I have been talking about ways to advertise your business but staying very clear of making your message look like spam.
Let, look our last advertising method, message boards. Message boards provide an excellent opportunity for business owners to obtain some free advertising where it will be noticed by members of the target audience. If the products and services you offer appeal to a specific niche, it is worthwhile to join message boards and online forums related to your industry of choice.
Here you will find a large population of Internet users who may have an interest in your products. You might consider including a link to your business in your signature or posting the link when it is applicable to the conversation.
However, care should be taken to carefully review the message board guidelines to ensure you are not doing anything inappropriate. This technique is smart marketing. Conversely, replying to every message with a link to your website when it is not relevant to the conversation is likely to be construed as spam by other members. Once they begin to view your posts as spam, they are not likely to visit your website via the links you post and may even boot you out of their message boards.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Email Advertising Campaign
Yesterday I talked about how advertising can be a good thing or can go way over board and then be considered as spamming by your clientle. Let’s look today at how to keep your email campaign healthy without turning it into spam.
Email campaigns can be very useful tools in the industry of Internet marketing. These campaigns may involve sending periodic e-newsletters filled with information as well as advertisements, short, informative email courses or emails offering discounts on products and services.
Loyal customers who opt into your email list will likely not view these emails as spam and may purchase additional products and services from your business as a result of this marketing strategy. Additionally, potential customers who have specifically requested additional information on your products and services will also find this type of marketing to be useful.
However, email recipients who did not request information are likely to view your emails as spam. Harvesting email addresses in a deceptive manner and using these addresses to send out mass emails will likely always be considered to be spam.
Many affiliate programs will ban you from their programs if they learn that you are sending spam email as a marketing techinique, so, to keep you affiliate business alive stay clear of anything that might be considered spamming.
Tomorrow we will look at advertising on message boards. Yes, there is a right way and a wrong way!
For more tips on running your own business visit my website at www.pinkrenegade.com and don’t forget to also sign up for my free newsletter.
Email campaigns can be very useful tools in the industry of Internet marketing. These campaigns may involve sending periodic e-newsletters filled with information as well as advertisements, short, informative email courses or emails offering discounts on products and services.
Loyal customers who opt into your email list will likely not view these emails as spam and may purchase additional products and services from your business as a result of this marketing strategy. Additionally, potential customers who have specifically requested additional information on your products and services will also find this type of marketing to be useful.
However, email recipients who did not request information are likely to view your emails as spam. Harvesting email addresses in a deceptive manner and using these addresses to send out mass emails will likely always be considered to be spam.
Many affiliate programs will ban you from their programs if they learn that you are sending spam email as a marketing techinique, so, to keep you affiliate business alive stay clear of anything that might be considered spamming.
Tomorrow we will look at advertising on message boards. Yes, there is a right way and a wrong way!
For more tips on running your own business visit my website at www.pinkrenegade.com and don’t forget to also sign up for my free newsletter.
Labels:
advertising,
affiliate marketing,
email advertising,
spam
Friday, October 17, 2008
Advertise, Don't Spam
There is a fine line between advertising and spam and unfortunately many business owners do not understand the difference between the two. This is important because while a cleaver, well planted Internet marketing campaign can help to attract new customers and keep existing customers loyal, spam is likely to alienate both new customers and existing customers. This can be extremely damaging to profit margins for the business owners.
Let’s take a look at a few basic Internet marketing strategies such as banner ads, email campaign and message board posts and describe how each can quickly cross the line from cleaver advertising to spam. Banner ads are one of the most popular strategies which accompany an Internet marketing plan.
These ads are usually ads which appear at the top of websites and span the width of the website. It is from this appearance that they earned the name banner ads but actually banner ads can refer to ads of a variety of different sizes and shapes which appear in an array of different locations on a website. In many cases the business owner purchases advertising space on these websites but the banner ad may also be placed as part of an exchange or an affiliate marketing campaign.
Banner ad exchanges are situations in which one business owner posts a banner ad on his website in exchange for another business owner posting his banner ad on the other website. These agreements may be made individually between business owners with complementary businesses or as part of exchanges facilitated by a third party.
In the case of affiliate marketing, an affiliate posts and advertisement for your business in exchange for compensation when the banner ad produces a desired effect such as generating website traffic or generating a sale. The terms of these agreements are determined beforehand and are generally based on a scale of pay per impression, pay per click or pay per sale or lead.
Now that you understand what banner ads are, it is also important to understand how they can be overused and appear to be spam. Carefully placing your banner ad on a few websites which are likely to attract an audience similar to your target audience is smart marketing, placing your banner ad on any website which will display the ad regardless of the target audience can be construed as spam. Internet users who feel as though your banner ads are everywhere they turn will not likely take your business seriously and are not likely to purchase products or services from you as a result of your banner ads.
Tommorrow we will look at advertising using email. If you want more great tips like this please sign up for my newsletter or go to my website at www.pinkrenegade.com
Let’s take a look at a few basic Internet marketing strategies such as banner ads, email campaign and message board posts and describe how each can quickly cross the line from cleaver advertising to spam. Banner ads are one of the most popular strategies which accompany an Internet marketing plan.
These ads are usually ads which appear at the top of websites and span the width of the website. It is from this appearance that they earned the name banner ads but actually banner ads can refer to ads of a variety of different sizes and shapes which appear in an array of different locations on a website. In many cases the business owner purchases advertising space on these websites but the banner ad may also be placed as part of an exchange or an affiliate marketing campaign.
Banner ad exchanges are situations in which one business owner posts a banner ad on his website in exchange for another business owner posting his banner ad on the other website. These agreements may be made individually between business owners with complementary businesses or as part of exchanges facilitated by a third party.
In the case of affiliate marketing, an affiliate posts and advertisement for your business in exchange for compensation when the banner ad produces a desired effect such as generating website traffic or generating a sale. The terms of these agreements are determined beforehand and are generally based on a scale of pay per impression, pay per click or pay per sale or lead.
