The Dos and Don'ts of Advertising for Small Businesses

Well to be honest, most small businesses shouldn't be advertising at all and especially not if you are on a tight budget. There are so many other things you could be spending your marketing budget on, rather than advertising, and many of these strategies have higher returns than a traditional advert.

But if you do feel that advertising is a strategy you want to engage in then here are some Shoulds and Should Nots.

What you SHOULD do:

DO your research. Before you spend any money or make a commitment for any advertising spend, you need to know that you are considering the right publication for your advert. You can do this by matching up your target audience or your ideal customer profile with the publication's reader demographics.

All good publications/media sources will have this information in their media packs or if they don't, they will be able to provide this information to you. And if the readership doesn't match your target audience - then don't use this publication - it just won't work.

DO get the most bang for your buck! This is more media pack research and actually it's quite straightforward. Find out, from the media pack, what the per column centimetre cost for a display advert is. So, for example, a display advert (that's one that is graphically designed and not just text - or a lineage advert) could cost you £15/col cm.

That means, for every centimetre high that your advert is and for one column in width you will pay £15. E.g. a two-column wide ad that is 10cms high will cost you: £300. (£15 x 2 x 10 = £300.) Now you know how much your ad will cost, you need to divide this by the circulation figure of the publication. This will give you the per person or per item cost of your ad, which will enable you to compare two or more suitable publications in terms of their cost effectiveness.

DO negotiate or bargain! Don't ever, ever, ever pay the rate card price for your advert. EVER! The rate card price in the media pack is what the publication would like to get for that space and sometimes they do - but not from you. There are ways to negotiate discounts and get a bargain! Trust me on this - I have been on both sides of the coin - having run a publication and been a media buyer for previous employers and now current clients.

• Option 1: Check the rate for a black & white (B&W) ad and then ask for it to be in colour for the same price. Of course this only works if there is a B&W price and spot colour or full colour price options. This is less like these days as most publications are now full colour throughout and offer this as a standard option.
• Option 2: Agree to book a series - two or more adverts - for a discount on the insertion rate (the insertion rate is the cost for each time the advert appears in the publication).
• Option 3: If the publication you are negotiating with has more than one publication or edition in its series - get them to put the ad in more than edition for the original price.
• Option 4: Find out when the publication's deadline is and get in touch just before deadline to see if they have any last minute deals going. You might sacrifice choice over position but you could get a real deal.

DO always ask for a good position (i.e. early right hand page - pages 3,5,7,9,11) and/or some free editorial space. This is obviously not a direct monetary saving but it is added value.

What you SHOULD NOT do:

DO NOT (at the risk of repeating myself) pay the rate card price. There is usually no need to pay the rate card price. The exception might be if this is the only publication suitable for your business and/or it is oversubscribed and can charge a premium.

DO NOT make your advert too small. No point in having a tiny advert it will just get overlooked.

DO NOT try to squeeze too much into your advert. This is such a common mistake. I know what people are thinking when they do this - I am paying for this space so I have to get as much out of it as possible. Big mistake. If you overcrowd your advert you might as well have left the space blank. Too much information will make people not want to read it. If they do - by some miracle - read your advert, you will be throwing so many messages and information at the reader they will just give up or come away confused. You need to keep it simple, choose one strong message and use the space wisely.

DO NOT over commit yourself to any publication. If you are negotiating for a discount by block-booking then give yourself the option to cancel this agreement if you find the ad isn't working for you. One way to do this is to book three insertions (one a month) for a discount with just a verbal promise of similar block bookings if all goes well.

As I said, I don't believe that advertising is a good way to go for small businesses.

Although advertising means that you can say what you want to your target audience in the way you want to say it, compared to other types of marketing, including PR, it has little credibility - readers know you can essentially say whatever you want.

Advertising is also an expensive way to spend your marketing budget and the returns aren't great. As a former publication owner I know that advertising has very low conversion rate and ideally you need to have a consistent campaign to see results - as well as a fairly well-known brand to start with.

This means a longer term view for your advertising, whereas most people think placing one ad into their local paper will have people banging their doors down. This is not going to happen. Finally, to get the consistency needed to make advertising work - you need a much bigger budget than the one I bet your are considering right now!

I truly believe that advertising has its place in a properly planned and comprehensive marketing strategy, which that is critical and highly beneficial to even the smallest business. If you have a properly planned marketing plan then within that overall framework advertising has its place, however, remember one advert is unlikely to change your business world.

