and advertising rates.

Individual trade journals will provide a ‘media pack’ if you ask. The pack contains all of the necessary data.

Advertising costs money so at all times you must be sure that you are building your list profitably. The very best way to build your list for free is to get free advertising which you can do by offering an article to the journals.

The best free advertising is from the issue of regular press releases. Editors are always looking for news. Get to know the journals that cover your specialisation and issue a press release on a regular and repeating basis.

This keeps your name in front of your whole list, customers to prospects, and can offer information, free, this is what works every time ‘free information’. Don’t be daunted at the prospect of writing press releases. We show you [How To Write A Press Release] here.

Tip ‘The man who knows most is the first to want to know more’. Use press releases to offer him free information as part of your program of advertising.

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Advertising, Public Relations, Newsletters, and Newsletters for Your Small Business

Writen by Lance Winslow

If you own a small business you should consider ways to promote yourself through public relations to compliment you advertising regiment and keeping your name out in the public and in front of your best customers. There are many ways to keep yourself visible on top of your typical advertising choices. Perhaps you might send some adverting to some newsletters as well as your newspaper print ads, radio and cable advertising. Here are some of the places you should try to place your company’s Public Relations for possible feature stories, ads or announcements:

Local Newspapers

Large Company Employee Newsletters

Contractor Newsletters

Chamber Of Commerce Newsletters

Local Industry News

Real Estate Multiple Listing Books

Local BBS Bulletin Boards

A marketing piece might also be to insert our flyers in the daily newspaper. This usually ranges from $23.00-35.00 per thousand if we print the flyers and $25.00-50.00 per thousand if the newspaper prints them. The newspaper rarely prints flyers in house, although some do. They contract it out because their printing presses are all computerized and specialized for that industry only. Large newspapers such as The Los Angeles Times have really neat programs whereby they will mail a flyer to every residence, which doesn’t take the paper. Christmas time is a bad time to do inserts because it gets lost in all the shuffle of 20 other color catalogs of every retailer under the sun.

Most small newsletter will allow you to insert for a similar price and although the volume is less it is more targeted and thus you get a much bigger percentage ratio of new clientele. You should be thinking here to increase your exposure and attract new clientele to your small business. Think on it.

Lance Winslow

Advertising Primer for Fast Learners

Writen by Nancy Fraser

Advertising, when done well is a very effective way to increase your customer base and ultimately grow your bottom line.

Many businesses have no idea how to advertise; they do a little bit here and a little bit there and end up saying that advertising doesn’t work. Advertising, like everything else in business, requires a systematic, consistent approach. Even when you are getting results, tweaking a good message can make it a great message.

Fundamentals of good advertising:

1. Use a great title…not a cute title but one that grabs attention and communicates what the purpose of the ad is. If you start the ad with the name of your business, you will discourage a large portion of prospective customers from reading your ad because if they don’t know what you do they will often assume you are not speaking to them.

2. Test titles and messages on an on-going basis and measure the response, small adjustments in the ad can increase response by 100% or much more.

3. Take the response you got from an ad and divide the cost by the response to see if it was worthwhile. An ad that doesn’t elicit a response is too expensive no matter how little you spent on the advertising. Give it time don’t just advertise once.

4. Don’t advertise everywhere. Initially choose one medium and one company for your advertising and stick with it. Once you have figured out what works add another medium or company to the mix.

5. Before you place your ad, look at the characteristics of the audience and consider if it matches your target market. Don’t make the mistake of assuming everyone is your target market because they are not. Even if your product has a broad appeal when you consider all factors of who buys you will be able to identify demographic or specialized interest groups that will provide a better return on your advertising investment.

6. Don’t always blame the medium for your lack of result. Once you have identified the unique characteristics of your market it’s incumbent on you to speak to that market using phrases, and communication styles that they relate to. If the publication, radio station, TV station etc. has thousands or hundreds of thousands in their audience and no one responds after a few weeks of advertising, take a good look at what you are advertising and more importantly how you are communicating the information.

7. When you have developed an ad that is working, test small changes to see if you can boost the ad response even more. Make one change at a time to ensure you can identify what the strongest pluses of the ad are.

8. Have you ever heard someone say that they turned their money over to a money manager of some sort and before they knew it, they had lost thousands or hundreds of thousands of dollars? You wouldn’t do anything that foolish would you? Well then why would you turn full control of your advertising dollars to a media sales person for them decide what to advertise and how to communicate it in an ad? Most media reps have your best interest at heart…they want you to get results because it will make their next sale to you that much easier but the ultimate beneficiary of successful advertising is you and you had better be involved. Ask your rep to educate you about their medium and give you some information on their audience. Take the time to read it. Advertising is not an expense; it’s an investment and requires attention to ensure success.

9. If a prospect reads your ad, is there something in the ad that says what you expect them to do? Do you ask them to call and give an accurate phone number or do you want them to come into your store and you give them the address. I don’t know how many times I have seen ads that left off the address or the phone number has a wrong digit or isn’t there at all. If they need to make an appointment, clearly articulate that in the ad.

10. When someone responds to your advertising, make it easy for him or her to do what you expect. If they have to keep playing telephone tag to try to connect with you then it’s going to reduce the effectiveness of your advertising dramatically.

Nancy Fraser is the President of Nota Bene Consulting. She has been helping clients improve their advertising results and grow their businesses for over 20 years. Free advertising and marketing information in Notable News http://www.notable-marketing.com

Advertising Pitfalls

Writen by Kurt Mortensen

Perhaps the greatest obstacle to good advertising is excess. Ads can end up so crammed with ideas and features that they appear dense and uninviting. If over-designed, they can become more artistic than motivational, obscuring the sales message. If over-written, they can become over-subtle or over-cute. Certainly, some of the best ads ever created are clever and visually arresting; but good ads must also sell.


Similarly, selling points may over-promise. Use "largest," "best" and other superlatives only if you can back them up. Avoid any claim that could be construed as deceptive. In addition, make sure the overall tone of your ad is upbeat and appealing. Emphasize the solutions you provide, not the problems you address. And get outside opinions on your new advertising concepts to be certain they carry the personality and message you intend.


