Technology has created video marketing opportunities - cable TV, email
marketing, websites and video - for small businesses to be on an even
playing field with large companies. From extremely inexpensive video
streaming in an email to the full-production TV ad with hired actors, even
small companies and home-based businesses can include video
advertising in their budget. http://maxummarketing.biz/max_ad_1.html
You might be asking why you should consider it at all when your current
advertising is working just fine. Aside from the fact that adding
another strategy to your marketing plan is a good idea, videos are very
personal. Who better to discuss your service or product than you? It
brings a familiarity to you and your company, which allows the prospect to
feel like they already know you. If the message is directed to your
current customer base, seeing and hearing you gives the feeling that you
are presenting your message directly to them.
There are professional videos and way too often, not so professional
videos. Most of us cringe when we hear a car salesman screaming about a
wonderful deal waiting for you if you’ll come down RIGHT NOW! Or the
windows and siding guy who squawks about the fantastic savings if you call
within the next 30 minutes (but the ad runs all day long). These are
stereotypes of TV advertising available for the small business owner.
But it doesn’t have to be that way! http://www.maxummarketing.net
Cable TV ads can be very cost effective because you can be specific
where your ad dollars will be spent. The cable company has demographic
statistics so you can learn what programs are viewed most frequently by
your target market then select where (as specific as the zip codes) and
when you want your ads to run. The variety of shows cable companies have
in their lineup provides a fantastic choice for the advertiser. In
addition, they can also slot your ad in during the Big 3 networks’ shows
as well.
Videos aren’t only just for cable TV. There are many companies that
create videos which can be linked to websites, newsletters, social
networking sites and email signature lines. They serve many purposes from
advertising to introducing a new product or service to just send a
keeping-in-touch message to current clients. These videos are also used for
on-line training and even instructions to learn how to use a new
networking website (http://www.OneDegreeConnected.com). Some are scripted, while
others are produced to simulate a talk show format. Compare cost as
well as professionalism. This form of advertising can be extremely
high-quality or can be an embarrassment to your company’s image. Get
referrals! View some of the finished productions of each company you are
considering before signing any contract.
You can even create your own video while sitting in your office. Do you
have a video camera or a video cam connected to your computer? You’re
all set to create your own video stream to be placed in emails or on
your website. A word of caution is to make sure it’s not too long. Keep
it less than 90 seconds and you’ll usually keep the viewer’s interest
http://emailmarketingmaxum.com/
Law firms work long and hard to achieve financial success. Today however a team of professional financial consultants have developed innovative tools to assist law firms achieve even greater financial success via a unique program called “No Win…No Pay…No Risk” Attorney Lawsuit Loans.
With “No Win…No Pay…No Risk” Lawsuit Loans cases are leveraged TODAY that deliver capital as the program unleashes potential future earnings sitting dead in a firms case files. “No Risk” lawsuit loans are secured only by the case themselves as there’s no reimbursement obligation a firm assumes if the case in unsuccessfully litigated. With “No Risk” Attorney Loans, the investors not the firm absorbs 100% of the risk on every case leveraged, period doing such without involvement in the way a firm handles case management.
“It’s really a venture capital investment in a firm’s portfolio explained the founder of 1st Choice Funding, Kari E. Gray when recently interviewed about her companies ingenious approach to capital expansion. Ms. Gray continues, “no entity can run on cash flow deficiencies, and until now, a law firms potential earnings were not considered a liquid asset by lenders and could not be leveraged. However “No Risk” attorney loans provide a firm with its future earnings now vs. months and or even years from now when a case may settle. Accessing future earnings can make the difference in the way a firm is able to grow and expand and increase its future earnings capabilities compared to the current methods used by traditional practices.”