Just Too Busy ( http://www.justtoobusy.co.uk ) is a fun, friendly and focused marketing consultancy working with small businesses in West Sussex and Surrey. We LOVE developing great creative ideas and strategic plans for your small business marketing.

Our aim as marketing consultants for small businesses is to provide a service that is professional, flexible but above all 100% value for money. As a small business ourselves, we know that any expenditure is a serious commitment. We also know that marketing is a key investment in any business, so we do our best to make it a worthwhile and successful one for you.

As a team of marketing consultants and creative experts we have a wide range of marketing tools and services that will get you on track for successful small business marketing.

We help you come up with great marketing ideas for your small business, develop your business brand and marketing plan, create stunning marketing material, through creative design and professional copywriting (including logos, stationery, brochures and websites (and more!); as well as help you put it into practice too with promotion advice and support.

Alex is a natural entrepreneur and a strategic marketer who effortlessly combines passion, talent, insight, charm, wit, enthusiasm and knowledge with a positive and a can-do mindset. A marketing force of nature and fuelled by an innate business understanding Alex has an instinctive ability to bring the very best out of the people she works with.

Alex has been running her own businesses for nearly ten years and remains as motivated, driven, inspired and dedicated to helping other businesses, as she was on day one. Her fun and open personality complements her ability to really help businesses not only market successfully but ultimately to be successful.

Attract New Advertisers to Your Media Company With Good Time Management

Do you want to attract more advertisers to your radio station, TV or newspaper company? Everyone wants new customers and being able to add new clients to your advertiser client list is the lifeblood of any successful broadcast or newspaper sales person.

One of the challengers however is to balance the time that you service your advertising clients and prospecting for new ones. Servicing your current clients is also the lifeblood of any successful direct media sales person, so how do you balance the two? It's only natural to only look after the clients you have managed to work really hard to get them and keep them and they are the one's that spend with you regularly. Guess what happens, you pick up the phone one morning and it's one of those clients, you say hello, but this time he sounds a little different, a bit nervous, it feels are little strange. He then says:

"Sorry but we want to shift some of our advertising to another media company"

This can have a devastating effect on your sales.

Here are 3 common mistakes broadcast and direct media sales people make when managing an advertiser client list and how to overcome them.

Mistake #1: Only working on current clients on your advertiser client list.

How to overcome it: While it is understandable that once you have regular clients spending with you on your media company you want to pay as much attention to them as possible. The real challenge is to manage your time effectively. I recommend you spend 50% of your time working directly with your active clients. Do the exercise track the time you spend with them? I would wager that it's close to 80%.

Mistake #2- Not enough prospecting.

How to overcome it: 25% of your time is prospecting for new clients. One of the best ways to get new clients is to ask your favorite ones if they would endorse you. Or is there a group of like-minded retailers or business owners you could do a presentation to on the benefits of working with you.

Mistake #3 - Too much time in the office

How to overcome it: 25% of your time is spent in the office doing those administration tasks. It's also a time to catch up and plan your day or weekly prospecting and service goals. The office is not your hiding place.

Working on improving these areas will help you overcome some of the shortfalls that many media sales people are experiencing every day when they go about their business.

There are always opportunities out there, but make sure you have a Plan B for when that client calls to say "I'm moving my advertising to another radio station, TV or newspaper company sorry about that"

Good selling.

Mike Brunel http://talkingmediasales.com

Learn the secrets to making more money selling direct media to small, medium and large advertisers.

Check out our FREE reports at http://talkingmediasales.com/resources/

Which Marketing Material Is Ideal for Your Small Business?

When you are starting your own small business, you need to give your marketing campaign enough attention. As much as possible, pick the best and cost effective tool that will let you reach your target customers without breaking the bank. Here is an array of inexpensive yet effective marketing materials your small business can take advantage of:

Business cards. Marketing gurus recommend the use of business cards as a marketing tool. It's important that you pack your cards with enough information to communicate well to your customers the benefits you provide. Aside from contact details, include valuable information that your customers will be interested in. Good graphics are also important, but you still need to describe what your business does in words. The contact information should be in front and addition details at the back. If you want more space, you can always consider using a fold-over card. In any event, aim for a business card that is unique in such a way that people will want to keep it.

Calendar. This is a great tool when you want to ensure that your customers see your business name all the time. Make sure your calendar templates contain your complete contact details and information about your offerings. Eye-catching and impressive graphics should also be included so people will be encouraged to put up your calendar on their wall or desktop.

