How to Write a Powerful Sales Ad</h1> <article> <h1>How to Write a Powerful Sales Ad</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:07 GMT</p> <p>To turn any potential client into an actual client, you need to answer the questions your potential clients are asking. Every potential client goes through a process when thinking about buying something, and must be satisfied that he or she has answered these five questions... </p> <p style="padding-left:30px;">1. What does this product do? </p> <p style="padding-left:30px;">2. Do I want the outcome this product delivers? </p> <p style="padding-left:30px;">3. Do I believe this product will deliver the outcome? </p> <p style="padding-left:30px;">4. Why should I buy the outcome from this source? </p> <p style="padding-left:30px;">5. Can I afford it? </p> <p>Every product has its own specific set of features that need to be described in the ad. There's a good chance your sale copy answers those questions already. After all, you know your own product better than anyone. The above five questions aren't necessarily focused on a product's features. It's usually these questions I find unanswered, when I'm asked to look at a sales page and find out why it's not working. </p> <p><b>What does this product do?</b> It's the most fundamental of questions, and you have to answer it right at the start of your sales copy. It sounds so logical. So simple. Surely every advertiser gets right to the point, don't they? Well, no actually. An incredibly large number of advertisers begin their sales copy by naming the product and talking about how good it is. These advertisers make the dangerous assumption that their potential clients already know what their product is and what it does. These advertisers assume naming the product is as good as describing what it does. It's easy to forget the reader doesn't share your intimate knowledge of the product. </p> <p>Consider the following ad headline... Have it all done for you automatically Do you see the problem? The advertiser is using the ad headline to describe a major benefit, but fails to provide a context for the reader. What will be done for me automatically? An amateur might think of this as a curiosity device, hoping people will be desperate to find out more. In reality, nobody will bother to try and puzzle it out. The writer of this ad either doesn't know, or has forgotten, what an ad headline is supposed to do. As a result, he or she has killed any chance of getting sales. </p> <p><b>Do I want the outcome this product delivers?</b> Describing what the product does must be done in conjunction with describing the outcome the product delivers. By that, I mean the benefit that comes with owning or using the product. Most advertiser's either describe what the product does, or the outcome it delivers. As you saw in the above example, this doesn't work. You must describe both. Once again, it seems self-evident. Of course you should do this! But are you? </p> <p>The following examples show the headlines of two ads. The first is a typical ad headline, while the second describes both the product and its benefit in one simple statement... Flu, colds and other health problems! You will make money with this advertising! The first headline is oh-so-close to getting it right, but not close enough to win a cigar. The advertiser seems to be offering to give you a dose of the flu! Ending the headline with a question mark would have been better. Starting the headline with Instant cure for would have been better still. Meanwhile, the second headline tells you exactly what's on offer. It's advertising, and there's money to be made. Anybody in the market for advertising, knows immediately that they need to find out more. The ad must now set out to convince the reader that the product can deliver on the promise made. </p> <p><b>Do I believe this product will deliver the promised outcome?</b> Every potential client wants to believe the promise you make for your product. What advertiser wouldn't want to make a profit on the money they invest in advertising? The problem every advertiser faces is the long series of past disappointments experienced by the prospect. Consider the following ad headline... Discover these sizzling cash secrets and earn 7,000 a week! The headline will certainly grab the attention of anyone interested in earning money. Such a person will certainly want to believe it's true. Now the advertiser has to prove it’s true. What would you say to clinch the deal, if this was your ad? It's a useful exercise to go through, and I encourage you to think it through. What things need to be in a sales page to make such a statement credible? </p> <p><b>Why should I buy the outcome from this source?</b> You've made your prospect an offer he or she can't refuse. You've convinced the potential client that you, or your product, will deliver the promised outcome. Now the ungrateful sod has the cheek to think about another supplier? Yes, unfortunately. If you're the only supplier, that's great. All you need to do is say so, and the question is answered. If you're selling something the prospect can get at Walmart, you have a big problem. Here's why... Your prospect doesn't know you, or anything about you. He or she is taking a big risk buying from you. Human nature will drive your prospect to reduce that risk (i.e. look for a trusted source), unless you provide a good reason to buy from you. You need to attack this on two fronts... </p> <p>• Provide evidence that you're a reliable source. Testimonial evidence is a big help here, especially if the testifiers can be contacted </p> <p>• Offer benefits available only if the prospect buys from you. Find something other than price, because anyone can offer a discount. </p> <p><b>Can I afford it?</b> Congratulations. Your potential client wants the outcome your product delivers. What's more, you've convinced him or her that your product can deliver. And now, the prospect has decided to buy it from you. The sale is in the bag, isn't it? Not necessarily. The prospect may decide he or she doesn't want the desired outcome badly enough to actually fork over cold hard cash. If the prospect doesn't, he or she will think I can't afford it. It's not that the client doesn't have the money (unless you sell something expensive). It's more about the need to rationalize the purchase. In particular, the prospect will need to be able to justify the purchase to significant people in his or her life. Such people include... </p> <p>• An employer </p> <p>• A spouse </p> <p>• Friends </p> <p>• Parents </p> <p>You can't rely on your prospect to do this for him or herself. You must equip your prospect with a rational explanation for the purchase. You don't need to do this to convince your prospect to buy. </p> <p>You need to do this to give your prospect the ammunition he or she needs to justify the purchase to others. For example, consider a product that costs 30 per month... For just 1 a day, you get a guaranteed 600 return per dollar invested. And you get it in just 30 days. That's a whopping 24,000% return on your investment per annum! You'll never make a profit like that from your bank, will you? Especially while your bank is paying a lousy 510%. In this case, the rationalization breaks down the amount paid to its smallest sensible component: 1 a day. </p> <p>And note the word payment is never used. Instead, the term investment is used, because it implies there is a profit to be made. What's more, the desired outcome is described as both a return on investment, and a profit. This is just in case the reader doesn't know what return on investment means. And allows the advertiser to reuse the word investment, benefiting from it twice without seeming to. The reader is then asked to contrast the sheer brilliance of the product on offer, against the lousy return those rotten scoundrels at the bank are paying. </p> <p><b>How to answer the five questions</b> It's important that your ad doesn't actually ask the five questions. Yes, it must answer them. But it has to do so in a way that gives a potential client the answers he or she needs, within the context of supplying useful information. If you actually ask these questions in your sales copy, your prospect will not understand why you're doing so. The prospect isn't aware he or she is asking these questions. They occur at a subconscious level. That's why you need to answer them within the wider context of a sales ad. </p> <p>Author: Wayne Davies Wayne got into Internet marketing full-time in 1999, having seen an opportunity to apply direct marketing skills to the Internet. He runs several advertising sites, including The Online Marketing Blog: <a href="http://blog.mailyourad.com">http://blog.mailyourad.com</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Holiday Season 2009: Prepare Now, Profit Later</h1> <p>Jill Rafalowski — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 19:50:00 GMT</p> <p><span>If you’re a small business owner, odds are you’ve already started thinking about the upcoming 2009 holiday season. It may still be summer, but the perfect time to prepare your business for the holiday rush is right now. By starting early, you can increase your chances of profiting later.