The “No Risk” Attorney Lawsuit Loan approach complies with Bar regulations as successfully leveraged cases may pass on to the client, at the time of settlement, the expenses incurred for the loan in addition to contingent fees as apart of the cost to litigate. Thus the bottom line is: win or loose a case, a firm always wins with “No Risk” Lawsuit Loans because “No Risk” Attorney Loans provide “Risk Free” capital without monthly payments, and this feature keeps a firms cash flow uncompromised. “No Risk” capital provides an effective financial solution to the cash flow inconsistencies practices of all sizes must contend with.
1st Choice Funding’s investment portfolio group has collectively unlimited resources for funding as the company offers the following types of financial solutions;
1. Non Recourse Pre Settlement Funding
2. Non Recourse Post Settlement Funding
3. Full Recourse Pre Settlement Funding
4. Full Recourse Post Settlement Funding
5. Business Loans
6. Mortgage Loans
7. Credit Repair
8. Life Settlements & More (Please visit 1stchoicefunding.com/professionalindex.html).
Each firm has differing financial needs, but 1st Choice Funding’s
objective is to provide the lowest cost investment capital to law firms across the U.S. by this innovative approach. The “No Risk” program also affords plaintiffs with Non Recourse Pre Settlement & Non Recourse Post Settlement Funding as well. (Please visit 1stchoicefunding.com)
Under the “No Risk” program investors do not ask for statements of personal net worth, indebtedness, or lists of assets as “No Risk” Attorney Funding is secured by the practice’s receivables, not its Partners’ assets. After receiving the application and documents, an outline including funding amount, rate, duration, fees, and other important elements are determined based on risk. Upon funding a contract is provided for signature and a lien is then placed on the case as funds are wired to the Law Practice’s account minus setup fees.
“No Risk” Attorney Lawsuit Case Types Include:
Passenger Injuries
Pedestrian Injury
Personal Injury
General Negligence
Civil Rights
Employment Discrimination Whistleblower (Qui Tam)
Product Liability
Construction Negligence
Class Action Mass Tort
Zyprexa
Asbestos
Pharmaceutical Litigation
Airplane Accidents
Appeals
Commercial Torts
Assaults
Fen-Phen
Commercial Appellate Settlements
Sexual Harassment
Boating Accidents
Tobacco/Smoking
Burn Injuries
Worker’s Compensation
Construction Accidents
Dog Bites
Maritime/Seaman’s Claims
Medical Malpractice
Motorcycle & Bicycle Accidents
Nursing Home Neglect
Premises Liability
Product Liability
Railroad Claims (FELA)
Wrongful Death
Judgments
Structured Settlement
Tractor Trailer Accident
Slip & Fall
Settled Cases
Sulzer Hip
Jones Act
Discrimination Cases
Baycol
Toxic Mold
Wrongful Termination
Commercial Cases
Probate Cases
Select Divorce Cases
Select Canadian Cases
For more information log on to the company’s website at http://1stchoicefunding.com/professionalindex.html or request an application by email at: attorneyloans@1stchoicefunding.com and leverage the power of pending earnings today!
About the Author
Kari Gray is a 22 year seasoned financial consultant and president of 1st Choice Funding. Ms. Gray’s financial expertise has assisted clients of all sizes to access capital while reducing overhead. 1st Choice Funding offers other innovative financial services that include loans of all types including a professional management interest rate control program for personnel & business loans that positions the borrower, not the lender with interest ra
Written by: Kari E. Gray
It is very important that you know the answer to this question as the laws that regulate the dispensing of drugs on the internet are very specific and very serious matters for all of us.
Indeed, there are a number of web sites that offer drugs that they legally should not be offering. Many online pharmacies that do not comply with DEA and FDA regulations have been seized, shut down and prosecuted during the past three years. Many more are still on the DEA’s list of illegal pharmacies. Here’s how it works�..
Prescription medications fall into different categories, and each category has strict regulations regarding HOW and WHAT is required in order to legally dispense certain medications.
Class One and certain Class Two medications (substances categorized as �Scheduled� medications, which include drugs like Ambien, Phentermine, Soma, Prozac, Valium and hundreds of other potentially dangerous medications MAY NOT be prescribed online! Purchasing, selling or shipping such drugs without the purchaser FIRST being personally examined by a license physician is a felony, and is punishable by serious fine and imprisonment.
