Effective Haunted House Radio Advertising

The season for planning an amazing haunt is upon us! Although, that season truly starts on November 1st of every year, that glorious day after the closing of the current years haunt. The days are drawing closer. The dreams of long lines filled with paying customers to wander through you haunt are getting bigger. Now would be a good time to think about how you will be marketing your haunt this year. Lets face it, the marketing budget is not as big as you wish it would be. That means that every penny that gets poured into advertising your haunted attraction needs to count. You need to find the best ways to get the biggest bang for your buck. What medium will do that for you? What has been the "go to" medium for years in the haunted house industry? The answer: Radio. It's not just because people "like it" either.It reaches more people than any other medium for the money you have to put into it. Bottom line, you will reach more people with a well placed radio commercial for your haunted house than you will on any other medium. I'm not saying you shouldn't advertise on other mediums, but if you had to choose the one that will give you the biggest bang for your buck, or only have the funds to do one medium of advertising, haunted house radio commercials are the way to go. Just having the air time alone will not be enough though. You will need a haunted house radio commercial that drives the people to your haunt. The best thing you can do is invest in a professional haunted house radio ad from a production company and not just get the "free" commercial production from the radio station. By going with a company that knows the biz, you will get a message that stands out from the local "dj's spooky voice", and it will likely drive more people to your haunt. People will also take your haunt more seriously. What should you put in your haunted house radio commercial? Setting a mood will be key. A laundry list of all the effects will not be that big of a draw, you need to convince the listener why your haunt is better than everyone else and focus on those main points. At the same time, you should make an offer that the public can't refuse to pass up! Offer a 2 for 1 or 50% discount if they mention the commercial. Something that is BIG. If you offer a big discount, you will make up for any losses in the volume of people you have coming through. Limit the offer on nights that are typically slower than your big crowd nights. Follow some of these steps and you will have plenty of funds built up for an even bigger and better haunt season next year!

Making Business Cards That Stand Out

Exchanging business cards is still a well-known practice between businessmen, even with the emergence of social media sites like Facebook and LinkedIn. Business cards still have their place today as they contain vital information about someone, such as their position within their organization. Making a business card noticeable is a great way to make people remember who you are. Here are some tips. Include new technology such as QR codes Almost everyone uses a smartphone today. This makes a very unique opportunity of mixing in technology to create a one of a kind business card. Provide a small space somewhere on the card, preferably on one of the corners, and place your QR code there. Once photographed by smartphone camera, a downloadable app automatically scans the code and redirects the user to your company's webpage, a promotional video in YouTube. QR codes can even be used as a way for you to give a special offer to clients. Use Sleek and Unique Textures to Leave a Mark Think about it, do you have a favorite shirt in your closet? Its texture and feel on your skin when worn are things you have probably taken a liking to. The same concept applies to a business card. Something that has a nice, unique texture will definitely be remembered. Play around with paper or with printing methods that leave marks and dents on the material. Choose something that's pleasing to touch and adds another layer of style to the card's appearance. Take Advantage of Digital Storage Let's face it, business cards are really simple to lose. Some people would even just throw these away. To minimize waste and cost, you can go digital and use your smartphone. Hundreds of phone apps and programs are available on online marketplaces that allow you to save digital cards. You can even take a picture of actual business cards and save this on your smartphone. This way, you won't lose your cards and you'll have an easier time organizing them. Add Links to Social Media Pages Cards contain key information about the person owning them. This would include their name, address, contact number and email address. These days, you will also need to add information about your social media pages. Include your Twitter and Facebook page, your website, LinkedIn account and other ways that people can check you out online. It's also a big boost for your online presence since you are encouraging people to go to your sites and see what you offer there, which means more traffic.

Reasons Not To Neglect Print Media

These days, more and more people use mobile technology to read digital print. However, agencies and marketers are still using conventional print media to catch people's attention. Many have shifted to online solutions because print media can be a bit expensive, especially when it comes to production. Nevertheless, print media should still not be neglected. Below are a few reasons why. It still gets attention In today's IT age, it's ironic that there's a trend in people actually giving more attention and time to print materials that they receive, especially in the mail. Marketers can take advantage of this and send marketing brochures and fliers to prospective clients. Print helps with retention Customised newsletters and magazines were first created to help customers retain information. The biggest advantage to print is that the medium excels in visually stimulating a person's memory. Hence, if they have a copy of that add, they can always recall what it looked like or actually keep the copy as a reference. Trends will always come back iPad applications, online content and social media are all additional parts to the marketing schemes that marketers develop today. Everyone is preoccupied with online marketing. However, what really excites media buyers and marketers are the schemes that aren't used all that often. They are constantly looking for something new and different. Many people would look back to old trends and systems as a reference, and a lot of them will always go back to print media. That's much of a stalwart the medium is. Print media lets customers ask questions A benefit of going online is that we can find the answers to all out questions. However, print is actually were we get the questions. Print media is one of the best ways for people to start thinking and ask questions about what they see. Print provokes thoughts and gets people thinking in a challenging way. Print still keeps people excited Some writers noticed that it is a bit harder to get someone to agree for an interview that will be used on an article posted online. However, it is the absolute opposite when the interviewer says that it will be published on print. A common notion amongst many people is that printed subjects and topics are seen as more credible compared to content found on the net. Unplugging Many people find that digital media is a bit too much at times. Unplugging means that a person disconnects themselves from all the digital tools they face. Most people turn their phones off or log out their email and IM accounts, and go for printed materials. It's like taking a break by taking time to read. So there you have it. Those are just some of the many benefits of print media that stand out even in today's digital world. Both online and print media work best when placed alongside each other, so consider the benefits of taking a two-pronged approach to your marketing efforts.