Now that you understand what banner ads are, it is also important to understand how they can be overused and appear to be spam. Carefully placing your banner ad on a few websites which are likely to attract an audience similar to your target audience is smart marketing, placing your banner ad on any website which will display the ad regardless of the target audience can be construed as spam. Internet users who feel as though your banner ads are everywhere they turn will not likely take your business seriously and are not likely to purchase products or services from you as a result of your banner ads.
Tommorrow we will look at advertising using email. If you want more great tips like this please sign up for my newsletter or go to my website at www.pinkrenegade.com
Labels:
advertising,
banner ads,
business,
internet marketing,
marketing,
website
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Good Website Design Means Everything
Your website is where your business resides — it’s like the brick and mortar building of an offline company. Hence, it is important to practice good design principles to make sure your site reaches out to the maximum number of visitors and sells to as many people as possible.
Make sure you have clear directions on the navigation of your website. The navigation menu should be uncluttered and concise so that visitors know how to navigate around your website without confusion.
Reduce the number of images on your website. They make your site load very slowly and more often than not they are very unnecessary. If you think any image is essential on your site, make sure you optimize them using image editing programs so that they have a minimum file size.
Keep your text paragraphs at a reasonable length. If a paragraph is too long, you should split it into separate paragraphs so that the text blocks will not be too big. This is important because a block of text that is too large will deter visitors from reading your content.
Do not use splash pages, Splash pages are the first pages you see when you arrive at a website. They normally have a very beautiful image with words like “welcome” or “click here to enter”. In fact, they are just that — pretty vases with no real purpose. Do not let your visitors have a reason to click on the “back” button! Give them the value of your site up front without the splash page.
Do not use excessive banner advertisements, even the least net savvy people have trained themselves to ignore banner advertisements so you will be wasting valuable website real estate. Instead, provide more valueable content and weave relevant affiliate links into your content, and let your visitors feel that they want to buy instead of being pushed to buy.
Background music unless you are running a site which promotes a band, a CD or anything related to music, I would really advise you to stay away from putting looping background music onto your site. It might sound pleasant to you at first, but imagine if you ran a big site with hundreds of pages and everytime a visitor browses to another page on your site, the background music starts playing again. If I were your visitor, I’d just turn off my speakers or leave your site. Moreover, they just add to the visitors burden when viewing your site — users on dial up connections will have to wait longer just to view your site as it is meant to be viewed.
Let me remind you that as the webmaster of your website, your job is to make sure your website does what it’s meant to do effectively. Don’t let some minor mistakes stop your site from functioning optimally and sending you customers looking somewhere else!
If you like the information you read here why not sign up for my free newsletter and get it delivered to your inbox to read at your own leisure, also visit my website for more tips on building and running your own homebased business. www.pinkrenegade.com
Make sure you have clear directions on the navigation of your website. The navigation menu should be uncluttered and concise so that visitors know how to navigate around your website without confusion.
Reduce the number of images on your website. They make your site load very slowly and more often than not they are very unnecessary. If you think any image is essential on your site, make sure you optimize them using image editing programs so that they have a minimum file size.
Keep your text paragraphs at a reasonable length. If a paragraph is too long, you should split it into separate paragraphs so that the text blocks will not be too big. This is important because a block of text that is too large will deter visitors from reading your content.
Do not use splash pages, Splash pages are the first pages you see when you arrive at a website. They normally have a very beautiful image with words like “welcome” or “click here to enter”. In fact, they are just that — pretty vases with no real purpose. Do not let your visitors have a reason to click on the “back” button! Give them the value of your site up front without the splash page.
Do not use excessive banner advertisements, even the least net savvy people have trained themselves to ignore banner advertisements so you will be wasting valuable website real estate. Instead, provide more valueable content and weave relevant affiliate links into your content, and let your visitors feel that they want to buy instead of being pushed to buy.
Background music unless you are running a site which promotes a band, a CD or anything related to music, I would really advise you to stay away from putting looping background music onto your site. It might sound pleasant to you at first, but imagine if you ran a big site with hundreds of pages and everytime a visitor browses to another page on your site, the background music starts playing again. If I were your visitor, I’d just turn off my speakers or leave your site. Moreover, they just add to the visitors burden when viewing your site — users on dial up connections will have to wait longer just to view your site as it is meant to be viewed.
Let me remind you that as the webmaster of your website, your job is to make sure your website does what it’s meant to do effectively. Don’t let some minor mistakes stop your site from functioning optimally and sending you customers looking somewhere else!
If you like the information you read here why not sign up for my free newsletter and get it delivered to your inbox to read at your own leisure, also visit my website for more tips on building and running your own homebased business. www.pinkrenegade.com
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Leadership
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
John Quincy Adams
John Quincy Adams
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Get Your Own Online Store
Save Time and Money with an all-in-one shopping cart solution!
Featuring: Wahmcart, ecommerce solutions for moms
With Wahmcart you now have:
The ability to automate your Product Management Offering Multiple Payment Options to your customers. WAHM Cart works with most popular credit card Merchant Accounts.
Unlimited Autoresponders, Newsletters & Mailing Lists help you follow up automatically with your customers or prospects.
Digital Product Delivery so you can be free of manually emailing customers their eBook orders and customers receive their purchase without waiting.
Tracking System so you know exactly which promotional efforts are paying off and which are dead in the water, never to be repeated again.
Affiliate Management System so you can have an team of people selling for you even when you aren’t working.
14-Day Risk Free Test Drive for Only $1Click here!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Evaluating Your Website Traffic
Setting up a website is the very first step of an Internet marketing campaign, and the success or failure of your site depends greatly on how specifically you have defined your website goals. If you don’t know what you want your site to accomplish, it will most likely fail to accomplish anything. Without goals to guide you in developing and monitoring your website, all your site will be is an online announcement that you are in business.
If you expect your site to stimulate some form of action, whether it is visitors filling out a form so a representative can contact them, or purchasing a product, there are steps you can take to insure that your website is functioning at peak efficiency. One of the first indicatorsof how well your site is working for you is finding out the number of visitors in a given period of time. A good baseline measurement is a month in which you haven’t been doing any unusual offline promotional activities.
However, just because hoards of people have passed through your gates does not mean your site is successful. Usually, you want those visitors to actually do something there. It is equally important to monitor the number of visitors to your site who made a purchase. This figure is called the site conversion rate, and it is an essential element of the efficacy of your website.