�Unscheduled� medications - such as the medications we make available on the CDRX web site are medications that do not require a physicians physical exam (office exam etc) of the purchaser prior to prescribing the medication. Unscheduled medications must still be prescribed by a licensed physician, but prescribing them does not require that the patient be personally examined by the physician. Instead, such medications can be dispensed upon a licensed physician reviewing and approving the purchasers answers to the questionaire that is
completed by the purchaser at the time the order is placed.
The reality of it is that CDRX Amerimed complies strictly with DEA, FDA and federal regulations. Because we do this, we and our affiliates operate 100% in compliance the laws that govern our industry. That is why our web sites include the seals of (both) the Joint Commission On Accreditation Of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and �The Council For Responsible Tele-Medicine.�
Undoubtedly, there are still a number online pharmacies that offer what appears to be a larger variety of prescription medications. However in truth, they do not comply with federal laws. Typically, the owners of such operations locate offshore - hoping that they cannot be prosecuted in the U.S.A. On the �good news� side of it, the number of these illegal pharmacies is decreasing as the DEA arrests and prosecutes operators of illegal online pharmacies.
You should also be aware that any resident of the U.S. that tries to order medications from any source outside the U.S. is committing a felony, and any pharmacy that sells class one �scheduled� medications via prescriptions that are issued �online� without a physical exam of the patient is committing several federal crimes. CDRX would never consider such illegal actions, and we know that our affiliates don’t want that either � so we stay only with popular medications that can be legally dispensed via the Internet. There are always two choices available to all - the legal way and the illegal way. In the interest of doing what is right, CDRX abides by all state and federal laws governing pharmacies.
About the Author
Affiliate (Todd Garlipp)
http://www.consumersdiscountrx.com/tpg/
It is better to advertise with simple messages and have everyone
understand you, than to advertise with complex messages and have
only 20% of viewers understand you.
Brilliantly clever advertising executives often come up with ad
campaigns that dazzle viewers. Viewers may be dazzled, but
whether they can discern what is actually being communicated in
the ad remains to be seen.
When considering how you want to phrase your advertising copy,
don’t tailor the message to what would impress you. Tailor the
message to what would sell to everyone.
The fact is, most people only read, listen, and watch advertising
with a tiny percentage of their brain. When I’m watching TV and
it comes time for the advertisements, I usually head to the
kitchen for a handful of M&Ms. But I can still hear the TV.
The human brain takes in everything that goes on–sights, sounds,
feelings–so whether your viewer is consciously paying attention
to your message or not, some level of their psyche is taking it
in. But whether your message is stored away in the long-term
memory depends on the clarity of your ad.
I don’t remember things I don’t understand. No one does. So your
advertising will only make a long-term impact if the message is
clear. Otherwise, it will be forgotten within minutes.
That is why it is important to keep your advertising copy as
simple as possible. One of the top two reasons marketing fails is
because the ad isn’t clear.
Here are some imperative tips to keep in mind when writing and
designing your ads:
1. No jargon. Many advertisers make the mistake of using their
own industry jargon and buzz words when writing their ads. As
much sense as they make to themselves, they may not be making a
bit of sense to the common consumer.
Remember, your advertising isn’t just targeted at your fellow
lawyer or your computer engineer friend. You are talking to
administrative assistants, mechanics, artists, hair stylists and
teachers. If you want their attention, speak the same language
they
do.
2. Smaller words, bigger impact. In an effort to look smart, we
sometimes try to flex our vocabulary muscles too hard in
advertising. But advertising speaks to people the same way you
speak to a friend. You want to be on the same level, so don’t use
five syllable words in your copy. It will only come off as
condescending and confusing.
After you write something, try speaking it out loud. If you sound
like you are reading an excerpt from a literary essay, change it
to sound more natural, like your normal style of speech.
