Hello Wild Wild Webmaster,
Tom theToolman CEO here, Aff Marketing Tips | Internet Marketing
It May Be Small, But It’s So Powerful…Your Business Card!
If you’re like most professionals, you have a business card. But, what does your business card *do* for you?
“Do”?
Yes, that’s right; what does your business card *do* for you? Does it help to actively create more business for you or does it sit—like most business cards—in a big stack of other business cards that nobody ever looks at?
If you want to maximize your marketing strategy into all areas of your business collateral, it’s time to make your business card work for you. The time when your business card was just a simple way to give your name and number has long since passed. Far from having to be just a way to communicate your name and contact number, a business card provides an excellent opportunity for you to make yourself memorable.
The key to any successful marketing campaign is being memorable.
Advertisers spend millions of dollars figuring out exactly what needs to be done to create advertisements that stick in the heads and hearts of their consumers. When it comes to creating a unique and distinctive business card, you have the exact same goal. In today’s highly competitive marketplace, you need to stand out from the rest to define yourself as the best.
Here are just a few ways you can make your business card step up and be more than just a cardboard rectangle:
* Turn it into a mini-billboard advertising your services.
* Highlight your USPs on the back of your card.
* Offer a special, discount, special promotion.
* Create a unique shape or design that relates to your field so your card becomes a topic of conversation by those who have it. But, be careful not to make the shape or size so “unique” that it won’t fit in the typical places people store their business cards. If you go too big or too unusual, you might find that your card is thrown out.
* Hand your business card to everyone you meet; store clerks, gas station attendants, waiter and waitresses, secretaries…everybody!
* Place your business card in every piece of mail to your patients and local vendors.
* Spend a little more and turn your business card into a magnet. In this way, it can be carried in your wallet, but also stuck on that refrigerator for years of free advertising.
* Whether you’re starting a new office or are looking to revamp your image, a new logo will help you portray the true identity of your business through a professionally-designed logo.
* Make your card serve double-duty—use it as an appointment card, too.
* Be sure to include all the ‘usual suspects’ on your card, including name, profession, and phone and fax numbers. Additionally, be sure to include your e-mail and web address for that extra added impact.
As you can quickly see, your business card doesn’t have to sit idly inside somebody’s wallet never to be looked at again. It can work for you in powerful ways—promoting you, your business, and your services.
Spend a few minutes designing your next business card and it can have big payoffs as your smallest, but most effective advertising billboard!
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Hello Wild Wild Webmaster,
Tom theToolman CEO here, Aff Marketing Tips | Marketing Tips
Using Custom Printed T-Shirts as Advertising to Increase Your Business’ Profits
In the world of today, you will be hard pressed to find someone to argue that advertising is ineffective. The evidence is all around. We are bombarded with advertisements telling us how we need to have each and every product. Have you ever stopped and wondered why? The answer of course is because it works. Multinationals don’t spend millions every year to lose money, on the contrary big companies spend money because their Harvard MBA accountants tell them that they end up way ahead. The truth is that if you are not advertising you and your business are probably missing out.
At this point a number of people are probably thinking one of two things: I can’t afford to advertise for a short time and have only a few people see my ad, or they feel energized and want to take the big step and invest. The truth is you don’t need to spend a prodigious fortune to have an effective advertising campaign. As a t-shirt screen printer, I have seen people spend modest amounts of money on a creative t-shirt that they then use as the core of their campaign. This seems like a naïve attempt at advertising, but the truth is that many of my customers have told me that it is their most effective form. Think about it. Most advertisements are around for a month tops. T-shirts last for at least a few years. The people that wear them walk around and expose your business to a myriad of people every time it is worn. This translates into long term, inexpensive, effective advertising for your business.
This type of personalized advertising’s effectiveness can best be seen when compared to some of the more traditional forms. Phone books for example are being used less and less as the internet continues to establish itself evermore resolutely in both business and personal lives. Search engines are a great way to go but require time and money, and lots of both. To make it high on the sponsored links could mean paying dollars per click. The natural listings require you to pour money and time into development. I can tell you right now that anyone who is a number one on Google dedicated much more time and money than anyone who ever bought t-shirts did. Television, radio, and newspaper can get you companies name out there, but they can be very expensive, short lived, and even to an extent ineffective. If your costumers don’t or hear the ads then you have wasted a hefty sum of money.