Let A Sign Company Lead Customers To Your Door

The song says to "sign your name across my heart," because after all, your sign says a lot about you. The customer who has the first look at your business sign will know something about your values, how much money you make and the reputation you hold. They may judge you, fairly or unfairly, about the amount of status you hold in the community and whether or not your firm is worth its salt. Because of these features, the sign company business has been around for a long time. Almost no one is good at singing their own praises. Ever since the ancient craftsmen began creating products and designs, a sign was needed to inform the general public what their specialty was and where they could be found. One thing led to another. Today there is scarcely a single business out there that doesn't use a sign or two to get his customer closer to making a purchase. The role of a sign company is very symbolic because it acts as a mediator between the customer and the provider. There is always a matchmaking situation to be found. The customer needs the provider as much as the provider needs the customer; it is simply a matter of logistics before one finds the other for a mutually satisfying business relationship. This is what the role of buyer and seller is all about. If your business seems to be slower than it was last year, there is a good chance that potential clients aren't finding you. You may have an excellent product or service but the ones who are looking for you aren't finding your business. Many times, clients don't realize they need something until you remind them of it. A sign company also provides the role of jogging the memory of the customer who forgot that they needed make a purchase even if he forgot to write it down at home. Playing upon the perceptions of these spontaneous purchases are part of advertising, and a sign & banner company plays its part in the game of show and tell. Your client will be glad he bought the item that he originally forgot about when he prepared his shopping list. A graphics company may provide the missing link for those who want to accomplish their objectives even if their short-term memories temporarily had a day off! A graphic advertising company may specialize in one type of signs - like wood crafted, plastic, molded, bronze, iron, or whatever. A sign company may do well to diversify its sign making options to the fullest extent possible. Sign making is a matter of qualitative advertising in good taste with a clear message. No one should walk away confused from a good quality sign whether it's made of wood, metal or plastic. A sign's purpose is to tell what, who, and where to find the product or service being advertised. If you are a business owner or marketing director, a good sign company can make your life easier. There is no question that you need many things - the only question is - which provider will you choose? Generally speaking, customers make a visual distinction between which sign looks more attractive and makes their choice based on their first impression. What comes later is in the provider's hands and they must take responsibility for that. But getting the customer in the door is largely the responsibility of the sign & banner company and the firm that commissioned the job. A sign and graphics company can make or break a firm by its ability to accurately convey the firm's primary message. There is no way of getting around this plain and simple fact. Without an attractive, easily visible sign, your customers simply won't find you. Without customers, your firm won't survive. So let the sign company people do what they know best - bringing the horse to water so that he can drink if he so chooses. Barry Brown has been in the Sign, Banner, Decal and Display Business for over 20 years. It isn't what he thought he'd do with his life, but he says he knows too much now to do anything else! He has been marketing these products online since 1998, and the company he was general manager of in 1998 was the first sign company to be listed on Yahoo! Barry is a great resource for information regarding Signs, Banners, Decals, and Displays, and is also an outstanding source of information on how to shop online without getting ripped off. He invites you to visit our website below, and call him if you have any questions regarding safely purchasing products from any site online, or regarding our company and product offerings.

The Prints on Your Paper Carrier Bags

Paper carrier bags need to be eye-catching for it to serve well as an advertising tool. However, turning the heads of anyone who sees your bags is only half the battle. Once people take notice, the bags need to somehow communicate with the reader and effectively advertise your company's products or services all in a matter of a blink of an eye. Do not expect for a person who sees your bags to stop and spend the littlest of efforts just to clearly see what those prints are saying. If you think about it, you are already lucky to grab a person's attention in a busy alley or in any other places. Hence, that little window of opportunity should be exploited as efficiently as possible. So as to appeal to the general public, your paper carrier bags should have: Catchy Visuals Chances are your paper bags will be seen by most people from afar especially out in the streets. To make a good impression, the prints on your bags should be as visual as possible. This means that the figures and words are printed in such a way that they appeal to the general public the moment they are seen. The thing with paper carrier bags is that once they are brought inside, they are placed aside on a corner away from people's line of sight. Paper bags shine the most once they are brought outside where their owners carry them. Catchy visuals invite the public to check out the bag. This is the first step in ensuring that you advertising will succeed. Neglecting to do this almost always result to low exposure and failed advertising venture. What makes your company stand out More than anything else, the prints should briefly state not just the products or services you are offering but more importantly, the things that make them stand out. A very convincing statement will intrigue the reader even if he does not need your goods or services for that time being. You must make sure that the printed words are interesting enough that the people are compelled to read on. As the saying goes, "A sales person is someone who talks you into buying a one way trip ticket to hell and you actually look forward to it." The same with the prints on your paper carrier bags, the words should be just as convincing but in a good way. Contact Details Now that you have the attention of the reader at your mercy, the next essential prints are the company's contact details. It would be very unwise to interest a prospective customer but neglecting to provide the basic information regarding how to contact your company. Let us say that even if an interested person will go great lengths to make sure that he contacts you, he may have forgotten about the whole idea by the end of the day consequently a lost would-be patron. This is all because you have failed to provide the most important prints, the contact details.

