Chitika

Saturday, April 30, 2011

Maximum Exposure on Low Cost Internet Ad

Advertising had long since been a major determinant of a business' success.This would include the presentation of the product / service to the consumers.What really matters is how it is presented to the target market to be able to capture it.

Whatever the package, the ad media also plays a great role in determining the success of the product or service awareness.

What may be its advantages over other proven medium like the best-selling TV ads?

Advantages

1. Low Cost

Eventhough the Internet ad might be viewed as "classy" or far-reaching, as compared to other medium, this is far cheaper than most.Internet Ad Packages are offered for as low as $29.99 for a one-month run-time period.

2. Capture market

Should your product / service aim to cater to the younger generation or the corporate-oriented ones, Internet ad would be best since they would always be "hooked-up" into the net surfing sites that might have a link to your very own. Result, a great number of "hits" on your site!

2. Hassle free

All you would ever really need is a PC (and some knowledge and bright ideas in forming your site) wherein you could open your site, search for the best Internet Ad package, and check / update the status of your ad.You may actually never have to leave your home to advertise!

3. Updated ads

Unlike the TV ads that need to be updated on a regular basis, Internet ads may run for quite some time without the need for change.If so, change in the site is very minimal and may be done easily at home.

Disadvantages

1. Scope
Limited market may be captured if one would solely use the Internet Ad for advertising.

Although most people now are into the use of technology, i.e. surfing the Internet, still, majority of the average consumers still relies on the old form of advertising as a means of gathering information about certain products / service.

2. Additional cost

If one would enlist the help of another professional or establishment to produce the site for their product or service, this would entail additional costs on the part of the entrepreneur.

Given the stated list of advantages and disadvantages about low-coast Internet Ad, an entrepreneur may now weigh in its applicability to his / her product or service.

The aim of Internet ad is to offer the widest range or "Maximum Exposure" of the brand at the least possible cost. Now, does that not sound good or what?

About the author: Currently teaching in MMU, Malaysia
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To find the best home based business ideas and
opportunities so you can work at home visit:
http://www.formanna.com
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Market Your Business Through Brochures

Picture this – you were sitting in the lobby of a hotel waiting for your friend to come down. Fifteen minutes have passed but she is still nowhere to be seen. You are getting bored and so you looked around for something interesting to see or read. Then you see this brochure in one of the racks beside your chair. It was really catchy and the photo was so enthralling. You wonder where this place is and you read the information below and made a mental note to call the number at the bottom of the brochure to inquire about the advertisement. You called after a few days and avail of the product advertised in the brochure. You have done all this because of the simple brochure you saw in the hotel hobby.

This situation simply tells us that brochures are also an important marketing tool next to posters, postcards and catalogs. Oftentimes, brochures are the first thing that customers come in contact with before calling the company so it is essential that your brochure create interest and catch the attention of potential customers. Color always produce a more catchy and vivid looking brochure. However, a brochure will be more costly and longer to complete if they have intricate designs and styles. But if you order them online you can save a considerable amount of money.

Online printing shops offer cheaper brochure printing services because they have lower overhead costs and no middleman. It is important that you go with a printing company that has experience in the design and print aspect. The right printing company can assist you with all aspects of marketing your business through brochures. Moreover, with the latest printing technology available today, it is possible to get a work done for a reasonable price. Most online companies also offer real time order status information, online upload capabilities, online preview and traceable customer interaction. When you find a printing company that meets your needs you will save yourself a lot of time and money. With a professional brochure printing company handling your printing needs you will get crisp, clear and colorful look to your brochures.

Friday, April 29, 2011

Making A Visible Business Cards

Business cards are very important part of a first impression when you are in business. These business cards can be able to help to promote your business some says that it is a valuable promotion tool. However, in reality, most business cards only do half the marketing job.

It is true that no business person could live without of having a business card to hand to prospective clients or customers. Because for them, handing out a business card is so much easier than writing out all your contact information for a person you've just met.

Making a good and well designed business card I think is one of the important things to consider. There are many innovative ways in order to make your business card to be attractive and worth to keep for. By making your business card a marketing vehicle is one way of making it visible. Instead of the traditional business card, why not try get your contact information printed on something that people might leave in plain sight; something that will remind them of you and your services or products whenever they look at it. Why not make it message pads, coasters, mouse pads or even make it as fridge magnets. The choice of your business card design is limited only by your imagination. By making it easy for people to remember you by using more unusual designs and styles on your business card is a smart investment.

Further, in case of fonts, try not to combine fonts when you design your business card. This basically gives a busy and confusing look to the card. Remember, you are dealing in a small space, and you don't want the card to look crowded. It should be easy on the eyes. It is always recommended that you must limit your text sizes to two or three sizes maximum. By keeping some consistency in the text of your card, you have more room for creativity in the overall artwork and design.

Nowadays, there are lots of printing companies available that have a business card printing service. They can guide you on your creation of your business card. They have a group of designers that can help you conceptualize the design of your card. However, having them do your business card entails money, if you can't afford their service fee there is another way. Printing your own business cards using Microsoft Word can be a very inexpensive choice. Yes, you read it right! If you have Microsoft Office, you can easily create your own custom business cards in Microsoft Word.

To create business cards in Microsoft Word is easy as 1, 2, 3. First step, in a blank document open in Word, choose Tools|Letters and Mailings|Envelopes and Labels. Click the Labels tab and then click Options. Second step, in the Label Options dialog, make sure the drop-down says Avery Standard and then scroll the Product Number down to 5371. Click OK. Third step, back in the Envelopes and Labels dialog box, make sure under Print, it says full page of the Same Label. Then click New Document. A table appears with a bunch of 2 inch x 3.5 inch cells. Now you can start setting up your first business card. There you have it! Quick and easy business cards right from Microsoft Word.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Making A New Trend In Poster Printing

Poster can be one of the effective marketing and advertising materials. It is also a great tool to use when you want to present your services to a new league or as a point of sale display on picture day. The poster must show your products that are available, along with your company name and contact information. If you having trouble about creating a good 4 color poster print, a 4 color printing company that has 4 color poster printing service may be able to help you made your poster.

Due to the evolution of our technology, creating a poster also affect in this changes. Posters that are printed using the 4 color printing technology are termed as digital posters. As part of the innovative printing process, these printing services likely produce images with a stunning color vivid description, texts and colors that really attract the attention from any individual.

4 color posters are commonly chosen, not only for being very affordable compared to posters that have undergone traditional method of printing but also they are truly a good and in best quality poster. Through digital poster printing a 4 color poster print can be made very easy. This is another good alternative to use when you want your poster appearance to come out as highly compelling as you’ve want them to be.

In order to make stunning look digital posters, printing companies are always upgrading their printing equipment and machines that enable them to produce quality posters that possess vibrant colors and crisp texts. Such type of digital posters makes excellent high impact advertising materials that will surely catch the attention of people.

A digital poster printing service is a good service for people like who are looking for photographic quality poster prints. Frequently, digital posters printing services uses 4 color digital posters printing to immediately grab the attention of the consumer and your prospect spectators. Since posters are kind of printed products that can portray your business or event accurately, you better have this kind of printing service.

Poster printing thru digital way is a great advancement in your 4 color printing graphic posters, banners, signage and trade show displays. Radically, this kind of 4 color poster printing process is very efficient to use since it is directed to helping you get in touch with your clients through creative posters in digital quality image displays. If you need digital posters, you can get hold of this with ease by simply looking in the Internet for a full-service shop that can handle all of your needs. A good printing company can offer many more services than rote printing.

To immediately attract customers, it is best to make use of digital poster printing services that has 4 color printing, which will be fit in your requirements in poster printing jobs.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Make your next Graphic Design Job Your Last. How to retire wealthy in a few easy steps

We've all dreamed of spending our working days reclinining back in a deck chair eating cheese sandwiches on an overcast summers day. But then we remember the mortgage/kids/wifes $500 a day drug habit and our fantasies turn to dust. It doesn't have to be this way. Here at www.mindtap.co.uk we show in 5 easy steps how you can quit that lousy Graphic Design job and spend the rest of your life living in easy street.

