How To Advertise And Build Brand-Name

According to the research of authors Al Ries & Laura Ries, there are 22 immutable laws of branding to build a product into world-class brand. However, one of the laws that’s always right to any products is “The Law of Advertising”.

Today, we know that there are a lot of ways to advertise. Advertisement can not help us to buy any thing but it makes us stronger and keeps our market share not fall into our competitors’ hands. Since the information technology industry has developed, online advertising grow up rapidly. This article turns around the topic of online advertising to answer the question “How customers know about us?”

With some companies, especially software companies, they build their professional website to advertise. Then, they try to popularize this website to as many people as possible. Customers can get the information through:
- Search Engine:Use Google, Use Yahoo, Use MSN
- Link exchange
- Download store of: Affiliate,Retailer,Download sites
- Viral
- AICS ( Advertising in chat rooms solution)
- Forums
- Blog/Online communities

Or one of the duties of PR Online is contacting to CD-DVD mount magazine to get a space for their products.

One of the address that you should visit to have a look as the model of online advertising is Audio4fun’s website at www.audio4fun.com. Together with the frequently improving quality of products, well online advertising, today, Audio4fun is the first name of voice changer software in the world.

So, why don’t you try to speech-up your business by online advertising?

Hong Kong Jordan Suppliers

Of course, when you deal with replicas it is very important that you understand that this is not the original you are buying – so you will not have exactly the same features that you get with the originals. However, the Hong Kong Jordan Suppliers can provide you with great quality at a very nominal price. In fact the sales of these replicas are so high in places that local manufacturers are trying to make replicas of these replicas!

There are many advantages when you buy the replicas over the original – though I am not in any way saying that you should choose the replica over the original. The advantages are that first of all you get it at a much reasonable rate – it is affordable. The Hong Kong Jordan Suppliers have duplicated it well with the local raw- material which makes it viable for them to sell these sneakers at a fraction of their original cost. This is indeed great news for those who have limited finances and still want to look trendy. It takes a really well trained eye to differentiate between these lovely replicas (www.urbanhotlist.com) and the originals.

The other advantage is its availability. These shoes, unlike the original Jordans, are available in most shoe shops where anyone can pick up a pair. The Hong Kong Jordan Suppliers (www.urbanhotlist.com) supply these shoes as replicas – and not under a fake name or something – which makes it completely comfortable to be sold anywhere. Like the sale of a copy of Channel dress or an Armani replica. They are available and saleable as Jordan sneakers. It is important to know in this case that the replicas are genuine. And this is not as easy as you would think because the replicas are not really a brand name.  And anyone can replicate these shoes and not all the replicas are good replicas.

The companies that produce good replicas are mostly based in China and one amongst the best there are the Hong Kong Jordan Suppliers  who not only produce great quantities but also very good quality shoes. So you need to go to only genuine shops on line or off line who can to a certain extent guarantee a certain level of quality. Otherwise, you will risk investing in bad quality shoes – which will not serve to any purpose.

Hong Kong Jordan Suppliers are among the best replica suppliers in the market today. There are few places which boast of direct contacts with these Chinese suppliers and you are lucky if you get in touch with them – as only then you can get good looking Jordan replica sneakers, which are almost as good as the originals.

Changing Web Marketing Scenario

Almost everyone from interactive advertising agencies to any web advertising agency worth its salt to business owners who are looking to turn their online presence into a revenue-generating business venture has heard of "search engine optimization", although they all may have half baked ideas about what exactly it entails.

The earlier practice was to select some keywords, place them (or stuff them, as was the norm earlier) in the web content, throw in some meta tags (again stuffed with keywords), submit the website in directories and exchange of few links with other sites.
But that practice has for long been on its way out. Neither is it enough to make your website search friendly enough, not is it looked upon favorably by either the search engines or your customers.

Typical search engine optimization is not enough any more to established your online presence or your brand. With Web 2.0 firmly in and Web 3.0 peeping on the horizon, these are times to let people, the end users take the decision, take your message forward in so many shapes as Web-video, web-audio, web discussions, articles, blogs, forums, postings in social networking sites (SNS) and what not.

SEO in these times is about delivering the marketing message to the targeted audience, not just make it SE friendly. If latter is your choice, or you are still stuck in the old method of SEO, you will end up corrupting or distorting the message by techniques aimed at attracting search engine robots. This way you will drive away real people who may actually be potential customers.
8 Milestones To Success

With Web 2.0, audio and video content have become very effective method of delivering marketing messages over the Web. But before you as a web
marketer jump on to the bandwagon, do go over following points to ponder:

(a) These multi media messages should not be cost prohibitive so that even small and medium-sized companies could afford professional Web-audio and Web-video. They are the real revenue earner for you.

(b) Remember the website design is about delivering the marketing message effectively and unequivocally and not just search engine optimization. This point is particularly important for web design firms who double as web advertising agencies.

(c) Professionally done Web-audio and Web-video requires more than just the ability to use a video camera. So avoid a rush job as professional multimedia story-telling requires a unique set of creative skills and technical ability.

(d) Make sure that all messages whether on the web or offline confirm to each other whether you have been developer of all these messages or not.

(e) Evaluate business opportunities in the broader sense of marketing. Build viable partnerships by sitting down and taking a hard look at how various factors might complement your message.

(f) Don’t ever forget that the web is used by 87% of Internet users today to research goods and services and that extra knowledge is not available anywhere else. So do give the visitor something worthwhile. Ask yourself while designing a website or any marketing campaign, what as a user am I getting and will it add value to my life, career, business, etc.

(g) Spend considerable time to analyze what the competitors are doing. If they are successful you would know why, and if they are not you would know what to avoid.

(h) Do spend time to make a beautiful web site that is attractive and add value to the visitor, but it will all be wasted effort if it does not make it easy for people to contact your client. Take time to build a site that lets people communicate with the client. Very fundamental, but equally necessary and ignored many a times.

All this sounds great but how and who can implement the strategies. Pay attention to what those old marketing warhorses are saying. Web or not, the fundamentals of marketing remains right there, and companies with experience in marketing and advertising along with providing web development services are best equipped to show you the right and time tested way to do things.
These guys may not flaunt the latest PDA or be rather old fashioned in their sense of fashion but they have years of experience building successful campaigns behind them.

Camera Operators Filming Television

FT2 is committed to assisting the film and television industry achieve a diverse workforce,which more closely represents the makeup of society as a whole.  We are an organisation dedicated to training those with talent, enthusiasm and committment, to develop a career within the British film and television industry.  Includes articles of film and television music critique, opinion, and research, and a selected soundtrack of the week.  ATA hosts a series of film and video screenings, exhibitions and performances by emerging and established artists and a weekly cable access television program.  The CFTPA is a non-profit trade association representing almost 400 Canadian production companies involved in television, film and interactive media.  Film and video editors edit soundtracks, film, and video for the motion picture, cable, and broadcast television industries.  Camera operators filming television programs or motion pictures may travel to film on location.

  Includes newspapers, magazines, television listings and radio stations.  American Women in Radio and Television is the national, non-profit organization that extends membership to qualified professionals in the electronic media and allied fields.  Announcers often are well known to radio and television audiences and may make promotional appearances and do remote broadcasts for their stations.  Median hourly earnings of radio and television announcers were $10.49 in the radio and television broadcasting industry.  Earnings are higher in television than in radio and higher in commercial broadcasting than in public broadcasting.  Median annual earnings were $48,900 in the motion picture and video industries and $29,560 in radio and television broadcasting.  The range of waves suitable for radio and television transmission is divided into channels, which are assigned to broadcast companies or services.

  Only 9% of parents say the government should increase control and enforcement of network television programming.  This database is the guide to the Vanderbilt University collection of network television news progams.   TV features Channel changes Complete survey of network pilot orders for the 2006-07 television season, analysis and dialogues with the network entertainment chiefs.  With experience, operators may advance to more demanding assignments or to positions with larger or network television stations.  Many schools, universities, hospitals, and businesses operate closed-circuit television systems that send programming to their unique network of television sets.

  Last night I saw a nightly news program on television that held me riveted to my seat.  Through the device called a television set or TV, you are able to receive news, sports, entertainment, information and commercials.  only) Also has television news, gossip, and features.  Station officials pay particular attention to taped auditions that show an applicant's delivery and in television appearance and style in commercials, news reports, and interviews.

  The iconoscope was an electronic image scanner - essentially a primitive television camera.  Most of the salaried camera operators were employed by television broadcasting stations or motion picture studios.  ENG and studio camera operators who work for television affiliates usually start in small markets to gain experience.  Other camera operators and editors may become directors of photography for movie studios, advertising agencies, or television programs.
http://www.conference-teleconferencing.info/television/

Cable Tv Advertising

Using cable TV to advertise your business is a wise decision both economically and in regards to advertising potency, however, if any marketing strategy is to be successful it must be couple not only with a chosen medium, but with also well thought out content.  There are two points to this.  First, branding isn’t just for the multinationals.  Second, the approach one takes to their advertising must be done correctly; this is a mistake that many small business owners make, as intimate details of advertising usually isn’t part of their repertoire.