Remember, as Stephen King advises, “Never say emolument when you
mean tip.”
3. Don’t lose your message in overly complicated copy. Searching
for the message in some advertisements can be like separating
sand from sugar–you really have to work to find the good stuff.
Only say what you need to say. Keep your message concise. You
don’t need to tout every magnificent quality of your product or
service. Pick one or two of the best features and focus on those.
3. Use phrases that sell. These are familiar phrases that don’t
make people think hard about the implications. When they hear
them, they know exactly what is being said and how to respond.
*FREE for a limited time
*Try us at no charge
*90 day money-back guarantee
*Satisfaction or your money back
These are just a few of the simple, yet effective phrases that
spark a listener’s interest in your message. Notice that they are
all under five words.
4. Simple ad campaigns, not just simple messages. Pick something
that works and stick with it. Each time an ad runs, it builds on
the time it ran before that. The secret to becoming a household
name is simple–repetition, repetition, repetition.
About the Author
Kevin Nunley provides marketing advice and copy writing. Spice
up your marketing with sales letters, ads, and web copy that
sizzle and sell. See all Kevin’s services and free tips at
http://DrNunley.com Reach him at mailto:kevin@drnunley.com or
801-328-9006.
Written by: Kevin Nunley
1. Give Testimonials
When you purchase a product or service and it exceeds your
expectations e-mail the business a testimonial. Tell them in the
testimonial the benefits you got from the product or service.
Give them permission to publish the testimonial on the web site
if they include your sig file at the end.
2. Leave A Message
When you visit a web site with a discussion board leave a
message. You could post a question, interesting content or a
compliment about their web site. Include your signature file at
the end of the message. Some discussion boards let you post
your banner ad or text link.
3. Sign Guest Books
When you visit a well designed web site leave a compliment on
their guest book. You could give them a compliment on their
content, ease of navigation, graphics etc. When you post your
compliment include your sig file so other people will see it
when they sign the
guest book.
4. Write A Review
When you visit a web site you enjoyed a lot write a review
for the web site Write about the benefits you gain from the
site, the web site design, interesting online services it offers
etc. E-mail the review to the web site. Tell them they can
publish it on their web site if they include your resource box
at the end.
5. Send An E-mail To The Editor
When you read a good article or enjoy a certain e-zine, e-mail
a compliment to the editor. Give the editor permission to
publish the compliment in their e-zine if they include your
signature file at the end. The editor may post it on his or her
web site.
E. D. Zuck is the owner and operator of 10 Dollar Specials - Your Source For Quality Software & Ebooks At Discounted Prices, as well as captez.com - A Unique Source For Web Related Content, Software, and Ebooks.
Written by: E. D. Zuck
5 Critical Questions to Ask Before Advertising with eZines
Copyright � Codrut Turcanu
http://BizMarketingSecrets.com
Do you know how to make your advertising a success?
Before sending your ad copy, I would suggest to ask
publishers the following 5 questions:
1. What past advertisers think about your service?
Reading testimonials from satisfied customers could be
one of the reasons you might want to advertise in
a particular eZine.
2. Do I get any discount on multiple ad purchases?
The more money you can save on advertising, the more
results you can get with less investment.
This facility is PERFECT if you’re on a shoestring budget.
3. How many times my ad will be seen?
I’ve seen eZines that can publish your ad in several
consecutive issues for a very low price.
This could be a great chance so use it carefully
especially when investing in ad packages.
4. How many subscribers I can reach?
To make your advertising campaign a success you must ask
about the eZine circulation…this way you can calculate
the clickthrough rate, sale conversion rate, visitor value
etc.
You’ll need for this a very good tracking tool.
You can find one at http://EzineTactics.com/?id=5031
5. Is your eZine 100% opt-in?
If you don’t want to be suspected of SPAM emails, then
you should ask the publisher about the way he/she gets
subscribers.