Fundamentals of Headlines, Copy and Design


While there are many opinions about what constitutes good headlines, copy and design, most professionals agree that these individual elements of the ad must work together. In combination, they must grab attention, convey a persuasive message and portray a consistent identity. An ad that's too cluttered can't convey a message quickly enough to engage the reader or viewer. One that's out of character with the product or service will be confusing rather than convincing. An effective headline (or a broadcast ad's opening moments) must immediately capture the audience's interest and pull them into the ad. A good rule of thumb is to look for the inherent "drama" in what you are offering and capitalize on that to create an alluring ad.


Examples: "We're Losing Our Minds" - a university ad appealing for funds. And "You Don't Have to Be Jewish to Love Levy's" - a bread company ad featuring a Chinese man biting into a whopping pastrami sandwich.


Next, the photo or illustration amplifies the message. A recent ad for Bull Worldwide Information Systems, for example, showed a satellite photo of the earth with the headline "GloBull."


Once the headline and illustration have drawn the customer into your ad, the copy convinces them to buy. So make it believable, full of information and bolstered with words and style that complement your identity. Almost any Mercedes Benz print ad exemplifies convincing copy in a style that suits the product perfectly.


Broadcast advertising will also involve selecting music, sound effects, actors or announcers and perhaps a theme song. All these elements enhance your message and reinforce your identity but, for the most part, the copy and what it conveys actually do the selling.


Learning how to persuade and influence will make the difference between hoping for a better income and having a better income. Beware of the common mistakes presenters and persuaders commit that cause them to lose the deal.



Conclusion


Persuasion is the missing puzzle piece that will crack the code to dramatically increase your income, improve your relationships, and help you get what you want, when you want, and win friends for life. Ask yourself how much money and income you have lost because of your inability to persuade and influence. Think about it. Sure you've seen some success, but think of the times you couldn't get it done. Has there ever been a time when you did not get your point across? Were you unable to convince someone to do something? Have you reached your full potential? Are you able to motivate yourself and others to achieve more and accomplish their goals? What about your relationships? Imagine being able to overcome objections before they happen, know what your prospect is thinking and feeling, feel more confident in your ability to persuade. Professional success, personal happiness, leadership potential, and income depend on the ability to persuade, influence, and motivate others.

Kurt Mortensen’s trademark is Magnetic Persuasion; rather than convincing others, he teaches that you should attract them, just like a magnet attracts metal filings. He teaches that sales have changed and the consumer has become exponentially more skeptical and cynical within the last five years. Most persuaders are using only 2 or 3 persuasion techniques when there are actually 120 available! His message and program has helped thousands and will help you achieve unprecedented success in both your business and personal life. If you are ready to claim your success and learn what only the ultra-prosperous know, begin by going to http://prewealth.com/mistakestoavoid/ and getting my free report "10 Mistakes That Continue Costing You Thousands." After reading my free report, go to http://prewealth.com/iq?article and take the free Persuasion IQ analysis to determine where you rank and what area of the sales cycle you need to improve in order to close every sale!

Advertising on the Web - Dos and Don'ts

Writen by Lata Tokhi

Advertising your business in the correct manner is a sure shot key to success. Advertising helps you to reach out to a larger number of people from other websites. You definitely cannot expect these many people to come to you on their own.

But Advertising is very, very COSTLY! And if you don't watch out, you may actually be going broke after paying your advertising bills, if your ads do not generate revenue. So, you should make sure you get value for your money.

With my own experiences in this field, I have drawn up some questions for Webmasters who are new to the field of Website Marketing. Take a good look at them EVERY TIME you make your advertising plan.

* Where are you placing the ad? Are you selecting the right kind of medium? It won't pay to place ads on websites when you have a business of an essentially local nature. A newsletter or an ezine catering to the needs of locals of your area will be a better choice. And better still, do not advertise on Websites and Newsletters just because everybody else is doing it. Ask yourself strictly- Do I really need to advertise online? Perhaps you will get better results by sponsoring a local event or a press release.

* What kind of ad are you placing? A Banner, a button, text? A banner ad may be the best when it is to be placed on the top of middle of a page. But, when your ad is going to be placed on a page which has too many other banner ads, a simple text ad will bring you more attention.
Even attractively designed buttons on the side-menus generate a lot of clicks.

* Who is going to read it? Is this the TARGET AUDIENCE you wish to reach out to? It is very important to obtain the demographics of people visiting a certain website or reading a newsletter or ezine. By Demographics, I mean classification of visitors/subscribers according to their age, sex, occupation, interests, hobbies etc. That way, you can be sure that the people who will see your ad will buy your products/services. For e.g., for someone who is selling an e-book on Candle-Making, the best place to advertise will be Websites related to crafts & hobbies, WAHM's, online gift-shops etc. And the last thing you should ever do is place your ad for 'a dollar a week' at a website which has no records of its visitors to offer. I am sure you can spend that dollar on something better.

* What does your ad say? Is your message to the point? A stylish banner saying 'BOB's Place' can never persuade me to click on it. On the other hand, if it says 'BOB's Place- The ultimate choice for Free Webmaster Tools', I'll definitely find myself clicking on it to see what it has to offer. In short, viewers do not have all the time in the world to surf the net by clicking on whatever they see. And those who do, are mostly those looking for Free Stuff, who will NEVER spend a penny. You don't want to attract them, do you? It would help if you add a plain description of what your website is about, or a special holiday offer, or what's different about your product etc. In any case, please DO MENTION your product or service.

* Is your ad compelling enough? Would it make YOU click on it? Does the content make you curious enough to care to click on it to find out more? The best way to do this is to research. How do I do that, you ask? Well, it's very easy actually. For at least a week, whenever YOU click on an ad, save the text or the graphic to your hard disk. At the end of the week, go through them and try to find out WHAT made you click them. Was it the way they created a suspense, was it the Prices or was it unbelievable Offer they made? Then, gather together, what you liked best and try to mould it to suit your product/service. Don't lift words off somebody else's ad. Just pick up the idea behind it and get creative and form the outline of your own ad.

A few other things to keep in mind are to use Well-Made graphics ONLY. There is nothing worse than a badly done banner that affects your goodwill and it will be worthwhile to spend money on a good banner that you can use forever. Another thing is to ALWAYS compare prices of various websites or ezines keeping in mind what THEY offer you. Keep in mind the traffic, demography and click-through rate before you decide who's offering the best deal. More often than you think, you will realize that a website who is charging $10 more than the other is probably giving you TWICE the number of viewers for your ad! So, play smart and get the best value for your money.

