A Lunchtime Lesson On Print Advertising

Writen by Gary Watson

I promise you'll be able to finish this article before you finish the first half of your PBJ. Are you sitting down? Good. Because I have some startling news for you.

Print ads are here to stay. That's right. Those dusty, musty, fusty old relics of the century past are still with us. And despite the ubiquity of commercials on radio and TV; despite the onslaught of banners, pop-ups and all manner of intrusive online ads; newspapers and magazines are, and always will be, a mainstay forum for mainstream advertising.

There's something about the readiness, the handiness, the heft and feel of a magazine or a newspaper that appeals to the nature of human beings. Yes, flat screens that glow with vivid colors are attractive. Especially when they're displaying something we specifically asked to see.

But as we page through a magazine or a newspaper while enjoying our lunch or riding a commuter train, we don't mind at all if a surprising or intelligent or just plain appealing ad – even one in black and white – suddenly grabs our attention. We expect it. We secretly look for it. We even welcome it as a break from all the dull gray type we've been slogging through. Why? Because – let's face it – a really good ad is a delight to behold.

Is this the kind of ad your target audience is seeing? Do your ads stop them and make them smile…think…take in your message and make a mental note to look closer at your product or service? Maybe even go to your website for the kind of information that could lead to a sale?

Think carefully about this. If your ad doesn't stand apart, doesn't attract, appeal or grab; if it doesn't delight in some way, the readers you want to capture and bring into your world will simply turn the page and plow on through the dull stuff . . . until they bump into your competitor's delightfully different ad. And then they'll stop – and, unfortunately for you – pay attention to the message.

So take a close look at your company's ads. Do they stand out from the crowd of other ads? Are they different from your competitor's ads in a powerful and relevant way? And most important, do they convey your core message in an engaging, persuasive and delightful manner?

If so, let them run and run, because they're bound to bring you business.

If not, better change your approach soon. Before the competition eats your lunch.

Gary Watson writes ads for companies that want to add to their bottom line. He also does product/service naming, slogans/tag lines, billboards, web content, sales letters (print and email), etc. etc. He can be reached at Gary@GWCopy.com.

Professional Advertising Copywriting Experts London Uk

Writen by Kim Jones

Back from a nice week in Devon, doing nothing except walk on the moors and lazing about. Couple of calls to the office – "Anything good happening?" "Well, it's good you aren't here" – and that's about it. Didn't even bother to travel 30 miles to take up the offer of a free lunch at Cornwall's most famous seafood restaurant though, as this was compensation for a lunch I had there last year that pole axed me for three days with food poisoning, my non-attendance wasn't 100% sloth related.

Arrived to find an article - "How to Write a Job Ad" – left open on my desk (rather pointedly, I thought) which was vaguely thought provoking, though things like "most are full of corporate puff and management-speak…fail to give detailed information…generally don't get the people you want" were a bit too sweeping for me (and I hate all sweeping statements). Copy can be quite emotive, not least because it's the one area of advertising that anyone can do – we don't all know the media, we can't all design, but we can all write – so we all bring our own opinions/pet hates to it. For example, there's lots of things I don't like; from "previous" experience (isn't all experience in the past or previous?), "staff" as opposed to "employees" (I use a staff to round up sheep. Well, I would if I had sheep. And if I had a staff), "meticulous" attention to detail (you either have attention to detail or you don't). None of these are likely to alter the response to an ad (which probably should be the test of whether any copy change is necessary in an ideal world) but I will still try and amend any of these, every chance I get, so the ad is done "my way". To be honest, I can get a bit precious about my personal copy conventions (aka "he's off on one again"), so much so that we actually have a little list of them that we refer to – hey, at least it ensures consistency. Though I like to think some of them achieve more than that – isn't "attractive" salary a better sell than the rather dull "competitive", isn't "you" rather more personal than "the successful candidate", isn't "we thank all candidates in advance for their interest and would appreciate all replies by xxx" warmer than "closing date xxx"?

Anyway, back to the article where, after the ritual slaughter of almost the entire industry's copy ("banal" was another description used), the authors laid out their modestly titled "Seven Golden Rules", based on psychological research, to get to the people you want – "who are so busy being successful in their current job that they don't have the time or inclination to read the recruitment section". Ignoring the fatal flaw in this argument (if these successful people are too busy to read the recruitment section you could write an ad that could outsell the entire "Harry Potter" phenomenon and it still wouldn't work, would it?), their rules were:

1. Be bold about job title, salary and location
2. Spell out what you want
3. Describe the job in detail
4. Use questions
5. Tell a story about why you are advertising the job but keep it real
6. Make applying easy
7. Fly your flag - put your logo in the ad.