Notepad Printing Ideas

Businesses in the current economic cycle are experiencing challenges that were unforeseen in yesteryears. In this competitive business environment, many businesses will use ingenious methods to market itself. One of these marketing methods involves the use of office stationary such as notepads. Yes, your standard notepad has evolved from being a mere piece of plain paper to a strategic marketing tool. The styling and design of modern day notepads is not the only thing that has radically changed with respect to notepads. The face of the notepad has also changed. It is no longer plain paper but screaming company logos, and addresses that greet you when you open a notepad. There are several designs of notepads in the market. The following are some that your business can deploy in its marketing campaign: • Checklist type notepads. These kinds of notepads are ideal for service centers such as supermarkets. They are also quiet appropriate in fast moving consumer goods industries. The idea behind this notepad design is that you check off a list of a series of set targets. When given to a player in the FMCG industry or a service center it markets a firm saliently. • Magnetic notepads. This kind of notepad basically has a magnetic strip at the back of the paper. The leaf of such a notepad can be stuck on a refrigerator or any other metallic surface. Such a notepad acts as a reminder tool. • Artistic types. Deploying such a notepad in ones, marketing strategy will require that the designer perform a balancing act of no mean measure. If the designer focuses strongly on the artistic part and less on the implicit marketing of the business entity, then his action is overkill. If he does the reverse then his art would be tasteless. The key is to find a balance between displaying art that attract people and implicitly pushing ones marketing agenda. These are but a few of the notepad designs that you can essentially use in your marketing campaign. The list is not exhaustive, nay. Your creativity with regard to notepad printing is depended on the ceiling of creativity that you impose on yourself. Getting it right with regard to the notepad that you design will result in a marketing coup of sorts. Getting it wrong on the other hand can mean that you have an impotent marketing campaign. However way it plays out, what is certain is that the notepad as we know it will never be the same again.

Controversial Advertisements: Forklifts

Like them or not, controversial advertisements generate enough buzz to get consumers talking. Marketers know everyone loves a little drama while surfing the web or flipping through TV channels so they continue to push the line between humor and completely inappropriate behavior. In a country with limited attention spans and oblivion of everyday advertisements, marketers can still count on one factor to get attention: Women. It's completely overdone - even toilet bowl cleaners feature women in their advertisements - but it works. At one time or another, all brands have used female actresses to showcase their products. Used forklift companies, however, seem to shy away from placing women in their print advertisements and television commercials. Since the industrial sector has a male dominated workforce, is there a divide between women and forklifts so deep that women aren't featured in ads or as spokespersons? Simple Internet searches of women + forklifts result in countless articles about sexual harassment lawsuits and workplace inequality, but it doesn't suggest women aren't respectable employees or purchasing managers. If a marketing department of a forklift company didn't want to go controversial, yet appeal to their target audience, generate a buzz and build brand awareness, introducing a beautiful women driving a forklift could be tastefully done: In a 30 second television commercial, a female drives a shiny new sports car through the city and along the beach. She wears a sundress and Hollywood style sunglasses. As she cruises along, boxes suddenly begin to fall into the road. When she hits the brakes, she's brought back to reality: she's in jeans and a t-shirt driving a forklift inside the warehouse. She sighs relief as she stops just in time. In just seconds, the point it made: forklifts are efficient and so fun to drive you'll forget you're at work. Even better for the male audience, what if Danica Patrick drove a forklift in a television commercial or on a print advertisement? Would viewers take notice and brand popularity soar? Absolutely. The popular domain registration website, GoDaddy.com, was the first company to capitalize on Patrick's budding career, potential fan base, and attractive physique. They continue to stick her in a super tight tank top in Super Bowl commercials and sit back as Internet traffic goes through the roof. Men gawk. Women sigh. It's genius. The goal of advertising is simple: Create an advertisement that sparks enough interest to increase recognition and revenue. Give consumers something to talk about. Amuse. Disgust. Annoy. Offend. Consumers will eventually forget how a specific ad made them feel, but the remnants of those ads will keep brand names embedded in their memory. Take note, forklift dealerships.