Logo. Your logo will serve as your identity. It is important that from the start of your business, you already have a logo that will create a polished image for you. You can put them in your business card, note pad, and in just about anything in your business. This doesn't mean though that you will spend thousands of dollars just to come up with a visually appealing logo that will express your business. There are graphic designers who provide low charge in logo design. You might want to do your research first before hiring a designer.

Website. If you want to stay in touch with the improvements in the business industry, then get your website running before you open your business. A well designed site will help you draw people to it. You might also want to start a blog to get your conversation going with your customers and prospects.

Brochure. A four-color handout is important to ensure you get your business introduce to potential customers. A brochure can be handy at tradeshows, business events, or meetings. They can also be mailed to customers to give them the basics about your business.

Postcards. When you need to introduce a new product, invite people to your event, or simply keep in touch, post cards are the best tool to you. You can send them out regularly without spending a lot of money. This way, you get to stay in front of your customers and keep them reminded of you.

Company t-shirt. When you want to promote your business everywhere you go, you might want to start being your own billboard. A t-shirt will be a great way to start people taking about you. They will get curious with your shirt and ask about it. This will be your chance to talk about your business and recite your sales pitch.

All these materials don't cost a lot to produce. From calendar printing to website creation, minimal investment is required. The key is to create a memorable and unique design that will encourage people to respond at once.

Martha Killian has been writing articles online for 2 years now in a trusted printing company. You can also check out this website for more information about printing calendar printing exceptionally for your customers, and download a variety of creative designs calendar template for free.

Guidelines For Successful Commercial Printing

Commercial printing is a great help for your business, especially if you typically use printed materials for both marketing and office information purposes. A commercial printer ensures the quality production of these materials.

The process of production is also expected to pass through strict company guidelines. Commercial printers are a great help in ensuring the production of high quality advertising materials. In availing of such printing services, you should consider the following guidelines to have a good working relationship with your printer.

• Mind your Budget - While rates are sometimes based on the output expected, some companies could give you reasonable rates that would not compromise your printed output. It is important that before settling for the printer that you want to work with, you have already went through other options so you can compare prices and services offered. By having a budget in mind, you can be sure that you have something to work around with.

• Have clear and definite demands - In discussing details with your printer, it is important that you have a clear communication as to how you would want to go about the printing projects with them. Relay to them every single detail so they can grasp the concept that you want to portray on your output.

• Text - In coming up with an inviting promotional tool, text plays an important role. With a little trick on the words, your company can go a long way. Some companies have created a mark on the market they have chosen through the words that they have used in advertising their products. Whether you are thinking of a one-word impact or a one-liner, it is important that you give careful thought on this during the initial stages of your planning. The key is to use words that are catchy and easy to understand. Use words that speak to the heart of your target market.

• Fonts make a huge difference - You may not give importance to it during the initial stages of your planning for the printed materials but fonts make a big difference. It can either make you or break you. Choosing the more readable and simple font is always better. This is equally important as choosing the right texts or words for your materials because this will create an impact on your target market. For example, if you were selling to professionals, like doctors or dentists, you would not want them to read words with inappropriate fonts. The same goes if you are addressing children, you are most likely to gain their attention if you use readable and appropriate fonts. The decision lies on your hands. Choose fonts that would make the reader feel that you are communicating to them personally.

• High quality outputs - Go through each printed page and make sure that the printed material is free from any mistakes or wrong prints. Reliable printers will always make sure that their printed output passes through the specifications of their respective clients. The worst thing that can happen is to have something that you did not ask for. Always take time to check because once it is already mass-produced, you cannot afford to fail.

These commercial printing guidelines will help you deal successfully with your commercial printer and make sure you come up with great printed outputs.

Kaye Z. Marks is an avid writer and follower of the developments in commercial printing technologies by commercial printers that help businesses in their marketing and advertising campaigns.

Tricks of the Trade

It's a secret known to all traders that no window shopping trip is just that. Unlike books, shops are often judged by their outer appearance. If the window is well set, one can lure even the toughest and most determined "window shoppers" into active shopping. Shop Displays housing the prettiest dresses, those amazing pair of shoes, elegant bags and jewellery that makes one's jaw drop are what most shopkeepers bank on.

What's on the inside matters: Inside your store, there is no substitute to glass display cabinets which allow the customers to see at a glance everything that you have on sale. Also, it saves you the trouble of fishing out pieces when people ask just to look at it. Customers appreciate having their choices all laid out in front of them and this is where you stand to gain a lot. More often than not, they end up purchasing extras that they see in your display cases and fall in instant love with.

