Using Your Web Site to Advertise Your Business
From Apryl Duncan
You can't hide from it. Whether you're driving by a billboard, listening to the radio or flipping through the TV channels, every advertisement has dot.com this and dot.com that.
Even in a lean economy, the evolution of the Internet has business taking a new direction. Now companies need a Web site...even if they aren't involved in e-commerce. But this new wave of marketing still takes some old-school advertising.
Web sites need more than good content. A comprehensive advertising campaign is the only way to make a Web site successful. You not only have to tempt potential customers to buy from you but you have to tempt them to buy from you NOW!
There are several key factors you must consider to accomplish this:
What benefits does the customer get from buying the product? Does your product or service make people smarter, faster, more attractive?
State the benefits. And again.
It's the benefits that will hook your customer. And that hook will have them grabbing their credit card. But if they don't know what's in it for them, they'll be on your competitor's Web site faster than you can clear your cache files.
Keep your site updated. And give them a reason to come back.
Maybe weekly specials, new articles or post a newsletter. Make your site an invaluable resource. Giving people incentives to come back to your site can still generate sales even if the customer wasn't in the buying mood.
Do you have testimonials from your customers? Testimonials prove your product's worth as well as establish your company's credibility.
If you don't have testimonials, one way to get them is by donating your product or service to a few qualified customers. Let them know that you're giving them the product to try for a certain amount of time in exchange for their comments at the end of the trial period.
Make your Web page as easy to read as possible. Grab customers with powerful headlines.
The headlines gently ease customers to read further into your sales message without the tact of a used car salesman trying to unload a few lemons.
Headlines also break up the flow of copy, making your Web page easy on the eyes - something your customers will appreciate.
How many Web sites have you visited with grammatical errors or words misspelled? It looks unprofessional and makes would-be customers wonder about the professionalism of your company.
Proofread your Web page copy. Then have a few more people proofread it.
The writing needs to jump off the page. Fresh. Crisp. A poorly written Web page is worse than not having a Web page at all.
Following these tips will make your Web site informative and profitable. If you're a business owner wanting to develop a Web site, you can contract out the writing portion to a professional freelance copywriter.
Showing posts with label Marketing and Advertising. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marketing and Advertising. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
How To Create a Podcast Ad
Podcasters are open to generating revenue but don't want to lose the quality of their podcast. Advertisers know podcasts are hot and it's not just small businesses that want to feature their ads in podcasts. Create a podcast ad that's designed to capture the listener's attention instead of being tuned out.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Creating a solid 15-second ad can take a few hours if you're producing it yourself.
Here's How:
1.Brief is Better
Many podcasters won't allow ads longer than 15 seconds. Keep your message brief and to the point.
If you're used to a 60-second format to get your message across, break the ads into four 15-second spots. Podcasters usually won't fast forward through short ads but one long one will get skipped through.
2.Vary Your Message
This may go against everything you've learned about your ad campaign. You've always heard consistency is key.
But podcasters are finding that their listeners get bored wtih the same ads playing over and over and, given the medium, they begin to tune them out. This makes your message completely ineffective.
3.Be Creative
While you're varying your message, be creative with it. Since podcasting ads are low-cost advertising solutions and you should vary your message, be creative when you do create new ads.
If you're advertising during the holidays, make your ads specific to that particular holiday. You don't have to be selling holiday-specific items. Just be creative when you're creating any new ads for podcasts.
4.Know Your Audience
Who's listening to the podcast? These are your potential customers.
Teenagers are running podcasts and selling ad time. If the content they're providing isn't your target market outside of the podcasting world, look for a podcast that does offer content geared toward your type of audience.
5.Choose Your Placement Wisely
Placement in front of the podcast sounds like a good idea but many podcasters automatically tune these ads out because they're waiting for their content. Ads in the middle or even at the end of the podcast may not seem like better placement but many podcasters report those are the ones that are getting the most attention.
6.Don't Mistake a Podcast Ad for a Radio Commercial
Podcasters have specifically downloaded a program to listen to. They're not the driver on his way home from work tuning out a cluster of ads.
Don't go for the loud music, the annoying screaming or the kooky skits to grab the listener's attention. Keep your message simple, creative, clear and informative. Give your message and get out without being a distraction or an invasion on the listener.