</span></p> <div> </div> <p><span>Summer is the perfect time to begin planning your business’s holiday-season strategy. Since most shoppers usually wait until November to make the bulk of their holiday purchases, you still have time to research, plan, and prepare your business for a successful holiday rush.</span></p> <div> </div> <p><span>So what should you start doing in August? Here are a few suggestions:</span></p> <div> </div> <div><b> </b></div> <p><b>*Determine your target audience.</b><span> August is the perfect month to figure out who your potential customers will be. Take a look at who your current customers are, and who your customers were during previous holiday seasons. By using this information, you can adjust your advertising and marketing campaigns to better appeal to your projected audience. </span></p> <div><b> </b></div> <p><b><span>*Determine what your best-selling products will be. </span></b><span>First, take a look at your inventory. Your current best-sellers could very well maintain this status during the holiday season, so promote them. If you have any new products that look promising, promote them as well. If your customers keep asking if you carry Product X, then by all means start stocking and promoting Product X. </span></p> <div> </div> <p><span>Next, do a little research. Ask your customers, friends, and family what kind of gifts they’re going to look for this holiday season. Browse the Internet for products that are starting to garner a lot of buzz, look up the current gift-giving trends, and look for articles that predict trends for the 2009 holiday season. Compare these results with your targeted customer demographic: If you have the products they’re going to want, then promote them; if you don’t have them, get them and start promoting.</span></p> <div><b> </b></div> <p><b>*Increase your customer reach. </b><span>If your business doesn’t have a social media presence, now is the perfect time to get involved. Most social media outlets are free—<a href="http://twitter.com/">Twitter™</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/">Facebook®</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/">MySpace®</a>, and <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/">LinkedIn®</a> are all 100% free services that are actually effective. Once you join these sites, you can start conversations with potential customers and keep them updated on your store’s new products, sales, promotions, and so forth. You can also use these sites to research product trends, as discussed above. </span></p> <div><b> </b></div> <p><b>*Cater to pre-shoppers.</b><span> Although a lot of shoppers wait to actually purchase gifts until later in the fall, their research begins much sooner than that. With the economy in its current state, consumers want to be sure that they are spending their money wisely. They want to feel confident that the products they purchase are both high in quality and worth their cost, so they turn to the Internet for gift ideas, product reviews, and price comparisons. </span></p> <div> </div> <p><span>If your business has a website or an ecommerce store, you can include SEO-friendly content that appeals to your target audience. Do a little keyword research, and include relevant keywords in your product descriptions and site content. Offer shopping advice, promote hot products, and include a ‘related items’ list for each product in your inventory. By making more of your products visible, you’re exposing your customers to more possible gift ideas. This can result in more sales for your store.</span></p> <div> </div> <p><span>If you own a brick-and-mortar store, find a way to feature promising products. This can be done via an email newsletter, through in-store ads, on your business’ website, or through product recommendations by in-store sales associates. Never underestimate the power of persuasion: If your customers feel that you are truly passionate about Product X, they will be more likely to consider purchasing Product X. </span></p> <div><b> </b></div> <p><b>*Adjust your budget.</b><span> The holiday season is not the time to skimp on spending. Think about all the costs that could—and probably will—go up: shipping costs will rise; you may need to keep your business open for longer hours, resulting in more pay to your employees; you may need to hire extra staff to keep up with order demand; and it is critical to boost your advertising efforts during the holidays. As the old adage goes, “You need to spend money to make money.” By preparing your business for an increase in costs, you’re also improving your chances for an increase in revenue.</span></p> <div><b> </b></div> <p><b>*Plan your promotions. </b><span>Since August is a little early to start running holiday shopping promotions, use this month to plan them. First make a list of promotions that will work for your store. Some popular promotions include free shipping offers, ‘spend more, save more’ deals, percentage-off sales, and ‘deal-of-the-week’ promotions. After you decide which promotions you’d like to utilize, figure out <b>when</b> you’re going to implement them, and determine <b>how</b> you’re going to market these promotions. Include your promotions everywhere you can—on your website, via email newsletters, in newspaper advertisements, through customer mail, via your Facebook® page and other social media outlets, and so on. If your customers are not aware of your promotions, your business will not benefit from them.</span></p> <div> </div> <div><b> </b></div> <p>The holidays can be stressful for everyone, especially retailers. With so much potential profit on the line, it's best to start thinking about the holiday season while it's still months away. Preparing your small business for a successful, profitable 2009 holiday season doesn't have to be hard—think ahead, start planning, and get ready to profit!</p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Building Buzz - Get the Most Out of Your Promotions</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 18:30:26 GMT</p> <p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Imagine that you are the president of a boutique marketing company, MarketWow, Inc. Your customers have been requesting a social media product for the past two years and you have now satisfied their requests. You have developed a new product that will make growing a business through social media a breeze for anyone. You need to get the word out about your fantastic new product. Email alone won’t do it, and you don’t have the budget or name recognition for a TV blitz. What do you do? </span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You decide to go local.</span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">So now you’re planning an event and it’s going to be great. The idea is a simple one: host an event where people learn great information, network, and enjoy themselves. When it’s all said and done, hopefully they will buy something from you – your new social media service.</span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">You begin planning. The event idea is so simple, but as you begin really thinking through the details, you start wondering just what exactly you’re going to do and perhaps most importantly, how exactly are you going to fill the room? You need to get the word out. You need to get people excited about this. You need to build a local buzz about your event! </span></p> <div> </div> <div><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Before the Buzz</span></b></div> <div><b> </b></div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Before you do anything, make sure that you have the basics in place. There is nothing worse than having to cancel an event because some critical piece was out of place. There is a short list of items that you must have before you can proceed.</span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">First, make sure you have a venue lined up. Your choices here are infinite, but as you develop your plan your options will become more apparent. For very small events, check with local colleges or universities. They often have low cost options for local businesses to use a room for presentations or meetings. </span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Once you have the venue lined up, get some other basics done before beginning the buzz. Call a few prospective speakers, moderators or others who you may need to call on for help. Make sure that others in your industry will be available. A few minutes of targeted phone calls should suffice.