On the face of it nothing much new there, although it was a shame that their own example of good copy for a sales position "you'll be called in to clients when the door of opportunity has been opened, to provide the technical detail to close the deal" seemed to include the type of management-type speak they abhor and was too wordy - the one thing all clients dislike – because, for example, "you'll use your technical knowledge to turn qualified leads into sales" says pretty much the same. In over 50% less words.

The idea of using questions (4) and telling stories, while keeping it real (5) are well known advertising techniques which, research shows, do boost response (questions involve the reader and make the process two way, while people do read stories). But I can't think of many examples where questions can be, or are, used meaningfully in recruitment (interestingly, the authors don't provide any examples) apart from the ubiquitous "interested?" just before the response details. Which, incidentally, is another of my pet hates – because if they aren't interested, I'd like to know what they are doing reading the ad through to the end. Perhaps ploughing through ads of no interest is their sad hobby or something?

As for telling stories about why you are advertising the job, I have two issues. One, I'm not entirely sure that, if candidates see jobs advertised that they really want, they give a fig why it's become available. And two, as a Golden Rule, it has the severe limitation that jobs only become available for a very limited number of publishable reasons – mainly growth or replacement (and, with the latter, you can't, for example, advertise that you need a new FD because the last one was a total twonk), so I'm not sure how ad after ad repeating one version or another of these reasons enhances response to any of them.

Their other point about telling stories is that "recruitment sections read as if failure never happens so you should stand out of the crowd by talking about your failures as well as your success". Hmmm. I can't recall the world's number one brand – Coca Cola – advertising much about the effects of all that sugar on your teeth (If any, of course – Legal Editor). I'm all for truth (or tooth. Ho! Ho!) in advertising but, in recruitment, think this should be limited to facts – which I'd have as a Golden Rule – and a description of the challenges or opportunities. Talking about your problems because "chances are, you want people who can handle problems. And good people want a job they can get their teeth (what's this new dental fixation?) into, not one where the problems are all solved" isn't particularly logical or realistic; I'd be interested to see if the authors could sell this "warts 'n all" approach to any client, anywhere.

From my point of view, a recruitment ad is a little bit like riding down a few floors in an a elevator with your candidate – you only have a few seconds to make a favourable impression - so tone (friendly, personable), facts (turnover details, number of employees rather than "one of the largest") and having a real selling point for the job are far more important than whittering on about the issues you face, asking questions and telling stories. I'm not that keen on their rule about describing the job in great detail either - a Marketing Manager knows what a Marketing Manager does most of the time without having every single detail spelled out as if for the hard-of-thinking.

Basically I'm still a big fan of the Price Waterhouse 1990's research into recruitment advertising, just about the only objective work of this kind of which I'm aware. This found that candidates want straightforward adverts, giving facts, cutting out excessive jargon and glossy adjectives. That candidates get irritated by the over-use of words like "dynamic, pro-active, forward thinking, visionary etc". That they get tired of "motherhood statements that tell us nothing". That many simply find the text of advertisements hard to believe. And that popular stocking fillers like "growing, challenges, exciting opportunities" are not the winners any cursory glance at any recruitment section would have you believe. Quite the opposite.

They're in fact seen as evidence of "mass corporate delusion". Whoops.

Advertising Agency and Website Design Company London UK

After reading Law at Oxford, Kim qualified as a Barrister and then a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen(!). He subsequently held several senior finance roles in advertising, including European Financial Controller of Ted Bates, before moving into "real" advertising when he became President and Chief Financial Officer of MDK Boston (USA) in 1988. In 1995, with Maria Manzo, he set up the UK office of BSA International — a USA- owned agency — which he ran until deciding to set up Giraffe where he concentrates on copywriting and new business. Kim, a former Oxford blue, has played Welsh league football and was once chosen to play cricket for Northern Nigeria.

Yellow Page Advertisers Your Calls Are Going To Decrease Heres The Remedy

Writen by Dr. Lynella Grant

Response rates to Yellow Page advertising are declining

There's no getting around it, traditional Yellow Pages are in trouble. Fewer people use them every year. Even the best- pulling ad in the section isn't getting the number of callers or sales it used to. At the same time, the monthly cost to maintain your same-size directory ad keeps going up.

Simply tinkering with ad size (or options like color) can't compensate for the adverse developments. Declining usage impacts each directory category differently. Some (like contractors and lawyers) are declining more steeply than others. Emergency service providers (tow trucks, plumbers) are holding their own. While categories like cell phones and lawn furniture are growing rapidly, with increased consumer demand.