Tips:
1.How Often Will Your Ad Be Heard
Knowing how many people listen to a particular podcast is important to getting a gage on if your ad dollars are being well spent on that particular podcast. However, podcasters are still testing the waters and finding out how many people are actually listening so they may not have 100-percent, solid numbers.
2.How Frequently Does the Podcast
Podcasts vary in frequency. Few are daily, some are weekly, some are monthly and there are some that are released sporadically.
Can you get a good deal on ad time by purchasing multiple ads for podcasts that are released weekly? Will you be better off advertising with a podcast that is only released monthly? These are the decisions you'll have to make before purchasing your podcasting ad time.
3.Ad-Insertion Companies
Fruitcast and Podtrac are ad-insertion companies that charge a minimum bid of four-cents per podcast download. These companies link up podcasters and advertisers without you doing business directly with the podcaster. Smaller companies may find this solution ideal for getting started.
4.Sponsorships May Be an Option
Don't give up on the idea of sponsoring a podcast instead of or in addition to buying ad time. With sponsorships, the podcaster generally mentions your company a few times throughout the podcast.
Difficulty: Average
Time Required: Creating a solid 15-second ad can take a few hours if you're producing it yourself.
Here's How:
1.Brief is Better
Many podcasters won't allow ads longer than 15 seconds. Keep your message brief and to the point.
If you're used to a 60-second format to get your message across, break the ads into four 15-second spots. Podcasters usually won't fast forward through short ads but one long one will get skipped through.
2.Vary Your Message
This may go against everything you've learned about your ad campaign. You've always heard consistency is key.
But podcasters are finding that their listeners get bored wtih the same ads playing over and over and, given the medium, they begin to tune them out. This makes your message completely ineffective.
3.Be Creative
While you're varying your message, be creative with it. Since podcasting ads are low-cost advertising solutions and you should vary your message, be creative when you do create new ads.
If you're advertising during the holidays, make your ads specific to that particular holiday. You don't have to be selling holiday-specific items. Just be creative when you're creating any new ads for podcasts.
4.Know Your Audience
Who's listening to the podcast? These are your potential customers.
Teenagers are running podcasts and selling ad time. If the content they're providing isn't your target market outside of the podcasting world, look for a podcast that does offer content geared toward your type of audience.
5.Choose Your Placement Wisely
Placement in front of the podcast sounds like a good idea but many podcasters automatically tune these ads out because they're waiting for their content. Ads in the middle or even at the end of the podcast may not seem like better placement but many podcasters report those are the ones that are getting the most attention.
6.Don't Mistake a Podcast Ad for a Radio Commercial
Podcasters have specifically downloaded a program to listen to. They're not the driver on his way home from work tuning out a cluster of ads.
Don't go for the loud music, the annoying screaming or the kooky skits to grab the listener's attention. Keep your message simple, creative, clear and informative. Give your message and get out without being a distraction or an invasion on the listener.
Tips:
1.How Often Will Your Ad Be Heard
Knowing how many people listen to a particular podcast is important to getting a gage on if your ad dollars are being well spent on that particular podcast. However, podcasters are still testing the waters and finding out how many people are actually listening so they may not have 100-percent, solid numbers.
2.How Frequently Does the Podcast
Podcasts vary in frequency. Few are daily, some are weekly, some are monthly and there are some that are released sporadically.
Can you get a good deal on ad time by purchasing multiple ads for podcasts that are released weekly? Will you be better off advertising with a podcast that is only released monthly? These are the decisions you'll have to make before purchasing your podcasting ad time.
3.Ad-Insertion Companies
Fruitcast and Podtrac are ad-insertion companies that charge a minimum bid of four-cents per podcast download. These companies link up podcasters and advertisers without you doing business directly with the podcaster. Smaller companies may find this solution ideal for getting started.
4.Sponsorships May Be an Option
Don't give up on the idea of sponsoring a podcast instead of or in addition to buying ad time. With sponsorships, the podcaster generally mentions your company a few times throughout the podcast.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
5 Must Have Actions for Affiliates in 2011
Affiliate Marketing is not “as easy as 1,2,3″. But I guess you know that by now. It needs constant efforts and taking advantage of all the opportunities in order to succeed in a significant manner.
You may have already done some of the things we will talk about here or not; the important thing is to try to use these resources for your benefit in 2011. They can bring you a lot of business:
1.Customize your shopping template – build up trust for your visitors by personalizing your shopping cart in order to have the look’n'feel of your website. This will reduce the shopping cart abandons and will increase your visitor-to-customer conversion rate.