Step 1: Think yourself in a better place and low and behold it will happen
This is your first step towards financial freedom. Imagine if you will yourself sat upon a huge pile of money, flinging it in the air with gay abandon and why not? Congratulations you've just made the first step towards making this a reality. Forget the graphic designer career you had mapped out. Let's join the idle rich instead.

Step 2: Tell the boss what you think of him and burn those bridges!
Now its time to get some payback. Remember the time your design studio manager had you stay late and manually key in that 1oo page farming brochure text by hand and then laughed at you in your face? Right, we'll show him who's boss. A good way to be forcibly removed from the office and earn some extra kudos from your fellow graphic design employees is to take a dump and leave it festering away in a drawer in the bosses desk.Just wait for his reaction when he smells that sick stunt. You're history.

Step 3: When you hit rock bottom the only way is up, up and away
No job = No money right? Wrong you putz. How do you think the tramps and beggars fill there days outside sainsburys? That's right - drinking and robbing. It isn't absolutely necessary to pick up a drink and drug habit at this stage but it isn't going to harm your chances of success. Now would also be a good opportunity to get rid of the other half if you happen to have one. A spot of domestic violence after hitting the bottle is usually enough encouragement. Hey Presto, one more tiresome burdon off your back!

Step 4: Remember keep your vision and your dreams will come true
At every stage in this degenerate journey, never lose sight of that image we visuallised in step one of yourself sitting astride a huge pile of banknotes. They can take away your dignity but not your dreams. After several years of eeking out a living as a street bum its time to get this show on the road. Think hard about your previous day to day life, was there someone in your remote family or circle of friends who had a large stash of cash readily disposable? It's time to pay them a visit with cap in hand.

Step 5: Invest wisely and you can say hello to a life of wanton abandon
Now after securing your large sum of cash from your chosen aquaintence, its prudent not to blow it all in one go on 200ft gold statues of yourself or buying an amusement park complete with zoo. No, you don't want to be going back to the nine to five graphic design day job do you? There are a thousand ways to invest your cash so that it will sit pretty and continue giving you a steady stream or revenue for a long time. Property for example is 'as safe as houses' or maybe put it all in a high interest savings account. It's taken a long time to reach your goal and hopefully the pain, ill health and loneliness have been worth it.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Make Your Business Interesting Through Posters

The image that you send off to your potential customers speaks highly about you and your company. That is why it is important that your promotional materials are appealing and must address your target customer’s needs. Whoever your audience is, you should be able to make them interested in what you have to offer through synchronized color, text, images and message.

Posters are very flexible marketing tool. Whenever you have special discounts or new product offers, advertising them through posters might be a good option. Many people are now doing their Christmas shopping to avoid the holiday rush. Because of this, many business owners took advantage of the situation and offered early holiday discounts. So what better ways of letting people know of your discounts than to have posters all around town beaming of your special offer? Sounds a great idea right?

Well, if you are seriously thinking of printing posters for your special event, you might as well have it digitally printed. Digital printing is the trend today. This printing technique can bring your images to life and provide you crisp and glossy printed materials. Most businesses are using this technique because of its effective printing process. And digital printing can be run in a variety of printers such as thermal wax, inkjet printers and dye sublimation among others.

If you are able to produce catchy and effective posters today, chances are you will have an increase in sales these holidays. And consequently you might actually consider using posters for all your business events. Generally, you can either make your own poster or have a professional do it for you. Either way, you have to make sure that what you are putting in your poster will be able to efficiently convey your message to your target customers. Make it a point to make your poster legible, readable, well organized and concise.  Having the right colors can also make your poster look more visually interesting. Be careful though not to put too much contrast in choosing your colors as it can be hard on the eyes and distracting to your readers. Remember that you only have a few seconds to grab the attention of your target customer so make that message and design simple, brief and to the point.

Make Traffic, Problems The Thing of The Past, Discover The Power of PDF.

Among many struggles, and obstacles that a new on line business face is getting enough targeted traffic! Now there are thousands of articles about how to get more traffic to a web site. There are twice as many services that offer on line businesses with ways to promote their sites. Before you spend a dime on getting traffic, I would like to tell you about 3 ways that you can get tons of free targeted traffic.

One of the best things about the Internet is "content". No matter what you want to know, or learn, you can learn it from the internet. The way you get information on the web is through content, words information. Without content you have nothing but a blank page. Believe it or not life is all about content. The human mind always thirst for new content of some sort, it's the reason why we gossip, the reason we watch TV, listen to the radio, and the reason we surf on the Internet, read the newspaper, talk on the phone ect...

With that being said I will give you the secrets of getting huge amounts of traffic free. So sit back take notes and, get ready for some awesome tips.

The Great PDF File.

I am a huge fan of PDF files. You know those little short e-books that have great content, that teaches you how to do things? E-books are great for bringing in tons of free targeted traffic. The very people who download a PDF file, do so because of the content. They become the ultimate targeted audience.

For instance, if I write a short E-book on how to brew beer at home. In my book I write about the basics, the ABC's to brewing, I also include tasty, and easy to brew recipes in the PDF file. The person who downloads a copy of my book is in the market to buy products relating to beer brewing.

Now because I am a business owner I insert links to my web site in my beer brewing E-book. On the Web site I sell beer brewing supplies, and ingredients. My goal is to give out valued information, that is downloaded to a prospect's computer, where the person uses the book as a reference, they love the content, they need supplies, and now have a link to my site. This gives my web site a huge amount of targeted traffic automatically.

The PDF file can be a great asset for any web site, and any on-line business. The other great thing about PDF is you never know where it will end up. People may post it in their blogs, on their web site, they may email it to friends who knows where it will posted, but any way you look at it, it's good news for the Internet business owner.

It isn't all that difficult to write a PDF file/ E-book. You can download the latest version of Adobe. Using Adobe, you can compose a PDF file. The PDF file can be as short as 1 page, or it can be hundreds of pages. Just remember to give informative information that your reader will value, include a title page. Obviously you want to include links back to your site. Do yourself a favor, and give consent for your readers to redistribute your E-book, ask that the E- book be in tact and unedited. From there you can upload it to your server, and begin promoting your PDF file. You can even design a fancy cover should you choose to, but it is not required.

The simplest way that I have found to promote a new PDF file is to join forums that complement the E-book. Add a SIG file to be seen at the end of all your post, in that SIG file place a direct link to your E-book include a description of the book. I like to write in "to download this report right click on the link, and select save as." Now the person who reads the E-book has the PDF saved on their computer.

In the forum all you have to do is respond to a post, or 2, or even start up a new post with a few comments, try to provide great insight, and people will download you PDF file guaranteed.( Note: do not spam the forum, or your post will most likely be deleted by the moderator. A forum should not be used as a method as advertising.) Remember, people are always looking for new content, curiosity killed the cat. If you write it, and it looks good, it will be downloaded, and read.

Another easy way to promote an E-book is through e-mail. Send out a funny message, or information that is related to your E-book. Along with the email attach a link to your PDF file in your E-mail SIG file. Use a snappy title something that promotes interest towards people downloading your PDF file. (make sure that the link works okay, then send out your email to your friends. Ask them to help you out by sending out the email to everyone they know. Send out a good entertaining, or informative e-mail, and that thing could go around the world a few times exposing your PDF file for free, to countless numbers of people. I guarantee that someone will download it. The worse case scenario, if no one downloads your PDF file, It is not a big deal it didn't cost you anything to send out those e-mails!

Another way to promote your PDF file, is write a short article about a topic that compliments your E-book. Many directories include a resource box. I recommend adding a link to your PDF file in that box. Hundreds of people read articles. Remember if these people read your article for the content, chances are they are going to want, to read your E- book for even more advice, and information.