T-shits on the other hand are inexpensive. They don’t require the hassle and time that many other forms of advertising do. Plus they have far great longevity and will walk themselves right to potential customers. An effective t-shirt campaign can take nothing more than a good design, something at least my company helps with for free, and giving them away to your friends, customers, or even strangers. From personal experience I have seen the effectiveness of this time and time again. I have the advantage of seeing these t-shirts go from idea to ad, and much to my chagrin, I often get the enjoyment of seeing people I have never met wear them. I see the advertisements around, so I know that they are effective at getting seen.
Your business could benefit greatly from advertising. Perhaps you have already considered expanding your business or your business’s advertising, or perhaps this essay has given you some motivation. In either case I urge you to consider using custom printed t-shirts in your next ad campaign.
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Hello Wild Wild Webmaster,
Tom theToolman CEO here, Aff Marketing Tips | Internet Marketing
Classified advertising is a form of advertising that is particularly common in newspapers and other periodicals. A classified is usually textually based and can consist of as little as the type of item being sold, and a contact number to call for more information. It can also have much more detail, such as name to contact, address to contact or visit, a detailed description of the product or products. There are generally no pictures or other graphics within the advertisement, although sometimes a logo may be used.
Classified advertising is generally grouped within the publication under headings classifying the product or service being offered, for example: Accounting, Automobiles, Clothing, Farm Produce, For Sale, For Rent, etc. Classified advertising is different from display advertising that often contains graphics or other art work and which is more typically distributed throughout a publication adjacent to editorial content.
The free classifieds are part of free classified advertising. The free classified advertising is the advertising free of cost.
In recent times classified advertising or classified ads are not merely confined to print media, rather expanded to internet network. The free classifieds and free classified advertising have become hot online catchwords. Craigslist was one of the first online classified sites.
The free Internet classified advertising is rapidly growing trend of recent times. There are numerous companies and websites that offer the free online classified ads. These websites receives free classifieds ads and advertise them free of cost.
There are also country specific classified online sites like usfreeads.com for United States. There are a number of agencies throughout the world that have made a business out of the classified advertising industry. For example: Wide Area Classifieds has created their own classified networks in which businesses and individuals can place ads in hundreds of different papers across the country.
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Hello Wild Wild Webmaster,
Tom theToolman CEO here, Aff Marketing Tips | Internet Marketing
The main aim of advertisers is to communicate and influence the prospective customers to buy a particular brand’s product. Often they also advertise in order to improve the brand image. For this purposes every major medium and advertising tool is used to deliver their message. Some of the key mediums like television, radio, cinema, magazines, newspapers, video games, the Internet and billboards are used extensively. To advertise, a company usually appoints an advertising agency or advertising industry to send their message across.
Commonly, advertisements are seen on carts, airport, on the sides of buses, buss shelters, etc. Advertisements are cleverly placed at places where viewers can easily and regularly access visual, audio and printed information.
Mentioned below are some forms of advertising:
Advocacy Advertising: This type of advertising is done mainly for economic, political, or social issues. Advocate Advertising can be in the form of advertisement, message, or public communication. The aim of advertising through this medium is planned campaign to convince public and form their opinion on a specific issue.
Comparative Advertising: Comparative advertising works on comparison. One brand is directly or indirectly compared with another or even more conflicting brands. Major industries like airlines and automobile manufacturers these days use this technique.
Cooperative Advertising: Sharing is the key component here. Two parties share their advertising costs in this type of advertising.
Direct-Mail Advertising: Emails, catalogues, flyers, letters, and postcards are just a few of the direct-mail advertising options available. A lot of personal details are required to be known for this type of advertising.
Outdoor Advertising: Billboards, wraps on the side of buildings, etc fall in the category of outdoor advertising. Outdoor advertising is extremely effective if implemented on busy located areas where a lot of travelers come and can buy the product from nearby.
Product Advertising: In this type of advertising, no selling of a specific product is done.