As an Avangate affiliate, you can easily customize your template from the special section in the admin interface.
2.Use automatic tools to populate your site – this is especially important if you have large volumes of information on your website (you have a download portal, a coupon website etc.). Most of the affiliate networks provide data feeds with all product details you need in various formats that you can easily import on your website. This way, you can be sure the information is constantly updated with the latest changes.
Here at Avangate you can also create custom XML data feeds according to your requirements by using filters to narrow the results (e.g. create a data feed with the discount coupons offered by our software vendors).
3.Create and use discount coupons – convince your customers to buy from you by throwing in an incentive in form of a discount coupon. But don’t think that if you’ve done this, all the customers will flock to your website – you also have to bring some unique value along with that coupon (e.g. a product comparison sheet, a review etc.)
You can generate discount coupons yourself or you can use the ones supplied by the vendors if you’re a member of the Avangate Affiliate Network.
4.Promote your business via social media – Facebook and Twitter are a must. Promote your deals via social media channels and see the feedback you get from the market. Reach out to millions with a simple tweet / post and create a community around your website. Tell your audience about special deals you have on your website (exclusive bundles, promotions) or about new published reviews.
5.Take part in affiliate events – this is the best chance you get for creating new business opportunities with vendors across the globe. Nothing compares to a face-to-face meeting where you can discuss about new partnerships and arrange future deals. Affiliate Summit and A4U Expo are two major events in the affiliate industry that are worth going to.
As a bonus, if you’re an Avangate affiliate, just take a consultation with our Affiliate Doctor – he can offer a few pointers to you for optimizing your affiliate business. Use the live chat feature from the Avangate Control Panel for Affiliates.
So, to wrap this up, first of all be sure your website is attractive to visitors and generates sales; after that, you can go ahead and find new opportunities for it. And don’t forget to constantly test and improve your business.
Author:
Cristi Miculi
You may have already done some of the things we will talk about here or not; the important thing is to try to use these resources for your benefit in 2011. They can bring you a lot of business:
1.Customize your shopping template – build up trust for your visitors by personalizing your shopping cart in order to have the look’n'feel of your website. This will reduce the shopping cart abandons and will increase your visitor-to-customer conversion rate.
As an Avangate affiliate, you can easily customize your template from the special section in the admin interface.
2.Use automatic tools to populate your site – this is especially important if you have large volumes of information on your website (you have a download portal, a coupon website etc.). Most of the affiliate networks provide data feeds with all product details you need in various formats that you can easily import on your website. This way, you can be sure the information is constantly updated with the latest changes.
Here at Avangate you can also create custom XML data feeds according to your requirements by using filters to narrow the results (e.g. create a data feed with the discount coupons offered by our software vendors).
3.Create and use discount coupons – convince your customers to buy from you by throwing in an incentive in form of a discount coupon. But don’t think that if you’ve done this, all the customers will flock to your website – you also have to bring some unique value along with that coupon (e.g. a product comparison sheet, a review etc.)
You can generate discount coupons yourself or you can use the ones supplied by the vendors if you’re a member of the Avangate Affiliate Network.
4.Promote your business via social media – Facebook and Twitter are a must. Promote your deals via social media channels and see the feedback you get from the market. Reach out to millions with a simple tweet / post and create a community around your website. Tell your audience about special deals you have on your website (exclusive bundles, promotions) or about new published reviews.
5.Take part in affiliate events – this is the best chance you get for creating new business opportunities with vendors across the globe. Nothing compares to a face-to-face meeting where you can discuss about new partnerships and arrange future deals. Affiliate Summit and A4U Expo are two major events in the affiliate industry that are worth going to.
As a bonus, if you’re an Avangate affiliate, just take a consultation with our Affiliate Doctor – he can offer a few pointers to you for optimizing your affiliate business. Use the live chat feature from the Avangate Control Panel for Affiliates.
So, to wrap this up, first of all be sure your website is attractive to visitors and generates sales; after that, you can go ahead and find new opportunities for it. And don’t forget to constantly test and improve your business.
Author:
Cristi Miculi
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Go For Pay Per Click Search Engines
Most of us are using search engines when we are looking for something in the internet. But did you know that there are "Pay per click search engines"? Pay per click search engines offers a company or a business firm to list their websites at the top of every search engine results. The company will then pay for every user that clicks on the listing that connects to your website. Pay per click search engine is an effective way to advertise your products though it is highly expensive. Pay per click search engines works through with pay per click advertising.