You have just read about a few great ways of getting tons of free targeted traffic. The traffic is yours if you are willing to work for it. The great thing about the Internet is once your work gets published, you will never have to do the work again, and the traffic will keep on flowing to your site over, and over again! If you write it they will read it, that's just the wonder of the Internet!

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Make Sure That Your Advertising Is Working

As a small business owner, every dollar you spend is a dollar that comes right out of your pocket and affects your profit margin, especially when you're trying to grow your business. If you're going to succeed, you have to pay close attention to your bottom line and look for creative, innovative ways to cut costs while still getting what you need.

That old saying that it "takes money to make money" has never been truer than when it comes to promoting your business.

So when it comes to spending money on advertising, how do you make sure that your advertising is working hard enough, without spending a fortune?

Thanks to the Internet, you've got lots of options for finding cost-effective advertising that does what it's supposed to -- bring targeted customers who are hungry for what you're selling, right to your door. But don't forget about cost-effective offline methods as well.

Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

Focus your advertising dollars on your target market. The tighter your niche, the better your chances of finding the customers who are looking for exactly what you've got to sell! So rather than going wide, and trying to sell to everyone, narrow your focus, and then, if possible, narrow it some more! Figure out who your "ideal" customer is, and then create an advertising campaign for them. Once you know who you're selling to, look for media that targets that demographic. Depending on your product or service, think community and neighborhood newspapers, high school sponsor advertising, chamber of commerce directories, etc.

If your ideal customers aren't defined by a specific geographic location, look at regional or specific demographic publications. Perhaps a regional paper runs an annual issue that focuses on an issue or activity that reaches your target market. Use local cable television to broadcast your ads only in certain markets. You'll get cheaper rates and a more focused demographic.

Always ask for a discounted rate. (Many publications offer an "agency" discount of up to 15 percent. If you are acting as your own in-house advertising agency, you might qualify for the special rate.

Some monthly magazines offer discounts for multi-ads placed over a 3, 6 or 12 month time period. Most publications have a different rate schedule for different types of advertisers -- so depending on your product or service, you could qualify. And if not, sometimes just asking for the discount will give it to you.

Buy leftover space or airtime. This is advertising that the publication, radio or television station hasn't filled by their usual deadline. Of course you'll have to take the spots that are available, but again, depending on your business and the product or service you're selling, that inconvenience could still be worth the discount and the exposure you'll receive.

Use classified ads. They're not just for employment offers any more. You'll find classified ads in magazines and newspapers. Before writing your ad, go to your local library, and look through the back issues of the magazine or newspaper that you're considering. Look at the ads that catch your eye, or that are repeated month after month. Those ads wouldn't be in there each month, if they weren't making the advertiser money. Use those ads as springboards for ideas when you're ready to start writing your own classifieds.

Test your ads. Start out with the cheaper publications, so you can find out what's working and what's not. Play with them, and tweak them. Once you've got an ad that works, keep using it. You can run it more than once, or in more than one publication at a time. When it quits bringing in customers, or you start noticing a drop in effectiveness, then it's time to change it.

Do you own a retail business? If so, check into co-op advertising funds that may be offered by your vendors. Co-op programs provide joint advertising for your and your vendor, and you'll get a portion of the cost of the ad reimbursed because the ad mentions the vendor. (Note: most Co-op programs have strict guidelines, so check with your vendors and make sure you're following the rules).

Barter for goods and services. This can be especially effective with radio stations and local papers. See if you can provide your products or services in trade for the cost of advertising. (Also called "trade" or "In-kind" ads, the radio station or publication gives you the ad in exchange for products or services of equal value, and then uses those products or services as part of a promotion or contest for their listeners or readers). This can also be a great way to get additional free publicity, so if you decide to try this method, get creative and think outside the box!

Reuse your ads in other advertising medium. If you've got an ad that's especially effective, or looks great, reuse it in a circular, brochure, handout, flyer or direct mail piece. Use the graphics on your Webpages.

Finding a healthy mix between online and offline advertising, looking for ways to extend your reach and your advertising dollar, and cutting costs creatively will help you ensure that your advertising is working hard for your success.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Make Money with Your Brochures

When a man or business wishes to push a product or service they turn to advertising. Advertising is essential to nearly every business today. But market conditions have changed and modern times demand modern methods. Thousands of dollars are spent each year in publicity and enormous salaries are paid to trained specialists to direct the expenditure of these fortunes. Gone are the days when one can obtain money with little effort and expenditure. There are just many competitors in the market and the one with the cleverest brain and bank account gets ahead first.

With greater competition comes the greater demand for advertising. When you get into a market that is already filled with a lot of businesses like you, you should do a lot of marketing to put your business in the front. Likewise, when you enter a market in which you stand alone you should still advertise to let your prospects know that you are ready to meet their needs.

If you intend to use brochures to advertise your products or services, you have to make sure that they effectively present what you have to offer. It should not be so fierce and aggressive but it should be neat and simple yet stunning and pleasing to look at. Although having a flashy, outrageous and very costly brochure is declining for smaller business, large and expensive companies continue to get more elaborate, bigger and more costly brochures.

The brochure should speak to your audience when you are not there. Are they able to send a clear message to the reader? Are they conveying a professional image? Are they prompting a call to action or encouraging a reader to call for more information? If done right, your brochure can be a great investment for your company. If your business card is important as it introduces yourself to your potential customer, your brochure introduces the entire company. Oftentimes, it is your brochure that the customer comes in contact with before calling your company. Thus, it is exceedingly important that your brochure is able to make a great impression for your business. Keep in mind though that if you start creating your brochures, do it right. Do not do it half-heartedly and do not stop before the battle is half-fought.

Remember that every company strives for customer satisfaction, efficiency and increased profitability. And the business that has the right advertising materials has a certain edge - the products seem better, the people brighter and the service more impressive. So if you want to revolutionize the way you do business, create advertising materials that can give you a good image and market your business even if you are not there.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Make Money Online through Advertising

You don't need to have a full time ecommerce business to earn a little extra money through your website. You don't even need to be there all the time. All you need to do is wait for the day your advertisers will pay you.

However, this is not as easy as it seems. You can't expect to just make a website and watch the money roll in. You have to exert first the effort to make the site popular and produce a huge traffic flow.

Advertisers would only post their banners and ads on sites where they know there are many people who will see them.  The more traffic and visitors you have the likely the chance that advertisers will want their ads on your site.

You can also have pay-per-click advertising in your site. As each visitor clicks on an ad, the advertiser will pay you for those redirects. Google's Adsense and Yahoo's Search marketing are some of those that offer this performance based marketing strategies.

They can provide a way to make money online by simply placing ads on your site. These ads are also links to the sites of the advertisers. The advertisers pay Google and Yahoo for every clicks done to their links and in return you get paid by these search engines if those clicks were done on your site.

The best way to make a better profit is to ensure that there are lots of people who will click on those links. Make sure that your site gets many visitors by making your site informative as well as entertaining. Your site must concentrate on a certain niche so that you can laser-target your market.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Looking For The Right Advertising Business Opportunity

Both my mom and Eminem have told me that opportunity comes just once in a lifetime, yo.  As much as I think those two people are usually spot on, I have to say that I’m a little leery with this one.  Can it really be true that there are some other-wordly forces at play, ensuring that an opportunity really is offered just once?  Why would they do that?  The answer is they wouldn’t.  Either because they care so little whether someone has more than one opportunity or maybe just because they don’t exist.  Either way, my stance is that if you miss an opportunity, just relax and another should be along soon.  And if you want to get proactive about it, well that’s even better.  This isn’t to say that you should encourage your lethargy to take on a greater role than it already has.  No, that’s not the case at all.

Although, there is most certainly an endless supply of opportunity, you should always go ahead and take advantage if you can.  That’s why, contrary to what Mrs. Reagan would recommend, I say, “never say no!”  While this personal policy has certainly landed me in a couple of pickles that I would prefer I wouldn’t have been in, the final tally looks pretty good.