Make them listen or watch: For companies, outdoor signage is a foolproof and less costly way of advertising their product. Here's why. If one was to follow conventional advertising, they would use radio, televisions and the internet. This has a down side. Only those people who are TV buffs or listen to the radio on a regular basis or surf the web will know about the advertisement. Present day calls for more proactive advertisement strategies. Outdoor signs are the order of the day. They make for an excellent way to reach out to the masses who are constantly on the move.

Pavement signs have been around as tools of advertising for the longest time but now, they're gaining importance as more people get out of their homes- something they can't avoid given the busy times we live in.

If strategically placed, these signs can find a brand new product a lot of audiences from all walks of life. These signs are often accompanied by a sampling stall where the new merchandise can be seen and tried by people. This is one of the favourite advertisement gimmicks manufacturers employ and it works wonders most of the times. Even if it doesn't, the companies get to know where they went wrong, so they can work for betterment in those areas.

A book is not judged by its cover yet a shop is judged by the shop's display. Its judge by their outer appearance.

Easydisplay is provides perfect solutions to all these little things that can help business scale new heights and glass display cabinets, Shop Displays, outdoor signage and pavement signs all together just add to their success aid.

The Benefits of Using Banner Templates

There are many people out there that don't want to pay someone to design their banners, which is where banner templates come into play. If you are looking for a way to create some cheap vinyl banners and banner signs, you need to check out banner templates and see how they will work for you. There are all kinds of great choices out there, so check them out the next time that you are trying to create these banners and the next time that you need some great advertisements made. Check out how great templates can work for you.

Banner Templates are Available Always

When you need to get vinyl banners and banner signs done and you need to get them done quickly, banner templates are there. By having a pre-made option that you can go to, it is a lot easier for you to get them done. So, if you decide one night that you need a banner, you can use the templates that are on the internet and you are going to have options at your fingertips so that you don't have to worry about waiting to get them done.

They Will Save You Money

Probably the best benefit to banner templates is the amount of money that they are going to save you. A lot of people will go to a graphic designer or a print shop to create their banners, but this gets expensive. If you are interested in looking at some great choices, templates will actually save you a lot of money. With templates, you will get what you want and you will get it at the time that you need it, you won't have to pay someone to custom make it for you, and you'll have an option available to you now.

They Will Look Great

Instead of you trying to freestyle your own vinyl banners and banner signs, you can use the templates that are out there. These templates are really going to look good and you can make them unique enough that people aren't going to be able to tell that you used a template. That is what you want, you still want to have a unique option that looks great and you want to have an option that fits you well. Use the templates that are out there to get great looking banners and signs that will be very effective for you.

For more information on using banner templates visit Esigns.com today!

How to Choose the Right Internet Business

Many people would like to make money online, but don't have the slightest clue as to how to choose the right internet business to join. The combination of the internet and multilevel marketing has created more millionaires than anything in the history of the planet.

Some people are against multilevel marketing. These are the people who learned the lesson to work hard for 40 years and retire. That used to work. It's no longer a valid philosophy. The right internet business for you might be MLM or a similar compensation structure. MLM is being taught in major universities across the United States. The world is changing. We must change with it to survive and prosper.

In the 21st century, the right internet business for you will provide you with residual income. Work smart for 4 years instead of working hard for 40. How to work smart is the key. It is time to grab your piece of the pie. The basics are really very simple.

Leave the brand new businesses to the heavy hitters who can afford to gamble. They may come out on top or the new business may fold. At least if they lose their shirts, they can afford to buy new ones. The right internet business for you will be an established company that has not yet approached market saturation.

When you are just starting out online, you may think "free" is good, but in most cases, it is not. This is because if no one is spending any money, how are you supposed to make any? On the other hand, you don't want to get locked into a monthly auto-ship that rivals the price of your house or car payment, either. To find the right internet business for you, look for a low priced monthly residual fee that most people find comfortably affordable and your business will be there for the long haul and will be easy to build.

False promises abound on the internet. It is important to be savvy to the hype. Always do the math to see if both the company and their income offers to you are financially sound. If it costs $10 to buy their product, you are to get $3, your down-line receives $3 and the company keeps $5, something is wrong. Scenarios like this can be well-hidden in complicated compensation plans.

Following an experience sponsor who is well-versed in compensation plans can help to keep your money and your efforts safe. Checking the reputation of the company with the Better Business Bureau is performing good due diligence. Video testimonials of real people who give their real names and honestly tell of their experiences with the company are a powerful plus and can help you locate the right internet business for you.

http://www.PostcardPaydirt.com