About the Author:

Lata Tokhi is a successful website publisher with a network of popular websites. She shares her internet success secrets with you at http://www.momtycoons.com/

Visit some of her other popular websites at http://www.dotcomwomen.com/, a Home & Lifestyle website and an online community and http://www.celebrating-christmas.com/, a complete Holiday portal.

Advertising on the Back of Toilet Paper is Profitable

Writen by Lance Winslow

What will the advertising executives think of next? Many small businesses will try new forms of advertising because the Yellow Pages doesn't work. In fact one of the most interesting new ways to advertise is to buy a space above urinals and it was proven that that works five times better than yellow page ads.

And if you have the stomach for it we have been told that advertising on the back of toilet paper and bars and restaurants works great and one industry survey said it works 10 times better than yellow page ads. Yes, advertising on the back of toilet paper can be very profitable and when someone is stuck in that stall and they have nothing to do they will actually read the toilet paper of course what they do with it next we will not discuss. But suffice it to say anything that works 10 times better than yellow page ads makes sense to me and it makes dollars for my company.

I would encourage all businesses to advertise on the back of their toilet paper and on the toilet paper at the most popular bars and restaurants. I would advise did they take their advertising dollars that they were going to stand on the yellow page advertising and put down towards the custom toilet paper ads. Let's face it folks you wanna get the most bang for your buck and when it comes to advertising there's no sense in throwing your advertising budget down the toilet, so play it smart. Dump the yellow page ads and start flushing yourself in the profits. Please consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Advertising on Television with Infomercials

Writen by Liang Zhang

At about the same time the infomercials were making it big on late late night TV, I was attending underground theatre and watching a show which took a multimedia approach: the play featured actors living their lives and gigantic screen overheads with Stepford-like hosts jamming infomercials at both the characters and the audience. The work, because of those infomercials, was quite profound, quite futuristic.

But avant garde theatre aside, evidently, in the “real” world, infomercials are lucrative forms of advertising. Well, that’s the claim about the claims, anyway. It makes sense, for consider when these unique creatures are aired and how they are constructed: first, they show during the latest hours of the day—between midnight and about six a.m.. At this time, those awake and watching are either halfway into a stupor brought on by tiredness, booze, or pills; are insomniacs whose brains visit the dark side right about then; or are, maybe, jobless, less thoughtful individuals who are gullible to the magic of full moons and potato mashers that tell your future by the lumps.

Next is the volume of the advertisers “acting” in these infomercials. They are loud, campy, histrionic, way too cheerful, and yet, as plastic as they are seem to come off as the most real, down to earth, or most honest folks on TV. They are eager, zealous, delighted, and shocked about and by the product being touted by the host who is sharp, adept, and oh-so knowledgeable. In addition, there’s what one ant-infomercials blogger reminds us is the thing that actually sells the oddities—called “repetitive reinforcement.” They tell you you want and need it often enough and you will want and need it.

Then there’s the uniqueness or novelty of the products the infomercials display and advertise. Combined with the hyperbole of the hawker, the characteristics of most of the products stand out in some bizarre, unusually fun, or useful way. The items are not unique, though, and they are not typically useful. In fact, some are harmful. According to the experts on infomercials and on the misleading information hawked, some of the vitamins do not work, some of the products break or deteriorate, and some are based on or contain advice that is wrong. Take, for example, the Kevin Trudeau situation. He has sold books that tell people to give up traditional medicine—such people have done so and died. He has, however, before being banned—finally—from infomercials altogether, made millions. That’s why I say the infomercials are profitable for many. There are enough who are up late, stoned, exhausted, and vulnerable to the mesmerizing lull or drilling of new ideas and materials. Hey, I am not exempt. I still want one of those vacuum storage bag dealies, just so I can watch the magic of the suction collapse and therefore make more manageable all the sweaters I own.

Copyright 2006 Zhang Sui Linag
Velcro display boards and Display Boards

Advertising on Pooper Scoopers at the Rodeo

Writen by Lance Winslow

Recently I was at the big rodeo and I noticed on the back of the pooper scoopers that are used after the bull rides, as sometimes there is shall we say droppings from the big bull on the ground someone has to come out and scoop it up. Did you know that the pooper scooper cruise are actually in the arena 20 to 50 times longer than the bull rider?

So being on the back of the pooper scooper with your company logo makes a whole lot more sense than advertising in let's say the silly yellow pages, which know it uses a more. In fact yellow page advertising has declined over the past few years due to the Internet and that makes sense to, in fact yellow page advertising never really polled for any of our franchisees and we were in the car wash business in local markets and communities.

But advertising on the back of the pooper scooper at the rodeo sure makes a lot of sense. Imagine the exposure you can get by having your logo on the back of the pooper scooper? I would take that overt yellow page advertising any day. In fact all never forget Charlie's Home Repair, which was on the back of one of the pooper scoopers and it may sound silly but I even memorized his phone number? Because the pooper scoopers are pretty large, because well what the bull leaves behind is also.

Sometimes using unique ways of advertising can get your business noticed in a much better way the yellow page advertising and it costs a whole lot last too. So, please consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Advertising on Local Cable or Radio, Which is Best and Why?

Writen by Lance Winslow

Most advertising executives and their sales forces will have all sorts of statistics why radio is better than cable television advertising or why cable advertising is better than radio. And each set of statistics is rather convincing indeed.

Yet they contradict each other completely, but why? Well simple really you see the radio advertising sales people want you to put your advertising budget, all of it with them, while the Cable TV advertising executives are dead set on capturing your advertising dollar to their firm.

No doubt they are competing media and often the same company owns both and will either try to give you an advertising marketing mix or attempt to fill up whatever slots of whichever media needs to be filled up that week, month, season or year? Great and that makes sense for them, but what about your business.

You must make sure you get maximum bang for your buck and you cannot spend all your money on Cable Ads or Radio, I mean you have lots of other expenses too right? Sure, what about employees and rent on your location? If you spend all your money on advertising, you will be out of business or have no employees to help all these new clients who will be supposedly flooding in right?