Take advertising business opportunities, for example.  Many people tend to simply close up and tune out their attention when they are presented with an offer like, “Make a $1000 per week and just work part time!”  Why would you do that?  This is a business opportunity and while you may encounter that experience one or two times where you ended up paying a couple hundred bucks to get started and then never heard from your new employer again or maybe your identity was stolen and you lost thousands, you just never know when one will hit.  If that reminds you of a negative experience that you endured, know this, you’re a stronger person because of it.  Now pick yourself up, dust yourself off and take advantage, man, because advertising business opportunities may come several, several, several times in your lifetime, but this one’s sitting right in front of you, right now.

Monday, April 18, 2011

Logo Facts

What makes one logo better than another?

Simplicity.

A good logo works in the simplest form. It is a memorable representation of your brand and inspires confidence in your customers. It should be fresh and original -- without visual cliches or amateur effects. A logo is well-designed when it looks as good on a business card as it does on a web page or a billboard. To be functional, a good logo must reduce well to simple black & white or grayscale for use on faxes or in newspaper ads. The best logos are elegantly simple.

Why do you need a logo?

In a way, a logo is a visual shortcut to who you are. Your logo will establish your corporate identity and credibility. It builds loyalty among your clients and employees. You invest in your brand image every time your logo is displayed on a Web page, on a sign, or in an advertisement.

A professionally designed logo enables you to be immediately recognizable and must be unique, memorable and simple. Such a logo will become one of your most valuable corporate assets over time.

How does your current logo stack up?

Run down this logo quick test:
• Does the logo have immediate impact?
• Is it good to look at?
• Is it distinctive?
• Does it create or evoke a positive image?
• Does it accurately represent the organization or business?
• Is it straightforward?
• Is it comprehensible?
• Is it memorable?
• Is it flexible?
• Does it copy well?
• Will it hold up to both large and small scale use?
• Will it wear well over time?
• Will you be proud to use it?

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Locating Graphic Design Firm in San Francisco

Graphic design companies can work out to give in valuable solutions from the smallest logos to designing blockbuster movie posters, banners and signs. Producing an excellent graphic design and attaining to go along with the trend is a great way to get in the door of a particular company, however with competitive industry you must learn on how to go along with the flow, you have to track the path too. Though there may be no guarantees but having a good graphic design, strong portfolio and a reputable graphic design firms will yield to have incredible output.

Graphic design firms San Francisco can be a graphic design company of your choice. A good graphic design can be a good branding identity that will create a long lasting relationship between a business and its customers. A good design can yield to provide a good sense of direction, drive customers through the ability to inspire and consistently communicate with all mediums.

However in choosing for the right graphic design company of your choice you have to be keen, observant and wise. Because with the tight competition in the industry it is a need to have a good design in order to get the attention of your customers.

Moreover in locating for graphic design firms San Francisco there are several ways on how to locate it. The following can be a guide on how well you will be able to wisely locate for your graphic design firm in San Francisco.

First you can seek from your referrals. You can ask information from your relatives, families, neighbors, officemates and colleagues who had already the idea where to render a good graphic design firm. Mainly the experience they had acquired can be your guide whether the firm is capable enough in doping your graphic design jobs.

Second, through media – newspapers and televisions can be a good resource for locating them. For companies may advertise the graphic design services they provide and show up a good design they had created. As per with the advertising, the newspaper and televisions can indeed persuade more people and can also be a reliable source in choosing for the right graphic design firms in San Francisco.

And lastly, you can engage to an online service. Making use of the internet is now most typical, practical and easiest way of reaching out for them. This is because customers can easily compare the services provided, compare prices and read the testimonial provided the companies clients. In addition with this through online search there is no need to waste time and exert too much effort because you can conveniently render your services without the need of leaving the comfort of your homes.

Though there maybe lots of graphic design firms sprouting at present it is still better to choose for the one who can provide you with your needs. For as a customer who is paying for the job it is just your right to claim what is due you.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Local Advertising In Business Directories

For decades, local mom and pop businesses could rely on word of mouth and
traditional print services to garner customers. If the local businesses had
a good or service that they wanted to promote, they could just call up the
local newspaper and ask for an advertisement. However, as media has evolved
towards more sophisticated routes such as the Internet, it has become
increasingly more difficult (and oftentimes prohibitively expensive) for
local businesses to stand-out against the crowd by advertising in both newer
and older types of media.

Yet, local businesses continually find themselves facing a problem. As
potential customers become more Internet savvy, local companies could be
doing themselves a great disservice by not having some sort of exposure on
the Internet.

According to Kelsey Research, 70% of US households now use the internet when
searching for local products and services. In fact, it is projected that
over 20 billion searches for local information will be made in 2007. 75% of
Internet users have looked for services and products within an area close to
their home or business. Moreover, recent Internet studies have found that
some of the most searched queries in search engines such as Google or Yahoo
are words such as local business, free, discount, cheap, and other terms
bearing the connotation that the searcher is looking for something to
purchase.

Although many may be trying to look for cheap electronics that can be
shipped to their homes, it is also extremely apparent that consumers are
searching for businesses in their local area that they can patronize. Most
consumption on a day to day basis is not on items such as electronics that
can be purchased online. People need automotive services, tutors, daycare,
lawn care, restaurants, grocery stores, salons, plumbers, and much, much
more within a few miles of their house. These daily rituals that we all
engage in are all predicated on knowing where to find business. And as
mentioned above, with an abundance of people turning to the Internet to find
out where well priced, convenient goods and services are located, even a
small Internet presence can skyrocket a business.

Unfortunately, the typical local business doesn\'t have a lot of money to
spend on Internet exposure. Even if they do have the finances to build a
website, the process can be cumbersome and somewhat daunting for the
generations of small business that aren?t well-read in the ways of
cyberspace. If the typical website can run anywhere from hundreds to
thousands of dollars, is it still worth creating? Even if you get the
website up and running, how will people find you? How high will you be
ranked on search engines? If you are like me, all the worry involved takes
away time from all the daily customer service issues that come with the
territory of owning a business. Why should you spend an inordinate amount of
money when there is no guarantee of getting more customers for your trouble?
Many are pushed away because the return on investment just doesn\'t seem
worth it.

If this is what you think, perhaps you can consider many other low cost
options for your small business to get attention and some exposure on the
web. Something as simple as a Facebook or Myspace account can be used to
garner advertisement for your business. The Internet is all about content
and link popularity, and having even a little bit can help. However, there
are services that are beginning to expand the range of possibilities for
local businesses and cater explicitly to them. Websites such as
www.Cityslick.net and www.Merchantcircle.com allow companies to create local
listings whereby customers can put basic contact information, slogans,
product descriptions and photos, customizable coupons, appointment
generators, documents, social bookmarking, and much more. The terrific part
about websites like these is that they are not static; companies do not
simply post a listing and hope for customers to show up. Consumers can
browse, request deals, request appointments, chat with other consumers and
businesses in the forums, and leave reviews.

If you decide to list on a business directory website, make sure that they
are doing their best to get you the most exposure possible. According to
www.webworkshop.net, Link text (the text that is clicked on when clicking on
a link) is singly the most important factor when Google determines the
rankings for any given search-term. To help a small local business website
grow in this fashion, it is critical that business owners submit to local
directories that can provide custom back links.

www.Cityslick.net in particular is proactive in its approach to ensure that
these sorts of interactions occur. By using the latest search engine
optimization (SEO) techniques, they are drawing customers to the website not
only by promoting it as a way to find cheap, local deals, but they are also
making it so that listings, just by themselves, have the same sort of
visibility as traditional websites.

Local and small business owners have a multitude of things to worry about
including how to best promote their venture. By using the internet to post
to sophisticated business directories, companies can get all the benefits of
having a website without having to pay a lot of money for their own website.
Take a look. Your customers and business will thank you for it.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Leaflet An Example Of Single Sheet Printing

Leaflets are just like open letters or postcards which are created to be handed out to customers in order to promote the products and services of a company. These leaflets are oftentimes inserted in newspapers or left in any entrance of a mall or any business establishment where they can be easily accessed by potential customers. 