Advertising only in the Yellow Pages is no longer a safe bet

- Over half of all customers go to the Internet first to find product information and sources - even if they intend to spend their money locally

- People increasingly trust the Internet as a source of information about major purchases (and has overtaken the newspaper for used car sales)

- Internet Yellow Pages (IYP) are kept up to date (unlike print directories) and can be searched from anywhere - their usage is growing 25% a year

- Local Search lets search engines (like Google) include small, local businesses in their search results (even without them having a website) - over 25% of all search queries request Local Search results

- A large percentage of young adults or business buyers never consult the Yellow Page directory at all - and they control an expanding chunk of dollars spent

Rethink the role Yellow Page advertising plays for your enterprise

Take a serious look at how much you rely on the Yellow Page directory to bring new business. Are most or all of your promotional dollars spent there? Do your expectations match the number and kinds of customers your ad actually brings you?

Your strategy needs to consider all the ways you attract new customers. Recognize changed customer preferences and buying habits for your specific type of operation. The issue isn't whether or not to advertise in the Yellow Pages. If you've been there you should continue. But switch some of those dollars into marketing methods that connect with buyers who won't look for you there.

Follow these steps, with them all sending a clear, consistent message

1. Get listed in Internet Yellow Pages (IYP); there are many of them; some are free

2. Make sure your website provides the information search engines require for Local Search. Learn how to do that at http:www.yellowpagesage.com/localsearch.html

3. Beef up your website with the information customers look for (or join a portal of local businesses)

4. Submit articles about your enterprise online; find extensive assistance at http://www.promotewitharticles.com

Keep track of what's delivering new business. Commit to asking every new customer and caller how they found you. That's the only way to know which method is winning; or where to shift emphasis and money for the next year.

Pursue ways to increase business from your existing customers

The value of Yellow Page advertising is mainly to attract new customers. People who know you already are more likely to find your number in the business white (alphabetical) listings. Start working harder to strengthen those relationships so they stay loyal. Efforts spent to serve them better (or to get referrals from them) does more for profits than constantly chasing new customers can.

Get started well BEFORE the directory deadline

Some day soon it's time to renew your directory listing for another year. Let this be the year that you've figured out your strategy well in advance. Make your new strategy a front-burner, squeeky-wheel priority. Yellow Page Smarts, http://www.yellowpagesage.com/smarts.html explains how to make your Yellow Page ad and Internet marketing support each together effectively.

If your next directory deadline hasn't come yet, there's still time to change your ad for next year (like add your website address address - a study found 60% of directory users only call Yellow Page ads with a website!). If you're already committed, spend the next year getting the rest of your strategy in place. Your timely efforts can compensate for the decline in Yellow Page advertising's effectiveness. And you won't be caught off guard.

© 2004, Lynella Grant

--Dr. Lynella Grant Author, Yellow Page Smarts, Make more money from your Directory ad in tandem with your Web site. Get a YP ad critique. 719-395-9450 grant@yellowpagesage.com

Free YP resources at http://www.yellowpagesage.com

The Four Camps Of Advertising Agencies

Writen by Tom Dougherty

Who decides what constitutes great advertising strategy? Is it the brand that pays for it, the agency that creates it, the panel that judges it, or the market that buys into it?

Of course, the answer is the market, but you'd be surprised how few in the advertising industry actually create advertising for the buying public.

It is paramount to understand that buyers render the most decisive judgment about what constitutes great advertising especially if the goal is to steal share. How can we steal share unless we have focused our advertising on the audience? Their dollars are the share we are trying to steal.

However, it is our experience at Stealing Share™ that most advertising is aimed at everyone but the buyer. Ads are created to catch the eyes of potential awards show judges, for example, or to impress the internal audience of the brand's employees, or to boost the agency's self-esteem. When brands perform internally, they go nowhere. Agencies need to focus on the buying public when creating advertising.

Many advertising agencies will take great pains to discuss the target audience. They will even nail the characteristics and personality of that audience. Most often, however, the actual execution of their insights will miss the mark. The brands, or more accurately the brand managers, will get the blame. They will watch their business suffer and actually lose market share.

We at Stealing Share™ tell our clients to think of the advertising agency market as including the following four camps:

Camp 1 – The Safe Agency. They usually say the right things and keep clients for years on end. The target audience they serve is not the customer, rather it is the brand manager. They work to please one person. These agencies keep clients for a long time simply because they never challenge clients to know the actual audience as well as they know themselves.