In regard to the branding of your company, this can be done using both your cable advertising, but also in the signage you have at your store.  The idea of advertising is that when it’s all said and done you want potential customers to think of you first when your product of service is needed.  Be seen!  Maximize the outdoor signage your local regulations will allow and be bold.  Signs are expensive and you need to not cut corners.  The people in that go by your store need to imprint your company in their minds.  It’s incredibly cost effective in the long run.

The other aspect of branding your company is the way that you’ll use cable advertsing.  Do not…I repeat, do not let the cabble company talk you into a “broad rotator” advertising schedule.  You want to get the same slot, the same day at the same hour.  Again, you are trying to imprint your company in the minds of peope and you do that by repetition..

The second prong of your strategy is simple.  Do not have your content sell the accolades of your company or even your product or service.  What moves people is when you tell them how they will be positively affected by the experience they have with your company.  So, its about them, not you.

This will take you a long way from many of the other local businesses using cable advertising.  So, follow your instincts, but do so while on the path that others have forged before you.

Buy Youtube Views

Rule YouTube

When you browse through videos at YouTube, which do you usually click first:  one with around 10 views or one with around 75,000 views?  If you’re normal, then you’re much more likely to click on YouTube videos that have a lot of clicks already.  The logic is simple.  The more views a video has, the more interesting the video must be.  After all, why would a video gain so many views if it’s dull or uninteresting, right? Indeed, the bandwagon mentality works very well at YouTube – so why not use it to market your videos at YouTube?

Increase YouTube Views

If people are more likely to view a YouTube video that already has thousands of clicks, then increasing your YouTube video’s views will work in your favor.  The more hits your video has, the more viewers are likely to watch it.  If YouTube videos are a core component of your marketing strategy, this could only be a brilliant move on your part.

There are two main ways by which you can increase your YouTube views.  There’s the call-for-help way in which case you’ll ask your friends, your acquaintances, your friends’ and acquaintances’ friends and acquaintances (etc, etc, etc) to click on and watch your YouTube video.  This will require countless telephone calls and emails, of course.  Naturally, it will also take some time before you see your YouTube video’s views snowballing.  On the other hand, you can increase YouTube views by purchasing YouTube views at http://buyyoutubeviews.com/.

Why Buy YouTube Views?

Buying YouTube views is far more practical than asking friends, acquaintances, etc. to view your YouTube video.  By investing a small amount, you can have as much as 150,000 views on your YouTube video in 48 hours.  After 48 hours, other people are going to notice your video and think:  “Wow, this video has so many hits; I’ve just got to see what the buzz is about.”  In result, your YouTube video will get even more views than you have initially paid for, and more and more people are going to be exposed to the marketing message contained in your video.

At http://buyyoutubeviews.com/, you have a choice among six different YouTube views packages.  Ten thousand views cost $40; 25,000 views cost $60; 50,000 views cost $100; 75,000 views cost $125; 100,000 views cost $170; and 150,000 views cost $200.  It is apparent that the more YouTube views you order or buy, the more money you will save.  Moreover, the more views you buy for your YouTube video, the more attractive and appealing your YouTube will be to other YouTube viewers.

Chemical Directory Can Come in Two Flavors

A chemical directory can come in one of two different flavors, technical and commercial.

  Technically Oriented Chemical Directories This kind of chemical directory allows finding a chemical by its molecular formula, common name, or other technical specification. It is a directory for those with technical familiarity of chemicals. Once you specify a name, formula etc. the directory takes you to a page that lists the chemicals meeting the search criteria. Against each, supplier names are also given. You can then get more details of a particular supplier, or a particular chemical. Links would also be available for getting an offer from a particular supplier for a chemical. Such a technically oriented chemical directories would typically have other technical features, such as chemical calculators that calculates different properties such as molecular mass from a formula or other information. Another valuable technical feature is a property explorer that calculates drug-relevant properties from valid chemical structures. This helps identify high-risk side effects of the structure. You can identify toxicity for example.

  Commercially Oriented Chemical Directories This kind of directory lists suppliers of particular chemicals in the conventional manner. For example, you can find suppliers for absorbents, acids and so on in alphabetical order. Some directories might also allow you to find suppliers in different countries. Forwarding a request for quotation - RFQ - to suppliers is a facility that a chemical directory might offer. At least one directory allows you to send enquiries wholesale to many suppliers with just one RFQ form. You can select the companies you want the RFQ to be sent. There are also chemical suppliers databases in print and computer readable media formats. You can buy these databases against payment. Alternatively, you might pay a monthly or such fee and access their online databases. While some directories charge the buyers to access their databases of suppliers, others might allow free access to buyers and charge sellers for including their information. In the latter case, only those sellers who pay for inclusion might be included in the directory, i.e., it would be a less comprehensive directory than the other kind.


  Regional Chemical Directories Regional chemical directories seek to promote the chemical industries of different regions. It would also help buyers to find sources near them, or low cost suppliers from all over the world. For examples, lower cost manufacturers in, say, India and China can supply chemicals that meet specifications at lower costs.

  Conclusion The chemical industry is discovering new formulations continuously. The chemicals have different properties and effects. Many might be drugs that can have side effects along with specific curative properties. To serve users in this industry, chemical directories need to incorporate some unique features. Thus you can find directories where you can search for chemicals by their molecular formula or CAS number, as well as by name. The technically oriented directories might also provide chemical calculators and details of reactions based on the chemical structure. Then there is the conventional chemical directory where you find suppliers for each kind of chemical, whom you can contact directly or through the directory publishers.

Changing Web Marketing Scenario

Almost everyone from interactive advertising agencies to any web advertising agency worth its salt to business owners who are looking to turn their online presence into a revenue-generating business venture has heard of "search engine optimization", although they all may have half baked ideas about what exactly it entails.

The earlier practice was to select some keywords, place them (or stuff them, as was the norm earlier) in the web content, throw in some meta tags (again stuffed with keywords), submit the website in directories and exchange of few links with other sites.
But that practice has for long been on its way out. Neither is it enough to make your website search friendly enough, not is it looked upon favorably by either the search engines or your customers.

Typical search engine optimization is not enough any more to established your online presence or your brand. With Web 2.0 firmly in and Web 3.0 peeping on the horizon, these are times to let people, the end users take the decision, take your message forward in so many shapes as Web-video, web-audio, web discussions, articles, blogs, forums, postings in social networking sites (SNS) and what not.

SEO in these times is about delivering the marketing message to the targeted audience, not just make it SE friendly. If latter is your choice, or you are still stuck in the old method of SEO, you will end up corrupting or distorting the message by techniques aimed at attracting search engine robots. This way you will drive away real people who may actually be potential customers.
8 Milestones To Success

With Web 2.0, audio and video content have become very effective method of delivering marketing messages over the Web. But before you as a web
marketer jump on to the bandwagon, do go over following points to ponder:

(a) These multi media messages should not be cost prohibitive so that even small and medium-sized companies could afford professional Web-audio and Web-video. They are the real revenue earner for you.

(b) Remember the website design is about delivering the marketing message effectively and unequivocally and not just search engine optimization. This point is particularly important for web design firms who double as web advertising agencies.

(c) Professionally done Web-audio and Web-video requires more than just the ability to use a video camera. So avoid a rush job as professional multimedia story-telling requires a unique set of creative skills and technical ability.

(d) Make sure that all messages whether on the web or offline confirm to each other whether you have been developer of all these messages or not.

(e) Evaluate business opportunities in the broader sense of marketing. Build viable partnerships by sitting down and taking a hard look at how various factors might complement your message.

(f) Don’t ever forget that the web is used by 87% of Internet users today to research goods and services and that extra knowledge is not available anywhere else. So do give the visitor something worthwhile. Ask yourself while designing a website or any marketing campaign, what as a user am I getting and will it add value to my life, career, business, etc.

(g) Spend considerable time to analyze what the competitors are doing. If they are successful you would know why, and if they are not you would know what to avoid.

(h) Do spend time to make a beautiful web site that is attractive and add value to the visitor, but it will all be wasted effort if it does not make it easy for people to contact your client. Take time to build a site that lets people communicate with the client. Very fundamental, but equally necessary and ignored many a times.

All this sounds great but how and who can implement the strategies. Pay attention to what those old marketing warhorses are saying. Web or not, the fundamentals of marketing remains right there, and companies with experience in marketing and advertising along with providing web development services are best equipped to show you the right and time tested way to do things.
These guys may not flaunt the latest PDA or be rather old fashioned in their sense of fashion but they have years of experience building successful campaigns behind them.

Brochure pitching

The purpose of your brochure may differ from business to business. Some are designed to display services, whereas others are focused on selling an idea.