Point-of-Purchase Advertising: Incentives play a major role in this type. Promotional items like package and its presentation is done in a manner to attract customers so that they purchase the product.
Some useful Tips on Advertising:
. Consistency: The message of the ad should be delivered in a constant way. Even style of business cards, letterheads of the company, envelops, etc should be standardized and not change often.
. Tools: Billboard ads can have the maximum impact when implemented with the right medium like TV, radio, newspapers, etc.
. Promotion: Focus should be on the benefits of the products rather than the features as it connects with the consumer’s emotional satisfaction.
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Hello Wild Wild Webmaster,
Tom theToolman CEO here, Aff Marketing Tips | Internet Marketing
Headlines serve the purpose of getting the attention of the reader. With a good headline, the reader gets intrigued to read the article, brochure, newsletter or ad. There are many techniques employed to produce effective headlines.
Create such a headline that it creates curiosity to the reader. This can be done by asking a provocative question or by making a seemingly outrageous statement in the headline. Using word play, alliteration and take-off on familiar phrases helps in creating eye-catching and amusing headlines. It is always better to avoid ambiguity as if the headline turns out to be difficult for the reader to read it is most likely that he or she may not read it at all!
The headline has to be coined in such a way that it provides an answer to the reader asking “What’s in it for me?” Mention the primary benefit the reader gets from reading the article.
Maybe, you could provide a solution to a common problem through the headline. Always keep the headline as sweet and short as possible. The ideal length for headlines is seven words or less. This is because shorter headlines are punchier and easier to read.
Never lie to your customers through the headline.
It is very important that you provide an article that is befitting to the headline of the article. This is because on reading the headline, the reader will be expecting a story, and if the story produced is something completely different, it is most likely that the reader will feel cheated. Make sure that the first word of the headline is capitalized, as should all the other proper nouns in the headline.
Do not develop the habit of capitalizing every word, as the uniformity of the headline is then lost.
The most effective headlines have been proven to be those that have logical sentence structures, active voice and strong present tense verb. It is the good verbs that always drive good headlines. Make it a habit of locating the headline of an article flush to the left of the page, unless otherwise mentioned.
All headlines should use present tense for immediate past information, past tense for past perfect while future tense is used for coming events. The punctuation format of headlines is basically normal. Periods should be used for abbreviations only and single quotes should be used where double quotes would be used in copy.
Make it a point to never split verb pieces in between lines of the headlines or ending lines with prepositions. This makes the headlines look untidy. Keep these pointers in mind, and proceed in producing effective headlines for your articles!
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Hello Wild Wild Webmaster,
Tom theToolman CEO here, Aff Marketing Tips | Internet Marketing
So you have a new and bright web site that you will be putting in circulation very soon, you will need advertising for this site to make a big splash on the market. How does one go about writing a big press release for an impending site introduction? You are not alone if you are unsure on this, but there are a few pointers to get you started, and are successful at it at the same time.
Keeping in mind that you are going to need the public’s attention, on this media release it is important to remember the fact that the news sells. What you need is very persuasive communication to get your point across. If an editor finds material that makes false promise of nonsense claims that are just not reasonably accepted, they will trash the media release. Some of the most common are one of a kind, changing the face of the planet, or everyone wins. The entire premise is to act and think like a reporter to get the word out in that media format. If the release is not in a journalistic format, it will not be taken seriously.
A good measure would be to make the title around ten words, keep it short to grab attention. Brief summary or the information should be in the headline, and should be dynamic and bold. You are trying to reach mass public; it should be as broad as a roadside sign or billboard. The best way to get a good review is to have the editor notice your release above all others, this can be done in just a few words. Just like all good journalists know the most potent and important part of the release is always the opening paragraph. This can be referred to as the summary lead.
It is always the most important facet of any release that you incorporate the common 5 w’s of journalism, not excluding the single and ever important h. who, what, when, where, and the single how are the mainstay in quality information that everyone truly looks for when reading a release. It is imperative on this note to include them.
This is the beef of the information with the introduction and the closing statements surrounding this bulk. It is the introduction that leads the readers down the path of craving more on the subject it must be powerful. This opening paragraph is what is known as the hook. This hook not only has to grab the audience’s attention but the press and the editor as well. Not always an easy task. The hook in every sense of the word is strictly fact and not a method of persuasion to the masses.