Why create leaflets? First, leaflets are easy to distribute and are very effective in conveying messages across your potential market. Second, it provides an adequate space for presenting ideas plus with the incorporation of an image which further increase  its  effectiveness  grabbing  the attention of would be customers.  Third, leaflets are very handy that is why most people takes them home with them to remind  them of any important information they've read in the leaflet.  And another good thing about leaflets being handy is that they may easily be transferred from one person to another which further increases its usefulness in reaching more potential customers.

In terms of designing leaflets it is important to remember that leaflets are created to deliver sensible and usable information. That is why it is pertinent to choose wisely the size, the content as well as the shape of the leaflet in order to ensure its success. A good leaflet can be gauge in terms of its handiness meaning it can be easily stored in pockets or bags or even wallets. The failure of your leaflet to pass this simple gauge would result to your leaflets in the trash cans.  Leaflets are designed for busy people  that don't have the time to read novel type advertisements and so the contents or the information to be included in the leaflets should be concise and direct and must enable its reader to come up with an outright decision on the topic presented on the leaflet. 

In terms of the images to be used for the leaflets it would be nice to have them in full color so as to increase the aesthetic appeal of your leaflets. Bear in mind that its usually the colors that attract first the attention of the reader, the content only comes second place. And to further ensure the quality of your leaflets have it printed by only the best printing provider there is.  These printing providers are available either online or offline however online printing providers are much easier and more convenient to locate and to deal with. They also offer printing services at a much lower price compared to the prices offered by their brick and mortar competition.


For comments and suggestions kindly visit <a href="http://www.rushprintingservices.com/catalog/Single-Sheet.html">California Single Sheet Printing</a>

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Larger than Words

Now, it’s your turn to go beyond the ordinary and make words larger than itself. Make it reverberate in the senses to linger more. Feel it, sense it. There is no other way you can seize it better than have it in an exceptional way.

Nothing compares to conveying the right message, at the right time, right manner with the right person. Chances are you will be flabbergasted by its momentum or enchanted by the aftermath. One way of conveying the right message is through postcards.

Postcard printing services have gone a long way since its inception. It has already introduced several innovations such as its modern counterpart – e-postcards. E-postcards discovery gives you the opportunity to send an instant message to a multitude. Unlike printed postcards, e-postcards take no less than seconds to process. There are also a number of ready-made templates to choose from. That way, you will no longer worry about time and money.

Printed postcards, on the other hand, have become famous in the year 1990. Then, they were basically used to send simple messages like hi’s and hello’s. Nowadays, a new valuable contribution has been discovered. Postcards are now used as an important marketing tool.

With this discovery, what do you think is the reason why people are still sticking with the traditional postcards – those that are printed?  There are several reasons why printed postcards are still hot regardless of the alternatives present. Pictures, images and texts are brighter, crispier and clearer, that is. It captures the reality in a not so real crossing point. Handing the message personally is warmer than just opening the same in your inbox. What can you ask for? It is already a complete dish of mesmerizing message plus momentous memories. That’s how amazing postcard printing services can be.

Wow your friends and potential customers. The next time you want to earn more traffic to your site, promote a product or a service or simply express yourself, postcard printing services can do the trick better. You will never regret its enigmatic charm!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Kook-2 Directory add url free

Kook-2 Directory give real links for your site. kook-2.com
 Add url free today. The Directory is known with links to site with many useful and free stuff. Find all what you search - free software, download movies, films, calls, add url free and many other not only free but and qualitative sites, products and services.
Some from directory categories:
 Film directory, Codecs directory, Games directory, Music directory, Recreation directory, Baseball directory, Television directory, DJ directory, Meeting and dating directory, phone calls and free phone calls, cars directory, online shopping directory, sms and mms directory, hosting and domain directory, health directory, automotive directory, travel directory, search engine directory, business directory, manufacturers directory, business services directory, affiliates directory... The Directory take provocation to ensure only links to good working and safe software and services.You can add url free in the directory. Kook-2 Directory give real links for your site. The best sites will placed on Home page on kook-2.com
Because Directory KOOK-2.com testing every service and software and put link only to the unique and the safe. That way Directory KOOK-2.com save your time and you find what you search.
For example - some content from site:
Kook-2 Design Studio is new professional group Web designers, experts for building and support Web sites with varied functions and themes. Kook Web Studio use Flash elements, nice images, style, and dynamic scripts with varied functions for any needs. The Studio give big presents for all customers - 5 to 50 GB host with ftp access for your site. On site also can see 3D projects pictures and video.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Knowing the Tricks and Tips of Free Classified Advertising

Online free classified sites offer a risk free, no cost solution to promote your businesses and sell products and services. Advertising in free classified sites can be time consuming and frustrating if you do not know how to successfully profit from these sites. Knowing the right tricks and tips of online free classified ads will separate you from the hundreds who post thousands of ads without getting any results.

All free classified sites are not created equal. You should focus on a few good sites and post your ads regularly in those sites only. Your starting point is Google search. Go to google.com and search for "free classifieds" and "free ads". From the search result pages, visit 10 to 15 sites and register in those sites. If a site asks too many questions during the registration process, abandon the site and go to the next site. Why should you have to provide all your personal information for the site's benefits? Good sites will only ask minimal questions to setup your account so that you can edit, delete and renew your ads. Also, look for sites that will allow you to post without any registration.

Write a precise ad using 80 to 100 words. Write about benefits of your products and services for ad viewers. Try to think benefits in terms of generating extra income, improving health and relationships and providing a sense of good feelings when they use your products and services.

Write a concise, interest grabbing, key words filled ad title with action words that asks the reader to do something now. If you are promoting an affiliate product and many ads are also about the same affiliate product, write your ad title and ad copy differently than others so that your ad stands out in the crowd.

If you are selling personal items, like used cars, cameras etc., provide details description of the item, its selling price, and your contact information. If you are promoting an item to make a profit, do not try to sell your products or services in the classified ad. Use the free ad to lead to another site or your affiliate site where you can provide more information to make a sale.

In classified sites, most recent ads are listed on the top of the ad search or ad listing pages. Some free classified sites have paid premium ads which are displayed on the top of the listing pages, followed by the free ads. Avoid those free sites that accept premium listings. In free classified sites, your ads will be buried deep in the listing pages as more ads are posted in the same category. To keep your ads fresh and on the top of the listing page, renew your ads every couple of days.

Do not spam by posting your ads in all categories. Post only in a few relevant categories, preferably using different ad copies and ad titles. If the site has regional sections, e.g. US states, cities, or countries and your target is to reach every region, post in 10 to 15 regions only. For the search function of the site to pickup your ad for display, you do not have to post in all the available regions. This will save you time.

Always use photos or banners in your ads. Make sure that the size and dimensions of your image files are within the site's acceptable limits. Otherwise, the site may not display your images in your ad at all. There are a few free sites where you can create your banners or you can use your affiliate banners. If you are using the picture of a product, take the picture using a good digital camera and then convert the image to jpeg format and reduce the dimensions prior to uploading.

Using the simple techniques mentioned above, you should be able to minimize your online free advertising effort and increase responses from your ads. Remember, your ad title and ad copy should stand out with action words and pictures. You should regularly post your ads to keep them fresh and on top the listing page.

Sunday, April 10, 2011

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Keys to Successful TV and Radio Advertising

It is very important to remember certain essential points that lead to a successful TV commercial. Here are a few tips.

Writing the Script in a TV Commercial
During a TV commercial you have got a very limited time frame to capture your audience and you need to get your message across quickly. Therefore in order to grab your potential customer’s attention it is important that you use short punchy sentences. Long sentences can make the customer loose interest in your commercial.

Audio and Video Must Match in a TV Commercial
When writing your commercial, one vital point that you must make sure of, is that your audio and video do match. When you're talking about new car models arriving, you don't want to see video of the current year's make. Hence, you must merge your audio and video to create a powerful sales tool.