No matter what the focus of the brochure is, it needs to be readable, intriguing, and functional. The brochure must grab a viewer’s attention and hold it long enough to deliver the pertinent information.

How do you grab your customers’ attention with just a piece of paper?

You could try by giving the viewer a paper cut, but that’s not the kind of attention you want, is it?

Seriously though, with so many brochures out there, how do you stand out? The answer is quite simple. Make sure your brochure is professionally designed, written, and printed.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when you hire a freelancer or agency to design your brochure:

Text is the key. Anyone can write copy, but only a skilled copywriter can write easy-to-read, strong sentence structures that articulate your company’s message. Wouldn’t you rather go to a specialist?

Question all. No matter who is writing your copy, make sure the headline on the front of the brochure is in the form of a question. This question should make the viewer want to open the brochure to learn more.

Focus on a problem that is most common in your target industry then tie it directly to a solution you provide your clients.

Color matters. Stay in tune with your corporate colors. This will help keep an overall brand image in tact as well as strengthen the brand.

Type Issues. Typography should be relevant and thought out. Type is so strong that it can make or break a brochure.

Stay away from typical fonts and try to stand out from other brochures in your field.

Picture This. If you do not need pictures to articulate a message, then do not use them. Most of the time people are prone to use so many pictures in a brochure, they don’t realize they are clouding their message and making their brochure ineffective.

Pictures are great, especially when relevant, but they draw reader’s eyes away from the copy which you have spent so much time perfecting. So, use pictures with taste and if at all possible, don’t use them at all.

If you try to cut corners on your brochure you will end up spending more money down the road when you have to get it redesigned. Make sure you do it right the first time, and you will have a brochure that helps you make the biggest return on the investment.

Brands- Logo Design

Brands are an important influence on our lives. They are central to free markets and democratic societies. They represent free choice.They also have a profound impact on our quality of life and the way we see our world. They color our lives. They reflect the values of our societies.Global brands can even embody the spirit of many nations, if not the spirit of an age.

Most importantly, strong brands bestow value far beyond the performance of the products themselves. Brands that do this possess an idea worthy of consumer loyalty.The more inspiring the idea, the more intense and profound the commitment. And the more the consumer believes in the brand, the more value the brand returns to its owner.

Good logo designers are not only able to design you a professional logo, but they will also make sure that your logo is distinct and unique so as to create a long lasting impression. Therefore the question that now comes to mind is, do we really need logo designers or can just anyone design a corporate logo? The answer to this question is not as simple as it seems. While the obvious answer may be no, the fact of the matter is that we do need professional logo designers because they are specialists in their field and are able to produce quality work that is distinct and one of a kind.

In recent times the term 'logo' has been used to describe signs, emblems, coats of arms, symbols and even flags. In this article several examples of 'true' logotypes are displayed, which may generally be contrasted with emblems, or marks which include non-textual graphics of some kind. Emblems with non-textual content are distinct from true logotypes.

Logo designers therefore are of great importance to any business as they can help create logos with a powerful impact and reach. Think about Apple’s logo or the logo of Windows, besides the obvious there is more than just what meets the eye. These logos are not only powerful because they represent a company, but they are powerful because of what they stand for. Good logo designers know how to capture and depict the essence of a business in a single small image. They realize that a solid logo design communicates a company’s identity simply, clearly, and powerfully all at the same time.

At LogoSuite, we pride ourselves on keeping up to speed by improving our web design skills, developing new design styles, and searching for new typefaces and design ideas.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Body Branding is Not Free

Advertisers are always trying to think of new ways and new places to display company logos. Now there’s a new advertising medium to throw in the mix: people’s bodies.

Remember the 20-year-old Nebraskan who auctioned off his forehead on E-Bay for a month’s worth of advertising space? The winning bid went to SnoreStop, who paid $37,375 to put their logo on the web designer’s face for 30 days, got quite a bargain for all the exposure they received. Consider it this way: a full-page ad for one day in the Wall Street Journal costs more than $23,000. One full-page ad in American Idol: The Magazine costs $45,000.

But here’s an interesting tidbit about a woman who is yet to receive payment for literally branding herself with a company logo.

The logo placement occurred when a 27-year-old woman fell off her skateboard in Manhattan onto a manhole cover that was searing with heat. The hot metal, which is located over a steam pipe, burned the woman just above the buttocks and on her left arm with part of the Consolidated Edison (Con Edison) logo, a New York utility company. The woman said she heard her skin sizzling and saw and ‘O’ and ‘N’ etched in her skin, according to an article on allheadlinenews.com. The scarring is permanent.

The woman has sued Con Edison for negligence, carelessness, recklessness, and culpable conduct. No word yet on how much Con Edison will have to pay for the partial advertisement.

Billboards in Focus

Everyday on your way to the office or school, you pass by them. They are usually put up on buildings, walls or posts. They seem to be popping up everywhere these days. But what really are these type of advertising called? They are called billboards. These billboard advertising refers to large electronic display boards which are used for outdoor advertising. Everywhere you go, no matter what city you live you will see billboards around. Billboards are generally good for information dissemination and for informing of upcoming events.

The current billboard explosion has roots in changes in market demographics, improved technology and competitive prices. Billboard advertising is considered the hottest advertising medium of the third millennium. They are a unique advertising medium. They are cost effective, have huge visual appeal and highly targeted.

Perhaps you have designed a new product or service and would like to announce it to new and existing customers. Reaching a lot of customer needs you to have a wide-ranging thorough advertising material. Perhaps putting up billboards across town will do the trick. So let’s say you have finally decided to put up a billboard. You have already asked the help of a professional designer to help you create an attention-grabbing billboard. Your next concern would be finding the company that offer billboard spaces and the cost of billboard advertising.

No matter how you slice it, billboard advertising is on the rise in America. The cost of billboard advertising ranges from about $700 to $2,500 a month. That sounds a lot of money but note that a full page ad running for one day in a major newspaper costs about the same. The advances in technology have also contributed to the cost effectiveness of billboard advertising. In the past, billboards have to be hand painted, a costly and time consuming endeavor. But today, with the introduction of computers, billboards are designed on a computer, printed to poster paper or vinyl and glued to the billboard. The result is a better quality ad in less time, effort and money.

But keep in mind that the amount of information you can include in your billboard is limited. So keep your ad short and appealing. Likewise, if you want to effectively reach your target market, view billboard advertising as one part of a balanced marketing strategy. An integrated marketing strategy that can include print, broadcast media and billboards is the key to drawing and keeping customers.

Bidding Directories

What is MTAweb Directory?

So you have heard about this site or you have been to it, but you cannot figure out what it is or what it can do. MTA web directory is the simplest way in which one can bid on a link, or a few links if they wish to do so. The link directory on MTA displays all of the links it currently has, and does so in alphabetical order, which makes it much easier for someone to find what they are looking for if it is something specific and they do not want to go through all the other sites and links as well. It allows you to start your bid at the bottom and slowly work your way to the top of the list. With a very low costing starting bid of just $1, you are guaranteed to have a spot in MTA’s successful directory list.  

When you would like to increase your bid to one of the top positions, you have to know that this would be a wise decision to make as it will not only get your link to be at a higher point in the directory but it will also give you a chance to have your site advertised with the rest of the top ten on the home page of the website. This means that when visitors come to MTAweb.com, your site will be one of the first things they see. In other words, you stand a great chance at getting a comeback to your site sooner than you thought.

It is important that you buy links because the links are what get you the results that you want. The popularity of the links that are listed in the MTA directory is in fact one of the most important factors in the performance of the search engine. Links are important and this is why you have to purchase a link in order to bid on something and the best part is that a link will only cost you $1, which is nothing compared to what you would pay if you decided to do it through any other company or website.

By escalating the quantity of links to your web site, you will be able to have your site listed much higher in all the search engine results. So when your site is looked for on the search engine it will be very easy to come across as it will come up as one of the first. This will bring many more people to your web site as well as increase your Google PageRank. It will also improve on the whole strength of your web site. Making it better, faster and more interesting each time.

Bidding Directories - General Introduction

It is the newest trend on the online market that allows users to manage and control their link placement in directories. It generally works in this way that if you bid higher on your listings then you will be placed in higher position in your category.

The main specialty for this kind of bidding is that even if your site is new and you want to make traffic flow in your site, then just by bidding more on the place where you want your site link to be placed, you can get that place. This is a very easy job, isn’t it?

They allow you to bid by making the lists alphabetically. Your site will have more traffic if you bid higher. If your site is being listed on the 5th place and you want it to be higher, the thing that you need to do is to bid just $1 more than above listing. After this you will see that your site has gone up one place and has replaced the site link which was above yours. So, the general idea is that if you want to get more traffic to your site you need to bid more because without investment you cannot gain anything. The more you will invest the better you will gain.

