Advertising Tips
When it comes to Advertising, we've been there, done that, now serving 11 tips in 7 categories ranging from Advertising on a Shoestring Budget to Writing Articles.
Advertising: Very basic principles of advertising / marketing
Your goal when you advertise is to get as many people as possible to read and agree with the ad you have written. You need a "grabber" - in a written ad that would be the headline that grabs attention and you need the body, which "sells" the product. In a print advertisement you must use as few words as possible to get your point across. The rule of "keep it simple" is a big rule here. No one is going to read a lot of 6 point type that explains the inner workings of your product.
Marketing a product takes a lot of work. To reach as many people as possible takes time and, depending on the medium you use, a lot of money. Mass mailing has proven to be effective even though the studies show you get only a 2% return.
The main basic principle then is REACH THE PEOPLE and keep it simple.
Overcrowding
Don't overcrowd; you should leave a nickel size negative (or "white") space in at least one spot on your cards. Too much information can over-stimulate and draw your customers away from the point.
Ask!
What's the first step you should take in creating great customer service? ASK! Ask your customers in mail, by phone, or in person if they received the kind of service they wanted from you or your store, if their product is performing as expected, etc. Sounds simple, but it is often forgotten. And that is exactly how your customer feels--forgotten. Bottom line, FOLLOW UP on your sales to see how the customer is doing after the fact.
Use Correct Mailing List
The first thing you need to do when considering a direct mail campaign is to make sure you have the right mailing list. If you are trying to sell electric razors, your list should not be twenty year old women with no families. Your target audience should be either thirty-fifty or sixty year old married men with disposable income. OR you might choose thirty-sixty year old MARRIED women and design your sales letter for the women to buy the product as gifts for their husbands. See what I mean? Your list is the most important aspect of your direct mail campaign. Doesn't matter how great your letter is if you're not talking to the right audience. Get good lists at http://infousa.com.
Finding Publications
Okay, so you've written a few articles about the nature of the business you're in. You've got a smashing byline, but where do you publish your work? The easiest place to start is ONLINE. There are thousands of email newsletters and websites looking for content about everything from recipes to business promotion. On Yahoo Groups alone, there are a dozen lists that you can join and submit your articles to the list. Publishers who belong to the list choose from the articles and publish them in their newsletters and websites. You can do a search at Yahoo groups for "writers" "articles" "publishers" and see what comes up. You can also check out the website http://www.ideamarketers.com a free website for publishers and writers to get and post content.
Wow, You're a Genious!
Want your new and existing customers to think you really know what you're talking about? Then write an article about an area of your expertise. This article should not promote or push your product, only give much-needed information to your audience. In a byline paragraph, you can include links to your website and a mention of your service or product. You can even bargain with publishers to publish your work in exchange for this byline, should they be on a restricted budget. It helps them with content, and it helps you with contacts.
| Guru Spotlight |
| Jennifer Mathes, Ph.D. |
