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Should You Advertise on TV?When people discover my background in advertising, the questions flow. One of the most frequent questions is "Should I advertise on TV? " I can't answer that questions until I ask a number of questions first. Do you have an advertising plan? Are you working on a firm budget? What are you trying to accomplish with your advertising? Where are you spending your money now? Usually by the 4th question the happy face is one of disappointment. Contractors don't build a building without a plan,and you shouldn't advertise without a plan. The first action is to determine what your advertising is to do. Most small and medium businesses do not have the bucks for long term image, so we focus on a call to action or proclaiming benefits (not features) Can TV do that? Probably. Can you afford it? Probably not. Local TV ads even in the smallest of television markets are expensive. You can buy cheap ads, but the cost is factored to the number of viewers. The cheaper the ads, the fewer the viewers. How many folks do you know glued to the tube at 545 AM? You can get on TV with a package of Cable Ads, but beware the number of viewers and the shoddy production. Get my article "Cable Ads 5 Bucks" by sending a blank eMail to MailTo:CableAds@BigIdeasGroup.com Some people in business beleive you haven't "arrived" until your business is on TV and billboards. Funny, I know of hundreds of businesses making big bucks that don't use either. ©2005 BIG Mike McDaniel All Rights ReservedMike@BIGIdeasGroup.comBIG Mike is a Professional Speaker and SmallBusiness Consultant with over 30 years experience,http://BIGIdeasGroup.com Subscribe to "BIG Mike's BIG Ideas" NewsletterMailTo:subscribe-956603364@ezinedirector.net
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Advertising - Google News | RELATED ARTICLES Cable Ads 5 Bucks! Cable has grown from 13 houses connected together in 1948 to coverage of nearly 70% of all households in the U.S. Creativity and Getting Outside of the Box Sitting in front of a blank piece of paper? Wondering where in the world to start? I have a suggestion. Turn the page upside down. Do Your Business Cards Say Who You REALLY Are? Here are a couple of tips for creating an eye catching card: Use some color - not too much - just enough to grab someone's attention and make them want to read the card. Use a font that's easy to read. Don't fill the whole card with type - it looks crowded and people don't read it allConsider using a fold-over card - I have found these to be extremely effective for a number of reasons:a) If a handful of business cards are dropped on a desk only the fold over cards stand up above the restb) The fold over card is still unique - not many people use themc) I use mine as a mini brochure - inside it tells about my qualifications, services I offer and skills I have, the front has my name, phone #'s, email address, URL and postal addressAnother popular addition is your photo - this makes you seem more approachable and friendly (if your business is one where you deal directly with the public I suggest you consider adding a photo)--------------------------------------------------------------------------------How to make sure your cards are really working for you? Have a goal to give away AT LEAST 5 CARDS A DAY to build your network:Leave one with a tip for a waitressWhen you "check in" at the doctor or dentist reception desk don't spell your name - give your cardCarry them in your pocket when you walk the dog and hand one out to people you stop and chat withMake sure all your children's friends parents know what you do and have your cardAsk someone else for their card and give them yours (you can build your mailing list and get some exposure at the same time)Enclose your card with each bill you payEach time you buy something (even at the drugstore) leave your card and say something simple like "I design Internet websites if you have any questions about how you can make money on the Internet please call me"Put the cards on community bulletin boardsWhen you attend trade shows drop your card in EVERY box - yes you will get put on lots of mailing lists, but you'll also receive some business too - you'd be surprisedGive a card to the gas station attendant, grocery store clerk, video store worker, hostess at a restaurant when you give your name for a seat reservationIf you overhear a conversation about your industry say "I'm sorry but I couldn't help overhear part of your conversation if you ever need more information on the topic, here's my card"Offer to speak at your school's career day and give each student a card - they do have parents who may need what you have to offerLeave some cards with your stationery store manager - very often they get requests from small business people for different kinds of help - if you leave your cards you'll be first on the list to be calledIf you ever go anywhere there is entertainment leave your card with the entertainer - and tell them how much you've enjoyed their performanceWhile some of the ideas above may seem "silly" you won't know until you try if they'll work for you - and all of the people listed above may not want what you're offering BUT they all have family, friends and co-workers who just might. Humor in Advertising Many of the most memorable ad campaigns around tend to be funny. Advertisers use this strategy to attract customers to their product. 7 Questions to Ask Before You Advertise Most business owners and managers keep a fairly close eye on their marketing budgets. And nothing throws a budget out of whack faster than advertising. How to Write Ads that Pull Orders If your ads aren't paying off then you need this quick method in writing ads that get orders. Step 1 - Write a headline that will draw attention to your product or service. Five Characteristics of Highly Successful Advertising Have you ever spent a small fortune on advertising that generated disappointment rather than sales? Many small business owners have been down the road of flat advertising results and are at a loss when it comes to developing new ideas to improve the response to their ads. Whether you run ads in your local newspaper, your industry's top periodical or on-line, you need your investment in advertising to pay for itself, and then some, in order to justify its cost. A Lunchtime Lesson on Print Advertising I promise you'll be able to finish this article before you finish the first half of your PBJ. Are you sitting down? Good. What's the Score? You may be aware that in a basketball game the assistant coaches keep an almost unending list of personal statistics for each player. Rebounds, assists, points, minutes played, etc. Improve Your Promotional Flyers And Improve Sales Admittedly, I have not seen your advertising flyer. Then again, I probably don't have to. Seven Ways to Kick Up the Power of Your Print Advertising - More Small Business Power Tools If you're a retailer and the only kind of advertising you do is built around sales events, you don't need much in the way of advice. All your advertising needs to do is spell out as clearly as possible what's on sale, the amount to be saved and your store's name, address and phone number. You should also include your web address as most of today's consumers expect you to have one. But what if you're not a retailer or you don't have a sale to advertise? Boost Headline Believability With Specifics Don't use vague generalities in your headlines. Be as specific as possible. 16 Ways to Make Your Business Cards Unforgettable Every time you hear someone say "May I have one of your business cards? " you should get excited. I know I do. 7 Unique Ways To Get FREE Advertising 1. Give Testimonials - When you purchase a product or service and it exceeds your expectations e-mail the business a testimonial. 10 Ways to Advertise Your Business For Free! At some point many small business owners are left with no or a small amount of capital to promote their business. But many entrepreneurs utilize these free or low budget yet effective tactics to promote their business online and offline. Magnetic Business Cards: Make Your Marketing Message Stick What is it about magnets that draw people to leave them on fridges and file cabinets for years at a time? Many people like to have the contact information handy for common service providers without flipping through a bulky phone book. Magnets are the perfect solution for being seen in this situation. Turn Your Ad Copy into a Goldmine! Today, more than ever, it is crucial that your ad copy explodes the reader's curiosity. Are you interested in simple yet powerful ways to improve your ad copy so your readers will rush to action? Invoking a reader's call to action can be communicated in various effective ways. Create Your Own Business Cards, Part 2 This is the second part of creating your own business card. Get Better Results from Your Advertising with a Disruptor When you spend money on an advertisement you want to get the best return possible. To do that you need to get people to STOP and LOOK at your ad. The Motivational Triggers That Make People Buy In order to sell more products and service, you need master customers' mind. Put youself into customers' shoes and think what customers want. | |||||||||||||||||||
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