Color Decals Are Both Fun and Informative

Color decals are fun to use, get, exchange and post. Like liquid sunshine, color decals add an element of fun to everyday life. They are colorful, peppy and serve a purpose - they inject a new attitude to the mundane. Who uses color decals? A better question to ask is who doesn't. Universities do, schools, day care centers and clubs do. Special fun color stickers, decals, and labels may have a space for you to write your name on your book identifying it within the front cover. A plain and simple sticker would also do the job, but color stickers make a simple function seem like fun. Case in point! Universities, manufacturers, stores, and restaurants love to give their faithful customers and supporters custom printed color window decals or bumper stickers showing school colors and mascots, product logos, and other symbols identifying with the school, business, product, or service. Posting them on autos, books and binders, lockers, bikes and windows, cheerful students, parents, fans, clients and any other type of supporters, are happy to show the world where their loyalties lie. Go team go! Color decals score again! Advertise your coffee shop, hardware store, or whatever you like with friendly and upbeat color labels and stickers! Those that look like novelty decals seem to carry the most weight. The famous WIT BOY color decals are posted all over because they look like cool stickers, not advertising. In fact, these color decals are a little of both. Color stickers are used in tons of functional ways, too - they are not always just for fun! They show the contents of the containers - from coffee pots - Decaf or Regular - to spray cleaner bottles, manufactured goods and much more. Full color decals, which are also known in the industry as 4 color process decals, are easily printed, and lamination or clear coating may also be available to keep the prints clean and safe. The colorful dyes are built to last after much handling, wear and tear, sunlight, moisture, dampness and other irritants. Color labels and decals are often found on automobiles. That checkered cab has - you guessed it - decals for the black check design. There are decorative trims in plain colors or all out fancy plaids and polka-dots. The new wave designs of the 1980′s remain popular with modern drivers and a decorative figure of a girl dancing to SKA music or a man with a floppy hat and big shoes definitely adds personality to what normal people would call mundane. Best of all, color decals are highly flexible - your imagination calls the shots. Whatever the size, shape or design you have in mind, let us help you transform your dream into a realistic image! Whatever inspires you, let it take you the distance to a new reality. If you have the brainstorm of a lifetime, there is a very likely chance that we can convert the image of your dreams into a workable logo or design, printable and distributable as upbeat full color stickers. Even the classic banana sticker is a great example of a color sticker. When you buy a TV there is probably a small color sticker stuck to the side to show the make and model or ID number. Spot color and/or full color decals and labels are placed on most appliances before selling. Consumer researchers learned that shoppers pay more attention to small, colorful balloon shaped stickers than to lengthy white papered descriptions that might take a master's degree to read and understand. Color stickers are great for publicizing your brand, communicating with your potential customer, and just jogging the memory of the general public that you're still here and a force to be reckoned with in the marketplace at large! Print up some fun and informative color decals today - you will be glad that you did. Barry Brown has been in the Sign, Banner, Decal and Display Business for over 20 years. It isn't what he thought he'd do with his life, but he says he knows too much now to do anything else! He has been marketing these products online since 1998, and the company he was general manager of in 1998 was the first sign company to be listed on Yahoo! Barry is a great resource for information regarding Signs, Banners, Decals, and Displays, and is also an outstanding source of information on how to shop online without getting ripped off. He invites you to visit our website below, and call him if you have any questions regarding safely purchasing products from any site online, or regarding our company and product offerings.

Let A Sign Company Lead Customers To Your Door

The song says to "sign your name across my heart," because after all, your sign says a lot about you. The customer who has the first look at your business sign will know something about your values, how much money you make and the reputation you hold. They may judge you, fairly or unfairly, about the amount of status you hold in the community and whether or not your firm is worth its salt. Because of these features, the sign company business has been around for a long time. Almost no one is good at singing their own praises. Ever since the ancient craftsmen began creating products and designs, a sign was needed to inform the general public what their specialty was and where they could be found. One thing led to another. Today there is scarcely a single business out there that doesn't use a sign or two to get his customer closer to making a purchase. The role of a sign company is very symbolic because it acts as a mediator between the customer and the provider. There is always a matchmaking situation to be found. The customer needs the provider as much as the provider needs the customer; it is simply a matter of logistics before one finds the other for a mutually satisfying business relationship. This is what the role of buyer and seller is all about. If your business seems to be slower than it was last year, there is a good chance that potential clients aren't finding you. You may have an excellent product or service but the ones who are looking for you aren't finding your business. Many times, clients don't realize they need something until you remind them of it. A sign company also provides the role of jogging the memory of the customer who forgot that they needed make a purchase even if he forgot to write it down at home. Playing upon the perceptions of these spontaneous purchases are part of advertising, and a sign & banner company plays its part in the game of show and tell. Your client will be glad he bought the item that he originally forgot about when he prepared his shopping list. A graphics company may provide the missing link for those who want to accomplish their objectives even if their short-term memories temporarily had a day off! A graphic advertising company may specialize in one type of signs - like wood crafted, plastic, molded, bronze, iron, or whatever. A sign company may do well to diversify its sign making options to the fullest extent possible. Sign making is a matter of qualitative advertising in good taste with a clear message. No one should walk away confused from a good quality sign whether it's made of wood, metal or plastic. A sign's purpose is to tell what, who, and where to find the product or service being advertised. If you are a business owner or marketing director, a good sign company can make your life easier. There is no question that you need many things - the only question is - which provider will you choose? Generally speaking, customers make a visual distinction between which sign looks more attractive and makes their choice based on their first impression. What comes later is in the provider's hands and they must take responsibility for that. But getting the customer in the door is largely the responsibility of the sign & banner company and the firm that commissioned the job. A sign and graphics company can make or break a firm by its ability to accurately convey the firm's primary message. There is no way of getting around this plain and simple fact. Without an attractive, easily visible sign, your customers simply won't find you. Without customers, your firm won't survive. So let the sign company people do what they know best - bringing the horse to water so that he can drink if he so chooses. Barry Brown has been in the Sign, Banner, Decal and Display Business for over 20 years. It isn't what he thought he'd do with his life, but he says he knows too much now to do anything else! He has been marketing these products online since 1998, and the company he was general manager of in 1998 was the first sign company to be listed on Yahoo! Barry is a great resource for information regarding Signs, Banners, Decals, and Displays, and is also an outstanding source of information on how to shop online without getting ripped off. He invites you to visit our website below, and call him if you have any questions regarding safely purchasing products from any site online, or regarding our company and product offerings.