But what is Pay per Click? It was popularized by search engines as one form of paid advertising. Pay per Click engines works when a business goes through a bidding process if they want their websites to be on top of every search results. The basis of this bidding is done per click which only means that every time the search engine gives them a visitor, the company will pay for it. If your company is high on budget and is willing to pay any amount, the higher your website will appear in the search results. Selection of good key phrases is one factor considered in pay per click search engines. A company should choose key phrases or keywords that they think the users will most likely search for.
Pay per click search engines does not limit you from choosing how long the keyword is or how many keyword phrases you need for the target. Thus, making the process of keyword selection easier.
One good site which provides Pay per Click advertising is the Google. Though it is not directly a pay per click search engine, Google includes ad boxes below or above each searches that offers pay per click. Google also delivers pay per click ads to other content websites. The advantage of this pay per click search engines is that as long as you are willing to pay, no changes in the top position will occur. Pay per click search engine is also very fast, your target can be reached in just a few minutes, compared to the traditional advertisings that can sometimes last for months. Pay per click is also easy. You do not have to be very good in a certain program or does not require any specific familiarity. But of course, there are still disadvantages laying beneath pay per click advertising. You will need a huge amount of money to satisfy the bidding process in a pay per click search engine. If there are new bids, the tendency is to lower other organizations position, and when this happens, you will now bid higher to retain your previous position in the pay per click search engine. To cut it short, this kind of advertising will cost you high.
Pay per Click also involves several important considerations. Before you start bidding in a certain pay per click search engine, be sure that your choice of pay per click search engine is a highly visited one. Try asking yourself this questions before anything else:
1. Is this pay per click search engine often visited by users? If so, how many times?
2. Does it have major search associates? How many?
3. Does the pay per click search engine partners generate searches in here? How many times?
These are some questions you might want to ask yourself before spending a lot of money. Monitoring your Pay per click search engine is also a must. Your pay per click should be monitored regularly for your positions may change everyday. There are also many pay per click search engines that is why the competition for the spots can be stern. Checking and analyzing also your preferred keywords is needed at least monthly to see how often users use this keywords in searching. This will be of help in improving your Pay per click advertising.
Pay per click search engines is a great help in establishing your business. Target visitors will be brought easier to your websites. Though you this will be needing a massive amount of money to spend. Be sure to look for pay per click search engines that offers a good deal with their search associates and of course, make sure that you are able to watch out for your position to retain your maximum exposure.
Dirk Wagner is the CEO of http://www.internetmarketingoasis.com a powerful resource for needed marketing tools and creator of the #1 IMO Marketing Toolbar. He also is the publisher of a free home business online course at http://www.team4success.biz
Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
But what is Pay per Click? It was popularized by search engines as one form of paid advertising. Pay per Click engines works when a business goes through a bidding process if they want their websites to be on top of every search results. The basis of this bidding is done per click which only means that every time the search engine gives them a visitor, the company will pay for it. If your company is high on budget and is willing to pay any amount, the higher your website will appear in the search results. Selection of good key phrases is one factor considered in pay per click search engines. A company should choose key phrases or keywords that they think the users will most likely search for.
Pay per click search engines does not limit you from choosing how long the keyword is or how many keyword phrases you need for the target. Thus, making the process of keyword selection easier.
One good site which provides Pay per Click advertising is the Google. Though it is not directly a pay per click search engine, Google includes ad boxes below or above each searches that offers pay per click. Google also delivers pay per click ads to other content websites. The advantage of this pay per click search engines is that as long as you are willing to pay, no changes in the top position will occur. Pay per click search engine is also very fast, your target can be reached in just a few minutes, compared to the traditional advertisings that can sometimes last for months. Pay per click is also easy. You do not have to be very good in a certain program or does not require any specific familiarity. But of course, there are still disadvantages laying beneath pay per click advertising. You will need a huge amount of money to satisfy the bidding process in a pay per click search engine. If there are new bids, the tendency is to lower other organizations position, and when this happens, you will now bid higher to retain your previous position in the pay per click search engine. To cut it short, this kind of advertising will cost you high.