</span></p> <div> </div> <div><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Building the Buzz</span></b></div> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Now you’re on your way. You have a venue lined up, dates picked, buy-in from local businesses, a small team of volunteers who will help you with logistics the day of, and a couple great industry analysts who will be speaking. </span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Finally…you can start promoting your event! Below is list of various marketing methods to consider for the most effective event promotion. </span></p> <div> </div> <div><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">1) Get your Event posted on the Web </span></b></div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">First thing you must do is get the event information on the Web. So much of your buzz-building will be web-centric, it is imperative that there is a focal point. You’ll need a place to link back to from all of your buzz-building endeavors. Make sure your web page includes the following details: summary of the event, agenda outlining activities for the day, speaker bios, and most importantly, a registration link! Also, don’t forget to put a phone # on all of these pages so you can be contacted. </span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> 2) <b>Local News Outlets</b></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">All local newspapers and TV stations will have contact information listed on their Web sites. It can’t hurt to call them to see if there is any news (or editorial) interest in your event. But maybe more importantly, most also have a calendar of events. See this example on the Washington DC ABC affiliate, WJLA: <a href="http://cfc.wjla.com/community/addevent.cfm">http://cfc.wjla.com/community/addevent.cfm</a>. </span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> 3) <b>Web-based Event Calendars</b></span></p> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">One of the nice things about living in a digital age is the sheer volume of viable marketing vehicles that cost little or nothing. There are dozens and dozens of event calendar Websites that exist solely to provide information about local events. Here are just a few of the more popular ones:</span></p> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://eventful.com/">http://eventful.com/</a></span></div> <div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.zvents.com/">http://www.zvents.com/</a></span></div> <div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.when.com/">http://www.when.com/</a> </span></div> <div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.active.com/">http://www.active.com/</a> (sports)</span></div> <div><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><a href="http://www.serve.gov/">http://www.serve.gov/</a> (government)</span></div> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Not to mention the thousands of chambers of commerce, business networking groups and the like. Your job is to uncover them all and begin your buzz!</span></p> <div> </div> <div><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">4) Press Releases</span></b></div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">A press release is always a good option. It can help you look more professional, especially when you contact a local news outlet. Having a press release handy is a must – you may well be asked to “shoot over some info” or the like. Be ready! </span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">An online press release is also a good idea. Take your press release and make sure that there are several well-placed links to your Web-based event information. Submit your press release to a news release and syndication service. <a href="http://www.prweb.com/">www.PRWeb.com</a> is probably the best choice, though there are many services out there – the more the better.</span></p> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">5) <b>Local Business Journals</b></span></div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The Business Journal newspapers are in every major city and are widely read by business owners, business consumers and social consumers alike. It is well worth the $99 submission fee to make sure your event is posted in the event section and publicized. You can see details to register your event here: <a href="http://www.bizjournals.com/event/">http://www.bizjournals.com/event/</a> </span></p> <div> </div> <div><span style="font-size: 10pt;">6) <b>Social Media Marketing</b></span></div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">This activity cannot be overstated. It is one of the most effective and least expensive methods to build buzz about your event. And best of all, the opportunities are endless. </span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">First - Tweet, Tweet, Tweet. Twitter® is fast becoming the social network of choice for anyone and everyone. Twitter is unique in that it allows you to post 140 character blurbs about what is important to you. Your posting is viewed by those “following” your posts. Your followers, in turn, have the option to push your message on to their followers (a “re-tweet”). The compounding effect of this can be extraordinary. The challenge is that you can’t just go to Twitter, set up an account and post your event. This is a medium that will require you to establish a profile, begin “tweeting” and build a list of followers. There are many tools to use with Twitter, including those that will allow you to search for other users in your area and of course search for users posting about specific topics. Find people who are interested in what you do and begin following, being followed and tweeting.</span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Second, Facebook is a great place to build a network of local people who are interested in your products and services. Establish a Facebook group for your business. Encourage your new customers to join your group. Encourage them to spread the word about your group to others who may be interested. When it comes time for your event, if you have a well-established Facebook® Group, it will be yet another place to build buzz!</span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Third, all other social networking places. There are endless forums and blogs about anything and everything. Find those that are relevant to what you are doing and join. Begin posting as a registered user. In most forums, there are places specifically dedicated to posting events. Beyond forums and blogs, make sure to use the major social bookmark services to mark your event Web page – Stumble Upon, Digg®, Furl® and any others you can think of.</span></p> <div> </div> <div><b><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Build the Buzz…and They Will Come</span></b></div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">If you do this right, you will have a fantastic experience. Doing it right means thinking through what you will do, where you will do it and clearly defining what value people will get from attendance. Get organized and lay out all that is important for your event. Get the big, must-have details and once they are in place, begin buzz building. This is a marketing tactic that can reap huge rewards in brand awareness, customer loyalty and even customer acquisition. Just don’t forget…</span></p> <div> </div> <p><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Without value you don’t have an event. However, without buzz, you may have an event, but nobody will come. </span></p> <p> </p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Will Donating a Portion of Your Price Help You Increase Sales During the Holiday Season?</h1> <p>Nit Sujatanond — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 13:30:52 GMT</p> <p> The success of the Avon-Breakthrough *** cancer campaign, alone, clearly demonstrates the marketing power of corporate charitable donations. Not only did the campaign help raise money for cancer research, it also helped Avon reach new markets, boost sales and receive good press. In addition, it motivated the rest of corporate America to embrace cause-related marketing partnerships and recognize the positive effects it can have on both consumer perception and sales. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>Cause-Related Marketing & the Holiday Season</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Recent studies have shown that the purchase decisions of many consumers can be affected by a business’s philanthropic involvement. So how does this trend in consumer behavior apply during the lucrative holiday shopping season? </p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p> <table align="top" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td>Data from a December 2007 American Marketing Association (AMA) study stated that 35% of participants – U.S. Internet users ages 18 and above – were more likely to purchase a product or service during the holiday season if a portion of the price were donated to charity. <br /><br />The study also went on to say that 53% of these participants were equally likely to make a purchase and 4% were less likely. About 8% of respondents claimed that they do not purchase products or services, and therefore are not influenced, in one way or another, by the mentioning of charitable donations. </td> <td> </td> </tr> </table> <p class="MsoNormal">These numbers indicate that while the majority of these holiday shoppers will buy a product or service they are interested in, regardless of the seller’s involvement or non-involvement in a cause-related marketing partnership, more than a third of the participants can be persuaded to purchase from a business that promises to donate a portion of its proceeds to a charity.