To find the site conversion rate, take the number of visitors per month and figure out the percentage of them that actually performed the action your site is set up for. For example, if you had 2,000 visitors to your site, but only 25 of them purchased your product, your site conversion rate equals 1.25%. To get this figure, take your number of visitors and divide that figure by the number of visitors who made a purchase. Then multiply that result by 100 (25/2000 X 100).
If your website is set-up to get visitors to fill out a form, make sure to then figure out what the difference is between your site conversion rate and your sales conversion rate. This is because not everyone who fills out your form will actually become your customer. However, whether your site is set-up to sell a service or product, or to get the visitor to fill out a form, the site conversion rate will measure the success or failure of your website whenever you make changes to the site.
You may find that you need to implement some additional marketing strategies if you find that traffic to your site is extremely low. There are several effective methods to improve the flow of traffic to your website, particularly launching a search engine optimization campaign.
This campaign is targeted at increasing your position in search engine results so that consumers can find your pages faster and easier. You can either research the steps you need to take to improve your search engine rankings, or employ a search engine optimization company to do the work for you.
In either case, after your have improved your search engine positions, make sure you keep on top of them by regular monitoring and adjusting of your efforts to maintain high positions.
Another factor to examine is how easy it is for a visitor to your website to accomplish the action the site is set-up for. For example, if your goal is for the visitor to fill out a form, is this form easily accessible, or does the visitor have to go through four levels to get to it? If it’s too difficult to get to, the customer may just throw in the towel and move on to another site. Make sure your buttons are highly visible, and the path to your form or ordering page quickly accessible.
Finally, have a professional evaluate the copy on your website. The goal is, of course, to get your visitor to make a purchase or fill out your form. Website copy must be specifically geared to your online campaign and not just a cut and paste job from your company brochure. The right copy can make the difference between profit and loss in your online campaign.
Get great information like this and more at my website www.pinkrenegade.com
If you expect your site to stimulate some form of action, whether it is visitors filling out a form so a representative can contact them, or purchasing a product, there are steps you can take to insure that your website is functioning at peak efficiency. One of the first indicatorsof how well your site is working for you is finding out the number of visitors in a given period of time. A good baseline measurement is a month in which you haven’t been doing any unusual offline promotional activities.
However, just because hoards of people have passed through your gates does not mean your site is successful. Usually, you want those visitors to actually do something there. It is equally important to monitor the number of visitors to your site who made a purchase. This figure is called the site conversion rate, and it is an essential element of the efficacy of your website.
To find the site conversion rate, take the number of visitors per month and figure out the percentage of them that actually performed the action your site is set up for. For example, if you had 2,000 visitors to your site, but only 25 of them purchased your product, your site conversion rate equals 1.25%. To get this figure, take your number of visitors and divide that figure by the number of visitors who made a purchase. Then multiply that result by 100 (25/2000 X 100).
If your website is set-up to get visitors to fill out a form, make sure to then figure out what the difference is between your site conversion rate and your sales conversion rate. This is because not everyone who fills out your form will actually become your customer. However, whether your site is set-up to sell a service or product, or to get the visitor to fill out a form, the site conversion rate will measure the success or failure of your website whenever you make changes to the site.
You may find that you need to implement some additional marketing strategies if you find that traffic to your site is extremely low. There are several effective methods to improve the flow of traffic to your website, particularly launching a search engine optimization campaign.
This campaign is targeted at increasing your position in search engine results so that consumers can find your pages faster and easier. You can either research the steps you need to take to improve your search engine rankings, or employ a search engine optimization company to do the work for you.
In either case, after your have improved your search engine positions, make sure you keep on top of them by regular monitoring and adjusting of your efforts to maintain high positions.
Another factor to examine is how easy it is for a visitor to your website to accomplish the action the site is set-up for. For example, if your goal is for the visitor to fill out a form, is this form easily accessible, or does the visitor have to go through four levels to get to it? If it’s too difficult to get to, the customer may just throw in the towel and move on to another site. Make sure your buttons are highly visible, and the path to your form or ordering page quickly accessible.
Finally, have a professional evaluate the copy on your website. The goal is, of course, to get your visitor to make a purchase or fill out your form. Website copy must be specifically geared to your online campaign and not just a cut and paste job from your company brochure. The right copy can make the difference between profit and loss in your online campaign.
Get great information like this and more at my website www.pinkrenegade.com
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Direct Sales Stats
Some interesting facts I just read today. According to the Direct Selling Association, there are nearly 15.2 million direct sellers in the United States and over 57 million worldwide doing an estimated 97 billion dollars in sales. 85.2% of all direct sellers are women.
That’s a lot of people doing direct sales! If you want to know how to run your direct sales business easier and faster, please visit my website at www.pinkrenegade.com
That’s a lot of people doing direct sales! If you want to know how to run your direct sales business easier and faster, please visit my website at www.pinkrenegade.com
Friday, October 10, 2008
Save Time and Money with an all-in-one shopping cart solution!
Featuring: Wahmcart, ecommerce solutions for moms With Wahmcart you now have:
The ability to automate your Product Management, Offering Multiple Payment Options to your customers. WAHM Cart works with most popular credit card Merchant Accounts.
Unlimited Autoresponders, Newsletters & Mailing Lists help you follow up automatically with your customers or prospects.
Digital Product Delivery so you can be free of manually emailing customers their eBook orders and customers receive their purchase without waiting.
Tracking System so you know exactly which promotional efforts are paying off and which are dead in the water, never to be repeated again.
Affiliate Management System so you can have an team of people selling for you even when you aren’t working.
14-Day Risk Free Test Drive for Only $1 Click here!
Thursday, October 9, 2008
7 Keys To Weightloss.
If you work from home like many people in the home party plan industry, then you know one of our hardest daily tasks is eating right!
Latest Scientific research says there are 7 surefire things you need to do to lose weight;
1) Use a food diary. Write down what your eating each day is reported to help women lose up to double the amount of weight they would if they did not keep a food journal.
2) Cut Fructose. This form of sugar can turn to fat in your body very quickly. This means limit processed foods and beverages sweetened with fructose. Fruit of course is okay.