Pay per Click also involves several important considerations. Before you start bidding in a certain pay per click search engine, be sure that your choice of pay per click search engine is a highly visited one. Try asking yourself this questions before anything else:
1. Is this pay per click search engine often visited by users? If so, how many times?
2. Does it have major search associates? How many?
3. Does the pay per click search engine partners generate searches in here? How many times?
These are some questions you might want to ask yourself before spending a lot of money. Monitoring your Pay per click search engine is also a must. Your pay per click should be monitored regularly for your positions may change everyday. There are also many pay per click search engines that is why the competition for the spots can be stern. Checking and analyzing also your preferred keywords is needed at least monthly to see how often users use this keywords in searching. This will be of help in improving your Pay per click advertising.
Pay per click search engines is a great help in establishing your business. Target visitors will be brought easier to your websites. Though you this will be needing a massive amount of money to spend. Be sure to look for pay per click search engines that offers a good deal with their search associates and of course, make sure that you are able to watch out for your position to retain your maximum exposure.
Dirk Wagner is the CEO of http://www.internetmarketingoasis.com a powerful resource for needed marketing tools and creator of the #1 IMO Marketing Toolbar. He also is the publisher of a free home business online course at http://www.team4success.biz
Article Copyright By Author. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Advertising in a Bad Economy
Advertising in a Bad Economy
Why You Need to Advertise in a Recession Now to Grow Your Business in the Future
From Apryl Duncan
In a recession, the first dollars that a company usually cuts come from the advertising budget. Advertising in a recession is actually a smart business move to grow your business now and for the future.
McGraw-Hill Research conducted a study of U.S. recessions from 1980-1985. Out of the 600 business-to-business companies analyzed, the ones who continued to advertise during the 1981-1982 recession hit a 256-percent growth by 1985 over their competitors that eliminated or decreased spending.
American Business Press analyzed 143 companies during the economic downturn back in 1974 and 1975. Companies that advertised in those years saw the highest growth in sales and net income during the recession and the two years that followed.
The numbers aren't a fluke. They prove there's a reward for companies who are aggressive with their advertising efforts in a recession.
Here are even more reasons why you need to advertise your business in a bad economy:
Your Competition Won't
Most small businesses have a limited advertising budget. During a recession, it's easy to make up some of those dollars by holding back on advertising.
All that really does is open up the marketplace for that company's competitors. The presence the business has spent ad dollars on to build up is now an open field for the competitors that are willing to advertise.
Let's say you own an auto parts store. Consumers still need your company, no matter what the economy. Cars still break down. They still need windshield wipers and people will even buy those tree air fresheners. Your company can be the one the customer chooses because you've made your own presence known.
You Can Create a Long-Term Position for Your Business
Standing out in the marketplace is hard enough when you and your competition are battling it out in the ad world. As your competition cuts back on ad spending, your advertising can cut through that clutter.
Consumers may not be spending as much but they are still spending. If you're not the company they think of when they do spend, your sales will decrease. While your competition is cutting back, you have the chance to be the company consumers spend with now while gaining their future business as you continue to advertise in good times and bad.
To Establish an Advertising Contact
This is the perfect time to establish a relationship with the person you'll be doing business with at TV stations, radio stations, magazines, online, etc. An Account Executive can be your go-to contact to get your ads in prime placement, negotiate good deals on rates and even get extras thrown in for your ads.
You can also use this new relationship to further grow your business. Talk with the AE about sponsorships, advertising trades and partnering.
Get Better Deals on Advertising
This is where you can use your new advertising contact. Ad inventory still has to be sold. TV stations, radio stations and magazines still have budgets to make.
Now's a good time to get deals on your ad space. You can get more exposure through more ad placement and even freebies added into the mix. If you're trying to get airtime on TV, for example, a station might also offer online advertising on its website as part of the deal. Negotiations are easier for the advertiser in a recession.
You Can Speak Directly to Customers Looking for Bargains
Don't be afraid to address the bad economy in your advertising. Customers are looking for good deals. Some national advertisers are a prime example of this.
Travelocity aired a simple commercial to announce its Silver Lining Sale. In the first three seconds, you see the words, "We know times are tight."
Wal-Mart is running an effective ad campaign. The commercials don't say, "Hey, come on out. We've got electronics, clothes, sporting goods, prescriptions and more at a low cost." Instead, the ads focus on very specific items and how much you'll save over a year by purchasing these items directly from Wal-Mart. The world's largest retailer posted its best sales performance in nine months, with a 5.1-percent sales gain in February 2009 as a result.