The truth about these two forms of advertising is both are quite good depending on the type of business you operate, drive times and costs of radio slots and the peak political ad seasons for evening programming, which are often costly but those ads do pull. Perhaps your business sells hobby crafts to women who may be home during the soap opera time of day? Well cable is really cheap during the week on those times.

What if you business caters to security professionals, such as gun sales? Well after midnight radio gets rather cheap too. You must take a good hard look at your business and what is available and what will pull in your clientele, Consider all this in 2006.

Lance Winslow

Advertising Online

Writen by Michael Russell

Ok, so you're new to marketing online, and you need to find out what resources are the best for advertising.

You're at a loss as to which way to turn. What do you do? First of all, step back and take a few deep breaths. This is not rocket science, and stressing over it won't help at all and once you get your feet wet, you may well find that it's much simpler than you thought.

Now, let's take a look at what's available. You have traffic exchanges, safelists, FFA's, message boards, webrings...well, you get the picture.

The question is, which work and which don't? That's what we'll attempt to cover here. What works for one advertising campaign may not work for another.

Your first step is to develop your target group. Who is it that you want to reach with your advertising? Do some demographics on your niche, and decide to whom it may appeal. Do you want to target a specific geographic area? Are you targeting a specific age group? Do you want to reach pink people with purple hair, or purple people with pink hair? Figure out to whom you want to sell your products, ideas, services, etc. Then after you've written this down (yes, keep notes and records), start experimenting with the different avenues available to you. Note: before you begin experimenting, be absolutely certain that you have an excellent tracking program available to track your advertising efforts. This is mandatory so that you find where your campaigns work the best. The object here is to work smarter, not harder.

Now, pick out five to ten programs from traffic exchanges, safelists, FFA's, etc. I don't recommend any more than ten of each, at the very most. You need to be able to keep up with what you are doing. And you need to stay focused. Less CAN be more. Choose wisely. Get advice from others who are already doing this. Check into online reports that are available for you to read, and decide which programs you want to use in the beginning.

Once you have chosen the programs which you want to use, set up your campaign(s) according to your demographics. You may need to test one or more campaigns to find which works the best. As I said, this is not rocket science. But, you do need to be willing to put forth the effort that it takes to do this seriously. It's not for the faint of heart. And it cannot be a "hit or miss" undertaking.

If you can't put together your own campaign, be willing to pay someone to do this for you. As the old saying goes, "You have to spend money to make money." This is not going to be a free ride. So if that's your mindset, lose it now.

While joining so called "free" programs is fine, you need to target some of the better known ones and plan on upgrading in those to assist you with your campaigning. There's a wealth of programs out there. There's nothing wrong with no cost and low cost programs, However, quite often they do not give you everything that you need to succeed in online business. So take this into consideration when you begin your advertising efforts. PLAN on spending money. Just know where you want to concentrate your efforts, and stick with your business plan. You DO have one, right? If not, we'll cover that in another article. Stay tuned.

Alright, we've got our demographics, we've chosen our programs, and we've put together some campaigns for our site(s) according to to whom we want to advertise. Next step, set up your tracking program with your site URL's. Read your instructions carefully, and be certain to dot all the "i's" and cross all the "t's." If you are using a rotator, be absolutely sure that your site(s) in the rotator comply with the Terms of Service for whatever program you may use it (them) in. The last thing you want is for your site(s) to be rejected because you broke the rules.

Ok. Now, submit your site(s) to your advertising programs, and begin tracking your results. Keep up with this, if not daily then, weekly.

Where did you get the most hits? How about the most click-throughs? And what about sales? Which campaigns are getting you the best results? Tweak your campaigns, if necessary. Move them to different demographics/programs and experiment to find where each one does best, or if anything at all. If they work better in one place than another, leave them in the best one.

Are the programs that you are using getting you the results you want? Before you move from one program to another, be sure that you've given ample opportunity for tracking your results. Any programs that are not meeting your expectations and goals should be dropped after you've made your determinations. But, be fair. Give them enough time, without going overboard with the time that you devote to them. I'd recommend at least a month with a program before dropping it.

One other very important note here....BRAND yourself in any campaign that you do. Get your name and your picture out there online so that folks know who you are. Join forums where you will find like-minded people with whom you can network. Join webrings, etc., for the same reasons. Get yourself established as a very serious online marketing person.

I won't promise you that you are going to succeed overnight. Please keep in mind that when doing business online, it's not quite the same as a "brick and mortar" business offline. It takes more for people online to trust you and want to do business with you. This is one reason that branding is SO important.

So don't look for overnight success. Be prepared to work for what you want and be willing to invest both time and money in what you are doing. Just watch that you don't waste a lot of either in your efforts. Work with people whom you trust. Buy from people whom you trust. Use programs which you trust. Above all else make absolutely certain that what you are offering online is something that you, yourself, would be willing to purchase. Offer quality. Offer integrity...and have some fun doing it.

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Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Small Business

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Advertising on a Budget -- Part 3: Frequency, Frequency, Frequency

Writen by Michele Pariza Wacek

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 – 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.

Michele Pariza Wacek owns Creative Concepts and
Copywriting, a writing, marketing and creativity agency. She
offers two free e-newsletters that help subscribers combine
their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting
principles to become more successful at attracting new
clients, selling products and services and boosting
business. She can be reached at http://www.writingusa.com

Advertising on a Budget -- Part 2: Thinking Small

Writen by Michele Pariza Wacek

This is the second article of a three-part series. I'm
illustrating the marketing challenges of a small business,
PrescottWeddings.com.

Our goal was to both build the PWC brand and drive traffic to
the Web site. Advertising regularly was essential. Yet it was
also essential to keep our costs down. So we leveraged our
monthly newspaper advertising to stretch our marketing
dollar as far as we could.

How did we do that? We "thought small."

We bought one inch by two column inch ads (a column inch
in this particular publication is approx. 1.88 inches). The ads
were one inch high and almost 4 inches long.

To reflect the small ad, the copy also had to be short and
sweet. Like so:

www.PrescottWeddings.com. Everything you need to say "I
do."

Just the name of the business and the slogan.

We put the name in large type and made the tagline much
smaller.