Camp 2 – The Of-The-Moment Agency. This agency wins all of the creative awards. Their work is flashy, fun and memorable. You know their names from the pages of ADWEEK and AdAge. They talk the talk about the target audience but create advertising for themselves and their peers. They are only inspired by advertising that is different rather than different, better and targeted toward the minds of the buying public. This is the agency that produces the spot that makes you go, "Wow," but doesn't make the customer commit.

Camp 3 – The Big Agency. Think Camp 1, only larger in size. This agency pays homage to the "creative process" because they once believed in it. They even have an impressive TV reel to prove prior loyalty, but they have become so big that they now attract huge clients who feel their brand is already complete. It's finished. These brands do not need new thinking. They just need the agency with its own brand name to complete the picture. This agency has long ago abandoned considering the consumer. It thinks of its own brand and VIP client list.

Camp 4 – The Thinking Agency. Here's the agency you want to seek, and they are out there in good number. They are agencies that tell clients the truth and get permission from the brand to create advertising that is different, better and strategic. They are closer to Camp 2 than Camp 1 because they do value creativity as an important element in successful messaging. This firm differs in that they truly focus on the consumer and never confuse their agency or the client with the buyer.

Their work is varied. It is not all funny, all testimonial or all serious. Their work changes to reflect the most strategic way to influence the target audience by thinking of why the audience chooses. They will not use industry awards as a proof of their success. They want to influence and change behavior.

If your advertising is designed to steal market share, then it needs to acknowledge the basic beliefs of the target audience that create brand loyalty. (For our clients at Stealing Share™, we call those beliefs "precepts.") It needs to be about the consumer and not about your marketing department or the creative director who conceived of it.

We know from experience that purchase decisions are usually not cognitive; they are emotional. Emotional decisions are more difficult to understand but easier to change. You need to demand that your advertising leverages the "precepts" that govern the lives of your target audience and gives your audience a reason to choose your brand. The target audience needs to see that your advertising speaks only to them, and that the call to action is not about buying the product, but about buying (being) the brand.

Where do you and your agency fit into all this? That evaluation is the first step in beating your competitors. If you really want to win, then you need to clear all of the big egos out of the room — even your own.

Tom Dougherty CEO, Senior Strategist at Stealing Share, Inc. Tom began his strategic marketing and branding career in Saudi Arabia working for the internationally acclaimed Saatchi & Saatchi. His brand manager at the time referred to Tom as a "marketing genius," and Tom demonstrated his talents to clients such as Ariel detergent, Pampers and many other brands throughout the Middle East and Northern Africa. After his time overseas, Tom returned to the US where he worked for brand agencies in New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC. He continued to prove himself as a unique and strategic brand builder for global companies. Tom has led efforts for brands such as Procter & Gamble, Kimberly Clark, Fairmont Hotels, Coldwell Banker, Homewood Suites (of Hilton), Tetley Tea, Lexus, Sovereign Bank, and McCormick to name a few.

How To Get Big Sponsorship Money For Your Band Tour Event Or Production

Writen by Thomas King

Touring is a bands greatest opportunity for success. But, touring can be very expensive. Getting your tour, band or event sponsored is critical to your success. Sponsorship can off-set production, travel, promotion and virtually any of your expense. The right sponsor can also significantly augment your advertising, publicity and promotions. But, getting sponsorship participation can take a lot of effort and commitment on your part. You will need to prove to potential sponsors that your opportunity will deliver a good return on investment for them.

The following is a step by step procedure we have used at Multimediary Entertainment Marketing to secure hundreds of thousands of sponsorship dollars for numerous tours, events, artists, television programming and feature films. We have done this for several major record labels and both signed and unsigned artists. Now we want to share our knowledge experience so you can do this on your own.

Create an Introduction Letter

The first step in securing sponsorship dollars is to craft a professional introduction letter highlighting the features and benefits of the opportunity you are offering. Some of these features and benefits might include inclusion in advertising, product sampling, banner display and more. After you have given a brief overview of the opportunity close the letter by asking their permission to send them a more detailed presentation. The introduction letter is the most critical part of the sponsorship success equation. If well crafted, it will get your foot in the door.

Demographic Analysis

Understanding your audience is critical. Potential sponsors will want to know who you are reaching. The best way of gathering this information is right at you finger tips. Call radio stations you think should be playing your music. Ask for an account executive and ask this person to fax you their Tapscan, Scarborough or Prism demographic and qualitative information. In all likelihood you will now be armed with a detailed overview of what your audience looks like and can match this up with potential sponsors. You will also have a great hit list of companies to start hitting.