Bid directories will always list the top 10 links of each category on the first page of each category and all other links apart from top 10 links will follow consecutively according to their bid. Among all categories, the overall leader who will have the highest bid will be placed at the top of the site.

So what are you waiting for? Get yourself a huge traffic to your site and make yourself popular in the link building world.

Build Your Mailing List Or Die

Is having a mailing list really all that important?

You bet it is. Without a mailing list you are at the mercy of the search engines and their ever changing regulations. Don't get me wrong, doing your SEO is vital to your business but it's not the end of the story.

If you don't have a mailing list, your online business, once it gets off the ground, will eventually die. You can not sustain business without a customer base. Online or offline, repeat customers are the backbone of any business. It's even more important online because the competition is greater and they probably have a list.

Your list is your best form of advertisement. The people who are on your list have been to your site and have an interest in your topic. You will have to remind them on a regular basis that your site is a place they like to visit.

Don't bookmarks and favorites lists work the same way?

Not even close.

What happens when you get information about the most exciting piece of software ever created? You join the affiliate program to promote the software and add a link to your website Now you have to hope someone will find it and click on it. Of course, there is a lot of other information on your website so the likely hood of every one who comes to your site seeing that fantastic offer is pretty slim.

Let's go even one step further. Lets say the super software is very cheap right now but the price is going up in a week. Now you add this information to your website and have to remember to go back and change it in a week to reflect the new price. If you forget to do this, you are going to get a lot of angry emails when your visitors buy the software and pay a lot more than you were advertising.

OK, do you can see where you are going to have problems actually getting any sales from the super software?

Now, let's go back to the first moment you heard about the super software and the fantastic price. You join the affiliate program and immediately send a notice about this great offer out to your list.

The people on your list get an email. They open the email and see one offer. A super special offer with an unbeatable price. They don't see any other interesting information that may distract them. They see your offer and nothing else. They are totally focused on what you have presented to them. You tell them that this offer has a special price and they will have to act fast or pay more later.

Out of all the people who open your email, how many do you think are going to see this offer? 100% right? Of course. There isn't anything else to see. You have just raised your profit potential by a huge margin.

Can you see how you are losing money by only having your website and not having a list? It's pretty obvious isn't it? So, we're all in agreement, you do need a list.

How do you get this list?

First I want to tell you what you don't do. You don't go out and buy a safe list from some email address collector. These people don't want your email and you will be reported for spamming. You will have to build your list from people who are interested in your business.

Ask yourself this... who is interested in what you have to offer? The people who come to your website right? Yes! These people found your website by either doing a search in the search engines or were told about you from another site or a friend. In any case, they came to your site because you have the type of information that they are interested in.

While they are there, offer them the opportunity to join your mailing list. Have a sign up form on every page in a very prominent place. Tell your visitors that you will send them valuable information when it is available in exchange for their name and email address.

Some people think you should offer a free incentive to get people to join your list. There is a lot of controversy on this subject. You will have to decide what is right for you.

The only thing I offer people for joining my lists is future information and offers. The people who join most of my lists know I am going to try to sell them something so when they see an email from me, they aren't surprised when I ask them to get their credit card.

Be honest right from the start. Don't make your list joiners think they are on a list of freebies if you are planning on selling them products. They will quit the list as soon as you send your first offer. Trying to trick people to join your list will leave you with a bunch of angry subscribers and no sales.

If your website looks professional and you have valid information on your site, people will want to hear from you again. They will gladly join your list so they won't miss the great information you have to offer.

Treat your business like a business, not a scam, and you will prosper.

Now go build your list before you lose any more money.

Bruce Berman Marketing Guru

From the internet to the real estate world to the corporate finance setting, Bruce A. Berman has achieved tremendous success. He also shares his secrets with others. Once nominated (by Sprint) "Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year" Berman is a self-made millionaire.

Berman has no qualms about telling others that he “squeaked by” in high school, just doing well enough to let the system pass him through his senior year. Junior college was an option, but after a few semesters Berman decided it just wasn’t for him. That was the point he entered the financial world.

When he was 23 years old and a junior associate at a financial firm, he took chances the other associates were not willing to take. Berman, who has an innate desire to succeed, founded his first start-up company with “OPM” (other people’s money).

With a mind for fundraising and a real time ability to turn over and capitalize ventures quickly, Berman was able to take this OPM and make his own capital. While it started with finances, Berman’s interests quickly spread into the fields of alternative energy, video producing, real estate, investing and dot com booms.

Bruce A. Berman (before the age of 30), was in fact the co-founder of the Wind Energy Association, he now is the CEO of Berman Marketing Group, Inc, and most recently the CEO of National HealthCare Alliance, Inc.

With over 30 years of direct experience in money-making strategies, Bruce A. Berman knows the path to a successful life and he is not one bit bashful about sharing this with the world. His program, appropriately entitled “Aggressive Wealth” has already helped numerous others create the lives they want.

Brochure Printing That Works

A successful business strategy is often defined by a good advertising and marketing plan. Look around. Any venture that lacks the proper come-on to customers is almost always doomed to fail.

Take a start-up Web design company, for instance. If its proprietors do not make the business known to prospective clients by placing ads on the Internet or by informing the local neighborhood of their services, they will mostly likely get only one or two orders a month, majority of which will be from relatives and close friends who are really left with no choice but to help their friends' ventures flourish.

This is where an effective and catchy brochure comes in. In an age where the Internet is the weapon of choice for most advertisers, a lot of people still prefer the feel of something concrete in their hands, as if to prove that the business truly exists and is not fly-by-night. Printing a brochure that strikes people's attention easily will do the trick.

Why do you need a brochure?

If designed and distributed properly, a brochure printing could the singlemost important traditional advertising strategy your company could have. Sure, a poster does the same thing, too, but brochures are easier to hand out and pass around and don't take up much advertising space.

Brochure printing is synonymous to traditional advertising as milk is to coffee. You may not have a brochure printed for your business, but doing so would make the experience sweeter and more interesting. If you're chatting with someone you don't know too well and would like him to know about your business, you could start with a brochure that sums up all you have to say.

A brochure is non-intrusive and non-aggressive. That means, the person you give it has the option to take a look at it now or set it aside for later. The important thing is, he will most definitely take a look at it. And if your brochure is printed in an enticing way, it will be something he will never forget.

How do you design the right brochure?

Most brochures are printed in the tri-fold, 8.5 by 11-inch layout, but you can experiment with their size, depending on the look you want to achieve and your budget. They can either be full-color and two-color. Full-color brochures are relatively expensive because they require more printing processes to be completed.

Full-color brochures are not always the more effective choice. If you're artistic and know how to play with different shades of gray and white, you can produce a brochure that trumps even the most gaudy looking ones.

Of course, the content on your brochure should be brief. The purpose of brochure printing is defeated when you try to write a semi-novel on it. Remember, majority of businesspeople and clients have short attention spans because of the plethora of advertisements around. Keep your pitch short and simple.

To sum up, brochure printing should answer the what, where and why of your venture. Your mission fails when the brochure reader will not be able to identify what your business is all about.

Brochure printing is not an obsolete advertising tactic, no matter what other modern marketers say. After all, brochures are the ones that more often end up being stuck to refrigerator doors and used as makeshift bookmarks. They have better recall.

Women in advertising

Introduction

Men and women are different. It was designed by nature like this and there is nothing wrong about it as they perfectly supplement each other. There are stable images of men and women roles in the society, which are very difficult to change or overcome. Men are usually regarded as strong and resolute, clever and quick. Female roles are reduced to pretty and sexy objects. Advertising not only reflects the situation on the world market, but also the tendencies of the modern society and thing, which are in requisition. Gender plays in important role in advertising and gender stereotypes very often define the advertising style.

Men generally carry more important social roles, with very few exceptions, and this is reflected in the advertisements. Men play roles of authorities in the advertisements who either give examples of express their professional opinion in the contrast to women, who mainly play submissive roles of users of the products.

Advertisement can be called a measure of social opinion as it expresses the needs of the society but at the same time it also forms it. It plays a vital role in promoting labels and stereotypes. Certain ads are targeted to certain social groups. Ads, which display different female characters, appeal to different social groups.

In my paper I would like to study different approaches to woman in advertising, such as treating women as sex object, housewife, submissive, mother, professional, dumb blonde, in order to analyse social position of women and their perspectives.
Lets focus on each type of advertisements in order to study the social role it gives to women.

Women in advertising
First, and most traditional category of advertisements depicts women as typical housewife, fulfilling the major gender stereotype of the mankind. These characters radiate sweetness, warm-heartedness and passion to house holding. For example, the advertisement of commercially laundry “Bryza”, underlines the laundry to be totally women occupation. In the advertisement man is singing about children and stains and then addresses women with the words “Now You have Bryza”. Such an attitude implies that only women can and must be interested in laundry and other issued connected with house holding.