Properly written and distributed press releases bring in traffic for weeks or months to come and build valuable one way in bound links. Reputable newswire distribution services are strict standards when it comes to press releases. It is better if you have never written any press release to use services from professionals. Myself, I use services from a company called [INSER YOUR PROGRAM LINK] They guarantee that their press releases gets accepted and even given high ratings by the chosen newswire distribution service.
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Hello Wild Wild Webmaster,
Tom theToolman CEO here, Aff Marketing Tips | Internet Marketing
Apart from newspaper advertising, a system of leaflets, cards and catalogs can be operated to a business advantage in marketing its products and services. One week a business owner may send out leaflets, next week he may mail cards with a nicely written message calling the attention of the recipient to make some action, then the week after that a tasty catalog may float along – talking about good work, good stock, prompt deliveries and affordable prices.
As most of you are probably aware of, catalogs are a good way to market all kinds and types of products. From products with general appeal to products that fits a specific market, catalogs and other direct marketing materials can be your key to being successful in the ever crowded marketplace.
Catalogs offer new and interesting products to their customers each month, quarter or year depending on the business. Catalogs also like to promote products that are not easily found at retail stores, products that are not available elsewhere or products that add to the best selection category of a certain product. Thus, to keep your catalog interesting and fresh to your customers, you should at least introduce over twenty percent of new products each year.
Considering the sales potential for your product if you do get into catalogs, you can see that there is a great opportunity for you to make great sales. If just one decently designed catalogs picks up your product and carries it for a full year, you could expect to have a sale of five thousand to fifty thousand units or more in a year.
One good thing about catalogs is that if you run a small business that carries only a limited number of products per month you can use smaller catalogs and move to bigger ones as your capabilities grow and as your business gets bigger.
Nevertheless, before marketing your products through catalogs you need some prep work done. Even though catalogs are always open to new products, you still have to be professional in your dealings. If your catalog looks like slacking, you will be perceived as flimsy.
Keep in mind that almost every printer can so express himself on paper that he can produce fairly good marketing materials. If he cannot you should find somebody inside or outside your establishment who can write snappy business-like ads. At any rate a good printer should give all advertising in the shape of cards, catalogs and posters among others the right typographical appearance which is very important in making a good impression. With such, a business man can tell at a glance whether or not the printer shows judgment with artistic sense.
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Hello Wild Wild Webmaster,
Tom theToolman CEO here, Aff Marketing Tips | Internet Marketing
Advertising is one the most important part of an overall promotional strategy. With the continuing increase in competition in the market today, advertising has become inevitable. But have you ever asked yourself how many of us are unreached by advertising? When you walk the street, to the right and left stretched streets showing hotels, apartment houses, private houses, restaurants and saloons, out of which live people who have or have not come in contact with any form of advertising. On the next block wandered another crowd all apparently without thought of advertising. Nearly all are familiar with newspapers and magazines, but to what degree?
Some take up the newspaper to read the political news and views and nothing more. Some read newspapers to glance at the sports page and nothing more. Some take up the newspaper to read the gossip section and nothing more. And some never even bother to read a newspaper. And some are even so distracted by personal matters that the advertisement they saw in the newspaper does not make any impression on their minds. For this reason, it is important that as a business owner you know how to reach up to your target customers through your advertising materials.
The most important features of an advertisement are ideas, words and arrangement. Ideas come first; they should be correctly expressed and the whole should be properly arranged with type and illustration. So for instance you are going to make a poster. Keep in mind that a good poster conveys a clear message through good visual information and a minimum of text. It should be legible, readable and well organized. Studies show that you only have a few seconds to grab the attention of your reader and most of these readers are going to absorb only the punch line.
The overall format of a good poster is reflected by the way you integrate the information. For instance, you would never put your first section on the right and ask the reader to proceed to the left because we are not trained to read that way. Space is also important in a poster. Without appropriate space, your reader has no visual pauses to think. If books have a space on the margins and chapters as spaces, posters should likewise have spaces. Posters that are crowded with information are tiring to read and are seldom read in its entirety. So, leave out all irrelevant text and images including borders between related data and text so the reader can understand your ideas easily.