3) Have soup. Studies show girls ages 5 to 10 who regularly eat vegetable soup are at less risk of being overweight, reported a Portuguese study. Also at Penn State they did a similar test and found that adults who at vegetable soup before a meal at 20% fewer calories at the meal. Simply, soup makes you feel full.
4) Eat slowly. Women who eat slowly are shown to consume 70 fewer calories per meal and feel more satisfied after eating a meals.
5) Beware of Saturdays. Most people who overeat do so on Saturdays says researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
6) Drink Water. Tests have shown that drinking 2 cups of water before breakfast will help you cut your caloric intake by 13%. German researchers say that water burns calories! Drinking 2 cups of water revved metabolism 24% in overweight subjects in just an hour.
7) Grab Breakfast. They have been saying it for years but Greek researchers are saying kids who eat breakfast cereal daily are less apt to be overweight. Go for high-fiber, whole grain cereals. Also, research done at St. Louis University showed that overweight dieters who at two eggs a day lost 65% more weight than those who ate equal calories in bagels.
Grab more great information on working from home at my website www.pinkrenegade.com
Latest Scientific research says there are 7 surefire things you need to do to lose weight;
1) Use a food diary. Write down what your eating each day is reported to help women lose up to double the amount of weight they would if they did not keep a food journal.
2) Cut Fructose. This form of sugar can turn to fat in your body very quickly. This means limit processed foods and beverages sweetened with fructose. Fruit of course is okay.
3) Have soup. Studies show girls ages 5 to 10 who regularly eat vegetable soup are at less risk of being overweight, reported a Portuguese study. Also at Penn State they did a similar test and found that adults who at vegetable soup before a meal at 20% fewer calories at the meal. Simply, soup makes you feel full.
4) Eat slowly. Women who eat slowly are shown to consume 70 fewer calories per meal and feel more satisfied after eating a meals.
5) Beware of Saturdays. Most people who overeat do so on Saturdays says researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.
6) Drink Water. Tests have shown that drinking 2 cups of water before breakfast will help you cut your caloric intake by 13%. German researchers say that water burns calories! Drinking 2 cups of water revved metabolism 24% in overweight subjects in just an hour.
7) Grab Breakfast. They have been saying it for years but Greek researchers are saying kids who eat breakfast cereal daily are less apt to be overweight. Go for high-fiber, whole grain cereals. Also, research done at St. Louis University showed that overweight dieters who at two eggs a day lost 65% more weight than those who ate equal calories in bagels.
Grab more great information on working from home at my website www.pinkrenegade.com
Webhostingpad Troubles Continue
Day 8 of not being able to get on my websites. Now RVsitebuilder is involved as it is their software that Webhostingpad uses. Nobody wants any responsibility for this problem. Lots of finger pointing but the fact of the matter is…. I can’t edit my websites!!! AND NOBODY CARES!!!!
I am on about email 40 or so back and forth with these two companies. RVsitebuilder just did some huge upgrades but, they are sure that could have nothing to do with it…. but…. suddenly I can’t edit my sites??? Hmmmm… does anyone else see where there might be some stinkin thinkin here??
I have asked for people to call me but they are in China or Thailand and won’t do it. I have asked for my money back on my service, hell they won’t even give me credit for downtime because Webhostingpad says it is not their fault~!!! Of course, once again, I have to say to them, you hired RVsitebuilder as your software company, doesn’t that make Webhostingpad responsible for whatever RVsitebuilder does?
Well the saga contines and will continue to write about the horrible service I am getting from both Webhostingpad and Rvsitebuilder for as long as this fiasco continues! Hope you are having a better day than me!
I am on about email 40 or so back and forth with these two companies. RVsitebuilder just did some huge upgrades but, they are sure that could have nothing to do with it…. but…. suddenly I can’t edit my sites??? Hmmmm… does anyone else see where there might be some stinkin thinkin here??
I have asked for people to call me but they are in China or Thailand and won’t do it. I have asked for my money back on my service, hell they won’t even give me credit for downtime because Webhostingpad says it is not their fault~!!! Of course, once again, I have to say to them, you hired RVsitebuilder as your software company, doesn’t that make Webhostingpad responsible for whatever RVsitebuilder does?
Well the saga contines and will continue to write about the horrible service I am getting from both Webhostingpad and Rvsitebuilder for as long as this fiasco continues! Hope you are having a better day than me!
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Difference Between Marketing and Advertising
Marketing and Advertising, although they sound similar but in reality they are not.
Advertising is only a part of the bigger game called Marketing. Marketing encompasses everything from conceptualization of a brand right through to research, to designing, to advertising, to sale.
Advertising, on the other hand is a component of the marketing process which is nothing but conveying the message through variety of mediums to promote the product.
Advertising is one of the most important component of a marketing strategy and also the most expensive. Advertising basically is sending the message across to the public about your company, product or services. It also has a lot of behind the scenes work like the process of coming up with various strategies that will target the right viewers you are trying to capture.
The strategies should consist of planning things like placing ads, deciding what media to use, what time, frequency etc. The advertisements are generally placed via mediums like television, snail mail, newspapers, internet, emails, radio, magazines, mobile messaging, flyers, billboards etc. The most popular one is of course television although advertising on internet is becoming increasingly popular too.
Easiest way to differentiate advertising from marketing is to consider marketing as a pizza and if you slice the pizza, advertising would be one of the slices of that pizza. The other slices of pizza are market research of the product, product designing, media planning, PR, product pricing, customer satisfaction, customer support, sales and many more.
All these components or slices of pizz should work independently but collectively in achieving the bigger goal i.e. sell product and build company’s reputation in the market.
Marketing is a ongoing process involving many tasks that involve hours sometimes days of research. The research part of marketing takes the longest duration as it involves thoroughly understanding the behavior of people towards a product. Designing the product and developing advertising strategies are also very time consuming processes.
Many companies often make the mistake of confusing advertising with marketing. They try to copy big companies like Coke and Pepsi in advertising but they simply ignore the work that goes into making those companies who they are.