Creating Your Sponsorship Presentation

No that you have your introduction letter and demographic profiles you are ready to begin creating your presentation. The presentation will seal the deal with sponsors only if it contains all the information they will need to make an educated decision on your opportunity. The presentation must contain the following elements:

1. A Two to three paragraph overview of your opportunity

2. A detailed overview of tour routing, markets and venues

3. An overview of what type of public relations and media support you expect to have and how the sponsor will be included

4. Your audience and demographic profile

5. Tour partnership deliverables or what the sponsor will receive for their investment

6. The total investment you are looking for from your sponsor and the return a sponsor can expect

Now that you have all of the pieces of the puzzle you are ready to go out and shake the trees for sponsorship dollars. With effort and consistency you will land a sponsor. Always deliver on what you promise to retain your sponsors year after year. Under deliver and they will promptly kick you to the curb. Our philosophy is to always under promise and over deliver. With this philosophy you will be assured ongoing solid sponsorship participation for years to come.

Multimediary Entertainment Marketing can get your tour, band or event on the right track by providing you with the following:

• An Introduction letter that garners results

• An accurate Demographic Analysis extrapolated of 5 major markets

• Sponsorship Value Analysis to determine the worth of your opportunity

• Sponsorship presentation in Word and PowerPoint

• Press Release creation announcing sponsorship opportunity

• Press Release distributed to all major markets announcing your opportunity

• We will also include your opportunity in the Multimediary Entertainment Marketing Newsletter which goes out to over 1500 Corporate Brand Managers monthly

• Professional Sponsorship Contract/Agreement you can use to seal the deal

• One-hour Professional Consultation to ensure you're going in the right direction

For details and pricing please visit our website at: http://www.multimediary.com/sponsorship.html

About Multimediary Entertainment Marketing and Thom King

Multimediary was founded by Thom King in late 2001. Multimediary has worked with Virgin Records, Capital Records, and Universal, Warner Brothers, Lions Gate Films and several other major and independent record labels and entertainment production companies. Multimediary has also worked with several consumer brands including: Lifestyles Condoms, Miller Beer, Red Bull, Monster Energy Drink, Dr. Martins, Snapple, Honda Motor Company, British Petroleum, Adidas and more.

King started his career in the broadcast industry where he most recently worked as Regional Vice President of Sales for a division of Clear Channel Worldwide. King was instrumental in helping Clear Channel capitalized on unique opportunities by converging radio, outdoor, venue, and interactive assets into fully integrated campaigns. King parlayed his over 20 years of cutting edge marketing experience to form Multimediary.

Marketing Tips Advertising

Writen by Sue And Chuck DeFiore

Typical methods of advertising-newspapers, radio and television are effective if used properly, but there are other, less expensive ways to get your company's name out.

Local or cable television is an inexpensive alternative to the traditional forms of advertising. Even if you have no experience advertising in this medium, there are companies who specialize in lending a helping hand. Even if finances are a concern (as they are for most of us), you'll be surprised to discover a 30 second spot television ad can cost as little as a few hundred dollars.

Many areas have public auctions on local stations that will advertise your product, if you donate up to a certain dollar amount. The number of advertising spots will depend on how much you donate.

Remember also to send press releases to your local television and radio stations. Many times they will come out and do a story on you, if it is of interest to the public.

We volunteered to do resumes for people out of work and sent releases to all the radio and television stations. One of the three major networks in our area, sent someone out to interview us, and we were on the 6 and 11 o'clock news.

As for radio advertising, check your local stations for rates. You'll be surprised at how low some of them are. Again, if you send press releases to the stations, sometimes they will call you as an expert in your area, or for an interview. We sent releases to all the stations in our area when we started our support group, and this generated three times the number of people we expected for our first meeting.

Since most major newspapers are expensive to advertise in, check with the smaller local papers. You can advertise in many of these for as little as $25 a month. You could also offer to write a column for these publications, as an expert in the area, if appropriate.

We all need to advertise in one way or another. Which medium you choose will depend on your particular business.