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b>How to Apply a Cause-Related Marketing Campaign</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Due to the growing popularity of cause-related marketing campaigns, most charitable organizations have developed programs for businesses that would like to get involved. It’s often a good idea to choose a charity that is relevant to your business. For instance, if you sell women’s apparel, perhaps negotiate a partnership with a nonprofit organization that fights against ovarian cancer, *** cancer or violence against women. Or, if your business targets parents, look for charities that support children’s hospitals, fight hunger or provide educational tools to underprivileged children. Whichever charity you choose, make sure you and your employees truly believe in it. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Once you have chosen an organization to partner with, determine how much you are willing to donate. A dollar figure (e.g. one cent, one dollar, five dollars, etc.) is often easier to keep track of than a percentage. Also, remember that you are in business to make money, so do not donate more than you can afford to forego.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal">The final step is to advertise, advertise and advertise some more. Alert your local media. Mention your campaign in your ads. Reserve a page on your business Web site to talk about your partnership. Without consumer recognition of your charitable involvement, your cause-related marketing campaign will not be effective. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Cause-related marketing is a great strategy for boosting sales and brand awareness during the holiday shopping season. Before taking part, perform some research. Your choice of charity, donation amount and marketing efforts can greatly affect the success of your campaign.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Festive and Effective Holiday Marketing Ideas</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:35 GMT</p> <p>In addition to being the "Season of Sweets," the period of time between Halloween and New Year's Day presents a wonderful opportunity for your company to thank your customers. It also is a time that you can drive new business to you. Here is a list of easy and effective marketing ideas to help you promote your business for the holidays. </p> <p><b>1. Send a Card:</b> Send a holiday card to all of your customers - depending on your target audience, it can be for Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or simply "Seasons Greetings." You can also send a Happy New Year card. But don't stop there. Don't forget about your vast referral base. Be sure to send business holiday cards to your friends, family, associates, and vendors. </p> <p><b>2. Send your database a gift:</b> Hopefully, you have a list of both clients and prospects. Whether these individuals have purchased from you or not, treat them well. Take the holiday season as an opportunity to send them a gift. It can be as simple as a $5 gift card to Starbucks. Small gestures are what impress people - they work to keep customers loyal and to convert prospects to customers. </p> <p><b>3. Offer a "Something of the Month" club:</b> People are always looking for unique gifts to give. Why not help them out and create ongoing cash flow for your company? You can do this type of gift series with almost anything. Seriously. Did you know there is a Bacon of the Month club? You could sell CDs that you record each month, massages, dinners, jelly, or even a teleseminar series. With a little creative brainstorming, I'm certain that any business could develop this type of program. </p> <p><b>4. Bundle items as a holiday theme:</b> Sell holiday specials to entice people to buy bundles of products or services. Instead of selling single items, offer a theme. For example, a financial planning company could put together a New Year's Planning Kit that includes a book, tax software, and a one-hour consultation. A spa could put together a Stress-Free Holiday package of a steam bath, facial, and body lotion. </p> <p><b>5. Give a coupon or discount:</b> As both a gift to your customers and a way to boost your seasonal revenue, why not offer a discount or send out a coupon that promotes one or more of your services or products. This could be for a report, a CD, a session, or a special program. Again - be creative! People love discounts. </p> <p><b>6. Offer a holiday special:</b> You can encourage larger purchases by offering a holiday special like Buy Two and Get a Third Item for Free. Here is a different variation on this same strategy: Tell your customers when they purchase a certain amount, the will get something for free. For instance, Buy $100 worth of products and get a free CD. These are just a few ways that you can both thank your customers and offer them something special for the holidays. These marketing strategies also help build customer loyalty, convert prospects into customers, and help to bring cash flow into your company. Best of success to your business! Learn marketing techniques to attract new customers quickly in. </p> <p>Author Wendy Maynard's free report: "Marketing Strategies to Fill Your Pipeline" at <a href="http://www.gomarketingmaven.com/free_report.html">http://www.gomarketingmaven.com/free_report.html</a></p> </article> <article> <h1>Should You Copyright Your online Material?</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 18:28:23 GMT</p> <p>Your business is your creation and so, for most small businesses, is the online material such as Web pages, logos, and marketing materials used to communicate your business services and products to the world.</p> <p>Because that material is original with you, you should consider formally copyrighting it. Generally speaking, original material is considered to be copyrighted at the moment that it is put in a fixed, tangible medium of expression. Formal copyright registration, including recovery of attorneys fees and punitive damages against the infringee with the United States Copyright Office, provides additional legal protections beyond those that accompany mere creation.</p> <p>A copyright gives you the following protections:</p> <ul> <li>Clear ownership of your original material for your life, and 70 years after your death</li> <li>Exclusive rights to copy and distribute your material</li> <li>The right to create additional content based on your initial copyrighted material</li> <li>The right to use the © symbol</li> <li>Proof of ownership and legal authority to sue over copyright infringement or violations</li> <li>The right to sell or assign your copyrighted material to others.</li> </ul> <p>Each of these protections is valuable, even more so in the online world where material can all too easily be copied and transmitted with just a click or two of a mouse. Fortunately, it's just as easy to acquire a copyright for the original content on your Web site. </p> <p>Just as a book's copyright includes all of the pages in between its covers, the copyright for your Web site covers all of its pages (although large changes to the content of those pages should be addressed with additional copyright applications).</p> <p>The copyright process can be accomplished either through a copyright attorney or via an online business such as Network Solutions' partner MyCorporation.com for a small fee plus the registration fees charged by the Copyright Office.</p> <p>With MyCorporation.com, for example, the process involves:</p> <ul> <li>Filling out an online copyright registration form</li> <li>MyCorporation.com then takes care of all necessary forms and filings with the United States Copyright Office</li> <li>Completed and approved forms will be returned to you for your signature before forwarding the forms and materials to the copyright office for deposit</li> <li>Copies of the final forms will be sent to you</li> </ul> <p>And that's it.</p> <p>Considering the amount of effort and originality you've put into your Web materials, shouldn't you consider copyright registration to protect them?</p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Events Can Raise Friends and Funds for Non-Profits: Five Steps To Get Started</h1> <p>Joanne Del Toro — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:06:36 GMT</p> <p>Many non-profits find that hosting one or two large events each year can generate great results for their organizations. Events help to develop an organization's volunteer base, raise the profile of the organization in the community and among core constituents and generate funds that can be used by the organization to support its core mission.