Remember that the point of view of every person is constantly changing. So if you are to influence your readers through your poster to buy your products or avail of your services you have to make ensure that your poster will do the talking for you.
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Hello Wild Wild Webmaster,
Tom theToolman CEO here, Aff Marketing Tips | Internet Marketing
Promotional products VS Print advertising
Print advertising vs. Promotional Product advertising has many different characteristics. PRINT ADS will only carry the life of the ad and are not considered effective advertising.
Only effective on a repetitive basis. We have made a comparison of the 2 different types of advertising to attract customers for your business. Take a careful look.
PROMOTIONAL PRODUCTS PRINT ADVERTISING.
Very effective per cost Not very cost effective. The bigger the ad the more it costs Average life of a product is 6-12 months or longer Average life of an ad is only the time its run.
Constant advertising always front of your customer Customers only see it once. Small ads are ineffective.
Product may be past to another customer Customer most likely won’t pass on a print ad. Customers need to see you an average of 7 times Customers only see it once Average life of a product is 6-12 months or longer There is no life to a print ad.
Advertising can actually multiply Print advertising doesn’t create a multiplying effect helps Customers customize there ad campaigns You can only customize to the extend of a piece of paper
Connects your customers to a unique memorable way. Not very unique. Only unique stated with words A greater selection of advertising forms Not a wide selection. Different paper different sizes and colors Convenience of your info in front of your customers Business cards are only convenient form then get tossed away millions of advertising products to choose from. Very limited to what you can put on paper.
With 1000 product you can reach 1000 customers Very expensive for multiple advertising ads, poor retention. Now you can’t really argue these points. They are fact… Do you want to spend hundreds of dollars that are run once and then thrown away. Most people are not going to cut your print ad out and then carry it with them all day, pull it out and look at it 3-5 times a day .
With Promotional product they will do this. Your product will be used by them everyday. Thus your name is in front of them everyday. We have NO OVERHEAD. This allows us to pass those savings on to our customers!!
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Hello Wild Wild Webmaster,
Tom theToolman CEO here, Aff Marketing Tips | Internet Marketing
Promotional Advertising Gifts – A Smile For Every Present
The cool thing about gifts is that you can receive them. For all my soapbox condemnations of the corrosive effects (albeit perhaps unintended) that advertising can have upon the community which it unfurls its ravenous hunger without prejudice, I have to say that I am really sort of into promotional advertising gifts. For a couple reasons.
First off, I like getting things without cost much better than I do when I need to give money for them.
For example, it was just last year that I bought three boxes of pens. Now, for me, I’m a big fan of pens, in fact my slight OCD makes me feel a little uncomfortable when I don’t have a pen on me. So, it’s important that I have an ample supply at my house. I can’t remember exactly, but I feel like I probably spent around twelve dollars for the three boxs.
I’m not saying that I could take those twelve dollars, throw them on my bed, roll around on them al fresco and make a night of it; but, I am saying that I could appreciate the cash and maybe have a nice little lunch. So, if I didn’t have to spend the money, that’d be optimal. But, then I’m left penless, which is far from optimal. However, these two desires of mine need not be mutually exclusive.
Each and every day there are probably tens of tens of places around town handing out pens as promotional advertising gifts. Some from the doctor, some from the bursar’s office at my university, others from a temporary stand getting people to register for credit cards and I’m starting to sit on a reasonable collection of pens.
They’re out there. I just need to go get them. And to do that, I need only strap myself with generous amounts of tenacity and the will to collect.
The other reason that I like promotional advertising gifts is, unusually, almost the exact opposite of the first. It starts out with the belief that everyone should do one good deed (at the very least) each day. One good deed that I see as important is to maintain the cleanliness of our fair city (or whichever one you find yourself in).
One way to keep a city free from environmental degradation is to throw away trash. So, one way that I know that I can always satisfy my daily good deed is to make sure garbage gets into a garbage can.
Therefore, I also like promotional advertising gifts, because I can take them right out of the hands of the friendly distributor and walk my poster, magnate, paper visor or whatever and put it right into the trash. Everyone wins.
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