The classical example of this is, take the case of logo for instance. Many business owners are so hysterical about the logo of their company in their advertisements that they think that it will simply bring in the sales. But what makes a logo work is the reputation of the company and the trust people put into that company.
One should also remember that these companies spend fortunes on advertising which a new start up business can’t. Rather than spending unnecessary money on branding your product one should invest money and time in communicating to the consumers that you can address their expectations and that you are going to be a reliable company they can trust.
Smart marketers are aggressive in approach rather than passive. They provoke reader’s minds by prompting them to do something rather than just making them knowledgeable of the product.
Thus having a good marketing campaign speaks a lot about the company and their products and advertising gives that finishing touch to the hard work done by the marketing people in selling a product.
Get more great information on running your home party plan business at www.pinkrenegade.com
Advertising is only a part of the bigger game called Marketing. Marketing encompasses everything from conceptualization of a brand right through to research, to designing, to advertising, to sale.
Advertising, on the other hand is a component of the marketing process which is nothing but conveying the message through variety of mediums to promote the product.
Advertising is one of the most important component of a marketing strategy and also the most expensive. Advertising basically is sending the message across to the public about your company, product or services. It also has a lot of behind the scenes work like the process of coming up with various strategies that will target the right viewers you are trying to capture.
The strategies should consist of planning things like placing ads, deciding what media to use, what time, frequency etc. The advertisements are generally placed via mediums like television, snail mail, newspapers, internet, emails, radio, magazines, mobile messaging, flyers, billboards etc. The most popular one is of course television although advertising on internet is becoming increasingly popular too.
Easiest way to differentiate advertising from marketing is to consider marketing as a pizza and if you slice the pizza, advertising would be one of the slices of that pizza. The other slices of pizza are market research of the product, product designing, media planning, PR, product pricing, customer satisfaction, customer support, sales and many more.
All these components or slices of pizz should work independently but collectively in achieving the bigger goal i.e. sell product and build company’s reputation in the market.
Marketing is a ongoing process involving many tasks that involve hours sometimes days of research. The research part of marketing takes the longest duration as it involves thoroughly understanding the behavior of people towards a product. Designing the product and developing advertising strategies are also very time consuming processes.
Many companies often make the mistake of confusing advertising with marketing. They try to copy big companies like Coke and Pepsi in advertising but they simply ignore the work that goes into making those companies who they are.
The classical example of this is, take the case of logo for instance. Many business owners are so hysterical about the logo of their company in their advertisements that they think that it will simply bring in the sales. But what makes a logo work is the reputation of the company and the trust people put into that company.
One should also remember that these companies spend fortunes on advertising which a new start up business can’t. Rather than spending unnecessary money on branding your product one should invest money and time in communicating to the consumers that you can address their expectations and that you are going to be a reliable company they can trust.
Smart marketers are aggressive in approach rather than passive. They provoke reader’s minds by prompting them to do something rather than just making them knowledgeable of the product.
Thus having a good marketing campaign speaks a lot about the company and their products and advertising gives that finishing touch to the hard work done by the marketing people in selling a product.
Get more great information on running your home party plan business at www.pinkrenegade.com
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
How To Write A Killer Sales Letter
Anyone who has every worked in sales knows, that it is a tough field to be in. Writing a sales letter is also a difficult thing to do for the most adept of sales people, but writing a Killer sales letter is even tougher. Many sales directors spend hours marveling why they can’t get their sales letter just right.
It actually isn't that difficult if you think about this way, "put yourself in your customers shoes and ask what benefit would I get by reading this sales letter?" Remember that word “benefit” which ought to be the focal point of your letter. Many sales people adopt bits and pieces of information from here and there and produce a sales letter that is just that "a sales letter". They literally hurl every sales pitch they ever picked up, onto people and then they get what they deserve, instant rejection.
A sales letter should not be an presentation of your product or company. Every word is crucial in the sales letter so do not waste a single one, which might deflect your potential customer’s attention. They are not concerned with the features of you product but in how your offer could be a "benefit" (there is that word again) to them. Consider your customer’s point of view and ask yourself why should I read the letter? Is there any "benefit" or offer to me which cannot be refused? Can you convince me that it is actually an offer I can't live without?
The header or headline is very important to any sales letter. It should be aimed directly at the customer, it should present a question that commands further investigation. Your header should not pose questions that can be answered with a "yes" or "no" answer, they should command further studying to identify which mistakes the author is pertaining to. Titles that promise solutions to your customers needs are the best. Such as "How To..." or "10 Keys to ..." are usually a dependable and effective.
The headline shouldn't be more than a line, thus try to be as particular as possible but with greatest affect. Nobody has time to read each and every letter in these fast paced times of instant gratification. If you are not able to convey your message to the audience in the first few seconds, then you have lost those customers.
Now, having made a sound effort with the heading, it’s time to work on the body of the letter. You need to keep up the level of enthusiasm that you created in the customer’s mind with the heading. Once again it is crucial to remember not to focus on features of the product you are trying to sell but on the "benefits" it has for your customer. Things like how much money it is going to save them and how it would impact their lives should be mentioned.
Make them recognise how they can't live without your product. 90% of sales is emotional, people buy because they want to make their life better, want an answer to that long standing problem they have had. They want to gain more time in the day, and make their lives easier. If you can show them how your product can achieve these things, you have a good chance of making the sale.
Remember, a individual reading your sales letter will perpetually have doubts in mind as to how this will benefit them, So be ready to clear those doubts and answer their conerns. Have testimonials that talk about the questions others had and how your product solved those problems for them.
Do not forget to prompt your customer to take action. If it is an email, prompt your reader to click on a link to act now or provide a contact number if it is a direct mail. Likewise remind them that if they don’t act now they will forfeit the offer as the offer is for limited time only or only 100 more available. Make them sense a need for urgency to buy now!
Once you are done with the body of the letter, one of the important parts of the sales letter is the P.S.. Many people merely scan the beginning and end of the letter. So, try to convey something that will motivate them to go back to the letter and read it. It will be a perfect end to your killer sales letter.