Put People in Your TV Commercial
People relate to other people. Hence putting people into your commercial can help draw more target audience compared to commercials without people. In order to avoid your commercial look hokey, it is important that you get these people do something that relates to your business.

Radio is an affordable advertising medium that can reach a mass audience. Following are the keys to help increase your chances of having a successful radio ad campaign.

Frequency of Ads
Frequency refers to how many times your ad is aired in a short period of time. A radio commercial needs to be aired multiple times before it gains the attention of the listener. Therefore running your commercial once a week for a month isn't going to be enough. Rather a commercial that is aired multiple times in a day has a better chance of reaching the listener than a commercial that is only aired a few times in a week.

Target Audience
For every ad you create, it is very important that you must know your target audience. Advertising your western gear store on a country station makes sense. Advertising a teen clothing store on the same station doesn't.

Follow a definite process while advertising. First, make a list of the radio stations in your market. Listen to each one to help identify your own target audience. It is very important that you understand what kind of listeners will be tuning in and are they a potential customer for your product or service?

Producing Your Commercial
Unlike television commercials, production is more simple for a radio commercial. All you need is a script and voice talent. However, that doesn't mean you should just punch something together. In this case, your copy isn't relying on any visuals so it's vital you capture the listener's attention from the start. This means that the copy needs to be crystal clear and not muddied by trying to be cutesy in your pitch.

Remember, frequency is the key so make sure your ad hits the mark and will get the consumer's attention the first time. Research shows it takes a few times before the consumer actually gets what your company is all about. It's vital your ad stands out and conveys your message repeatedly.

Rates
Costs are much more affordable and therefore take advantage of the low ad rates for radio. Ad rates are on the rise but the costs are still more affordable than visual mediums like television. Use your negotiating skills to get a good deal on an ad bundle. The more ads you buy, the better rates you'll be able to get.

Before you take the plunge into radio advertising, find out if you are ready for radio and if your product or service is apt for your target audience.

Friday, April 8, 2011

Just One Click Away!

A thriving way to help optimize your online image is to consider using the pay-per-click advertising.  What pay-per-click means is that you purchase sponsored links on the pages of search engine results.  Search engines are used every minute of the day, which means advertising your website with pay-per-click will greatly increase the advertising of your website.

By advertising your website with pay-per-click, you are helping to advertise your business in what is usually an inexpensive way that is growing larger and reaching more people everyday.  You can also tailor your pay-per-click advertising to fit your business or company budget needs.  This is a plus for those of you who are starting out on a budget and want to stay away from paying a lot for advertising that may or may not be seen.  By advertising your website with pay-per-click, your ad is surely going to be seen.  More advantages to advertising your website with pay-per-click include the speed of advertising, the increase in traffic to your website, and the ability to research and compare data to see what works best for your website.

There are times, however, when advertising your website with pay-per-click can prove to be costly.  For example, it will cost you more to use competitive keywords than it will to use that are not as competitive.  Finely tune your keyword strategies.  You can find information on the Internet on this or you might want to consider consulting a professional.  Also remember not to bite off more than you can chew.  Start with one pay-per-click provider first, using ads you have tested, and then extend your campaign accordingly.

Advertising your website with pay-per-click can be a very quick, inexpensive way to get your website and business rolling.  Drawbacks can always pop up, but if you educate and prepare yourself, you will be able to make the most out of advertising your website with pay-per-click.

It’s Not Funny Unless it Sells

We've all encountered humor in advertising. TV ads showing smart dogs fetching their owners a beer.  Radio spots with aliens purifying our drinking water. Print ads with famous people wearing milk mustaches. Many use dry wit. Others are just plain silly. A few are in bad taste. And some, heaven forbid, aren't even funny.

<b>Humor has its place</b>

Does humor really work in advertising? Is it okay to get a few laughs when talking about your product or service?  Does humor sell?  There are no absolutes, no easy answers. What we do know is that, as in real life, humor has its place. In advertising, that place must always be clearly defined and understood. For humor used indiscriminately can be a disaster—for your product, your image and your sales. And that's not funny. 

<b>Making human contact</b>

The object of humor is to make human contact and break the boredom barrier. This invisible barrier goes up the second your audience is exposed to any advertising. It's the result of tens of thousands of ads that confront us every year. For the human brain, it’s a matter of survival. It simply shuts out what it sees or hears and says, “I know a sales pitch is coming, I’ve been bored to death before, I’m tuning out.” Humor is one way to get through. Used correctly, humor leads your audience to a common ground of understanding. A feeling of "we're all in this together." Just like a speaker who starts with a humorous anecdote to ‘break the ice,’ using a funny situation or character can make your audience more receptive as you segue into your selling message.

<b>Tread lightly and cautiously</b>

By the same token, an off-color joke or inappropriate comment about the audience or any individual member can be an instant turnoff and shoot that barrier right back up—maybe even permanently. The same holds true for humor that leaves a negative impression about your product or service.  I remember hearing about one ad for a burial service with the headline: “We’re the last ones to let you down.” Sales didn’t exactly jump through the roof. Most professional comedians know that the best humor is broad and even handed, reflecting universal truths or situations that apply to us all. They set up a character we can all identify with, then put that character through actions we may have experienced.  A comedian once gave me an example of what's funny and what isn't. "A guy slipping on a banana peel isn't funny. A guy trying not to slip on a banana peel, now that can be funny.”

<b>It’s not easy being funny, especially in print</b>

Being funny in TV or even radio isn’t easy, but it’s even harder in print.  There’s no motion, no special effects, no silly animal tricks or goofy character antics—just a static visual and headline. Print is one medium where creative writers really have to work hard for the right result: humor that sells. For, in just one snapshot, you've got to establish the character, set up the situation, and payoff the punch line. It's like a comic strip with only one frame. It can be done, but it's not easy. And once you've broken the boredom barrier, there's still lots of work to be done.

<b>Once the laughing stops, there’s still that pesky product to sell</b>

Too many advertisers forget that the object of any ad, funny or not, is to get people to try the product being advertised. It's okay for your audience to respond with, ''That’s a funny ad" as long as they also come away with, "That’s a great product!" Humor should accent or showcase your product's identity or key features, not bury them in a laugh. Some really funny ads suffer from "generic identity." Your audience loves the ad, but confuses your product with your competitor's. Not funny. 

One final thing to keep in mind about humor: it's not for amateurs. As any professional comedian will tell you, being funny is serious business. So even if you fancy yourself a master joke teller and life of the party, you should still leave creating funny ads to the pros.

Thursday, April 7, 2011

It’s Classified – How To Utilize Free Classified Ad Sites To Boost Business

Classifieds are usually the first place you think of when you are getting ready to make a purchase. Whether you want to purchase a vehicle, bed, or pet, the classified section of your local newspaper can be one of the best resources available. With the emergence of the web however, many sites are being developed to host free classifieds. More and more people are using the web daily; making these classified sites some of the most popular sites around. Free classified ad sites are great for other things as well however. If you are an owner of a business, you may consider utilizing free classified as sites to boost business. There are many advantages to this idea, so take a look below to learn how to make use of this efficient resource.

Using free classified ad sites are great for every business owner, but they are most appropriate for the business owner with little or no advertising budget. By using free classified sites, a business owner can reach thousands of potential customers. People who look in classifieds are often those consumers who are prepared to spend money. These types of customers are those that are most likely to make purchases, which are the best consumers you can possibly attract as a business owner. Reaching thousands of potential buyers however does take a little more than simply posting your business’s name in the classified site’s general section. To get the best response possible, you should use these tips when posting.

First, think about your business and what you have to offer. Then decide which section of the classifieds your business would most appropriately fit into. By posting in the most appropriate location, you will be reaching those consumers that you most likely want to reach. For instance, if you own a dog collar company, then you likely should post in “pets” or “pet supplies”. This will help you gain the attention of pet owning consumers. If you were to post your dog collar business in the general section, it is likely it would get lost among the other ads in that area. By posting in a specific area, your ad will get more valid attention.