Based on the answers you’ll be receiving, you can get a big
picture about eZines worth to advertise in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Codrut Turcanu runs Biz Marketing Secrets, a 100% Original
Newsletter jam-packed with the latest tactics, tools and
resources he uses to market Online Products & Services,
pull In Affiliate Sales and generate Internet Profits:
Get a FR*E 5-part eCourse just for subscribing at:
http://BizMarketingSecrets.com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Written by: Codrut Turcanu
5 COMMON ADVERTISING MISTAKES YOU CAN EASILY AVOID
Copyright 2002 Bob Leduc
These 5 common advertising mistakes cause you to lose sales.
But you can easily avoid these mistakes once you become
aware of them.
1. STOP AND GO ADVERTISING
Many businesses reduce their advertising when they are
getting plenty of sales. Then they increase their
advertising when sales decline. This pattern of stop and go
advertising creates a repeating cycle of high sales volume
and low sales volume. It also prevents the business from
growing.
Develop and follow a plan of regularly scheduled advertising
regardless of your sales volume. Continuous advertising
produces steady growth. It also reduces the time you have to
spend on making advertising decisions.
2. ONE SHOT ADVERTISING
Businesses often devote all of their advertising efforts to
attracting new customers. But they devote little or no
effort to cultivating these prospects for future sales.
Most prospective customers will not buy the first time they
hear or see your sales message. But many will buy later if
you follow up with them. Your follow up can be as simple as
contacting them periodically with a new offer.
TIP: Customers are prospects too. Stay in contact with them.
Find or develop other products or services you can offer
them. It’s easier to make a sale to a previous customer than
to someone who never bought from you.
3. COPYCAT ADVERTISING
Businesses often copy their competitors advertising ideas.
This can be effective for a short time. But results quickly
decline as more and more competitors copy the same idea.
Instead of copying your competitors advertising ideas,
improve on them. Create something better - something your
competitors cannot copy.
For example, give your customers a reason to buy from you
instead of from a competitor. This can be as simple as
including a unique bonus only you can offer - or providing
the personal attention your competitors are not willing or
able to provide.
4. SCATTER SHOT ADVERTISING
Many businesses get poor results from their advertising
because they reach too many prospects with little or no
interest in what they are selling. This often occurs because
they choose the cheapest
advertising instead of looking for
low cost targeted advertising.
Take some time to research and plan your advertising
efforts. Look for ways you can reach concentrations of
prospects likely to be interested in your product or
service. Then design your message to appeal specifically to
their interests and needs.
TIP: Look for alternative media your competition may be
overlooking. For example, many online marketers have started
using direct mail postcards to generate traffic to their web
sites. It’s a low cost way to bypass the heavy competition
online.
5. SELF FOCUSED ADVERTISING
Advertisers often promote facts about themselves or their
products in their advertising. But facts don’t sell.
Benefits sell. For example, which of the following has more
impact?
1. “We provide complete marketing services for starting your
own business”
2. “No more time clock. Work when you want. Take long
vacations”
The first focuses on the company and describes the service
it provides. It’s boring and unattractive. The second
focuses on the benefit provided by that service. It attracts
attention and creates excitement - and generates more sales.
These 5 common advertising mistakes cause you to lose sales
How many are you making? Apply the information revealed in
this article to avoid these mistakes - and maximize the
results you get from your advertising efforts.
Bob Leduc is a Sales Consultant with 30 years experience in
building successful businesses. He just released a revised
and completely updated New Edition of his manual, “How To
Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards”, and
several other publications to help small businesses grow
and prosper. Email: BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: “Postcards”
Phone: 702-658-1707 after 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV
About the Author
Bob Leduc is a Sales Consultant with 30 years experience in
building successful businesses. He just released a revised
and completely updated New Edition of his manual, “How To
Build Your Small Business Fast With Simple Postcards”, and
several other publications to help small businesses grow
and prosper. Email: BobLeduc@aol.com Subject: “Postcards”
Phone: 702-658-1707 after 10 AM Pacific Time/Las Vegas, NV
Written by: Bob Leduc
Effective advertising is an investment in your business. Ineffective advertising is a liability and a waste of money. Here are the top 5 things to avoid making sure you advertise effectively.