</p> <p>For thirteen years, a local animal sheltering organization with which I am involved has hosted a "Walk for the Animals" each spring. This dog walk has grown in each of the last 13 years and now hosts over 600 walkers and generates over $100K to help homeless animals. Those of us who chaired the event in its earlier years (my Walks in 2001 and 2002 generated less than half of those amounts) have enjoyed watching the event grow.</p> <p>So what do you need to get started? Here are some core requirements:</p> <p><b>1) Choose an event that you think your constituents will attend.</b> We have dismissed ideas such as golf outings, because they are not as good of a fit with our animal-centric base. Look at similar organizations in other areas of the country. Reach out to them and find out what works. You'll find that they are likely to want to share their experiences.</p> <p><b>2) Find a small, effective group of volunteers to plan the event.</b> Choose carefully. Find a mix of volunteers in your base who may have backgrounds in marketing, who are organized and detail-oriented and who have some entrepreneurial spirit. These might not be the same people who you rely on for your core work- (e.g., the best dog walker in your kennel might not be the best fit here if he/she prefers socializing with animals rather than people). </p> <p><b>3) Create an action plan.</b> Assume that it will take you 6-8 months at a minimum to plan the event. Pull together a plan that includes fundraising, logistics, event volunteer recruitment, publicity, registration, etc. And don't forget to talk to your organization's staff about how these things will be handled, as you will need their support throughout the process. </p> <p><b>4) Reach out to the community for support.</b> It's amazing what you get when you ask! Tell local businesses what you are doing and ask for donations. In-kind donations such as gift certificates are great prizes. Plus other businesses can help you get the word out, too.</p> <p><b>5) Set expectations.</b> You can't expect to get traction overnight, so be prepared to give the event time to gain momentum. Start with a small but well-organized event, and the word will get out.</p> <p>Events are not only fun for the attendees; they also provide the planners with a constructive and satisfying way of helping the organization. So good luck and enjoy planning your event.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Direct Marketing by Nonprofits to Increase</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 18:12:28 GMT</p> <p>In its "Direct Marketing Facts & Figures in the Nonprofit Industry" report, the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.the-dma.org/index.php">Direct Marketing Association</a> anticipates strong growth for its industry in the nonprofit sector. <br /><br />Nonprofits typically do not have much money to experiment with, so their marketing budgets are more conservative than for-profit firms' budgets. As a result, nonprofits rely more on direct marketing and its measurable results to make every penny count. <br /><br />The DMA forecasts that nonprofit advertising expenditures will grow at an annual rate of 2.4% through 2012. Meanwhile, sales from direct marketing efforts will grow at 6.8% annually over the same five-year period, meaning there will be an increasing return on investment for direct marketing dollars spent by nonprofits. <br /><br />When it comes to online advertising expenditures, educational services and religious organizations tied for the lead in 2007, with $161.6 million each. <br /><br />Religious organizations also spent the most of any nonprofit sector on direct mail and insert media, at $1.3 billion and $29.3 million respectively. <br /></p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> <article> <h1>The Efficacy of Direct Mail in Association to Charities, Nonprofits and Fundraising Organizations</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 15:08:21 GMT</p> <p>Just about every organization that relies on donations participates in some form of direct mail fundraising. They send out letters, newsletters and postcards – basically anything that can relay information about their organizations, their volunteer opportunities and their fundraising goals. While direct mail can be quite costly, it is still among the most cost-effective methods for “spreading the word.”<br /><b><br />Increased Effectiveness of Direct Mail</b><br />Direct mail marketing is a non-invasive solicitation strategy. It is frequently used by charities and nonprofit organizations to initiate relationships with potential volunteers, activists and donors. Although direct mail is often labeled “junk mail” by some recipients, studies indicate that direct mail marketing is quite effective when used by nonprofit and charitable organizations. </p> <table align="top" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"> <tr> <td>According to data from Vertis, entitled “Customer Focus 2005: Nonprofit Direct Marketing*,” responsiveness to direct mail from charities, nonprofits and fundraising organizations grew between 2002 and 2005. In fact, 59% of the study’s participants responded in some manner – by mail, visiting the sender’s website, visiting the organization’s nearest location in person and/or calling the 800 number listed in the mailing – to direct mail from these organizations in 2005, a much higher percentage than the 38% that responded in 2002. <br /><br />These direct mail recipients typically responded via mail, with the 2005 rate being 9% higher than the 2002 rate. The percentage that responded by visiting the sender’s website also increased, growing from 9% in 2002 to 20% in 2005. In addition to these growths, in-person visits to the nearest organization’s location increased by 8%, and the number of calls to the 800 numbers listed in the mailings increased by 5%. </td> <td> </td> </tr> </table> <p>Studies like the one above truly demonstrate the value of using direct mail marketing when fundraising activities are involved. Therefore, all nonprofits, charities and fundraising organizations should consider making direct mail marketing a part of their fundraising efforts.</p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> <article> <h1>E-books are Promotional Powerhouses</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 15:58:51 GMT</p> <p>E-books are part of the new frontier of cyberspace. They are an entirely new medium for sharing marketing information, ideas, techniques, and expert knowledge. Each day the number of people accessing the Internet grows, causing the exposure of your ebook to increase incrementally. It's obvious why electronic self-publishing has become so popular so quickly.<br /><br />The publishing industry, I hope, does not intend to forever banish the printed word to the dustbin of history. Books in print have their own special qualities and merits, and the world would be diminished by their disappearance.<br /><br />Having said that, let's look at what makes ebooks so important and so unique. Ebooks have certain abilities and qualities that other mediums do not possess.<br /><br />For example, e-books are fairly easy to produce, and their production cost is inexpensive. Just think about it: you don't need a publisher, an agent, a printing press, offset film, ink, paper, or even a distributor. You just need a great concept, the ability to write it or to hire a writer, and the right software.<br /><br />Additionally, ebooks are easily and rapidly distributed online. They are also easily updated; they do not require a second print run. All you need is to go into your original creation and modify the text or graphics. Because of this flexibility, ebooks can change and grow as fast as you can type.<br /><br />E-books are also immediately obtainable. You don't have to go to a bookstore or search through endless titles at an online bookstore. All you have to do is download it from a website, and presto! It's on your computer, ready to be read.<br /><br />Ebooks are interactive. This is one of the most unique and specific qualities that ebooks offer. You can add surveys that need to be filled out, order forms for customers to purchase your products or goods, sound and video that draw your reader into the virtual world of your ebook, even direct links to relevant sites that will expand your ebook outward. The potential is virtually limitless.<br /><br />E-books have a particular kind of permanence that other mediums do not possess. Television shows and radio shows air once, and then may rerun a few times. Ebooks remain on your computer for as long as your choose, and they can be read and reread whenever you choose to. They can even be printed out and stored on the shelves of your traditional home library.