Business, Product, Service, and Self Promotion

Build a better mousetrap and the world will beat a path to your door" (attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, although he probably didn't say it in that way). That's not necessarily true. In fact, it's not likely true. At least not for a long time. A look at the records of the Patent Office reveal that many people have built better things than what were currently available, but those things were never offered for sale. Perhaps most things that are patented are ridiculous and have little chance of ever being developed into a product that can be sold widely, but there are many patents for good products that were never developed. If virtually no one knows about a better mousetrap, they will not beat a path to the door of the inventor. Once something worthy of people's consideration has been created, be it a product or a service, people have to know about it or they won't consider it. Hence the multi-billion dollar per year promotion industry. Included in this industry are sales, advertising, public relations, and other types of promotion, such as merchandise with a company's same printed or embroidered on it, and such as building booths and displays for trade shows. In our day, there are many ways to get a message across to people, and many are not very expensive. The Internet is available to everyone and provides various ways for people to communicate with other people. However, everyone is trying to get their message across, thus most of it becomes noise to most other people. And the audience receiving the message is usually quite limited. People try to expand it and it becomes spam or pop-ups, which are distasteful at best, and sometimes illegal and immoral at worst. My grandparents were born in the 1870s and 1880s. Of course there was no internet, no television, no entertainment radio. I wouldn't be surprised if they were exposed to less advertising in the first 20 years of their lives than I am exposed to every week. As soon as companies can afford it, they try to promote themselves to the masses. Sometimes they pay millions of dollars for 30 seconds on national television in which to promote themselves or their products. And many of them do a very poor job of it. From everything I've seen, most print, radio, and television advertising seems to be done to please the advertising agency and to garner awards of excellence rather than try to get their customers' products sold. I enjoy watching the CLIO Awards, but I don't feel like going shopping after I watch them. My thought process is, if a company is irresponsible enough to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to advertise, and their advertisements don't tell me who they are or what they do or what their product or service is or does, or why I should care, I have absolutely no confidence in them or anything they have for sale, so I won't patronize them even if I subsequently find out what they do and why they think I should care. Some companies have either in-house advertising (probably the owner of the company or a spouse who have no idea how to advertise effectively) or a cut rate advertising agency awash in malpractice and incompetence. Where I live, one seller of a particular product advertises so much that I will get up to turn off the radio or the television or change the station when they advertise. It's just too much. And their advertisements are someone shouting at me, using annoying phrases and fifth-grade English. Other sellers of the same product in my area advertise not at all, or occasionally. And those that do advertise do so tastefully and humorously, and not so much that I wish they would go bankrupt. If I ever found myself in need of this product, I would not go to the company that advertises excessively. Advertising can turn customers away if done poorly. Sometimes I think, "If you've got enough money to advertise, you don't need my money," and I often don't patronize those businesses. Most products are sold by many different outlets, and I can always get a product or service I want without rewarding people for insulting me with their foolish and boring ads. Advertising should answer as many as possible of the following: What the company or the product or service are What the company or the product or service can do for me Why I should buy that particular product or service instead of the same thing, or something similar from a competitor I see ads on the television with people riding bicycles or flying kites or jumping in the river and I often have no idea what the product is or why I should care. Or why I should purchase their product instead of their competitors'. Thus, I don't. I am all for riding bikes and jumping in rivers, but I can't imagine why a company would spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to show me other people doing it. Beer commercials seem to indicate that you should be an over-sexed moron to drink beer, or you will become one if you drink beer. I don't understand wanting anyone to think that or spending millions of dollars to try to talk them into it. Of course, how do you advertise beer positively? You could advertise realistically. You could show people getting drunk and making fools of themselves. You could show people becoming alcoholics and ruining their lives. You could show domestic abuse and fatal automobile accidents. I don't guess any of that would sell the product. But I wonder if treating people like they're stupid does, either. Maybe it works best with stupid people. I think all advertising should be done as if the advertiser is sitting in the buyer's living room. If I were to sit in someone's living room, I would not shout at them. I would not insult their intelligence. I would use proper English. I would want to be of help to them, if I could figure a way to do it. I would tell them how I could help them if I figured it out. To promote ourselves, with a resume or as a provider of a service or a seller of a product, we must tell the prospective employer or customer the same things that advertisers must tell their prospective customers: Who we are. Not just our names and address, or even an attendance record at former employers, but who we are. What we stand for. If the employer or customer are to spend money on us, they must know who we are. What we can do for the employer or client and why they should care Why an employer should hire us or a customer use our services instead of hiring someone else or making an agreement with our competitors Promotion doesn't always work, of course, and it might not work the way we want it to. But it is necessary. So we must try different things, and refine it as we go. If we or our product or service are valuable, and if we can communicate that to enough of the right kinds of people, we can make our lives very much better. Weldon Smith is the author of the book True Leadership and False Counterfeits, which explains what True Leadership is, and why any other idea of what Leadership is does not work. Furthermore, Leaders are not only those who have followers. Every success in every aspect of life is the result of practicing true Leadership.