 Another bright example of such an attitude is an ad of Virginia Slims. This advertisement states “The sexiest move that a guy can make [in the house] is cleaning up.” Such an attitude presupposes that cleaning is fully women’s occupation and men, who help their women about the house, are doing the heroic deed and should be treated as heroes.

 Examples are multiple and we can calculate up to a dozen of advertisement, where women act as typical housewives during one commercial block. Such an attitude humiliates female dignity and strengthens social stereotype about the woman as a housewife.

There is nothing bad in being a good housewife or taking care about husband and children. It’s bad when all the life is artificially and intentionally centred all around this aspect. In order to understand the accordance of this category to ethical norms, we should define on the ethics first. Ethics, or moral philosophy is defined as a set of regulation, which define right or wrong behaviour.

From the ethical point of view, popularising the ideal of house keeping can not be regarded as something wrong. We should look deeper into the root of the problem to see another ethical problem here. Such kind of ads can limit female rights. Voluntary or not, but with the help of these ads socials role of the woman is reduced to the role of typical housewife. All the actions should be agreed with the ethics of the profession.

The role of submissive mother originally arises from the role of housewife. Motherhood is one of main destinations of all women. We all know about this from the childhood. Unfortunately, fatherhood isn’t considered to be one of the main social roles of the man. Rising children is considered to be mainly female prerogative. Such an attitude is reflected in the advertisements, where all children are accompanied by their caring and submissive mothers. These are mothers, who make the children ready to school, cook them breakfast, take care about their health, appearance, toys, etc.

The chances to see a man in the role of loving father is very small or equals zero. These stereotypes about the role of woman as submissive mother are reflected in ad of Chewi-Quaker. Small girl is worried about new surrounding after moving to another school, but becomes popular when finds Chewis and messages from her loving mother in her lunch box. Another very bright example is a Cheetos advertisement, where the mother of four children is driving a family van around the city.

These are typical ad when loving and caring mother helps her kids. It’s hard for us to imagine any man on the place of the woman in the ads about children.

These ads are light and touching, but they serve a bad service persuading the society that taking care about the children is fully feminine responsibility.

The social role of woman is changed nowadays and the range of her responsibilities goes much further than housework or raising children. In many families women work on a par with men or even more, but old social stereotypes are still alive and still give the perverted idea about the female role in the society.

Same as the first category, the ads which include the patters of the submissive mothers don’t contradict any ethical norms directly as they don’t include any lies or violence, but the result can break the ethical norm, breaking the balance between social and personal life of the women.

Winning Logo Design

Making a living out of selling Logo Designs can be fraught with danger. Cuthroats willing to slash your throat on street corners, drug crazed thugs and conniving conmen are just some of the things to avoid. Its a jungle out there so make sure your logo design is bulletproof.

Buy Low - Sell high
In terms of outlay the resources you'll need to produce your logo designs are pretty minimal and the returns can be huge. What you'll need is either a pen and paper or in todays modern fangled world a mouse and computer to produce your designs. Pop along to your local electrical retailer and see what offers they've got on for computers. Alternatively make one yourself out of an old radio and a broken down TV. Hey presto a fully functioning desktop publishing empire for the price of a cup of tea.

Look close to home for design inspiration
Now that you're fully set up to produce quality logo designs, you've actually got to come up with some rather fancy ideas. A good place to go for inspiration is the front living room where you'll be amazed to find lots of branded products just waiting to be copied and served up as your own logo design ideas. Another place you might want to look at is your own kitchen. Go on, take a look in your fridge - it's brimming with things like cream cheese, beefburgers and probably some skanky vegetables. If that doesn't inspire you to create, I don't know what will

Hands up who wants a logo?
Your hardest task in making your logos pay for your living is going to be finding anyone vaguely interested in what you have to offer. Once you've asked your small circle of friends and family for the umpteenth time whether they want to pay you to produce a logo for them, its time to look at advertising your services to a wider audience. Try producing a TV commercial using a movie camera and the help of a local TV production crew. Once your ad is shown on primetime TV those orders will start to rollin...

...or they would have done, but for one fact on this journey of self discovery we forgot to build ourselves a website or leave a contact number for people to call. In hindsight remember to have a website designer build you a logo design website before you spend thousands on producing your tv ad. OK, for arguments sake lets say we had a website ready beforehand and now we've got something like 200 logos to produce, how are we going to cope?

 Outsource, my friend and soon like this article recommends - you'll be earning BIG BIG moneys baby. Damned right.

Why Niche Marketing is the Way to Go in Succeeding Online

Niche Marketing is the last great frontier for the small business entrepreneur. Out there in the 'real' world, small businesses don't have a half fair chance of competing against the giant international corporations of the world.

 The Internet has evened the odds for small business. The Internet has created a real equal opportunity for those who are willing to use it. There are several different ways to make use of niche marketing and succeed. All of the ways require getting a domain and a webhost, building web pages and adding content.

Those are just the basic basics of Internet Marketing in any form. Then there are the choices of how to go about building a successful niche marketing site that will provide you with a profit....hopefully a very large profit.

1.    You can create an informational product. An informational product can be articles, reports, columns, audio or video, or other things. These can be sold as stand alone products or used for advertisement or promotional causes.
2.    You can build a content rich web site that will be so interesting it will draw potential customers again and again.
3.    You can publish newsletters and ezines that are so full of pertinent information that people will happily pay for subscriptions to them.

All of the above listed ways can be used to create a niche marketing website that has the capacity to make money. There are two things that all of these methods have in common.

1.    The topic must be one that helps people solve a problem, makes them healthier or happier, or provides them with information that they want or need in some way.
2.    The content of the website, no matter the topic, must be relevant, timely and interesting to the people who are reading it and the website must be easily navigated.

Why Haven't You Got An Article Directory?

With the advent of Jagger, Googles latest update, more than ever people are talking about good content and how important it is to have on any site. Good, relevant content is  loved by search engines and visitors alike. Quality content is a powerful tool for Internet marketing and promotion purposes.

Sadly, it seems not everyone, in fact very few have got the message about article marketing, and the fact that you don't have to be the articles author to profit form them. And this inspite of the free advice given by many experienced web masters, that shows that good content and first-rate submission work can grant you a massive publicity online and a growing income.

Even if the search engines change their algorithms, There should  be little if any adverse effect on sites with good content, especially if fresh content in the form of well written articles is being added regularly.  What many have failed to realise is that the Internet is about nothing but content. Without good, relevant content the Internet would be nothing. In the words of many practiced marketers "content is king".

So how do you make money and satisfy the  search engines and your visitors alike? This is where runniing your own article directory comes into play, It isn't difficult or particularly complicated, and there are some wonderful benefits to having your own article directory:

Your site grows on a daily basis with that all important relevant content.

Every new page is indexed by the search engines, because the content is relevant to the keywords in each article category, your keword and keyphrase score goes up. Especially important in Google.

Your PR will grow over time as the quantity of quality articles on your site increases.

Article directory sites give you targetted traffic, this usually means higher click throughs on your Adsense and other affiliate links.

 No need to worry about constantly changing your content, a  few clicks from the mouse in the admin panel is all it takes to add to your content.

Monetizing your site is easy with use of Adsense and any other affiliate scheme you like the look of. Best of all most of theses schemes are FREE to join!

It is plain that the benefits of your own on site article directory far outweigh any disadvantages, So Whats to Stop You?  Dont know where to start! This is really easy! Visit the nice people at www.articledashboard .com they have a very useful FREE script just for this. It's really easy to install, or if you don't fancy doing it yourself, or are unsure how, they'll install it for a one off of $50. They also provide a nice little PDF file on how best to profit from your new article directory.

Drawbacks!?!
Some say too many articles too quickly could give the search engines the idea that you're a spammer. I have to say I disagree. If your site is a new domain that has never before been registered, then you may find yourself playing in Googles sand box for about three months. However, if your site is older or has been registered before then my personal opinion is that no harm would come, especially when you provide the search engines with what they expect to see - steady growth be that five a week or fifty a day. NO ONE (except the bods at Google)  knows the criteria Google uses for sand boxing sites.

On Quality
Use your judgement! After all, you know a piece of garbage when you see one, and it'll do you and your site no good at all publishing garbage.

Using the Internet to your Advantage

Coming from the "Internet generation," I understand the importance of doing your business, or at least advertising your business online. The Internet has opened up a wealth of possibilities to businesses that were simply not available 10 or 15 years ago. But before I start telling my age, please let me explain further.

Open 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week

The Internet never closes down for the end of the business day or the weekend. Your businesses information and contact information is available at any time. This means that potential clients can research and decide if they want to do business with you, without having to contact you. Before, the only time a potential client could inquire about your business was during business hours, unless you wanted to give out your private phone numbers and cell phone numbers. Now, they can send you an email, and you can answer it at your convenience.

More Information Then Ever Before

The Internet does not constrain you to a certain number of words. You literally have unlimited amounts of space to talk about, advertise, and display information about your business. Before, you would have to fit what you felt was the most important information into a 30 second commercial, or a specific size of brochure.