Did it work?

The first day this ad ran, we garnered 350 hits on the Web
site and several phone calls from business owners who
wanted more information.

And that was just the beginning. Hits steadily grew during
the campaign, and every time it ran we always noticed a
jump.

Not bad for a little ad.

Conventional wisdom says bigger is better. And while it is
true that big ads stand out (after all, they do take a big chunk
of real estate on the page) it doesn't mean big is the only
way to go. Small ads can pack a punch too.

Why did the PWC ad work? First of all, it got noticed
because it stuck out (yes, small ads can stick out). It had an
odd shape -- long and thin, not a square like so many other
ads. The name was big -- bigger than many other fonts
surrounding it. (But not so big that the ad lacked sufficient
white space.)

But probably the biggest reason it worked was because the
message was simple. This is clearly a Web site about
having a wedding in the Prescott area. Therefore if you're
involved with weddings, whether as a business or on a
more personal level, and you're also associated with
Prescott, then this is a Web site clearly worth taking a peek
at.

People instantly got the message. And they got it even if they
only scanned the paper. It was quick and painless for them
-- something all ads should strive to be.

What's also interesting is how this ad hit its target market.
I've spoken to people (mostly men) who have no interest in
getting married and have never seen the ad even though
they read the paper. Conversely, businesses in the wedding
industry and brides have said they see the ad all the time.

Now, you may have a business name that doesn't capture
your business' products or services as well as
PrescottWeddings.com (my business name for example). In
this case, why not think of a catchy tag line you can use in
those small ads to drive people to your Web site?

Web sites can be huge, wordy, information-stuffed selling
tools. So use short, sweet one-message statement to get
people to go look and learn more about your business
rather than try to shove everything in an ad. Don't forget to
include your business name and logo for branding
purposes.

Okay, so small ads with one simple message work. For the
final key in PWC's marketing program, check out Part 3:
Frequency, frequency, frequency.

Michele Pariza Wacek owns Creative Concepts and
Copywriting, a writing, marketing and creativity agency. She
offers two free e-newsletters that help subscribers combine
their creativity with hard-hitting marketing and copywriting
principles to become more successful at attracting new
clients, selling products and services and boosting
business. She can be reached at http://www.writingusa.com

Advertising Mistakes: A Look at Soft Drinks

Writen by Lance Winslow

The field of advertising is a very interesting industry in business and one, which is very fun to discuss. One of the finest things to talk about is all the mistakes that international corporations make when trying to market their services and products in other countries.

Generally these issues occur because of translation problems or because the company does not fully understand the culture of the nation in which they are marketing their product into. Remember there are over 300 countries in the world and generally about 150 of them are pretty viable for multinational corporations with pretty good products.

In reviewing the Internet's lists of multinational corporation advertising mistakes and international advertising of products while studying soft drink makers; I came across quite a few here is one very funny one that happened in China; Pepsi's "Come alive with the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave", in Chinese.

Of course PepsiCo, Inc. is not alone in making mistakes Coca-Cola has also been in a number of markets and has also made mistakes in China for instance I found this on the Internet; The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as "Ke-kou-ke-la", meaning "Bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax", depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic equivalent "ko-kou-ko-le", translating into "happiness in the mouth."

If you are a student of advertising or you work in a large multinational corporation he need to check things over quite a few times to make sure you did not make any bad mistakes, because if you do someone will notice and you will be very sorry when your product does not sell. Please consider this in 2006.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Advertising Methods: Understanding & Implementing Key Marketing Strategies

Writen by C. Bailey-Lloyd

Being the Public Relations' Director for major online websites, I often find myself brainstorming new and creative ways of marketing, and making our sites not only visitor/client-friendly, but informative and entertaining as well. While we offer a broad array of servie-oriented websites, I wanted to explain exactly how successful marketing can lead to maximum, effective exposure.

After a little research, I discovered quite a few interesting things about how advertising works. The Nielsen ratings are a classic example of how marketing techniques are applied. In the United States, Nielsen Media Research provides audience estimates for all national program sources. For example, during 'Sweeps' week, Nielsen Media Research mails out diaries to certain households across the country. The diaries are collected and processed at the end of each time period. In addition, Nielsen provides many other data services to display viewing records of television, cable and other multimedia programming. These viewing data reflect what, when and how often programs are watched. So, in essence, commercial advertising agencies depend on Nielsen ratings on what commercials to air, and how to design commercials to be 'eye candy' to the masses.

The Coca-Cola company made a powerful move in its Christmas advertising campaign by integrating Santa Claus in their marketing plans. So powerful, in fact, that because of its commercials depicting Santa drinking Coca-Cola from a bottle, spawned consumers to take more and more bottles of Coca-Cola home with them!

In an even more elaborate move, Toyota Motor Sales recently cornered the online market with being the only car Ad to sponsor Ebay!

During the 1980s, Ms. Clara Peller was recruited to commercialize Wendy's "Where's the Beef?" Slogan in televisions ads everywhere.

But what does this have to do with marketing essentials? Technically, the viewing and listening public - whether it be Radio, Cable TV, or the Internet - are diverse information and entertainment seekers. As consumers, we want a broad selection, we demand diversity, we expect 'eye candy.' Thus, while most advertising agencies can only produce and eccentuate the positive of products and/or services, it all boils down to viewer-ability.

Clients demand results - and they want them to reflect their choice in advertising. As both a consumer and marketing specialist, a skilled advertising firm is able to fully comprehend the fundamentals of developing successful strategies in commercial promotion of products and services.

So how does a good advertising firm produce positive results in a productive marketing campaign? Below are a few, finer points in proven 'viewer-ability' marketing strategies:

1. Research & Development - analysis of current marketing and advertising campaigns
2. Strategic Planning and Implementation
3. Media Buys - buying media at discounted rates and pass savings onto clients
4. Copywriting Services
5. Video Production - Informational and Corporate
6. Public Relations
7. Website Development and Promotion
8. Direct Mail/Email Campaigns
9. Electronic/Print Advertising
10. Brochure & Graphic Design
11. Telemarketing Consultation
12. Market Research

The prime question one should ask himself (or his organization) is 'What do I want to accomplish?' Experienced ad agencies will review and analyze what is and isn't working through review of revenue streams and competition. Specific recommendations are then made on how to target particular audiences - much like that of the Nielsen Media Research.