Shorten the Sales Cycle and Reduce Advertising Expenditures

The Rosen Velocity Scale is a process tool used in advertising to drive and measure the speed in which the communication stimulates the interaction between customers and the brand via all marketing channels. The velocity allows marketers to tune the assertiveness of the communication to their desired level of interaction with prospective customers. At its core, the scale represents two opposite extremes - Brand and Interaction. According to Rosen, neither extreme will achieve the desired result of building brand and product demand simultaneously. Ideally, marketers should move towards the middle of the scale to interact with customers, while respecting the brand. When we closely examine the scale, it is apparent that the "Brand" is low-velocity. Communication is meant to deepen relationships with customer, create brand awareness and strengthen brand-equity over the long-term. On the other end of the spectrum, "Direct" is short-term, high-velocity interaction with customers that motivates them to purchase your product. This scale demonstrates how brand and interaction can build relationships with customers more quickly and with less money, thus maximizing ROI. Striking a balance between both extremes allows marketers to switch their advertising spend from mass media (Brand) to more targeted, personal and less expensive marketing channels that speak directly to the customer. Ultimately, the Rosen Velocity Scale can help marketers develop a realistic, focused and measurable approach to their marketing efforts while reducing advertising expenditures and maximizing ROI. The Importance of Promotional Products within the Scale Promotional products can and should be utilized on both ends of the scale to maximize brand-equity and ROI. Brand Unlike television, print, radio and online advertising, promotional products have the ability to engage all five senses. This results in a far more memorable and favorable impression with customers that helps strengthen brand-equity, create brand awareness and deepen relationships with customers. Studies have shown that promotional products outperform the majority of other marketing channels when it comes to recall, reach and impact. A study conducted by L.J. Market Research determined that 76.1% of those surveyed could recall the advertiser's name on a promotional product they had received in the last 12 months. Conversely only 53.15 of participants could recall the name of a SINGLE advertiser from a magazine or newspaper they'd recently read. This is a good indication that promotional products effectively create top-of-mind brand awareness. L.J. Market Research concluded that 73% of participants reported using promotional products they'd received from advertisers at least once a week, while 45.2% claimed they used the product once a day. This frequency of exposure clearly demonstrates the positive impact of promotional products on brand awareness. Moreover, 55% of respondents said they kept and used promotional products for more than one year providing advertisers with long-term exposure and a low cost per impression. Building brand-equity with customers is monumental to long-term success. This requires creating memorable, favorable impressions on customers. L.J. Market Research stated that 52.1% of study participants reported having a more favorable impression on the advertiser after receiving a promotional product from the advertiser. Promotional products prove to be the ideal solution for low-velocity, branding efforts geared towards creating brand awareness, building brand-equity and developing meaningful relationships with customers that ultimately lead to brand recognition at time of purchase, resulting in a sale. Their positive impact continues along the velocity scale into direct interaction. Interaction Marketers can use promotional products in many facets to motivate customers for purchase. They can be used to increase direct mail response rates or as an incentive within a well integrated campaign. A research study conducted by Baylor University concluded that using promotional products within a direct mail campaign will increase response rates nearly 2X. Direct mail is a valuable solution to consider when interacting with customers. Direct mail offers marketers a personalized, targeted solution that speaks directly to customers and reduces customer acquisition costs in comparison to mass media. A 2006 study conducted on behalf of PPAI determined in a nutshell that Promotional Products May be effectively employed as a stand-alone advertising medium Add to the media mix, creating impact by supplementing other advertising media such as television and print Are a useful information and reminder medium Enhance impressions about both the brand and product Contribute to consumer intent to buy Promotional products prove to be flexible, versatile and vital. It is apparent that they can utilized on both ends of the Rosen Velocity Scale and aid marketers in their brand and interaction efforts with customers. More importantly, their impact on long-term and short-term advertising success is unparalleled.

4 Keys to Running a Successful Google AdWord Campaign

Running a Google AdWords campaign for your business can be a great decision that brings in a lot of revenue. In order for that to be the case, you have to spend a lot of time thinking about your business and what your potential customers are searching for online. Take time to talk to you customers and figure out how they find your company online. If you can figure this out, you can tailor your AdWords campaign appropriately to ensure it is optimized for success. This article will go through four keys to running a successful AdWords campaign. If you follow this advice, you should be able to run a profitable campaign. Keyword Research Figure out what your potential customers are searching before you get started. You should not just focus on general keywords but rather get very specific keywords that are very targeted towards your business/product. Base your determinations off of the competition and search volume of the keyword, as well as the relevancy. You should then determine if you want to do a broad, phrase, or exact match. I would suggest doing a phrase match, as a broad match will contain too many unrelated keywords and an exact match is probably too narrow. Different Ad Copy You should create a few different versions of ads for each ad group. Then you can test which ads have the highest click-through rate and which ones ultimately produce the highest number of conversions. Even if you think a certain ad is the best possible ad you could make, you should still test other variations of it to make sure your ads can't perform even better. Great Landing Pages You need to make your landing pages relevant to the ads that users came from. This might require you to make multiple landing pages if you have pretty different ad groups. You should test out different versions of landing pages as well to make sure you use the one that converts customers the best. Great Bidding You should constantly be monitoring the performance of your campaign and adjusting your bidding accordingly. If a certain keyword has a really great click-through rate, low bounce rate, and high conversion rate, you should increase the bidding to make those stats be even better. The idea is you want the money spent on your campaign to go to the most optimized sources. This can be done by altering and updating your bidding on a regular basis.