Global Users

Before the Internet, you were required to spend large amounts of money to advertise anywhere but your local area. You had to rely on people driving by or hearing/seeing one of your local ads in order to do business with them. The Internet however, is reachable by every country on the planet, and a website or online ads usually costs exactly the same whether people from your hometown, or people from the other side of the world are viewing it.

Changeable Content

When creating a business brochure or handout, you had to make sure you only put none-dateable information in there, because after all, once they are printed, you cannot change the information. This created potentially large advertising costs, and sometimes many wasted ads due to changing information. Likewise, you were unable to change the text or print on a radio or TV ad until that ad ran its campaign. Online, changing information is as simple as point and click. Your phone number changed? Simple, log onto your website or ad and change it.

Small Cost, Large Results

We all know how expensive traditional advertising campaigns can be. A simple ad in the newspaper now costs about $15 a week, a billboard around $600 a month. However, advertising online is far less expensive. For example: a static, 5 page website will cost you around $109 (if you choose the right designer) and about $3 a month after that.

That is a total of $145 dollars a year.  Posting to search engines where clients can find your business is free, and allows visitors to search for, and find your website. If you choose to advertise your website on other networks, you only pay when someone actually clicks on your ad.
That allows you to control the amount of money, and you only pay for the people that actually see your website. Small businesses or businesses with small budgets and get, and maintain a website for about $.39 a day.

Overall, the Internet is not one of the best ways to successfully advertise your business. If you are new to the Internet, you may want to consider hiring a professional to develop and maintain your advertisements for you. When searching for a designer and web developer, please pay special attention to their details. Here are a few things that you will want to avoid:

1)Template Websites- Templates, sometimes called cookie cutter websites, are pre made designs and set ups of a website. Any number of other websites can use the every same template for their website.  In the event that a potential customer has visited a website with a similar template to yours, then chances are they will either not take your business as serious, or reference your business with that website. Ask the potential designer if your website will be unique or made from a template before you do business with them.

2) Hourly Rate Design- Some web design companies offer "hourly rate web design." It has been found that many hourly designers will tell you something takes much longer to complete then it usually does. In this case, you will end up paying for hours of work when the work only actually took a few minutes, or they will hold your website hostage until you do. Look for set packages that list what you will get, no matter how much time it took to complete.

3) High Hosting Charges- Many new business owners and business owners not familiar with the Internet will let their web designer host their website for them. While there is nothing wrong with this, be cautious of the amount you will be paying month for their hosting. 

Small businesses that only require small website should not pay over $3-$7  a month for hosting. Larger businesses or businesses with large or dynamic websites should never pay over $10-$15 a month. On the other hand, you may find a design company offering free hosting as an introductory offer. If this is true, be sure to ask how much you will be paying for hosting once the offer expires.

4) Long Completion Times- Web design is a complicated process, however, a good designer can finish a website in a rather small amount of time. Be cautious of web designers that take a long time to complete each website.

This may be a sign that they may have to much on their plate. If that is the case, then chances are you will not receive the proper attention and care that is needed to make a website a success. Always ask a potential designer how long it typically takes them to finish and publish a website.

Using Custom Printed T-Shirts as Advertising

In the world of today, you will be hard pressed to find someone to argue that advertising is ineffective.  The evidence is all around.  We are bombarded with advertisements telling us how we need to have each and every product. 

Have you ever stopped and wondered why?  

The answer of course is because it works.  Multinationals don’t spend millions every year to lose money, on the contrary big companies spend money because their Harvard MBA accountants tell them that they end up way ahead.  The truth is that if you are not advertising you and your business are probably missing out. 


    At this point a number of people are probably thinking one of two things: I can’t afford to advertise for a short time and have only a few people see my ad, or they feel energized and want to take the big step and invest.

 The truth is you don’t need to spend a prodigious fortune to have an effective advertising campaign.  As a t-shirt screen printer, I have seen people spend modest amounts of money on a creative t-shirt that they then use as the core of their campaign. 

This seems like a naïve attempt at advertising, but the truth is that many of my customers have told me that it is their most effective form.  Think about it.  Most advertisements are around for a month tops.  T-shirts last for at least a few years. 

The people that wear them walk around and expose your business to a myriad of people every time it is worn.  This translates into long term, inexpensive, effective advertising for your business.
    This type of personalized advertising’s effectiveness can best be seen when compared to some of the more traditional forms.  Phone books for example are being used less and less as the internet continues to establish itself evermore resolutely in both business and personal lives.  Search engines are a great way to go but require time and money, and lots of both.  To make it high on the sponsored links could mean paying dollars per click.

 The natural listings require you to pour money and time into development.  I can tell you right now that anyone who is a number one on Google dedicated much more time and money than anyone who ever bought t-shirts did.  Television, radio, and newspaper can get you companies name out there, but they can be very expensive, short lived, and even to an extent ineffective.

 If your costumers don’t or hear the ads then you have wasted a hefty sum of money. 

    T-shits on the other hand are inexpensive.  They don’t require the hassle and time that many other forms of advertising do.  Plus they have far great longevity and will walk themselves right to potential customers.

 An effective t-shirt campaign can take nothing more than a good design, something at least my company helps with for free, and giving them away to your friends, customers, or even strangers.  From personal experience I have seen the effectiveness of this time and time again.

I have the advantage of seeing these t-shirts go from idea to ad, and much to my chagrin, I often get the enjoyment of seeing people I have never met wear them.  I see the advertisements around, so I know that they are effective at getting seen. 

    Your business could benefit greatly from advertising.  Perhaps you have already considered expanding your business or your business’s advertising, or perhaps this essay has given you some motivation.  In either case I urge you to consider using custom printed t-shirts in your next ad campaign.

Using Buttons and Badges

The food service industry is usually a fast paced and often precarious one. Advertising is critical in a restaurant and there are many ways to use a button maker machine in this industry. When the advertising budget is tight, a button-making machine will expand those precious dollars. Buttons can be used for a myriad of purposes such as advertising specials and for identification of wait staff. Whether you serve a five star cuisine or mom and pop specialties, a buttons can help lower your overhead and raise profits.

Every restaurant has a line of specials that they serve. Servers may suggest the special, or describe it, but a button can really show it. People are stimulated by what they see – hence all the pictures in menus. It would just make sense to have an appetizing photograph of your daily special or weekly special on a button to attract attention. The server might suggest the special while pointing to the button “As you can see, today for our special we have a delicious pot roast with mixed vegetables”.

Buttons and badges are a really inexpensive way of advertising your specials and increasing your sales. Buttons can also be used to advertise the next night’s special to tantalize your guests to return. Want to increase the dessert sales? Nothing makes the mouth crave cool creamy ice cream more than a photograph of a hot fudge Sunday or a malted milkshake – words just can not describe those types of images well enough. These buttons can be made and handed out to the staff each day or each week of the special and then returned. Buttons are small enough to store easily, reusable, durable, and still large enough to make the mouth water when covered with pictures of your luscious entrées.

Do you have a unique or unusual theme to your restaurant? Sell souvenir buttons with your restaurant logo. If you are in a travel location, such as along an interstate, buttons with the state information and name on it are also great souvenirs. These buttons can be sold for as little as a dollar and still generate a handsome profit. “I always eat at Joe’s Bar and Grill” or “World’s Greatest Bar-be-Que” over a picture of your restaurant would be a simple button to make and could also be sold as a souvenir. Do you have a signature dish or a super large portion? For that guest who accomplishes the clean plate give them a button. For example, “Survivor” stamped over a picture of a porterhouse steak with your restaurant’s name at the bottom would certainly get people’s attention.

Making up buttons with your logo and address on them are great for sponsored events as well. Does your restaurant support a local youth sports team? Making up buttons to let people know who you sponsor and to give out to the team players is a great way to get the word out that you are involved in the community. Staff members can wear these buttons in the restaurant to let guests know that your establishment inspires youth activities. These buttons can also be made with the team’s final placement or the word “Champions” over your restaurant’s logo. This is a keepsake for the team members and a way of getting your logo and name out in the public.

Would you like to reward your frequent repeat customers? A button that reads “Thank You for Your Business” can be a great way to say thanks and will get the word outside the restaurant that you appreciate your guests. These can also have a discount on them. If you have regulars who visit often, give them a button for five or ten percent off their next meal. These buttons can be returned at the time of the purchase, just like a coupon, and saved for the next customer you want to reward. This is an inexpensive way to promote your establishment at openings as well. Pass these buttons out to new customers to draw them back in, and maybe even their friends.

Use buttons as nametags for employees. These can be customized with the restaurants logo and address or if you are a less formal establishment, have the servers and staff design their own buttons – within reason of course. Buttons are also large enough to include years of service. Rewards for staff can also be made out of buttons. The employee of the month or week can wear a button saying “Employee of the Month” or “This week’s Star Performer”.