Since the conceptual design and implementation of the World Wide Web, advertising has taken on a dramatically new persepective, and is steadily climbing to popular ranks liken to mainstream media. Undeniably, many Americans are virtually living in the 'net.' Aside from being a vital tool for student research projects, the Internet has become a vast and ever-expanding media outlet for entertainment, information, work and direct-advertising system. By integrating all points of a strategic marketing campaign, electronic advertising agencies are able to assist clients with interactive ad campaigns that help promote exposure to clients (services and/or products).

Realistically, whether we're selling products or services, we have to realize that exposure (or eye-candy) is what gains attention. In the field of advertising, we personally know that we, as consumers, are smart shoppers. We watch, listen, learn and investigate.

Before we even decide to invest in a product or service, we have a pretty good idea of what we want. For example, if I am interested in attending a particular school, I will research the area for schools that meet my criteria. Hypothetically speaking, let's say there are 5 acupuncture institutions in one state - 2 are listed, 3 are not. Automatically, my choice of prospective schools has been narrowed down to just two. Now, of the 2 educational organizations, one is 60 miles away and one is just 10 minutes up the street. Okay, my option became a bit closer, but what does school A offer that school B doesn't? Or visa vi? This is where successful marketing plans come into action. Understandably, clients must want to achieve specific goals, so viewer-ability is a crucial component in becoming the deciding factor for potential consumers.

Exposure is the key element to promoting products and/or services. The unique aspect of Internet advertising is that 1) it's less expensive, 2.) it reaches individuals one-on-one, 3) it gains worldwide exposure. With the boom of Internet advertising, people are able to attain information at their fingertips - literally.

Television commercials convey consumer information to the viewing public. We might see a Land Cruiser ad, but that doesn't mean we're going to go run out and buy one right then. BUT, the notion has been planted in our heads to take a deeper look at Toyota vehicles. The same applies to Internet advertising, but there's a slightly unique difference: Because the Internet is interactive, we can invest our money and time instantly should we choose to do so. But like many wise shoppers, we selectively peruse our viewable options - But the notion has been planted in our minds for further review.

How Do You Sell Yourself? Below is a list of questions one should ask:

1. Necessity: What is it about my product ( or service) that makes it essential to consumers?
2. Consumerability: What sets my product (or service) aside from other competitors?
3. Communication: Do I inform my potential consumers with detailed accuracy?
4. Location: What makes my location attractive?
5. Amenities: Do I have any to offer?
6. Accessibility: Is my product (or service) easily accessible and within reach?
7. Catch-Phrase: Do I have a memorable slogan? (e.g., Wendy's "Where's the Beef?")
8. Presentation: Is my product (or service) being presented in its best light? Can I improve its viewer-ability?
9. Affordabilty: Is my product (or service) affordable? Are financing or other loan options available to consumers?
10. Extra: Do I offer any special tools (e.g., workshops, guides, etc.) that enhance my products and/or services?

Overall, marketing your services and/or products boils down to proficient exposure. The better the presentation, the more likely consumers will be receptive. Clients who work closely with their advertising firms will attain prolific results. If something is not adequately working, it is important to review deficiencies and redefine how to better improve upon ourselves to attract more productive exposure. (See: How Do You Sell Yourself above)

Advertising methods, if understood and implemented properly, are the vital foundation to abundant and powerful, commercial exposure. Knowing, or Knowledge, is still ultimately the key to success; and the key to goal achievements.


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ฉ4/2005 - Advertising Methods: Understanding & Implementing Key Marketing Strategies
by C. Bailey-Lloyd

C. Bailey-Lloyd is the Public Relations' Director for Media Positive Communications, Inc. in association with SEOAdept.com. Providing resources for your Internet Marketing & Search Engine Marketing needs.

Advertising Market from a South African Perspective

Writen by Andrew Smit

Advertising and marketing in the South African market is one of the toughest in the entire world, just for starters 22 different languages can be identified in our market. You might say this is common in many countries the world over. But do they have 11 official languages as is the case in South Africa.

Capturing a broad market in South Africa is virtually impossible unless you have an internationally acclaimed product, something that has built up a reputation overseas either in the USA or European markets. This is not to say our own big brands have not captured a broad South African audience or an international market but they a few and far between.

Our advertising and marketing techniques in South Africa must be simple yet effective if a broad customer base is to be achieved. Many South African advertising and marketing gurus are applying international principles to our market, wrong thing to do in my opinion. The basics, but add the South African flavour if you wish to succeed. Our biggest market in this country is largely illiterate and of a lower income so using expansive techniques to advertise and market your wares is generally not a good idea.

Proper market research for your products is essential, target a market and research every angle from language to demographics. If you have an excellent product made and produced in your country don't think this is a winning recipe in other countries. Do not expect that a pizza delivered in a box and a truly American way of doing things will work for a customer base in Iceland for example.

By all means promote pizza's in Iceland but ask your market how they want it delivered. Advertisers and marketing experts often forget this very simple marketing tools. Ask your market what they want, ultimately they are the ones buying the products.

Using opinion leaders in South Africa to create brand awareness is an essential tool to promote your products, this does come at a huge price and is usually out of reach for the small to medium business sectors. Creating good solid brands that are directed at a specific target market is often considered as not worth the cost.

Managers rely on hunches or intuition when designing their marketing mix. In the absence of feedback from their customers, they sometimes institute practises that customers object to. Over time, the customer base begins to erode and the business collapses.

Knowing your product and target market inside out is a great start to creating brand awareness.

Advertising Made Easy, and Cost Effective

Writen by Lorae Le Roux

Advertising made easy, and your wallet will love it too!

In today's market, anyone in business knows that advertising is the backbone to the success, and without it, you are "dead in the water". Even with the greatest product on the planet, a product that you know everyone needs and wants. Without advertising, it's just an idea, going nowhere.

Whether you advertise online or offline, it can become a gruelling and expensive experience, with no guarantees.

I'm sure that there is not a business out there that has ever done any kind of advertising, that hasn't lost a bunch of money, advertising their hearts out.