<br /><br />Another wonderful quality is that e-books have no barriers in terms of publishing. You don't need to go through the endless process of submitting your manuscript over and over again, and then once you land an agent, having the agent submit your manuscript over and over again. Nor do you have to shell out thousands of dollars for printing a self-published book. All e-books require is a writer and appropriate software. Figure out your market, write your book, post it on your website, and with the right business savvy, your audience will come to you.<br /><br />Finally, you have creative control over your ebook. You don't have to compromise with an editor or the publishing trends of the time. You don't have to haggle with a designer or wait for copyedited galleys to arrive by snail mail. You are in complete control of the design and the text.<br /><br /><b>How to Use e-books for Marketing and Promotion</b><br /><br />There are innumerable ways to use ebooks to promote your business and drive quality traffic to your website. Once posted on your site, you can turn them into a daily course, which brings your customer back to read the next chapter. You can use them as a free gift for making a purchase or for filling out a survey. Put your ebook on a disc, and you will have an innovative brochure. Blow your competition away by inserting the disc into your sales packages.<br /><br />The most effective marketing products are those that are unique. Copyright your e-book, and immediately, you have a powerful tool that you and you alone, can offer to the public. People will have to visit your site to acquire your e-book, which increases the flow of quality traffic and the potential of sales and affiliate contacts.<br /><br />Make sure that you keep your ebook current. Update it frequently as the market and trends change. Add new advice and techniques to show your prospects how your goods or services can enrich their lives. By constantly keeping abreast of new trends and techniques, you can continue to see profits from your ebook for years after your original creation.<br /><br />Another phenomenal advantage of ebooks is that you can test their marketing potential without putting out hardly any cash at all. You can even produce an e-book one copy at a time, each time you receive an order, eliminating the need for storage and inventory. By this method, you can gauge the salablity of your ebook, and make adjustments as necessary until the orders start pouring in. Ebooks allow you to learn about your market and customer habits and motivation over a period of time, without risking your precious financial resources. They also provide you with an invaluable way to gather marketing information, which you can use in many different facets of your business.<br /><br />Use your ebook to discover what the specific goals and problems are in your specific industry. Then figure out how to solve these problems, and publish an e-book with this invaluable information. This will increase the value of your business, upgrade your reputation, and get you known as an expert in your field.<br /><br />You can extend the value of single ebook by breaking the book down into chapters for a serial course, into special reports available on your website, or into audio or visual tapes. Ebooks can be broken down into several different promotional materials by excepting some of the articles and using them to promote your product. You can include a catalog in your ebook to promote all the products or services you sell. You can include a thank-you note for reading your book and an invitation to download a trial version of your product. Or you can include a form for your audience to contact you for further information or with questions, thereby building your business relationships and your mailing list.<br /><br />Using ebooks in this manner helps to cut the cost of individually producing separate promotional materials. You can use a single ebook to entice new prospects and to sell new products to your current customers.<br /><br />No other medium has this kind of flexibility and ability for expansion. Think of your e-book like a spider spinning a beautiful and intricate web. Now go and create that web, and see how many customers and prospects you can catch!<br /></p><div style="clear:both;"></div> </article> <article> <h1>Ethics in Social Network Marketing</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:28 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Unethical marketing practices on social media websites has backfired…badly. As in all marketing situations, it pays to have integrity. While much of social networking is out of your hands, there are many factors that you can control that will keep you out of the hot seat. <br /> <br /> The first thing that you must always keep in mind when you embark on a social network marketing campaign is that you are joining a community. As with any community, business has its rightful place, but it does not have the right to invade people's privacy. In your face, non-targeted, spam marketing will get you nowhere in a hurry. <br /> <br /> Most social network marketers use websites like FaceBook and MySpace to try to drive traffic to another website. While it's perfectly ethical to use social networking websites to spread a message to people who are genuinely interested, many people game the system with auto-friend adding programs and spam messages and bulletins. Again, anything non-targeted and spammy will not help your reputation. <br /> <br /> Thankfully, social networking websites are becoming wise to these practices and are effectively weeding out and banning offenders. <br /> <br /> As mentioned earlier, to use such websites as a marketing tool with integrity you need to participate as a member of the community. Get involved in groups that are related to your area, contribute, communicate and make friends that are genuinely interested in what you have to say and what you have to sell. <br /> <br /> As you begin to publish more content on these websites, try to avoid direct marketing platitudes. For success, your content will need to be of genuine value and interest to other users. Also, never mislead potential clients. Don't overdue your titles to try and lure clicks from visitors. <br /> <br /> For example, instead of leaving a post on a blog pretending to be a consumer recommending your website or product, be up front about it. Explain that the product or website is yours and how it is relevant to the discussion. People will eventually see through dishonest marketing methods, even if they don't right away. And one mistake could cost your reputation. <br /> <br /> Also, when contributing in social networking websites, never use it as an opportunity to unfairly criticize competitors or their products. Don't point out shortfalls. Point out what makes you different. <br /> <br /> Since social network marketing can be seen as a form of publishing, be aware of online copyright issues. Read up on the basics of media law and know the potential dangers when it comes to defamation, invasion of privacy and intellectual property, and copyright infringement. <br /> <br /> There are no hard and fast rules governing ethical behavior in social network marketing. Most communities are self regulated. So, be on your best behavior and you shouldn't have any problems. <br /> <br /> If you would like to read other articles and watch videos on topics like this one, you can join us at http://www.relativitycorp.com . We have tons of resources on Social Network Marketing written by David C Skul CEO and Frank J Klein CIO. You can also sign up to get information in you email in box weekly at the site as well. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">David C Skul - CEO LinkAcquire.com and Relativity, Inc. can provide global market exposure and solutions. http://www.linkacquire.com</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_459658_16.html </span></p> </article> <article> <h1>6 Advantages of Infomercials You Might Not Have Known</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:26 GMT</p> <p> </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">Infomercials are commercials that are around 30 minutes long selling products of various kinds. They resemble programs like talk shows but highlight the view point of the sponsor. The first modern day infomercial was made and aired in 1984; it sold Ginsu knives.<br /> <br /> The infomercial industry is booming at around USD 95 million. Products covered are household utensils and cleaning products, beauty aids, health products, and fitness products.<br /> <br /> 1. Infomercials are like direct selling programs. Their intent is to interest viewers in a product and convince them to buy it. Infomercials are a form of direct response marketing.<br /> <br /> 2. Infomercials have a set audience as they are aired on television during off peak hours and have a captive audience.