Buttons for special meals or special employees are an inexpensive addition to your establishment. These buttons can help increase sales, generate more revenue, advertise inside and outside the restaurant and reward your frequent guests. No restaurant should be without one of these money saving devices.

Using Banner Stands to Increase Trade Show Traffic

Attending a trade show can be a very effective method of promoting your company and its products. And one of the most effective ways to optimize your trade show display and increase traffic to your booth is through the use of banner stands. A banner stand for your trade show display draws attention to your booth and helps you deliver your message to prospective clients, current customers and business contacts at what is usually a highly competitive event. Your trade show display should stand out from the crowd, and a banner stand is a great way to make sure it does.

Banners themselves are typically constructed with either fabric or vinyl. There are advantages and disadvantages to each type of material, so you should consider how you will use your banner stand before deciding between fabric and vinyl. Fabric banners are durable and long-lasting. Fabric doesn’t reflect light like vinyl, which can decrease your banner’s readability. Fabric banners also don’t bend or crease so they travel well. However, fabric banners are not easy to clean and can become dingy or faded with time. Vinyl banners are easy to wipe clean and allow for brighter colors and sharper image definition on them making them more eye-catching than fabric banners.

There are many aspects of banner stands that make your investment in one worthwhile. Banner stands can be designed with your company logo or graphics, and include the important information you want to convey to prospective clients. They can be used in conjunction with a trade show display or on their own to advertise a product, announce an event, or showcase information about your business. They can be used as an extension of your trade show booth at a show because they can be set up in other areas like the show lobby or at the end of an aisle. Additionally, banner stands are lightweight, portable, and easy to set up and take down.

Once you have invested in a banner stand, you will find many uses for this vital piece of equipment outside of trade show displays. Banner stands are reusable and long-lasting. You might consider setting up your custom banner stand in a shopping mall to draw customers into your store, in a hotel lobby to direct the flow of traffic, at a movie theater to advertise an upcoming film, at a sporting event to showcase team information, or wherever your audience is likely to be found. The benefits of a custom banner stand will last your business far beyond trade show displays, and with proper care can be used for several years of succinct, eye-catching advertisement for your business or company.

The One Thing You Must Do To Skyrocket Your Fundraiser!

Every fundraiser group struggles with the impossible quest of finding the ultimate all-in-one fundraising idea. However, the best idea doesn't have to be too crafty. Actually it's very simple: just have fun! And let everybody else have fun as well. It doesn't matter what type of campaign you're running, as long as everybody is having fun success will become inevitable. The following 5 surefire ways to having fun during a fundraiser can be easily applied to any scenario:

- Reward your volunteers: If you offer attractive incentives and prizes to your contributing volunteers they might have more fun. The idea is to create a competitive but friendly environment. The prize doesn't have to be one million dollars; a simple gift such as a custom trophy is more than enough.

- Plan: Before even starting your campaign plan to have fun. Think about a day's fundraising activities and how you can make every part of the process enjoyable to work with. Always ask yourself the key question: How can I make this fun? It doesn't always have to be boring work.

- Show your appreciation: Constantly remember your contributors and volunteers you're grateful for their work with the words "thank you". Keep smiling all the way through and everyone else will smile back at you. Be sure to provide snacks and drinks to keep your supporters energetically in action.

- Make a movie: You can film an entertaining movie about your fundraising quest and have everybody appear on it. Make it a sort of a fun documentary in which everybody gets to tell their story and experience with the fundraiser. Give it a funny title related to the theme of your campaign. Then you can throw a party where everyone can watch the movie.

- Challenge your team: Promise you'll do something daring and funny if your team reaches a certain goal. For example doing the chicken dance or wearing a funny costume for a day. This will give your volunteers a very attractive incentive to do good work.

It's no secret that people perform better on their tasks while they're feeling good and having fun. As a leader, stimulating fun into your supporters has the potential of multiplying your group's rewards!

The Most Overlooked Free Advertising In The World

Why would anyone in their right mind pass up an opportunity for free advertising?
 The answer is, you shouldn't. Never.

That's why you need to learn the careful art of press release writing and submission.

The press release is the perfect tool for free publicity. Most people know that non-profit and community service organizations are capable of getting free publicity by using this tool. But can it be used for businesses that operate for profit? Sure can.

If written the right way and promoting the proper angle, a press release can get your business in the spotlight for some free publicity. But you've got to keep a few things in mind.

First, no media outlet is going to advertise your weekend sale or special one-time low prices on out-of-date widgets. If you are seeking publicity for your business because you want to rake in some quick cash next weekend, don't waste your time. You won't get the publicity you're looking for.

However, if you are the proud sponsor of a community event where members of the public are invited then you could get some free publicity. There are all kinds of creative ways to make this work.

For instance, suppose the new and outrageous Springling Sisters Carnival is coming to town. They are going to use your storefront parking lot to set up for entertainment. Normally, your business is closed on weekends and the carnival is only going to operate on Saturday and Sunday. What a great opportunity to capitalize!

That is one golden opportunity for a press release. But don't mention your business. Just promote the carnival and be sure to give the address where the carnival will be located - the address of your business, which you won't mention by name. People who read about the carnival in the newspaper or hear it on the radio will be looking for your address. When they find it, they will find your business open on days it is normally not open.

Here's what you do on Saturday and Sunday when the carnival is in town. Hire a clown or someone who represents a mascot for your business. Have them stand at the entrance of the carnival or beside the street where traffic is passing by. They should be holding a sign advertising your business is open or passing out flyers and brochures to carnival-goers inviting them to your store after they have enjoyed the entertainment. Promote it as a special Carnival Day Super Saver Day, or a similar special sale day. People will love it.

Your store can be promoted this way through any number of events. Suppose you hire a local celebrity to visit your store on a certain day. Send a press release stating the celebrity will be at your store (this time you can mention it by name) on that day at a specific time. Because your event is promoting the celebrity, not your business, and it's a free event that anyone can attend, it is likely that local news media will pick it up.

One other way you can get free publicity for your business is to host a free seminar where nothing will be sold. The idea is to give people free information they can use in their businesses or private lives. Suppose you run a local automotive shop. You can give a free seminar teaching women and new drivers how to do a tune up. Since you are not selling your services at the seminar this is a great opportunity to promote your business in the community without advertising.

Also, you can use legislative issues as a tool for free publicity. What if your state passes a new law regarding emissions testing. Write a press release where the legislation is the focus of the article. Don't talk about your business. Instead, discuss how the legislation will effect people in your community. Then, throw in a quote from the owner or manager of your business. You can include the person's title and the business name since you are writing a news story and position the person quoted as an expert on the subject. Voila! Free publicity.

It is important that you focus on an event or special moment that will appeal to a wide variety of people and involves some sort of community service or popular interest. It shouldn't be self-serving. You are giving to the community and you want the world to know. This is your one chance to shine.

Be sure to send the press release to as many media outlets (radio, television, print and Internet) as you can find contact information for. It is best if you send it to a specific editor by name rather than just "editor" or "producer." Also, learn to write in journalistic style with all the pertinent information (who, what, when, where, why and how) in the first two or three paragraphs. Write in an inverted pyramid style with the most important information up front. That way, if the media company only has space for so much content they will use the most important information because they always cut from the bottom.

Press releases can be used to promote your business in a variety of ways, to include special community events, charitable sponsorships, joint ventures with government and community service organizations, celebrity appearances and holiday events that involve a wide berth of community personalities and agencies. Be creative and remember that your goal is to promote someone or something else. You should be in the background as much as possible, but visible. And that is how you can promote your business through free publicity using the most overlooked free advertising tool in the world-wide universe.

The Missing Link

Getting from There to Here

You have spent a lot of time creating an online presence. You have virus protection and maybe a firewall to protect the security of your system, you have located a web host to manage your online presence, then you define the direction of your site and work at developing a look that is appealing and a format that is easy to navigate.

You might think that after all this planning and preparation your work would be done, right? Well if you’re selling goods or services, you need customers. If you have a brick and mortar store then you may already have valued customers, but the ease of use in online shopping makes a global market an attractive addition to an already successful enterprise.

You may submit your site information to search engines and participate in a variety of link exchange programs, but it still might not be enough.

Many online businesses purchase a series of advertisements on amenable sites. Those advertisements drive additional customers to affiliated sites which makes online advertising so valuable.

Advertising: Where Did it Go?

What happens if you spend advertising dollars that provide no opportunity for potential clients to respond?

You may not think that something like this happens, but it’s actually a very common occurrence. You see, Internet site updates are an important function of proper maintenance and web site enhancement. If a site always looks the same, a media saturated society tends to become a little ho hum which is why sites are constantly updating both content and design features.

Finding the Missing Link

That’s where your difficulty starts. When site design changes, sometimes the advertisements that have already been paid for are inadvertently eliminated from the site. You paid for the advertising, you expect the advertising, but it’s hard to keep up with every site that will be displaying your ad.