Advertising is elusive. Excitement builds because you spend large amounts of money place your ads, guaranteeing you lots of exposure, and sales through the roof. You think that you can't miss, that this is the one that will work, and you bet your money on it.

Then you wait, and wait and wait, until you relies that you have just poured your money down the drain, and got nothing but a bad headache, and a slightly lighter wallet, for your efforts.

So you pick yourself up and try again, because you are not a quitter. You say to yourself that the next one has to be better.
So you repeat the process once again, and again, always waiting for your "lucky break".

Meanwhile, your pockets are slowly being emptied, and you don't have any sales. Your "great business" is going down the drain alongside your hard earned dollars.

We know that the one thing that everyone needs, is people! Well, not just people, but people interested in buying your products.

Sometimes that can be the hardest thing to find, no matter how much effort, time and money you put into advertising.

There has to be a better way. After all, there are millions of people on the Internet making money right now, and they had to advertise their products to do it.

They must have heard about Jason Potash's Article Announcer.
It really is a treasure. We use it for our business, and would be lost without it. It cuts our advertising time from weeks and even months down to a few hours a day, or every second day. Which most people who advertise online know, can be a very time consuming, and daunting task, with few results.

The advertising that we have done, so far, is very cost effective. We have spent zero, yes, that's right, zero dollars on advertising so far, using this program. This does not mean to say that all your advertising will be free forever, but the choice is now in your ball court. We have full control over where, when and how we advertise.

There are ways to get your products, and services out there without breaking the bank. You can target your adverting to the people who would be interested in buying from you, and want to buy from you, because your products, or services are,
"just what they were looking for". It's called Niche marketing, and is becoming more and more popular all the time.

Random advertising is now considered less effective than Niche marketing, and advertising through articles is now one of the hottest ways to advertise.

Make sure you check out the best ways for you to advertise your business, so that you don't loose your shirt. It can be a very fun, profitable, and an easy experience, with the right tools.

Lorae is very excited about Jason Potash's Article Announcer which can be found at our website located at:
http://www.baobabz.com

Advertising Lessons from American Idol

Writen by Gary Mitchell

When products or brands are trying to build market presence they often look for innovative ways to get consumers to try them. Shows like American Idol which attract large numbers of viewers every week provide the perfect platform for this type of marketing.

Services like SMS have been around for over a decade, and while popular Europe, Asia, and Japan, have never caught on in the United States. When AT&T (who was later taken over by Cingular) became a sponsor of the program they took the opportunity to promote SMS through text message voting. Each week between 20 and 30 million viewers were encouraged to send their votes using SMS. The plan worked for 2005 the number of SMS messages grew steadily and in 2005 over 41 million SMS votes were cast. As consumers became comfortable with the SMS AT&T hoped they would make it part of their everyday life in 2005 the total number of SMS messages sent in the United States grew by over 40%.

American Idol is one of the highest rated shows on television pulling in 20 to 30 million viewers per week. For advertisers who want to reach a wide range of consumers this is desirable advertising vehicle, as it consistently scores in the top 10 for the 18-49 year old demographic. All of this exposure however comes at a hefty price. In 2005 a 30 second advertising spot cost over $700,000. The only show that can command a higher price tag is the Super Bowl.

ฉ Copyright IdolScoop.com, All Rights Reserved.

This article was written by Gary Mitchell who provides news and coverage of American Idol on his Website http://idolscoop.com

Advertising Jingles: Radio and Television's Strongest Tool for Visibility and Name Retention

Writen by Michael K. Holmes

How did you learn the alphabet? You sang it. How much longer would it have taken if you had had to learn it some other way?

Songs get information into our minds faster and more permanently than any other communication. Lovers speak fondly of “our song” because it instantly calls up happy memories. McDonalds’ s “Da da da DA DAHH” is so entrenched that the second part no longer needs to be sung -- our minds instantly supply “..I’m lovin’ it!” This is powerful stuff.

A person can be hot in the middle of a conversation. A jingle comes on a radio playing in the background and goes into our heads even though we’re paying no attention to it. Could any advertiser ask for more?

There are two caveats: a jingle must be as good as a hit song, and its ‘hook’ line must put a specific, relevant idea into listeners’ minds. Here are some great hooks:

“I scream, you scream, for Kline’s Ice Cream!” “Red Lobster for the Seafood Lover in You!” “We’ll be good to your car, so your car will be good to you, Jiffy Lube!” “Your Steven Kia Dealer’s got great Kia deals for you!”

Each one says exactly what the business does except the first, which ties the generations-old “I scream…” with the business. Kline’s means ice cream!

Unfortunately, no license is required to write or produce a jingle, and there are far more awful jingles out there than good ones. Here’s how to make certain you get a good one:

When you hear a really great jingle, make a note of the business it was produced for, and find out who did it for them. Before talking with a jingle house, be sure you know what your company’s Unique Selling Proposition, or USP, is. Your USP is that reason which gets people to buy from you rather than your competition. A USP is not a friendly staff, competitive prices, beautiful store, or number of years in business. Unique Selling Propositions are things such as money-back-plus-10-percent guarantees, 30-day free trials (if such a thing is rare in your industry), no-money-changes-hands-until-you’re-completely-satisfied, more color choices than any other store within 100 miles. In other words, a USP is a specific, instantly graspable, desirable advantage. Your USP can even be something common to every business in your industry except that no one is saying it. Claude Hopkins, the Father of American Advertising, once toured a new client’s facility, a brewery, and found that the bottles were pressure steam-washed three times during the bottling process. At the time, hygiene was a huge issue because we had not conquered the big killer infectious diseases. So Hopkins touted this steam-washing in the company’s ads. Their market share went through the roof.

But every brewer did that, steam-washed their bottles. It was simply that no one had said it in their ads. And now that Hopkins’ client was saying it, his competitors couldn’t, because they’d look like they were being forced into it in order to compete, the implication being that they weren’t doing it before.

You can find something about your industry that’s true of you and your competitors but none of you is saying. Get the jingle house to put it in a song, and you’ve just taken the lead.

A good jingle house wants your USP, they want to know your style, how you see your company through your eyes, how your customers see it through their eyes.