Next, think about how much attention you want your ad to receive. If you want to get as much attention as possible, you may want to post your ad on several free classified sites. This will allow you to get more exposure at no extra cost. Sure, it may take you longer to set your ads up on several different sites, but it will be worth the extra effort by gaining more business. Try to find at least five sites to begin with. If you have a local business, consider using sites that are heavily advertised in your area. This will allow you to gain more local business as well.

When you are developing your ad, you will need to consider the approach you want to use. The best way to get eyes on your ad is to use simple text tactics. These can include using “bold” text or text in colors like blue or red. Any way you can make your ad different from those around it is the best way to get attention. If the site offers extra “frills” for a small fee, you may even want to consider it. With very few people using the extras, your ad would certainly stand out.

After you decide the basics, you need to choose exactly what you want to say in your ad. You can state the basics such as your business name, address, and phone number to begin with. Make sure you also state an email address however or website address. Many people who use the web often would much rather contact your business via email or your website. By neglecting to add these bits of information, you will likely lose some interested consumers.

There is no argument that when you are looking for an inexpensive way to advertise, free classified sites are the best approach. By choosing the most appropriate sites, areas to post, formats, and text, you are likely to gain a great deal of attention to your business. Utilizing these free sites is a great way to save yourself money as well as reach an audience you might not reach without using the classified sites.

IT Jobs: How to increase your return on investment with online advertising

With predictions that the UK will be the first economy to spend more money on the Internet than on TV advertising, writing effective copy for your IT job positions is something that will separate you from your competition.

With over 60,000 IT jobs advertised daily, online job advertising has now become the main technique for recruiting new employees. Nearly every candidate looking for IT positions look on the Internet first, so getting it right has never been more important.

To ensure you get a return on your investment, there are four main areas of concentration: understanding how sites offering IT jobs work, understanding your audience, effective copy writing for IT positions and effectively monitoring/tracking your IT jobs positions.

1. Understanding how IT jobs boards work:

It’s fair to say that technically most sites offering IT jobs function in the same way. A candidate inserts their search criteria into a search box and retrieves a list of results ordered by keyword relevance.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that an advert with the most instances of a keyword will come top. The calculation is likely to be based on keyword ‘density’; the number of times a keyword appears in comparison to the length of the advert. This is why you will often see recruitment consultancies writing particularly short but keyword heavy adverts.

2. Understanding your IT audience

There are certain trends that all job seekers display regardless of the sector they are interested in but the online IT job market is practically fully developed now. It is important to understand their needs and to attempt to think like a job seeker sifting through masses of IT positions when composing your IT adverts.


3. Effective copy writing for IT positions

Getting the right balance of information when writing the adverts for your IT job positions are a key element to consider when writing an advert. Too little information will not give the candidate the confidence to apply for the role whereas too much information will swamp the candidate or potentially intimidate them.

Splitting your advert into 4 distinct sections provides a brilliant structure for any advert:

&#61623; Company description: candidates want to know whom they are sending their CV to. This is also your opportunity to sell your company as a great place to work.

&#61623; Job description: The three most important facts to include are overall responsibilities, day to day activities, working environment - this should include the size and experience level of the team.


&#61623; Skills & experience required: ideally this should be in bullet point or in a list detailing the key functions and skills that are essential for the role.

&#61623; Benefits offered: you want the best candidates so use this to sell to them. Remember, always think back to what would interest you in you were looking for IT jobs.


4. Effectively monitoring/tracking your IT job positions

The main advantage that online recruitment has given to employers are; speed and measurability. You are now able to get your IT jobs published and receive response quicker than any other media and edit and change the content of your IT adverts if they are not generating enough or the right response.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Is your site sexy?

Recently on-line classified sites became very popular among the wide Internet public. Why? From the one hand it is a free advertising for the customers that is worth value for their money, from the other- classified and well-structured information in various categories (businesses, products, services) is very useful for those who are looking for some info as it saves their time. According to one freshly research, on-line advertising begins to outrun printed press, though we know that originally free classified advertising appeared in newspaper media.

For example: France Classified provides you with the all info concerning France as well as specific info about all regions of France. Organised information in categories like: Estate Agents, Bed and Breakfast, Professional Services, Building Services, Cars and Motorbikes, Multi Media and more is the nearest goal for the clients that they achieve very quickly. This site is a great help for the citizens of France and tourists.

Reliable, professional classified web ads on France Classified is the best chance to promote your business on-line and excellent way to access what you are looking for! You see now how it works and what does it mean to be a “sexy site” for a buyer and seller, male and female, young and mature. It caters for all tastes!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Is Your Business Making A Good First Impression?

Job interviews, first dates, social settings – no matter the occasion, a first impression can make or break a potential relationship. Have you experienced an awkward moment yourself when you were not looking or feeling your best? Have you been introduced to someone and thought, “What were they thinking?”

Does your business have an online presence? Can customers learn about and interact with your company in cyberspace? If the answer to either of the previous questions is “NO” – I have to say, “What are you thinking?”

Just yesterday, I was working with a client who recommended her cousins’ catering service. My first question was, “What’s their website”, to which she replied, “I don’t know.” A query to a few of the popular search engines revealed zilch, nada, nothing – except for other competitors in our local area. Realistically, if I was not particularly loyal to my client, I would more than likely investigate the businesses that were right at hand – right then, via their websites. As a dedicated business owner, can you afford to lose potential customers so unexpectedly, especially when websites are so easy and affordable?

A website consists of a domain name, i.e. (www.yourbusinessname.com), and a hosting account. A domain name is purchased and points to the hosting account – much like your street address references your physical building. Then, web pages consisting of words and graphics are developed and published to the hosting account. You can create web pages or work directly with a design company.

Businesses, both large and small, can create an online presence with a website for under $15. Better yet, monthly maintenance is as little as $4 a month. You can find affordable website solutions at http://www.sitemadesimple.com At these prices, there is no excuse. It’s up to you to make the best first impression.

Is product placement taking the place of TV commercials?

Probably not, at least not in the near future, but it is beginning to get a lot of attention from the companies that have the resources to invest in it. With TiVo offering consumers the ability to eliminate commercials, advertisers have had to resort to more creative ways to reach their target market. Staples took advantage of this with <a href="http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?zipCode=33611&jspStoreDir=Staples&catalogId=10051&productId=130525&errorUrl=zipcode&cm_mmc=online_google-_-adwords-_-office_supplies_category-_-staples+apprentice&ts=1129754760940&langId=-1&storeId=10001&ddkey=StaplesZipCodeAdd" target="_blank">the desk apprentice</a>, Home Depot has done it on TLC's Trading Spaces, and the <a href="http://www.audi.com/audi/com/en1/experience/cinema/transporter_2.html" target="_blank">Audi A8</a> achieved an amazing level of exposure in the Transporter 2 movie trailer.

So just how new is this idea of product placement? It's not new at all really. It's commonly known in the industry that the product launch of Hershy's Reeses Pieces was jump started through product placement in E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, but it goes back even farther than that -- Mobil oil used it in a 1949 film featuring Harpo Marx called Love Happy.

Product placement is well outside of the budget of most businesses but if you think creatively, you can find ways to use small scale product placement in your favor. A sports drink manufacturer could provide free products to an up and coming athlete, a furniture company could lend their furniture for the set of an independent film, or a clothing company could offer their outfits for a music video. What can your business do?

Monday, April 4, 2011

Is Fax Advertising Still a Good Marketing Choice in Canada?

Until 2000 the Canadian laws on fax advertising were not uniform across the country. It applied to some providers but not to all. Also prior to this it was not customer friendly; it was very confusing for the average consumer to understand what the rules were. When this new generalized rule came down there was also a ruling saying what the calling hours could be for proper calling times. The decision took into account each areas time zone.

Unsolicited fax advertisements are not enforced or punished by the government. They are enforced and punished through the media carrier. The national rules that have been set up are an agreement that was reached via the commissioner of the CRTC and the various telecom service providers in the country.