Many web savvy site owners are discovering the value of link checker software that properly tracks the continued use of pre-paid advertising or link exchanges.

A Matter of Time and Revenue

The reason a link checker is so vital is that it can advise you when a promised link is broken. A link checker saves you time and potential lost revenue. A link checker is the perfect mechanism for providing accountability on the advertisement that you have every right to expect.

Without link checker software many web business owners find themselves checking links periodically to see if they are still active. There are even those who never give it a second thought and may miss out on adding significantly to the bottom line of their web based business.

Link Checker: Ease of Use

Link checker software allows you to pick all of the links you need to check and it will do a thorough check upon request. The design of a link checker makes it user friendly and comprehensive in its findings.

By using link checker software you can minimize missed advertising and maximize earning potential.

Even if your advertising is part of a link exchange it is important to know that the exchange is beneficial to you and a link checker makes it possible to know for sure.

Headache Relief

The cost of the software could be offset by locating problem links as quickly as possible. Be sure to check for link checker software that provides a free trial offer. A test drive of the applications of a link checker may well convince you that this is one software application that really makes solid business sense.

The Marketing Concept of Pixel Ads

I believe that most of you have heard about the Million Dollar Homepage and it’s success story. The web site owner Alex Tew earned a million US dollar in a dramatically short time and brought public attention all over the world by selling pixels on his web site. However, it seems that the pixel craze didn’t last long as the copycats of the pixel advertising idea were mostly not doing well, especially the later ones who sometimes ended their site without a pixel sold.

      When talking about marketing strategies, the pixel advertising should be in the short-term category since curiousness of people don’t last long on a narrow topic. Alex Tew was smart to have noticed this point and that’s why he limited the number pixels to a million. This is not to ignore the huge demand out there but to generate an even higher traffic while pixels are limited in supply.

      The Million Dollar Homepage generated a huge traffic mainly because of the mass media, no matter the international ones or local ones, which are thirsty to find some amazing or crazy ideas that really work. People are always curious about news related to earning easy-money or becoming a millionaire while everyone is working hard in the society for money. In another word, this news makes people think out of the usual way. In fact, Tew’s whole idea including the web site’s domain name just hit the target. When people view the ads, the ads have their value.

      Although pixel advertising is probably out-of-date, there are still some innovative marketing strategies of the Million Dollar Homepage that web designers worth a reference.

      Since every page in the web site is about the advertising business itself, all visitors of the web site have a common intention – to try those extremely tiny pixel links and see what is it all about. In result, the ads owners receive a large amount of quality traffic, which other types web-based ads seldom have.

      Another point to note is about the price of a product. A higher price set for your product is not a scary monster that drives your customers away if it is used in a suitable manner. Just take a look of the Million Dollar Homepage if you haven’t and you will understand how small is a hundred pixels. It’s just enough to put a character of a novel in it. However, in fact, the values of the ads are beyond what you can actually see when the value of the ads themselves creates a high commercial status for the pixel owners. This is one of the successful usages of money itself in generating transactions in recent days.

      Indeed, many people were inspired by Alex Tew and have started their own new idea of advertising.  One of the examples is The Infinite Levels (http://www.theinfinitelevels.com) a new web site aims at building a virtual AdLevels construction starting with $10. What makes it different from the others is that it is not earning short-term revenue like the pixel advertising as it adapts numerous innovative designs and the Dollar Accumulation System which brings a continuous interest from the public. If this idea is successful, the designer of the web site may be able to go beyond Alex Tew’s achievement.

      Let’s wait for the second miracle in the advertising industry to happen.

Search Engines Have Changed Public Relations

When it comes to Public Relations, the driving philosophy that underlies even the most minute aspect of a campaign is that perception equals reality.  This is as true as ever in the Interactive Age because anyone with Internet access has the ability to voice his or her opinion on the World Wide Web.  Internet users now have the ability to present their opinions for public consumption on blogs as well as websites. 
Thanks to the advent of search engines, websurfers may access any perspective of the online debate (be it positive, negative, or indifferent) ranging in topic from iPods to real estate. 

Google has profoundly changed advertising on the internet as well.  What distinguishes search from other online marketing strategies is that search provides each individual user with specific information based on their initial inquiry.  Often, this information comes from obscure corners of the Internet, thus giving strength to voices that may have gone unheard.

This democratic media revolution brings new challenges for Public Relations- the art dedicated to communicating a business’s message to its audience.  No longer is PR concerned with the relatively sparse inlets of effective television, radio and print – now, thanks to the Internet, Public Relations has to actually contend with …gulp …the public! 

So it makes sense that PR efforts must now encompass the expanding world of search and, in order to survive in the marketplace, your business needs the PR benefits that come as a result.  Search Engine Optimization should be utilized by Public Relations professionals to ensure the standards of their client’s image. A comprehensive PR strategy must incorporate search as a means of building or maintaining a client’s image. 

The survival of conventional PR then becomes a question of updated technology.  When choosing a Public Relations company to help your business maintain an image, it is no longer a question of who has the longest track record, but who has the longest reach.  If your PR company doesn’t have a search division of its own at its fingertips, don’t expect your campaigns to extend beyond the traditional paper and print.  In this sense, it was a natural extension of ICMediaDirect.com to announce its Public Relations division after the successes of its Search and Research divisions.  Finding that much of the work performed for SEO and SEM was already inherently related to the new Search-influenced PR, the launching of a PR division in a company long familiar with the details of this industry is no surprise. 

How do they relate?

Let’s take an imaginary attack on Sunshine Widgets.  A disgruntled entity could simply start “blogging” against it.  They could harp on a single unfortunate incident, or flat out tell lies about Sunshine Widgets, and its corporate ineptness.  It wouldn’t take much. 
   
Perhaps Sunshine Widgets runs TV and print ads.  These efforts would be undercut by some chap with a blog running a disinformation campaign.  Unfair accusations or charges would appear every time someone searches for ‘Sunshine Widgets’.  No company, big or small, real or imagined, can afford bad press that pops up with every user search.  At this point, the necessity for a comprehensive Public Relations strategy becomes clear.

Sunshine Widgets could, through a practice commonly known as Search Engine Optimization (SEO), be proactive in asserting its corporate voice, thus re-asserting its sterling brand image.  The variety of interactive channels to engage in allows Sunshine Widgets greater ability to define its desired message.  Here are the ways in which it would benefit from a search oriented Public Relations campaign in the face of these random blog attacks:

•    Blog search engines, like Technorati.com and Delicious.com, are growing rapidly in use and popularity.  This suggests that online users, when looking for “what the real story is”, are curious not only as to “what people think” but also “when they think it.”  For example, there were a lot more ‘Sopranos’ searches on the day before the season premier than there were six months before – and blog searches give you the latest on what bloggers are currently writing, as opposed to search engines which may not take the information posting date into account.  Therefore, through Search Engine Optimization, anyone searching the internet for ‘Sunshine Widgets’ would be returned information that is not only accurate with regard to content, but up to date as well.

•    Sunshine Widgets could issue press releases to announce company undertakings, strategies for the future, as well as past successes.  Press releases are the most widely used means of communication employed by a company and are integral in shaping public perception of your brand.  By distributing press releases online, a company has the ability to communicate its immediate message to millions of consumers instantly.

•    Sunshine Widgets could engage in a paid search (PPC) campaign to drive searchers to landing pages of Sunshine’s choosing.  While driving sales numbers becomes secondary to building brand image, a paid search campaign also fuels greater traffic to a company’s website, and the company that drives more users to its site helps shape its own reputation – and reputation, it bears repeating, is very important. 

These campaigns would all use different tools to achieve the same goal, better public corporate messaging.  The benefits brought to the company would vary too.  For instance, all of the content published on the web will not only “put the word out there”, but crowd out any negativity from some renegade’s message.  A single, angry blog will not be able to cloud a business’s message provided that company maintains an effective PR campaign.  The many different messaging formats should insulate from this danger.  

While traditional media outlets are still the cornerstone of any successful PR campaign,
The internet presents an unprecedented opportunity to reach consumers directly, and on an individual basis.  Through an internet campaign, a company may not only protect its brand image against attack, but strengthen and widen its consumer base. 

Consider the following statistic: a consumer is four times more likely to recount a negative experience with a company than a positive one. 
Now consider that a disgruntled consumer has had a negative experience with your company.  Now, let us suppose that they write a daily blog encouraging other consumers to boycott your business. 

Finally, let us imagine that putting your company’s name into a search engine brings up said disgruntled consumer’s blog as the first search result.  Now, ask yourself, would you launch a traditional campaign (print, tv, radio) to reverse the damage done to your brand image, or would you stop the problem at its source through an online campaign? 

The answer is obvious, and any company that does not take the internet into account when formulating its PR strategy may as well post negative consumer criticism on its website- that’s practically what’s happening anyway.