1. Don�t advertise at all
If you are in business and you don�t do some kind of advertising you are not doing business. The only excuse for not advertising is that you have more business than you can handle and then you should expand, raise yoru prices, and advertise more.
This is not to say that you should buy advertising that you cannot afford. If you’re strapped for cash, look for low cost advertising options like co-op advertising, buying remnant newspaper space, flyers, direct mail, or negotiate for trade.
If you are reading this then I am assuming that Coke and Nike are slightly larger companies than yours. These companies spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year in advertising. Why? Well, how long do you think they would keep brand dominance if they stopped advertising today? Pepsi and New Balance would take over in a matter of days or weeks.
If things are slow � that�s a ridiculous reason not to advertise. How do you expect them to pick up � magic? Studies show companies that advertise through economic downturns out perform their competitors during the downturn. When the economy picks up they boom.
There are too many cost effective ways to advertise for you not to be building your business.
2. Put all your eggs in one basket
One ad in one place does not make an effective campaign. A good advertising strategy includes a good mix of methods. Studies show that ideally you should be reaching your customers 4 or more ways.
Combining radio or TV advertising with print will increase the ROI of both. Multiple exposures to your message has a synergistic effect. Don�t blow the budget on a tv or radio campaign and forget other channels.
3. Don�t
target your advertising
If you are selling a product or service targeted to people that earn in the top 2% income and you advertise in a mass market medium like the newspaper you are wasting 98% of your advertising dollars.
Who are your customers and where are they likely to see your message?
I saw a great example of targeting recently. An upscale steakhouse advertised in a golf magazine. Golf is a fairly expensive hobby, and many who golf for business networking also do business lunches and dinners in upscale restaurants.
4. Run a cute or gimmicky ad
Ads that are cute and gimmicky may win advertising awards (and frequently do) but they do not sell unless they are designed to sell.
I know you have some wonderfully creative idea for an existentialist ad that violates the advertising principles that billions of dollars and hundreds of years of research have proven effective. Good luck! Creativity is great, but ground it with good marketing principles.
5. Advertise inconsistently
Ok you ran your 2 column inch display ad in the back of the local newspaper once and you didn�t get the 50,000 new customers you want. So, you pull the ad, change your whole message and put it somewhere else. No dice.
Testing response is ok, and it�s a good idea to test campaigns. However, advertising takes time to work. Did you know that the average person who responds to an infomercial has seen that infomercial 7 times? Print advertising builds to a level of maximum effect after 4-6 months. Even direct mail takes multiple hits to be effective.
Consistency and repetition are cornerstones of effective advertising.
About the author:
J D Moore - Marketing Comet
Small Business Marketing Coach
http://marketingcomet.typepad.com
Written by: J D Moore
Advertising doesn’t have to wipe out your bank account to be effective. When you learn to negotiate, know when smaller ads are as effective as large ads, ask for discounts, and create an irresistible offer, you’re on your way to skyrocketing profit margins!
1. Negotiate
Have you noticed that some people seem to always get the best deals? Yeah, you pay full price and think you did OK until they show up with the same thing, only they paid several hundred dollars less. It really get your goat! How do they do it? They’re not afraid to ask for an extra discount.
Yep, don’t sell yourself short because you didn’t ASK the next time your advertising rep makes an appearance! Even if you’re already getting a discount, ask for a bigger one. You have not…because you ask not.
2. Trim
Bigger is always better…or is it? When it comes to advertising, don’t be surprised if some of your short ads meet with more success than larger more expensive ads. Trimming down on the size and cost of advertising doesn’t mean you’ll be trimming the results!