Hyundai's ads touting the Assurance Plus program is another example of an advertiser that's not ignoring these tough economic times. In its ads, Hyundai announces its program that will pay your payment for three months if you lose your income. If you still can't pay after three months, take your car back to the dealership.
Is it an effective program? Hyundai has already seen a 4.9-percent sales gain as of March 2009 while Toyota is down 36-percent.
In a bad economy, there are many opportunities to expose your business to new customers that aren't always possible in a good economy. Every one of them can be explored to help you solidify your place in business and stand out from your competitors.
Why You Need to Advertise in a Recession Now to Grow Your Business in the Future
From Apryl Duncan
In a recession, the first dollars that a company usually cuts come from the advertising budget. Advertising in a recession is actually a smart business move to grow your business now and for the future.
McGraw-Hill Research conducted a study of U.S. recessions from 1980-1985. Out of the 600 business-to-business companies analyzed, the ones who continued to advertise during the 1981-1982 recession hit a 256-percent growth by 1985 over their competitors that eliminated or decreased spending.
American Business Press analyzed 143 companies during the economic downturn back in 1974 and 1975. Companies that advertised in those years saw the highest growth in sales and net income during the recession and the two years that followed.
The numbers aren't a fluke. They prove there's a reward for companies who are aggressive with their advertising efforts in a recession.
Here are even more reasons why you need to advertise your business in a bad economy:
Your Competition Won't
Most small businesses have a limited advertising budget. During a recession, it's easy to make up some of those dollars by holding back on advertising.
All that really does is open up the marketplace for that company's competitors. The presence the business has spent ad dollars on to build up is now an open field for the competitors that are willing to advertise.
Let's say you own an auto parts store. Consumers still need your company, no matter what the economy. Cars still break down. They still need windshield wipers and people will even buy those tree air fresheners. Your company can be the one the customer chooses because you've made your own presence known.
You Can Create a Long-Term Position for Your Business
Standing out in the marketplace is hard enough when you and your competition are battling it out in the ad world. As your competition cuts back on ad spending, your advertising can cut through that clutter.
Consumers may not be spending as much but they are still spending. If you're not the company they think of when they do spend, your sales will decrease. While your competition is cutting back, you have the chance to be the company consumers spend with now while gaining their future business as you continue to advertise in good times and bad.
To Establish an Advertising Contact
This is the perfect time to establish a relationship with the person you'll be doing business with at TV stations, radio stations, magazines, online, etc. An Account Executive can be your go-to contact to get your ads in prime placement, negotiate good deals on rates and even get extras thrown in for your ads.
You can also use this new relationship to further grow your business. Talk with the AE about sponsorships, advertising trades and partnering.
Get Better Deals on Advertising
This is where you can use your new advertising contact. Ad inventory still has to be sold. TV stations, radio stations and magazines still have budgets to make.
Now's a good time to get deals on your ad space. You can get more exposure through more ad placement and even freebies added into the mix. If you're trying to get airtime on TV, for example, a station might also offer online advertising on its website as part of the deal. Negotiations are easier for the advertiser in a recession.
You Can Speak Directly to Customers Looking for Bargains
Don't be afraid to address the bad economy in your advertising. Customers are looking for good deals. Some national advertisers are a prime example of this.
Travelocity aired a simple commercial to announce its Silver Lining Sale. In the first three seconds, you see the words, "We know times are tight."
Wal-Mart is running an effective ad campaign. The commercials don't say, "Hey, come on out. We've got electronics, clothes, sporting goods, prescriptions and more at a low cost." Instead, the ads focus on very specific items and how much you'll save over a year by purchasing these items directly from Wal-Mart. The world's largest retailer posted its best sales performance in nine months, with a 5.1-percent sales gain in February 2009 as a result.
Hyundai's ads touting the Assurance Plus program is another example of an advertiser that's not ignoring these tough economic times. In its ads, Hyundai announces its program that will pay your payment for three months if you lose your income. If you still can't pay after three months, take your car back to the dealership.
Is it an effective program? Hyundai has already seen a 4.9-percent sales gain as of March 2009 while Toyota is down 36-percent.
In a bad economy, there are many opportunities to expose your business to new customers that aren't always possible in a good economy. Every one of them can be explored to help you solidify your place in business and stand out from your competitors.
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Secrets of a Successful Online Press Room
Secrets of a Successful Online Press Room
From Apryl Duncan
Is your online press room plagued with problems that are preventing journalists from giving you free media coverage? Avoid press room pitfalls in five simple steps.