Find more great information like this at my website www.pinkrenegade.com
It actually isn't that difficult if you think about this way, "put yourself in your customers shoes and ask what benefit would I get by reading this sales letter?" Remember that word “benefit” which ought to be the focal point of your letter. Many sales people adopt bits and pieces of information from here and there and produce a sales letter that is just that "a sales letter". They literally hurl every sales pitch they ever picked up, onto people and then they get what they deserve, instant rejection.
A sales letter should not be an presentation of your product or company. Every word is crucial in the sales letter so do not waste a single one, which might deflect your potential customer’s attention. They are not concerned with the features of you product but in how your offer could be a "benefit" (there is that word again) to them. Consider your customer’s point of view and ask yourself why should I read the letter? Is there any "benefit" or offer to me which cannot be refused? Can you convince me that it is actually an offer I can't live without?
The header or headline is very important to any sales letter. It should be aimed directly at the customer, it should present a question that commands further investigation. Your header should not pose questions that can be answered with a "yes" or "no" answer, they should command further studying to identify which mistakes the author is pertaining to. Titles that promise solutions to your customers needs are the best. Such as "How To..." or "10 Keys to ..." are usually a dependable and effective.
The headline shouldn't be more than a line, thus try to be as particular as possible but with greatest affect. Nobody has time to read each and every letter in these fast paced times of instant gratification. If you are not able to convey your message to the audience in the first few seconds, then you have lost those customers.
Now, having made a sound effort with the heading, it’s time to work on the body of the letter. You need to keep up the level of enthusiasm that you created in the customer’s mind with the heading. Once again it is crucial to remember not to focus on features of the product you are trying to sell but on the "benefits" it has for your customer. Things like how much money it is going to save them and how it would impact their lives should be mentioned.
Make them recognise how they can't live without your product. 90% of sales is emotional, people buy because they want to make their life better, want an answer to that long standing problem they have had. They want to gain more time in the day, and make their lives easier. If you can show them how your product can achieve these things, you have a good chance of making the sale.
Remember, a individual reading your sales letter will perpetually have doubts in mind as to how this will benefit them, So be ready to clear those doubts and answer their conerns. Have testimonials that talk about the questions others had and how your product solved those problems for them.
Do not forget to prompt your customer to take action. If it is an email, prompt your reader to click on a link to act now or provide a contact number if it is a direct mail. Likewise remind them that if they don’t act now they will forfeit the offer as the offer is for limited time only or only 100 more available. Make them sense a need for urgency to buy now!
Once you are done with the body of the letter, one of the important parts of the sales letter is the P.S.. Many people merely scan the beginning and end of the letter. So, try to convey something that will motivate them to go back to the letter and read it. It will be a perfect end to your killer sales letter.
Find more great information like this at my website www.pinkrenegade.com
Labels:
customers,
direct sales,
product,
sales letter
Monday, October 6, 2008
How Do You See Life?
Are you a "glass half full" kind of person or "the glass is half empty" kind of person?
If you placed second in a track and field event, would you be jumping up and down in joy and work harder to get first place next time? Or, would you be discouraged and quit the track team?
In life, we are always given choices. You can choose to see life as a beautiful ride filled with wonderful challenges or view your life as just another day to bring you down, always setting yourself up for failure, and then pointing out to everyone how life is just not fair for you? Nothing good ever happens to you!
Why not try to change your point of view, to make your life more meaningful?
Optimism has been linked to good morale,a positive mood and better health. Optimist do better in academics, athletics, military, in the work place and politically. Optimism is link to popularity; to good health and even to long life and freedom from trauma.
On the other hand, the rates of depression and pessimism have never been higher. Depression affects middle-aged adults the same way it affects younger people. The mean age of onset depression has gone from 30 years old to 15. It is no longer a middle-aged housewife’s disorder but also a teen-ager’s disorder’ as well.
Let's look at some characteristic of an optimist:
Optimists expect the best, they create conditions for success, constructive attitude, empowering, and refraines from complaining.
The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events will last a long time and undermine everything they do, and there is nothing they can do to change their situation.
The truth is optimists are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world as th pessimist. The difference between the two is the way they view their misfortune---their views are totally opposite. Optimist tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, the pessimist might see it as a lifetime of disappointment.
Optimists see the self as a process and seek continual improvement. Their drive to improve is not pushed by fear but pulled by a inspiring self-image. Believing they are worthy of success and happiness.
You will never hear an optimist say “things will never get better,” “If I failed once, it will happen again” and “I lost this race so I am going to quit this team!"
People respond positively to optimists. Optimist are attracted to positive people and situations. Seeking out those who will support and inspire, not discourage, distract, and undermine.
Optimists are proactive and less dependent on others for their happiness. They find no need to control or manipulate people. They usually draw people towards them. Their optimistic view of the world can be contagious and influence those they are with.
In life, these people often win elections; get voted most congenial and are sought out for their advice. When the going gets tough, optimists get tougher Optimists typically maintain higher levels of subjective well-being during times of stress than do people who are less optimistic. In contrast, pessimists are likely to react to stressful events by denying that they exist or by avoiding dealing with problems.
Pessimists are more likely to quit trying when difficulties arise. Optimist persevere, They just don’t know the words "quit or give up." They are willing to work towards their dreams no matter what life throws at them.
Optimists are healthier and live longer Medical research has shown that simple pleasures and a positive outlook can cause a measurable increase in the body's ability to fight disease. Optimists' age well, much freer than most people from the usual physical ills of middle age. And often outlive their pessimist counterparts who are prone to negative thoughts.
So why not try to think like an optimist today? Think positively towards a more rewarding and fulfilling life. Why not look forward to success in all your endeavors? Why not be resilient? Like all people you are bound to hit lows sometimes but don’t let them last forever. Pick yourself up and dust yourself off and improve your chances of getting back on the right track. And why not inspire others to remove the dark cloud from their lives and see life on the sunny side?
For more great tips on running your homebased business and staying healthy while you do, visit my website at www.pinkrenegade.com
If you placed second in a track and field event, would you be jumping up and down in joy and work harder to get first place next time? Or, would you be discouraged and quit the track team?
In life, we are always given choices. You can choose to see life as a beautiful ride filled with wonderful challenges or view your life as just another day to bring you down, always setting yourself up for failure, and then pointing out to everyone how life is just not fair for you? Nothing good ever happens to you!