3. Exploit the Freebies
What’s the difference between advertising and publicity? …who’s doing the talking. Yeah, when you sell yourself, it’s advertising. When someone else is selling you, it’s publicity…and it generates credibility and interest that you don’t want to miss out on.
Think about the different ways you can get your business in the spotlight. Do you have some news� write a press release? Write some �how to� articles with a short byline at the end and release them to ezines, magazines, newspapers, and other publishers. Why not promote the product of a non-competitor in return for them promoting yours…think of the totally different market they affect!
Yep, there
are a lot of ways out there to get free advertisement that will benefit your business. Of course you won’t be able to rely solely on the freebies, but hey, you can get a little extra for nothing!
4. Improve Your Offer
Is your deal too good to pass up? If not, you need to improve it. Hey, I’m not talking about cutting prices even more…you’ve still got to make a profit. You can make the deal sweeter just by increasing the readers knowledge of the value of the product, or adding bonuses that are perceived as valuable, but cost you little.
Motivate buyers with expirations. Yeah, an open ended offer encourages procrastination…which leads …yep, nowhere. When the customer knows he has until Saturday to purchase an item he’ll pay more for on Sunday, he’ll make it a priority to head for your shop.
Advertising doesn’t have to wipe out your bank account to be effective. When you learn to negotiate, know when smaller ads are as effective as large ads, ask for discounts, and create an irresistible offer, you’re on your way to skyrocketing profit margins!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Who is Allyn Cutts, and why should you care?
Allyn has spent over 24 years helping businesses like yours find new customers and increase sales to current customers. Allyn is a marketing and sales fanatic, providing measurable marketing solutions that drive huge results for small-to mid-size business clients. Allyn works personally with clients to design and deliver off-line and on-line direct marketing strategies that focus on metrics and measurable results. You can learn more about Allyn Cutts at www.AllynCutts.com and you can call 610.437.4106 between 10 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Written by: Allyn Cutts
4 QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS BEFORE YOU ADVERTISE
No matter what kind of business you own or manage, you are faced with selecting mediums or methods of advertising or promoting your business. It doesn�t matter if you are a retailer or a consultant working from a home based business. Every business markets themselves in some manner. Some businesses use traditional advertising mediums such as the newspaper, and others use less obvious means such as word of mouth.
Knowing what how best to spend time, money and energy will help you grow your business quickly. In order to select the most effective medium or method of promoting your business, you must evaluate your sales process. Here are 4 things to ask yourself about your unique sales process:
1.Do my customers seek out my product or service? In other words, do they know they need it?
2.How well is your company and product/service category known?
3.How easy is it for a prospect to buy and use your product/service?
4.Can the prospect receive the benefits immediately?
Understanding where your prospect is prior to your contact as well as understanding the process they must go through in order to receive the benefits of your product or service will dictate the mediums and advertising style that will work best for your business. There is no need for a consultant to take out expensive ads in the newspaper, which would be unlikely to produce any response. However, for a retailer, the
newspaper will likely generate considerable response.
All too often I see small business owners taking ads in the newspaper simply because it�s their local paper and they think that�s what they have to do to generate sales. For some businesses yes, but for many others, no. By taking the time to evaluate your sales cycle, your brand/industry recognition, and the prospect/customer experience you will be able to select the marketing mix which will generate new customers and increased sales for the smallest marketing expenditure.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Nicole Shields is the author of the 7 Step Marketing Plan manual, a complete system, including the Quick Start Kit, a digital file of forms and spreadsheets, which makes it easy for business owners and managers to write, implement and manage a profit-producing marketing plan. There is a Sales Process Evaluator, which walks you through a complete series of questions to rank your business so that you can select the best mediums for your business. To learn more visit: http://www.1shoppingcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=41836
About the Author
Nicole Shields is the author of the 7 Step Marketing Plan manual, a complete system, including the Quick Start Kit, a digital file of forms and spreadsheets, which makes it easy for business owners and managers to write, implement and manage a profit-producing marketing plan.
Written by: Nicole Shields