If a person is wishing to not have their fax number contacted for fax advertising they may place themselves on a voluntary do-not-call list. Their number will remain on the list for a period of three years. During the time that their number is on the list the companies do not call them out of choice. If they do choose to call a person that is on the list the violation of that can not be enforced by law though. That means if a person feels that they have been violated by the company then they are not able to sue. The do-not-call list is more like a gentlemen’s agreement than an actual strict law.

If a consumer is receiving these fax advertisements and they no longer wish to be, they can look on the fax advertisement for a way to contact the company to let them know that they no longer wish to be contacted.

Fax advertisements can be a wonderful tool for helping any business to get more costumers. However, customers prefer to be treated with respect. If they are not happy and feel that they are being bothered by a business in any type of way they will not be so kind as to spend their money there. Through fax advertising a solid business relationship can be either formed or destroyed depending upon how well the customer is treated through it. It is best for any business to abuse the media forms that they have at their fingertips. By following the general rules and guidelines set forth by the powers that be a company will portray the image of a responsible integrity based company that values their clients.

Is Direct Mail Still Worth Investing On?

Everybody these days has an email address. It's no longer even a question of if somebody has one, but rather, how many they have. From this common truth, it can be said that most people from the young- to the mid-age bracket can be reached electronically. For people in the marketing industry, we then start thinking, with email technology so popular, one of the best ways to tap into new clients and get the word out is through email marketing, right?

Let's step back a minute and see what come alongside email marketing: direct mail or postcard marketing campaigns. So what about direct mail and the usage of postcards for marketing? Is it simply an old-fashioned method that has, over time, acquired marketing impotence? On that note, I dare to disagree.

Email marketing may be a very budget-friendly means compared to direct mailing since you're without the expense of the design and printing of postcards but before you jump into the hypnotic convenience and wonder of email marketing, look at the overall picture.

<i>Email marketing campaign results in one company may be different from the campaign results in another based on a number of factors. </i>

The results of a campaign, regardless of technology or method taken, depends on a lot of factors defined by the nature of the business and the people preparing the campaign material itself. Different target audiences will respond differently to the same campaign. Using a diverse example, if you take a bunch of freelance graphic designers and a bunch of middle-aged trading businessmen, the response of each to a printing coupons campaign has a strong likelihood of being totally different. The point I wish to illustrate is that if your campaign is directed towards the wrong audience, no matter what method you take,  your campaign will most probably give you undesirable results.

The nature of your business also has an effect on the outcome of your campaign. If you own a grocery store and would like to get in touch with housewives or mothers for new arrivals, you might want to head to a local postcard printing company instead of setting up an email campaign. Housewives stay home and bask in daily chores that they might not have time to check their emails. In this case, it would be better to send postcards they can register with their own eyes and easily stick up on the fridge. Had it been done electronically, they might not have been able to get it until “they have the time” (a.k.a. “a few days after your new arrival has come and gone”). On the other end, if you're a software development company, your target audience will most likely be online and certainly an email campaign will work better.

Another factor is how you present your campaign material. If your design and text is poorly thought of and not tailored to fit the preference of your target audience, you can be certain that you'll get weak numbers by the end of the day.

Schedule and timing of a campaign also has an added benefit if done properly. Sending a campaign a day too late might mean a potential number of new clients gone to waste.

Now going back to my question posted as the title of this article, the answer would be all factors mentioned above. If after careful consideration of each factor, you decide that an email marketing campaign will do you more good, then fire in the hole! But don't think that direct mail and postcard marketing is not worth investing on specially if its the one most suitable to promote your business. Don't be carried away by the trends and the talk of the net. Go with what your business really needs then take it from there.

Saturday, April 2, 2011

Internet Web Site Advertising - Legendary

Internet web site advertising seems to be the Topic of the day. And I thought that instead of ignoring that fact with senseless personal anecdote, I’d give in to greater office pressure and write about it.  I’m nervous, but here we go.  Oh, wait, before I get into that I want to tell you why.  The why part is because normally I’m a little cynical.  When I am supposed to research some topic and I do, I usually fill with a little bit of disgust.  I don’t think that that’s out of line, considering to the things I read.

But, today as I’m reading about web site advertising I had that familiar tinge of bile backing up in my throat and I was thinking about how I could articulate my inevitable irritation that would inevitably turn into full blown madness.  And then, of all things, this author started making sense.  Even though he’s talking about web site advertising and I typically have sorts of rage (legitimate or not…probably not) about that particular subject, I started getting down with what this person’s saying.  So, without further delay, I will quickly tell you what I think about all this internet web site advertising deal.

But, I’ll do it with an anecdote.  But, this time it’s relevant.  We were making a web site for a company I was working with.  We had very little money and the primary financial backer of the project wasn’t too interested in internet advertising.  Finally, he was convinced to get a web site made for us, but on a shoestring budget.  It was fine, but quite low budget and the designer we got did just that, design.  The little work that was put into traffic generation reaped an equal amount of response—a little.  Well, that business has just been sold to a company that has been known to focus intently on the other aspects of internet web site advertising.  They have gone to great lengths with their previous businesses to develop their site to meet their customer’s needs, utilize various links to bring customers to their site, etc. etc.  I look forward to seeing the remarkable progress that the company will make with their new vision of utilizing internet technology.  I wish them the best, but probably that won’t be necessary.

Friday, April 1, 2011

Internet Pharmacies: Helpful or Not?

The conventional way of buying drugs wherein a person has to drive to the drugstore to fill a prescription is starting to appear as an inconvenience, especially now that internet pharmacies have started appearing left and right.  People are now relying on the world wide web to get their medications, all in the click of a button.  But are internet pharmacies helpful?  Or do they just cause further inconvenience?

Let's start with the advantages most internet pharmacies claim to offer if one should choose to buy medications from them.

    * It eliminates the need to travel to the pharmacy.  All a person needs to order is a computer, a steady internet connection, and a credit card to pay.  The medicine is delivered straight to your doorstep.  No need to pick up the order package from some place.
    * The medicine prices are less expensive.  Compared to prices in a conventional drugstores, a lot of internet pharmacies sell medications at a relatively cheaper price.
    * It also lowers the cost of traveling to the pharmacy and back.
    * They do not require prescription to sell prescription narcotics to their customers.  They claim to be able to diagnose and write a prescription just by reading the information you submit through their online medical questionnaires.



The advantages mentioned above do come with its negative aspects, these disadvantages include:

    * Identity theft.  Other people may use another person's identity through the personal information entered in the online medical questionnaire supposedly used by internet pharmacies to diagnose and prescribe medications.
    * Credit card fraud.  Financial information entered to pay for order can be used by shady individuals to place unauthorized purchases and orders to different stores.
    * Knock-off medications.  Illegal internet pharmacies may send out counterfeit drugs, out-of-date medications, or drugs in incorrect doses.
    * Serious drug interaction.  As these online pharmacies do not require a valid prescription, they may sell you medicine that may cause a serious drug interaction or trigger an allergic reaction.



With all the pros and cons laid out to you, here are a few tips on how to distinguish a good internet pharmacy:

    * Check the National Association of Board of Pharmacy (NABP) if the online drugstore you are checking out is a Verified Internet Pharmacy Practice Site (VIPPS).
    * Contact your local pharmacy board to determine if the internet pharmacy you're going to order from is licensed to dispense medication in your state.
    * Have a physical check up to have a proper diagnosis of your condition and an valid prescription for the medication you're going to order online.
    * Look for internet pharmacies that require a valid prescription before processing your order. Even an expert doctor won't be able to come up with a precise diagnosis by just reading a medical questionnaire.
    * Look for online drugstores that offer the service of a licensed pharmacist to assist in you with any queries or concerns regarding the medicines.


Even if online pharmacies offer a lot of convenient features, there are a lot more things you need to consider than just that.  Your safety and your health may be put in jeopardy just because you thought a short trip to the pharmacy was too much of a hassle.