Don’t fool with a jingle company that presses you to accept an idea. If you aren’t deliriously happy with something they bring you, don’t accept it and don’t give them a penny. You can expect to be asked for fifty percent up front, but do it only with the written understanding that you do not pay the balance until you have exactly what you feel in your gut is going to work for you, and that if for some unlikely reason you reach an impasse with the jingle house, the deposit is refunded with absolutely no deductions. Good jingle houses have no problem with these propositions and will probably suggest them.

When you get something you like, play it for everyone. Email it to people outside your industry. Don’t count all that much on what people in your business say; people ‘in the biz’ aren’t as capable of objectivity as those on the outside.

Expect to pay three to five thousand dollars for a jingle. National companies pay a multiple of that. If you think 3 to 5K is a lot, consider that good jingles were three thousand in the 1970’s, which in today’s dollars would be about ten thousand. They aren’t because today’s technology allows talented composer / producers to create every musical component (every instrument) using digital samplers, and a roomful of musicians no longer has to be hired. It’s not good news for musicians, but the technology exists and unless a client has a very big budget, jingle houses cannot afford to use live musicians and stay in business.

You will get 10 – 15 versions of the jingle, in thirty- and sixty-second formats.
There will be ‘full sing,’ which is the song itself sung all the way through. There will be ‘donuts,’ so called because they are timed gaps in the singing to allow for voiceover copy of varying lengths (very useful), to fully instrumental.

You should use the full sing version of your jingle for at least the first month (or longer) it airs before going to the donuts.

A truly good jingle will be usable for ten years or more. If it’s really good, no one will get tired of it. Every time it airs, someone who has never heard it before will hear it for the first time. Your USP, your message, your identity, will be reinforced in a unique and powerful way that will make people feel good and want to do business with you.

Never get a cheap jingle. It will not do the job for you, period. There are companies who will plug your name into a pre-made jingle, but using music, lyrics, and style that can't be custom-fitted to your business is entirely counterproductive. Some companies partner with radio or television stations and offer "free" jingles to businesses who commit to schedules on these outlets. I have never heard one of these jingles that has a good hook, either in word or melody; most have one or two singers; often the same singer will do multiple jingles in the same market.

You’ll know you have the right one when you can't wait to get it on the air. It's not hard to get a jingle you'll love and that will boost your visibility and increase traffic. Never settle for anything less than what makes you smile and gets your blood pumping.

Michael K. Holmes will get your business a jingle that cements your name into listeners' minds and makes them happy to do business with you. Hear jingles of this caliber at http://www.commercialmagic.com.

How to Make Money on the Web

Writen by Morgan Hamilton

Are you tired of your present job? It is common knowledge that the vast majority of people do not like the job that they currently have. It's truly okay if you don't. God knows you are not alone. What is it about work anyways? Why do so many of us not like our jobs but are forced to do them justice and in order to make a living to support our families. Well, I do believe I have the skinny on the prime issue where work is concerned. Too many of us don't like our careers. It's as simple as that.

It's just the fact and if you have chosen the wrong one, you know what very well. Again, it's not that big of deal. There are a plethora of other fields and positions to choose from. I know that switching careers is a big deal and should not be taken lightly but why waste your precious time doing something you hate? It's time to take a new road where work is concerned. Have you ever considered in the Internet and working from home? Thousands of people make money on the web each and every day.

Have you discovered a good method to make money on the web? What are your strong suits when it comes to supply and demand? There are too many to mention when it comes to products and services that can be sold over the Internet. You to could be selling over the World Wide Web if you so chose to. If you think about it, the Internet is a pretty great way to produce income. I assume you have a computer, right? Well, start thinking about things that you may be able to do with. Would that be great to work right there from the comfort of your own home?

These days you don't even have to deal with bulky desktop computers and wires. You can grab a lightweight notebook and use a wireless connection to get hooked up to the Internet. Speaking from personal experience, I searched and searched for a decent way to make money on the web. I finally realized that it was right there in front of me the entire time. I was actually looking for some new-age thing that would surely bring in the bucks, when I should have stuck closer to home. Then one day I thought to myself, "What do you like to do?" The answer was simple. I had a BA in English and loved to write, so I did the unthinkable and became a writer, freelance that is. It was an ideal way for me to make money on the Web. I could stay right at home and work from their. All you really need is a quality computer and a reliable Internet service and you're good to go.

So if you're searching for ways to make money on the Web can start by taking a closer look at yourself and determining what it is that you are passionate about. From there everything will fall into place rather easily. There is a sea of potential customers out there when you learn to make money on the web and they are all out there waiting for you. Are you ready?

Morgan Hamilton offers his findings and insights regarding making money. You can get interesting and informative information here at Make Money on the Web

How To Make Money On The Net

Writen by Jacob Thomason

People are always wondering how to make money on the net, and you know what about 80% of them aren't going to stop until they figure it out. Those people are just like me. I finally found out the secret of making multiple incomes on the internet.

The first thing you have to do is find out who is trying to scam you and who isn't. This is one of the trickiest parts of making money on the net. I was scammed out of a couple hundred dollars, but you see I caught on pretty quickly. The programs that ask you to keep paying them monthly allowances are hoping you quit after they've already gotten four or five hundred or thousand our of you. Don't ever fall into that category, you will seriously regret and probably will never trust the internet again.

Then there's the get rich tomorrow scams. Now you can sit there and tell me whatever you want about not being gulable to these eye catching sites. "make 10 thousand in 1 week" , see you just imagined yourself doing that after reading the quote. So you must admit it catches your eye. You have to read it imagine it and then let it go right through your mind. Money comes with work and time.

Now I am about to tell you what I did to actually generate a flowing income. It's something call ebay business. I opened an ebay business after reading the richjerk's book. I started understanding the ins and outs of ebay. Like how to list your items and what to sell. I started two years ago as a college student working full time and going to school full time, now I work part time with my business and I have exactly two semesters left, that's a full school year. I can actually do the things I want now with the income I make.

Affiliate programs also work well with making money on the net. You have to do your research and find the right companies and you will see a nice return.

Well I have told you my secrets, the things that have worked for me. Watch out for scams and I wish you the best of luck in the future.

For more advice of how to make money go to www.jakesriches.com

Jacob Thomason Founder of Traintilyougain.com ceo of http://www.Jakeriches.com owner of motherandsonwarehouse on ebay.com