Lighting Options for Your 3D Logo Sign

A 3-dimensional sign is a great investment in your company's image. Your logo is the first impression a client or customer gets of your business, and first impressions are vitally important: study after study confirms that first impressions are made almost instantaneously and color an opinion thereafter. Not only that, but the old adage "you never get a second chance to make a first impression" has some truth to it, as well, since studies say first impressions are very difficult to change. So care and craftsmanship in your company's sign will pay off, and 3D signs are a persuasive way to signal sophistication and competence. But one thing you'll need to consider is how to light your sign. Natural Light Natural light is the obvious cost-effective solution, and 3D lettering is well-suited to it, since the shadows created by the 3D will create depth and make your letters pop. However, there are disadvantages: your sign's visibility will vary dramatically depending on time of day-- particularly, of course, if it's an outdoor sign, which won't be visible at night at all. If your sign is located within the building, it will depend on the sources of your natural light. Whatever the case may be, your logo won't show up quite as well as it would if you chose exterior lights or back-lighting. Exterior Lighting Exterior lighting has the advantage of making your logo appear clearly from many different angles. With strategically positioned lighting, your logo will appear in any setting or circumstance; you'll never have to worry about decreased visibility. The major disadvantages would be that exterior lighting requires more power and that, of course, the lights themselves (and the light setup) will also cost. Exterior lighting may also be cumbersome and expensive depending on where you want your sign to be located. Back-Lighting Back-lighting is an excellent way to light your sign. It's subtle, elegant, and highlights a 3D letter sign beautifully. It doesn't require the sometimes-extensive setup of exterior lighting, but still provides visibility in all kinds of conditions. In short, it's an option that will work for many different situations-- and it can be wonderfully tasteful and appealing besides. Back-lighting doesn't quite provide the coverage of exterior lighting, and in a nighttime setting outside, for instance, it may still be somewhat difficult to see your sign. So in the end the right decision will depend on your particular circumstances. Whatever your ultimate choice, if you're looking for 3D signs for any situation - indoor, outdoor, lit however you need-- Kerley Signs provides highest quality and an incredible array of options.

Tips For Advertising With Banners

When you make an investment, you want to know that it is secure. Not all investments are like that, such as the stock market. But real estate investments or deciding to advertise is an endeavor you want to make certain your purchase will be worth the price. I guess in a sense advertising is somewhat like real estate; in the sense that you're renting a piece of space via online or a billboard. At this point in my life, I can't say I know much about real estate. I know some things about advertisement, though. Rather I understand the way a consumer's mind works. The aim for advertisement should meet the likes of their target consumers. Using banners as a form of advertising is old-fashioned, but just as effective as any other type of advertising. So that means you want your light pole banner brackets sturdy, durable, and able to withstand wind, rain, and snow, even sunlight. Banner brackets are easy to install and flex with the wind. Really you can promote anything with banners: fundraisers, seasons, holidays, festivals, companies, etc. When promoting specific events, banner stands come in handy since they are portable. This means that as the events on the banner changes, your stand doesn't have to. Banner hardware is available in a variety of needs. UV resistant coating is available. Street pole banner hardware can be wall mounted; as though it is coming out of the side of a wall. There are specific ones to handle strong winds and others that withstand weather just to a lesser degree. I like colors to match. With the fact that there are limited color choices with banner brackets, it's hard to clash the actual banner with banner bracket. However, I'd advise to check out the two and make sure they work well together. That said you could customize finials. Keeping to standard looks is great when starting off, but if you've used banners to advertise before, customizing can is something fun and new to consider. Being able to trust your investments is an incentive. It might also be something that takes time to trust. Yet, isn't that how trusting works in any realm of life? Anyway, promoting anything requires thought. You want your banner to look good and the banner brackets to be durable. The banner itself will take time to consider. What you have in mind may not always appeal to the audience you're targeting.

Managing Business Growth Through Online Advertising

Research has showed that global enterprises are quickly taking center stage in order to effectively promote their products and services. To supply proper verves to their products they are harnessing the technologies and newly developed protocols that convey the vital set of information to the intended user without any disruption. This is why businesses are less struggling to show their dominance and market presence. From online medium to offline channels, they are quickly adopting the marketing benchmarks and practices to swiftly capture the vibes of the customers and turn them towards their products, services or brands. Today, merely growing of business is not important, what really important is to approach maximum number of targeted customers distributed in a specific region. This alone can make a huge difference and improve traffic, which results in good profit margins. In particular, businesses need to employ dynamic and the most interactive methodologies that can improve their brand reputation, & enhance traffic and eventually improve bottom lines. One of the most dramatic, vibrant mediums of advertising and promotion is online/web advertising/internet marketing. Web advertising/internet marketing is the best advertising channel that can effectively influence the buying behavior of the customers. Companies extensively use internet marketing tactics and methodologies to achieve better results; target more customers, focus largely in a specific region and above all to have perfect market presence. The biggest advantage of online advertising is that it propagates information in a timely, interactive, & effective and focus manner to the audience. In fact, it has the capacity to engage online viewers and encourage them to take decisions. It certainly attracts maximum number of users and converts them to customers. This is the reason, most of the top brands and leading companies leverage online platform to approach their audiences. They use online advertising space and put their products in the middle of the market. In essence, it helps in business growth and caters to the ever changing business needs. It also ensures proper conveying of (product/service related) information to the intended users. Today, it is possible to handle big budget internet marketing campaigns through online ad space. Online advertising agencies provide ad space to the sellers and buyers. Sellers can easily market their space through multiple media sources, including video and GPS maps. It is also observed as a cost-effective method of advertising and promotion. Businesses looking for total expansion across the industry tend to choose online advertising to capture the psyche of the associates, business partners, employees, trade associates, international clients and above customers.