Copyright DeFiore Enterprises 2000

Interested in having your own successful, home based creative real estate investing business? Chuck and Sue have been helping folks start successful home based businesses for over 19 years, and we can help you too! To see how, visit http://www.homebusinesssolutions.com for the latest FREE tips and tricks, educational products and coaching in creative real estate investing and home based businesses. No time to visit the site? Subscribe to our "how to" Home Business Solutions Digest, it's like having your own personal coach: mailto:subscribeHBS@homebusinesssolutions.com

Million Dollar Text Link Sites A Word Is Worth A Thousand Pictures

Writen by Terry Till

Million dollar text link sites are getting ready to explode all over the internet in the next few months and it really doesn't take much imagination to realise that this could be the start of something big following in the footsteps of the milliondollarpixel sites that were the recent rage. Can you remember just about 10 months ago when a young student from the United Kingdom, named Alex Tew started the first million dollar pixel site. The idea was basically very simple yet had a devastating affect on his income and turned this young man from a basic website owner to a millionaire over the course of a few months.

His idea was to divide the million pixels that were contained within his website into advertising blocks containing 100 pixels each and then sell the blocks at one dollar per pixel equalling one hundred dollars per block. A pixel being the small pinhead sized spec of light that form together to produce the content that you see on your pc monitor.

With shrewd advertising and marketing Alex quickly got his milliondollarpixel website idea noticed by the local media and this in turn began to bring the attention of the international media and the thousands of Internet users worldwide.

Advertisers soon began to flock to place adverts on the pixel site and a hugh traffic flow was created.

Well from this idea the birth of the million dollar text link sites was created and website owners are already starting to publish text link sites on various niches.

Basically the text link sites are a website containing a number of strategic words and each word can be bought by a prospective advertiser and this word will become a text word link to their website of choice.

Various options can be selected when purchasing the text word, including different font designs, bold or italic text and different color choices. A basic fee is charged for the standard word and additional charges are added for the different font, text and color options.

As with all these new ideas and revolutionary designs it will be the first movers who gain the most and bring home the big profits.

I feel that these milliondollar text link sites will go through many stages of development and it will be very interesting to see what happens over the next few months.

Copyright Terry Till 2006-07-13

http://www.trafficgt.com/milliondollartextlink.htm

Website and ezine owners may use this article provided that they leave all content links and resource box in full contact and without alteration.

Global Creative Solutions Can Never Be As Creative Or Effective As Local Ones

Writen by Mono Ghose

'Think globally, act locally'.

This seems to be the specific, considered and most targeted answer in the task of reaching and encapsulating the vastly diverse audiences that exist in the great market-place of the world. To a certain degree the concept of being able to direct communications to a specific audience is an extremely effective and optimum form of conveying a message and is of the utmost importance in discussing the business of advertising.

'Local' ad agencies, such as ones just representing their country, act rather like societal sponges and craftsmen. They have optimum understanding and knowledge of their nation's culture, trends, fashion, street vernacular and the general things that are in vogue. They also know what ideas have been used before and what things are 'cool', this allows for originality and creative strategic tailoring.

Logically from this culturally specific knowledge, ad agencies will be able to advise their clients on the best way to reach this local audience and the most effective forms of media to target these audiences. Consumers are different the world over, and react differently from certain media stimuli. For example in the U.K. a giant poster campaign to launch a new brand may be very successful; whereas in Spain sponsoring a popular TV show would be more effective as the public watch a lot more television on average than in the U.K. and stay very loyal to certain programmes and channels.

The next major issue is that of the creative work. As mentioned, a local agency and creative team is sensitive to their environment, they soak up the intricacies and unique circumstances of their surroundings and craft a 'sniper' like attack on the local public that reaches and engages them. A global campaign can lose that valuable focus via a cumbersome 'blanket' attack on a mass audience, such as the car ads for SEAT in Europe being quite uniform and non-country specific.

The consumer focus can be lost via the confusion and lack of creative consistency with some of the huge agency networks that deal with global solutions. Besides the client's financial savings and economies of scale made possible by using one agency to deliver a global solution; quality, strategy and effectiveness can be lost in the internationalisation of the communication solution. Each network around the world normally speak another language and their public receive themes of humour, love, sex, music and popular culture in different ways; such as the stark differences in British and American humour. Consequently these differences in opinion and in creativity create a 'Chinese whispers' effect, where a monolithic, unified and coherent message across borders is not executed. Local ad agencies with smaller tightly bonded networks that have deep local expertise can offer a motivated, tailored and commercially effective solution inspired by their local sources. Examples like sporting goods and jeans are culturally/regionally sensitive e.g. the Jonny Wilkinson and Becks Adidas ads would have no significant effect in France, Germany and Spain (where they have their own sports-stars), and no real effect in America. Also jeans are marketed and designed in Latin America for consumers that wear jeans very tightly fitted for rounder bodies hence a tailored communicative approach is the more creative and efficacious. Focusing creativity and communication of a brand through tailoring and local execution can allow for greater cultural sensitivity and brand salience, however the global image and position of the brand can become atomised and confused via the tailoring process.