Make Your Online Press Room Easy to Find
Be proud of your online newsroom. It can get you a lot of free press your company deserves. Make your online press room easy to find from your company's website.
Many companies hide their press room from the main navigation or only put a link within their site map. This defeats the purpose of having an online newsroom where the media can find your latest news.
Plan for Smooth Navigation
Your online press room is part of your company website but when it comes to navigation, you can easily treat it like it's a separate website. Many online press rooms cram everything into a single page or make it hard for journalists to find what they need. Your online press room should be easy to navigate with separate sections for contact information, press releases, a company overview, your press kit, etc.
Update Your Online Press Room Often
Your online newsroom is a powerful cog in your PR machine. Reporters get frustrated when they visit your online press room and it hasn't been updated.
Your press room looks abandoned. Your company looks like it doesn't care about making the information available. You lose out on free publicity. Dedicate time out of your day to making sure your online press room is updated with every bit of news that's leaving your PR department.
Avoid the PR Spin Machine
When you make a blatant attempt to step over the line between advertising and PR, journalists can easily spot the crossover. Use your online press room to inform journalists, not try to sell them.
Ditch the Secret Media Access
Do journalists really need a user name and password to access your online press room? You shouldn't have anything to hide behind your newsroom walls.
Forget the secret media access and concentrate on building a valuable online newsroom that everyone can use. These days, citizen journalists can be crucial to giving you free publicity. If you're hiding your online newsroom, you're missing out on the buzz.
From Apryl Duncan
Is your online press room plagued with problems that are preventing journalists from giving you free media coverage? Avoid press room pitfalls in five simple steps.
Make Your Online Press Room Easy to Find
Be proud of your online newsroom. It can get you a lot of free press your company deserves. Make your online press room easy to find from your company's website.
Many companies hide their press room from the main navigation or only put a link within their site map. This defeats the purpose of having an online newsroom where the media can find your latest news.
Plan for Smooth Navigation
Your online press room is part of your company website but when it comes to navigation, you can easily treat it like it's a separate website. Many online press rooms cram everything into a single page or make it hard for journalists to find what they need. Your online press room should be easy to navigate with separate sections for contact information, press releases, a company overview, your press kit, etc.
Update Your Online Press Room Often
Your online newsroom is a powerful cog in your PR machine. Reporters get frustrated when they visit your online press room and it hasn't been updated.
Your press room looks abandoned. Your company looks like it doesn't care about making the information available. You lose out on free publicity. Dedicate time out of your day to making sure your online press room is updated with every bit of news that's leaving your PR department.
Avoid the PR Spin Machine
When you make a blatant attempt to step over the line between advertising and PR, journalists can easily spot the crossover. Use your online press room to inform journalists, not try to sell them.
Ditch the Secret Media Access
Do journalists really need a user name and password to access your online press room? You shouldn't have anything to hide behind your newsroom walls.
Forget the secret media access and concentrate on building a valuable online newsroom that everyone can use. These days, citizen journalists can be crucial to giving you free publicity. If you're hiding your online newsroom, you're missing out on the buzz.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Why Ads Fail!
Why Ads Fail!
by Tom Egelhoff
Even after 30 years of placing ads I still cross my fingers and look to the heavens for guidance. But one thing I have learned over the years is that when ads do fail it is usually because I made a mistake. Here's what to look for.
An ad will never work if it doesn't grab the attention of the reader. The headline must do it's job by making the reader stop and consider the ad.
An ad will never work if the message doesn't hold the attention of the reader that the headline worked so hard to attract. There must be benefits to the reader or they will move on.
An ad will never work if it doesn't ask the reader to act. Successful ads must cause an emotional reaction. Make a call. Return a card. Bring in a coupon. There must be a call to action.
by Tom Egelhoff
Even after 30 years of placing ads I still cross my fingers and look to the heavens for guidance. But one thing I have learned over the years is that when ads do fail it is usually because I made a mistake. Here's what to look for.
An ad will never work if it doesn't grab the attention of the reader. The headline must do it's job by making the reader stop and consider the ad.
An ad will never work if the message doesn't hold the attention of the reader that the headline worked so hard to attract. There must be benefits to the reader or they will move on.
An ad will never work if it doesn't ask the reader to act. Successful ads must cause an emotional reaction. Make a call. Return a card. Bring in a coupon. There must be a call to action.
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