<br /> <br /> 3. Infomercials sell products that can be bought on the phone from the comfort of your home.<br /> <br /> 4. Most products sold through infomercials are promoted by experts like doctors, health specialists, beauty queens and son on. They endorse the products in such a way that television watchers eagerly buy the products.<br /> <br /> 5. Most infomercials are hosted by popular talk show hosts who have a great fan following. <br /> <br /> 6. Infomercials are convincing as they have people giving testimonials on how x,y, or zee product had worked wonders. <br /> <br /> With infomercials every one makes money, the product promoters, the infomercial makers, and the channel that airs the infomercial. The figures are astounding over USD 11 million are made by channels that run just say four infomercials. <br /> <br /> Most paid programs that you find listed on TV programs are infomercials. Very often a talk show that captures your attention and holds you spell bound for thirty whole minutes is an infomercial; these programs are run on cable television during low-cost time. And customers can call on toll free numbers and buy products using their credit cards.<br /> <br /> Infomercials have self regulation bodies such as the National Infomercial Marketing Association or NIMA who vouch for the accuracy and reliability of an infomercial that carries their logo. This is a step to protect consumers from products that cannot be vouched for. Infomercials under NIMA guidelines market valuable products that make responsible claims and follow fair business practices. <br /> <br /> As a consumer you need to use common sense and basic precautions when buying products sold on television or radio. Never give into sales pitch. Make sure you need the product, that it is being sold at a fair price, has a NIMA logo, and offers guarantees, displays clearly costs and refund policies. </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></strong></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;">About the author:</span></strong><span style="font-size: 10pt; font-family: Arial;"><br /> Timothy Rudon is a writer for <a href="http://www.1855infomercial.com/" target="_blank">Infomercials</a> , the premier website to find infomercial, infomercial product, infomercial review, fitness infomercial review, infomercial product endors, infomercial company, infomercial list and many more.</span></p> </article> <article> <h1>Advertising's 7 magic words</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:22 GMT</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">When I was a kid, and I wanted something, my mother would always say, “What's the magic word?” </span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Advertising has magic words too. If you rely on advertising to make a living, you're going to need to know these seven magic words and how to use them. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">So let's cut to the chase. The seven magic words are... </span></span></p> <ol> <li><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">You </span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Instant </span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Guarantee </span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Fast </span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Easy </span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Free </span></span></li> <li><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Now </span></span></li> </ol> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Inject as many of these words into your ad as you can, assuming it makes <br />sense to do so. For example, you wouldn't use the word free to describe <br />something that cost money. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Knowing you, knowing me</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">The word you must always be used to refer to the reader of the ad. If I <br />write a sentence, and use the word you, it implies that I'm taking to the <br />reader. T</span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">his is a very good thing, because it personalizes the ad for the reader. <br />Consider these two examples... </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Everybody saves 50 today only! </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">You save 50 today only!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">These two sentences say exactly the same thing, but the second is more <br />powerful. It's much clearer to the reader that it's he or she that benefits. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Gimme gimme gimme right now!</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> Human beings are not patient creatures. Whatever it is we want, we want right now! </span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">We drink instant coffee, eat instant porridge, and buy fast-food in record <br />quantities. </span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Most products benefit from the instant treatment (exceptions are rare), because nobody likes waiting for anything. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Injecting the word instant into an ad has the effect of increasing it's <br />power... </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Double your sales! </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Double your sales instantly!</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">The above sentences both offer an attractive benefit to the reader, but the <br />second example trumps the first by promising it now. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"></span><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Guarantee</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Doubt is your greatest enemy, and the most difficult to kill. The reassuring <br />word guarantee helps you to overcome doubt in a skeptical world. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">You make money instantly </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">You make money instantly guaranteed</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">With the examples above, the first sentence makes a powerful promise to the <br />reader. But the second injects more power by adding a single word! Notice the <br />impact of that word on the overall excitement generated by the sentence? </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Fast</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Get out your thesaurus and look up the word instant. No doubt you'll find <br />fast listed as a synonym. So yes, fast and instant are related. But <br />they're not exactly the same. </span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Fast is an excellent word to use when instant doesn't apply. For example, if you have to ship a product, you can't use the word instant. But you can use the word fast. Here's an example that illustrates the point... </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">We ship instantly, so you get your widget fast</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Other useful phrases that add immediacy to your ad include... </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">As soon as instead of when </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Quick when fast doesn't read well (e.g. get rich quick) </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Add now or right now to an action (e.g. click here <i>now</i> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"></span><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Easy</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">As a species, we're impatient. We're also lazy. </span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Not only do we want it yesterday, we also want it spoon-fed. </span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">That's where the word easy comes into play. As shown in these three examples... </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Five steps to wealth </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Five easy steps to wealth </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Five easy steps to instant wealth</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Notice how each sentence is more powerful than the one that precedes it? It's <br />an example of how to use the seven magic words to inject real power into your <br />advertising. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"></span><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Free</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">We've already established that people are impatient. We've also discovered <br />that human beings are lazy. And guess what? We're cheap too! </span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">I'm not being altogether serious (just in case you were wondering). The power in the word free doesn't come from any innate miserly tendency. </span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">The word free is powerful because it removes doubt. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">When an item is free, the potential buyer is not at risk of being ripped off. <br />He or she can't lose when an offer is free. </span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">This is the real reason why a free offer usually enjoys a higher take-up than a paid offer (all else being equal). </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">The great thing is, once the potential client has taken up your free offer <br />and benefited from it, he or she is more likely to buy something from you. </span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">There are many reasons for this, but the main one is that you've removed much of the risk that comes with dealing with a complete stranger (i.e. you're no <br />longer a stranger to someone who has benefited from your free offer). </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"></span><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Now</span></b></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">The word now can be used in place of instant, but that's not how I mean <br />it here. </span></span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">This seventh magic word can also be used to imply that something has changed, and as a result of the change, there's now an important new benefit for the reader. Here's an example... </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">You get 250 million ads! </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Now you get 250 million ads</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Notice how the second sentence seems that little bit more interesting? The <br />implication is that you used to get fewer ads, but due to a recent change, now <br />you get more. </span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Putting it all together</span></b></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;">These seven magic words may not all fit in a single ad. I'm not suggesting </span><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">you contrive to write some kind of crazy uber ad that includes every single powerful word in the English dictionary. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">You must make sure your ad reads well. And it's vital that your use of these <br />words makes sense. Simply injecting these words for no good reason will not <br />produce a powerful ad. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Even so, with a little care and attention, you'll find some or all of these <br />words will fit any ad you're using. Take a little time, and work over your ad. </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">You'll soon pump up the power, and make more money as a result.</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"></span><b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Author:</span></b><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"> Wayne Davies</span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Wayne</span></span><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"><span style="font-size:small;font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif;"> got into Internet marketing full-time in 1999, having seen an opportunity to apply direct marketing skills to the Internet. He runs several advertising sites, including The Online Marketing Blog: <a target="_blank" href="http://blog.mailyourad.com/" title="http://blog.mailyourad.com" href=">http://blog.mailyourad.com</a> </span></span></p> </article> <article> <h1>Exhibit Booths</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:17 GMT</p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;">Exhibit booths are all about attracting new customers and business partners, or anyone who is interested in the exhibit. Exhibitors launching new products or services always try to put their best foot forward in order to generate wider interest from their customers. By placing eye-catching booths, exhibitors ensure that they are easily distinguishable from their competitors and that their presentation typically is in sync with their product or service offerings.<br /> <br /> Booths can be classified into several types, based on their position on the exhibit floor. There are standard booths with 10 feet by 10 feet size, perimeter wall booths that come in the standard size but are located at the outer perimeter walls of the exhibit floor, and island booths that contain four or more standard units with aisles on all four sides.<br /> <br /> To design a booth, exhibitors usually use the services of their in-house creative resources or seek the services of specialized professional exhibit booth service providers. The booth services offered by professional providers include a gamut of items, including lighting and display options. They have a solution for every need - from exhibitors seeking basic booths to the ones looking for contemporary high-tech booths. <br /> <br /> Usually, booths are lightweight and easy to transport. Additionally, they are also very affordable. Tradeshow booths, for example, come at affordable prices and contain good graphics, and are very compact. Recent years have witnessed a greater demand for fabric booths that blend modern design with glossy colors.<br /> <br /> Typically a booth includes an 8-foot-high draped backdrop with about 3-foot-high drapes on three sides, an identification sign (usually a company logo and name), and other value-added services like a security guard at the exhibit hall entrance, complimentary lunch for registered booth staffs, and so forth. However, different exhibits have different rules and regulations on the size of booths, and exhibitors should check these before beginning to workout the design of a booth. As they say, ‘creativity should have some limits'.<br /></span></p> <h3 class="byline">by <a title="View author's profile" href="http://www.businesshighlight.org/authors/kristy-annely">Kristy Annely</a></h3> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10pt;font-family:Arial;"><a href="http://www.exhibits-web.com/">Trade Show Exhibits</a> provides detailed information on Exhibits, Trade Show Exhibits, Exhibit Displays, Exhibit Booths and more. Trade Show Exhibits is affiliated with <a href="http://www.e-exhibitdisplays.com/">Trade Show Exhibit Display Booths</a>.</span></p> </article> <article> <h1>Brochures</h1> <p>MySolutionSpot Editor — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 03:39:07 GMT</p> <p>Brochures are a very effective way of communicating to a large audience in a cost-effective manner. Be it a corporate entity or a government organization, the best way to send across a message is through a brochure. Not only is a brochure informative, it is also visually appealing and easy on the eye as it contains a number of pictures, either of the products of the company or the services provided by it. </p> <p>Brochures come in various kinds - one can go for a simple, no-frills brochure or one with a glossy finish, special paper and fancy patterns. Brochures can also be either folded once, twice or even thrice. A good brochure, it is said, can distinguish a company that has arrived from one that is still struggling. A good brochure is like a good visiting card – while the message is essentially the same, the way it is communicated says a lot about the company. </p> <p>Apart from the number of folds, the number of colors it uses also distinguishes a brochure. Most brochures come in four-color printing. Moreover, the kind of paper also determines the quality of the brochure. Depending upon the look desired, a company could go for varnish-added paper, matte paper, glossy paper or even an aqueous coating on the paper. An aqueous coating gives an even glossier feel compared to varnish. It also adds scuff-resistance and gives a rich feel to the brochure. It also adds life to it and makes it sturdy and tough. In order to get the right look for the brochure, it is essential to go for the right kind of printing. </p> <p>Depending on the number of copies desired and the costs involved, one should go for the right kind of printing template. If a large number of copies is required in a short period of time, one can go for pre-set templates. But if one has the time and resources, one can go for custom printing, which can result in uniquely designed brochures with special features like graphic designs, company logo, digital images and more.</p> <h3 class="byline">by <a title="View author's profile" href="http://www.businesshighlight.org/authors/ross-bainbridge-1">Ross Bainbridge</a></h3> <div id="article_byline"><a href="http://www.z-brochures.com/">Brochures</a> provides detailed information on Brochures, Full Color Brochures, Travel Brochures, Cheap Brochures and more. Brochures is affliated with <a href="http://www.e-brochureprinting.com/">Full Color Brochure Printing</a>.</div> <div>Article Source: www.businesshighlight.org</div> </article> </main></body></html>