The considerable merits of the 'global' creative solution answer some of the 'local' solution failings. There are many examples where a very creative, original, engaging and strategic idea that is supported by a suitable and flexible media plan, transcend cultural differences and deliver effective and accountable solutions.

Truly global examples like Nike, Gap and Coca-Cola have achieved strong, clear and identifiable brand images and recognition; via the global approach. The creative use of semiotics and brand logos allow us to identify Coke (and not just Santa Claus) by the colours red and white, and Nike by their tick. Also the infamous Ferrero Rocher ads and their distinct lack of tailoring have proved to be unforgettable and commercially effective in the many countries that they have been aired. Global impacting and thoughtful ideas that provoke and persuade consumers cross-borders can serve to find the cultural similarities and combine them into a market that is larger hence more economically powerful. The Levi's, Audi and Lynx/Axe ads execute this idea with a border-less vision: The Levi's 'Clayman', the Audi RS6-'Bull'and Lynx-'Seduction' clearly and emphatically communicate their message and remain placeless; that is they need not be tailored to the U.K market nor any other. They are creative global ads that engage consumers in any country.

The balance between the global-local solution is intricate and in deciding which is the more effective and creative is very difficult to measure. However in conclusion the result of a well executed, original and unforgettable global campaign is that it has a huge audience to stimulate. The playing field is borderless and very powerful and allows for supreme and rapid brand recognition and saturation into people's lives. For the global solution to be successful the agency must have culturally specific knowledge of every complexity in each respective market, as knowledge dispels fear (to steal the Parachute Regiment's motto) knowledge thus reduces risk, and the following creative idea can be considered, bold and ultimately borderless.

Mono Ghose MA (Hons) Mavericks Executive Account Director/Partner

Advertising On Television With Infomercials

Writen by Liang Zhang

At about the same time the infomercials were making it big on late late night TV, I was attending underground theatre and watching a show which took a multimedia approach: the play featured actors living their lives and gigantic screen overheads with Stepford-like hosts jamming infomercials at both the characters and the audience. The work, because of those infomercials, was quite profound, quite futuristic.

But avant garde theatre aside, evidently, in the "real" world, infomercials are lucrative forms of advertising. Well, that's the claim about the claims, anyway. It makes sense, for consider when these unique creatures are aired and how they are constructed: first, they show during the latest hours of the day—between midnight and about six a.m.. At this time, those awake and watching are either halfway into a stupor brought on by tiredness, booze, or pills; are insomniacs whose brains visit the dark side right about then; or are, maybe, jobless, less thoughtful individuals who are gullible to the magic of full moons and potato mashers that tell your future by the lumps.

Next is the volume of the advertisers "acting" in these infomercials. They are loud, campy, histrionic, way too cheerful, and yet, as plastic as they are seem to come off as the most real, down to earth, or most honest folks on TV. They are eager, zealous, delighted, and shocked about and by the product being touted by the host who is sharp, adept, and oh-so knowledgeable. In addition, there's what one ant-infomercials blogger reminds us is the thing that actually sells the oddities—called "repetitive reinforcement." They tell you you want and need it often enough and you will want and need it.

Then there's the uniqueness or novelty of the products the infomercials display and advertise. Combined with the hyperbole of the hawker, the characteristics of most of the products stand out in some bizarre, unusually fun, or useful way. The items are not unique, though, and they are not typically useful. In fact, some are harmful. According to the experts on infomercials and on the misleading information hawked, some of the vitamins do not work, some of the products break or deteriorate, and some are based on or contain advice that is wrong. Take, for example, the Kevin Trudeau situation. He has sold books that tell people to give up traditional medicine—such people have done so and died. He has, however, before being banned—finally—from infomercials altogether, made millions. That's why I say the infomercials are profitable for many. There are enough who are up late, stoned, exhausted, and vulnerable to the mesmerizing lull or drilling of new ideas and materials. Hey, I am not exempt. I still want one of those vacuum storage bag dealies, just so I can watch the magic of the suction collapse and therefore make more manageable all the sweaters I own.

Copyright 2006 Zhang Sui Linag Velcro display boards and Display Boards

What Makes A Successful Yellow Page Ad Headline

Writen by Jeffrey Hauser

Be daring and be different!

As a former Yellow Page consultant for 25 years, I would recommend you take the time to figure out what makes you different from your competition and work from that base. After all, how else is Mrs. Jones going to choose from the hundreds of plumbers in the directory?