Why not try to change your point of view, to make your life more meaningful?
Optimism has been linked to good morale,a positive mood and better health. Optimist do better in academics, athletics, military, in the work place and politically. Optimism is link to popularity; to good health and even to long life and freedom from trauma.
On the other hand, the rates of depression and pessimism have never been higher. Depression affects middle-aged adults the same way it affects younger people. The mean age of onset depression has gone from 30 years old to 15. It is no longer a middle-aged housewife’s disorder but also a teen-ager’s disorder’ as well.
Let's look at some characteristic of an optimist:
Optimists expect the best, they create conditions for success, constructive attitude, empowering, and refraines from complaining.
The defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events will last a long time and undermine everything they do, and there is nothing they can do to change their situation.
The truth is optimists are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world as th pessimist. The difference between the two is the way they view their misfortune---their views are totally opposite. Optimist tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, the pessimist might see it as a lifetime of disappointment.
Optimists see the self as a process and seek continual improvement. Their drive to improve is not pushed by fear but pulled by a inspiring self-image. Believing they are worthy of success and happiness.
You will never hear an optimist say “things will never get better,” “If I failed once, it will happen again” and “I lost this race so I am going to quit this team!"
People respond positively to optimists. Optimist are attracted to positive people and situations. Seeking out those who will support and inspire, not discourage, distract, and undermine.
Optimists are proactive and less dependent on others for their happiness. They find no need to control or manipulate people. They usually draw people towards them. Their optimistic view of the world can be contagious and influence those they are with.
In life, these people often win elections; get voted most congenial and are sought out for their advice. When the going gets tough, optimists get tougher Optimists typically maintain higher levels of subjective well-being during times of stress than do people who are less optimistic. In contrast, pessimists are likely to react to stressful events by denying that they exist or by avoiding dealing with problems.
Pessimists are more likely to quit trying when difficulties arise. Optimist persevere, They just don’t know the words "quit or give up." They are willing to work towards their dreams no matter what life throws at them.
Optimists are healthier and live longer Medical research has shown that simple pleasures and a positive outlook can cause a measurable increase in the body's ability to fight disease. Optimists' age well, much freer than most people from the usual physical ills of middle age. And often outlive their pessimist counterparts who are prone to negative thoughts.
So why not try to think like an optimist today? Think positively towards a more rewarding and fulfilling life. Why not look forward to success in all your endeavors? Why not be resilient? Like all people you are bound to hit lows sometimes but don’t let them last forever. Pick yourself up and dust yourself off and improve your chances of getting back on the right track. And why not inspire others to remove the dark cloud from their lives and see life on the sunny side?
For more great tips on running your homebased business and staying healthy while you do, visit my website at www.pinkrenegade.com
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Don't Go There Webhostingpad
Well the saga continues with my web server, Webhostingpad. I have just spent all day sending emails back and forth with them. They keep telling me there is nothing wrong with my websites and yet I can not get on them. Hmmm…. that seems to be a problem with me.
This has been going on for 3-4 days now and I can not get into my websites to do any work. I am getting just a little aggravated!!!!!!!
Oh, for sure I will let you know how things go. I am not done with them yet.
This has been going on for 3-4 days now and I can not get into my websites to do any work. I am getting just a little aggravated!!!!!!!
Oh, for sure I will let you know how things go. I am not done with them yet.
How To Get Your Customers To Visit Frequently
For your website to be truly successful you have to depend on returning visitors to account for a major part of your traffic. Returning visitors tend to already trust you and thus are easier to convert into paying customers. The more trust they have in that you and your site the more likely they will purchase from you when they have a need for your products. Keep your customers coming back to your site with the following methods:
1) Start a forum, or chatroom
When you start a forum, or chatroom, you are providing your visitors a place to voice their opinions, review your products and interact with others who are there for the same reason they are -- all of them are visitors of your site. As conversations build up, a sense of community will also follow and your visitors will come back to your site almost religiously.
2) Start a blog
Keep blog on your site and keep it updated with latest news about yourself and your products. People are curious creatures and they will keep their eyes glued to the monitor if you post fresh news frequently. You will also build up your credibility as you are proving to them that there is also a real life person behind the website.
3) Carry out polls or surveys
Polls and surveys are other forms of interaction that you should absolutely consider adding to your site. They provide a quick way for visitors to voice their opinions and to get involved in your website. Be sure to publish polls or surveys that are relevant to the target market of your website to keep them interested to find out about the results.
4) Hold contests, have games or other forms of entertainment
How many office workers do you think take a little time each day to play a favorite game at work? How many people will keep visiting your site if you provide them with a very interesting or addicting form of entertainment? You can also hold competitions to award the high score winners a product of yours or free consulting time, to keep people continuously coming back to your site to earn the prize.
5) Update your site frequently
Update your site frequently with fresh content so that every time your visitors come back, they will have something new to read. This is the most widely known and most effective method of attracting returning visitors, but this is also the least carried out one because of the sheerlaziness of some webmasters. No one will want to browse a site that looks the same every time they visit.
If you truly want to keep your customers coming back, make your website fun and interesting. Give them a place to take their break to from their job. Make your website the place to be for everything they are looking for.
For more great tips like this please visit my website at www.pinkrenegade.com
1) Start a forum, or chatroom
When you start a forum, or chatroom, you are providing your visitors a place to voice their opinions, review your products and interact with others who are there for the same reason they are -- all of them are visitors of your site. As conversations build up, a sense of community will also follow and your visitors will come back to your site almost religiously.
2) Start a blog
Keep blog on your site and keep it updated with latest news about yourself and your products. People are curious creatures and they will keep their eyes glued to the monitor if you post fresh news frequently. You will also build up your credibility as you are proving to them that there is also a real life person behind the website.
3) Carry out polls or surveys
Polls and surveys are other forms of interaction that you should absolutely consider adding to your site. They provide a quick way for visitors to voice their opinions and to get involved in your website. Be sure to publish polls or surveys that are relevant to the target market of your website to keep them interested to find out about the results.