Five Ways a Copywriter Can Advertise and Bring You More Business

Advertisements The first, and most predictable, way a copywriter can advertise for your business is through writing an ad for you. A copywriter knows how to word the ad so that people want your product or services. When doing this, you'll meet with your copywriter, or talk with them on the phone about what the message of your business is, and the most important aspects of it. Your copywriter will then take that information and use it to write a creative and compelling advertisement for you. Press Releases The second way a copywriter can advertise for you is through a press release. Your copywriter will write an article about your business and submit it to your local newspaper. The reason for the press release could be any number of things. It could be that you have just started your business, and the article will be announcing your grand opening. It will include information about you as the business owner, your products and/or services, and other important information that will paint your business in a positive light to prospective customers. Or maybe you've already been in business for a while, but you're offering new products or services. Or maybe you're celebrating an important anniversary. You could have a new staff member that is an important asset to your business. Any number of things could be an excellent reason for a press release. Newsletters Another thing a copywriter can do for you is to write weekly or monthly newsletters for you to send out, either through traditional mail or email. This is a very effective way to gain new customers, as well as remind your current customers of your business so that they continue to come to you when they need your products or services. Your copywriter will help you think of things that are newsworthy for your newsletter, and then will write it in a way that is personal, entertaining and informational. Sales Letters Sales letters is another way to bring business to you. These are great to send out in the mail to people who don't already use your business. Your copywriter will write the letters in such a way that is informative and very persuasive so that those reading the letter will want to take action immediately. Articles Yet another way a copywriter can help you is through articles. Your copywriter will write an article and submit it to a local magazine. Like other forms of advertising, the article will be filled with useful information pertaining to your business, and will recommend that the reader visit your business to solve their problems. The Perfect Combination It is probably evident to you all the ways a copywriter can advertise for you and get results for your business. Hiring your own personal copywriter is the best option because over time, they will get to know you and your company better, and will then the advertising they do for you will get even better over time. It's best to utilize your copywriter to do a combination of all the above methods of advertising for best results.

The Impact of Social Media on Your Promotional Marketing

Social media, of late, has become a new medium for marketing and branding. The reason behind is its worldwide popularity. Millions of visitors regularly come to such platforms and share many things. Seeing this trend marketers have started promoting their brand on these platforms for better engagement. Every industry is vying for more online engagement through social media and it is time that promotional industry, too, show up its engagement along with others. Some of the most popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Linked-can contribute immensely to help you reach millions worldwide. With these sites you can build relation with your target audience and can highlight your brand. It would be logical to use social sites for your promotional campaign. In order to use social networking sites as promotional tool you need to first make people follow you. How will you make your audience follow you completely depends on how effectively you can touch their problem areas and provide solutions. Discuss things not only about you but also provide some industry related updates or share your experience about using a new product recently launched in the market. This way you can gradually get connected to your audience and create followers for you. In order to engage more people for your campaign you can show your followers some of the older promotional pics ran by you which were great hit. You can also disseminate information about your forth coming promotional event. You can also run a contest like winning a holiday. In that case you can ask people upload their pics along with the promotional staffs holding up a sign with your company logo. Then you announce that the photo with the most "likes" will be the winner. Now here is the catch! In order to mark "like", first you need to be a fan of the Facebook page by "liking" it. This will make the photographed person to "like" your Facebook page and become a fan along with their other friends. This eventually will lead to huge number of people becoming fans of your Facebook page and now you can engage those fans for your promotional campaign.

Small Business Advertising Secrets For Business Owners Who Want Success

When it comes to marketing their business, most small business owners rely on newspaper advertising as the main way of pulling in the customers. It's such an accepted thing to do that many small business owners are surprised when they find it doesn't actually work too well. They spend money, but don't get much, if anything, back in return. The thing they don't realise is the advertising isn't working NOT because advertising doesn't work as a medium, but that the advertising is being done in the wrong way. Most business owners copy advertising techniques from other businesses, and those businesses are copying from them, so everything goes round in one big ineffective circle. Successful small business advertising It is a fact though, small business advertising does work very well, but only if you do it in the right way and use the right techniques. And here is how to get it right and make sure your advertising is doing a good job. First, make sure you test and track every single piece of advertising you do. That way you'll be able to see exactly which pieces of advertising bring in the money. If any of your advertising is not bringing in money, stop it immediately. It's just wasting money, and your time. The fact is, every single ad you run should get you a return, and if it isn't you should stop it immediately. Take aim carefully One of the best things you can learn is the importance of targeted advertising. Just because an ad is seen by hundreds of thousands of people doesn't mean it's a great way to advertise. For many small businesses, the local newspaper is a good medium, but for things like business-to-business advertising it can be useless. For instance, I once spoke with a business owner who was perplexed that her ad in the local paper had "not received a single response". After learning a bit about her business, I could see why. Her service was aimed at a small group of prospects, and most of the people reading the local newspaper wouldn't have had the slightest interest in it. Much better in her case would have been an ad in a specialist magazine or one placed on a specialist website or forum. The circulation might have been smaller, but it would have been far more effective. Learn the basics of successful advertising Most ads you see are completely useless at generating response because they use "branding", which usually means a pretty picture with a slogan. This is the type of advertising used by the big companies, and so small business owners follow it just because they think it must be right, when actually it usually doesn't work at all. The solution is simple, though, and that's to follow a simple formula for writing your ads. Forget the idea that people won't read ads with lots of words. People read the newspaper articles, and they'll read your ad if you make it interesting. The way to make sure people read your ad is to put a headline on it, just like a newspaper article. The best headlines tell the reader exactly what you offer. In the ad itself you should do four things: Tell them what you have to sell. Choose one thing you sell and advertise that. Don't make general offers or tell them about your business. Choose a product, and tell them all about that one thing. Tell them what the product does. Explain what the product does in detail and why it's such a good thing to have. Tell them why you think they should buy it. Tell them all about the benefits of what you're selling. Tell them what it does in simple terms and why their life will be better once they have it. Tell them what to do. Give them clear instructions on how to get the thing you're selling. Tell them to come into the store by a certain date. Or tell them to pick up the phone, or visit a website. Whatever you do, don't leave them wondering how to order your stuff.