4) Hold contests, have games or other forms of entertainment
How many office workers do you think take a little time each day to play a favorite game at work? How many people will keep visiting your site if you provide them with a very interesting or addicting form of entertainment? You can also hold competitions to award the high score winners a product of yours or free consulting time, to keep people continuously coming back to your site to earn the prize.
5) Update your site frequently
Update your site frequently with fresh content so that every time your visitors come back, they will have something new to read. This is the most widely known and most effective method of attracting returning visitors, but this is also the least carried out one because of the sheerlaziness of some webmasters. No one will want to browse a site that looks the same every time they visit.
If you truly want to keep your customers coming back, make your website fun and interesting. Give them a place to take their break to from their job. Make your website the place to be for everything they are looking for.
For more great tips like this please visit my website at www.pinkrenegade.com
Labels:
advertising,
blogging,
customers,
forum,
website
Saturday, October 4, 2008
Webhostingpad sucks!
I have been a huge fan of Webhostingpad as my own webserve for over a year now. I have a number of websites and have always been very pleased with their service. I have even recommended their service to my clientele.
But suddenly, not so much a fan any more. I am not sure what is going on with them, maybe they are growing too fast and can’t keep up with the growth, but, their service sucks as of late.
My websites are up and running, but I have not been able to get into them for days to do any work on them.
I have contact customer service several times and no one has gotten back to me. This is not the Webhostingpad that I had come to love. Usually I would contact them and within the hour someone would be back to me with an answer that always worked.
I am very disappointed in Webhostingpad and at this point would no longer recommend them to any of my clientele. I will let you know how things go in the coming days and weeks, but right now stay clear of Webhostingpad.
But suddenly, not so much a fan any more. I am not sure what is going on with them, maybe they are growing too fast and can’t keep up with the growth, but, their service sucks as of late.
My websites are up and running, but I have not been able to get into them for days to do any work on them.
I have contact customer service several times and no one has gotten back to me. This is not the Webhostingpad that I had come to love. Usually I would contact them and within the hour someone would be back to me with an answer that always worked.
I am very disappointed in Webhostingpad and at this point would no longer recommend them to any of my clientele. I will let you know how things go in the coming days and weeks, but right now stay clear of Webhostingpad.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Magents For Improved Health
I have been using magnets for about a month now and have seen some marked improvements in my carpal tunnel and in my neck pains and headaches.
I have a necklace and two bracelets, so you know just what I have been doing. I don’t know about you, but, I do not like modern medicine all the pills they like to dispense on a whim. I think society is getting sicker (I mean ill here, not the mental sickness that runs rampant also) because they have killed off their immune systems.
I am a teacher and have been for almost 20 years and have probably never had more then a handful of colds in my life time. How do I accomplish that? I never take medication for anything. The cold will run it’s course and I will not die because of it.
Now, I am not saying that you do not need medication sometimes! I actually had a bout with a very bad cold that had gone to my lungs once and I knew it was time to help. But, medication once in a blue moon will not destroy your immune systems ability to fight colds.
If I can be around sniffling, sneezing, cough, and bugger ridden kids all day everyday and not get sick, maybe my theory holds some water!
I digress, I was going to tell you about my use of magnets. I think they are amazing and can really help with some of life’s little pains. You should give them a try if you have little aches and pains. One place I love to get my jewelry from is Energetix magnetic jewelry they really have some beautiful pieces of jewelry.
Many Hollywood stars wear Energetix magnetic jewelry. Ask actress Sharon Stone, celebrity heiress Paris Hilton, actor Ethan Hawke, or Academy Award Winning Director, Cathy Shulman, they may all tell you the same thing: Energetix magnetic jewelry makes a difference in their lives!
Actor Anthony Hopkins, who had for years suffered from shoulder pains, started experiencing relief after only two weeks of magnetic therapy.
Retired Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, who can’t say enough about the difference Energetix magnetic jewelry has made in his life. Comedian Dick Van Dyke had tried every available pill and treatment in an effort to cure his arthritis and did not experience relief until magnets came into his life. Perhaps one of the strongest endorsements of all comes from retired home run king Hank Aaron, who said, “Magnets make me feel like playing baseball again!”
Why not see how magnets can change your life. Go get your magnetic jewelry where the stars get theirs.... Energetix Magnetic Jewelry
I have a necklace and two bracelets, so you know just what I have been doing. I don’t know about you, but, I do not like modern medicine all the pills they like to dispense on a whim. I think society is getting sicker (I mean ill here, not the mental sickness that runs rampant also) because they have killed off their immune systems.
I am a teacher and have been for almost 20 years and have probably never had more then a handful of colds in my life time. How do I accomplish that? I never take medication for anything. The cold will run it’s course and I will not die because of it.
Now, I am not saying that you do not need medication sometimes! I actually had a bout with a very bad cold that had gone to my lungs once and I knew it was time to help. But, medication once in a blue moon will not destroy your immune systems ability to fight colds.
If I can be around sniffling, sneezing, cough, and bugger ridden kids all day everyday and not get sick, maybe my theory holds some water!
I digress, I was going to tell you about my use of magnets. I think they are amazing and can really help with some of life’s little pains. You should give them a try if you have little aches and pains. One place I love to get my jewelry from is Energetix magnetic jewelry they really have some beautiful pieces of jewelry.
Many Hollywood stars wear Energetix magnetic jewelry. Ask actress Sharon Stone, celebrity heiress Paris Hilton, actor Ethan Hawke, or Academy Award Winning Director, Cathy Shulman, they may all tell you the same thing: Energetix magnetic jewelry makes a difference in their lives!
Actor Anthony Hopkins, who had for years suffered from shoulder pains, started experiencing relief after only two weeks of magnetic therapy.
Retired Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino, who can’t say enough about the difference Energetix magnetic jewelry has made in his life. Comedian Dick Van Dyke had tried every available pill and treatment in an effort to cure his arthritis and did not experience relief until magnets came into his life. Perhaps one of the strongest endorsements of all comes from retired home run king Hank Aaron, who said, “Magnets make me feel like playing baseball again!”
Why not see how magnets can change your life. Go get your magnetic jewelry where the stars get theirs.... Energetix Magnetic Jewelry
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)