Begin in the beginning. That's not as easy as it sounds. Build your ad from the headline on down. It's the place most users will see first. So conceive a headline that takes you out of the ordinary.

Sticking with "Plumbing," I've seen the same headlines year after year:

"Quality Emergency Service." "Save Money." "Complete Services." Need a Good Plumber? Call Us."

Okay, let's break these down, in order.

Shouldn't the user expect "Quality?" And what plumber doesn't handle emergencies?

Isn't every broken pipe an emergency?

No, I don't want to "Save Money. I want to spend more. Dumb.

Doesn't anyone offer "Incomplete Services" anymore? Also dumb.

And do I "need a good plumber." Why else am I looking under "Plumbing" in the first place? Did I think this was the "Pizza" heading?

So you're a plumber, not an ad-man. What kind of headline could you come up with that every other plumber can't offer? Sure it's tough, but no one said marketing was easy. It's takes a creative touch and some adventure. Look at advertising in a different way. How does it solve a problem? That's why Mrs. Jones grabbed the directory in the first place. She had a problem: a leaky pipe, Not you have to solve it for her. How? By telling her exactly what you intent to do. That's the solution.

Huh? What did I say? Well, what does a plumber do? No, not the "Fast Service" stuff. We already beat that to death. What do you really do? You fix leaks. Okay, that's not the headline I had in mind. You also get the water going again. Hmm. So you think outside the box. "Water Your Expectations?" Now that's different, or, "Real Men Wear Booties! (to Protect Your Floors)" Get the idea? "Draining Pipes, Not Wallets." That's a feature and benefit story. "

"Flow Slow?" "Sink Sunk?" "Shower Shot?" "Drain Pain?" I could go on and on, but I won't bore you. You need something catchy, cute, and real. Make a point, tell a story and have fun. Try different headlines in different directories and headings.

Under water heaters, you might try, "Water Heater Leaving You Cold?" Under "Septic Cleaning" try "Tanks for the Memories." It's a bit of a game but the trick is to capture the reader's attention in the few seconds you have in a Yellow Page ad.

Grab a Thesaurus and get to work. Rethink your industry and the various terms they use. Plays on word and puns are obviously acceptable. Write in good taste and avoid anything that even remotely looks obscene or improper. Don't' forget the subhead, if needed. For example, "Tanks for the Memories" followed by, "We Offer Memorable Service on Brand-Name Septic Tanks."

Ignore all the clichés in the other ads, like, quality, dependable, fast, same-day, emergency, low cost, expert, professional, etc. Save that for the text, if needed. Concentrate on becoming the ad other businesses point to when they are looking for a creative approach. Then throw them a curve and change the headline every single year!

It's a challenge but I'm sure you're up to it. Your business is worth it, wouldn't you agree?

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree from Monmouth University. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, "Pursuit of the Phoenix," available at amazon.com. His latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages." Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.

Super Secret Tip For Using Ppc Search Engine Advertising Successfully

Writen by Peter Prestipino

It's not about traffic; it's about generating leads. That's right. It only took me eight words to give you the secret super tip on using pay-per-click (PPC) search engines successfully. It's not about generating traffic to your website; it's about generating leads from the traffic for which you are paying. This slight shift in understanding about where the value resides in PPC search engines could make all the difference when it comes to capitalizing on the web promotional resource known as PPC.

How are you currently using PPC?

Most (and this is spoken from experience) PPC advertisers bid on tens of thousands of keywords and direct all of that traffic to the same page on their website. While it is a good idea to use as many keywords and key phrases as possible in your overall PPC marketing campaigns, what a prospect finds when they visit your landing page is more important.

How should you be using PPC?

If you are you only trying to "make the sale," you could be losing the visitors who are looking for information about your products or services. By exchanging informational sales material for a prospect's contact information, you will dramatically increase your long-term return on investment.

Research has shown that when customers are knowledgeable about the products and services they are seeking, they are more likely in the future to buy from the organization that provided them the information in the first place. If you are paying one cent per visitor and receive just five sign-ups for a newsletter, you have already covered your costs because the average value of one qualified email address is over twenty-five cents! So to answer the question of how you should be using PPC, you should use it not just to make direct sales, but to generate leads.

Putting it into practice:

There are many ways that successful web marketers get Internet surfers to provide personal information. The most preferred are 1) surveys and contests in exchange for a "freebie" and 2) newsletters and articles, which provide information about what the surfer is searching for. To put this into practice, promote a page that equally 1) provides information about your product or service and 2) emphasizes your special offer or offering. You will see that even if they don't directly purchase the product or service you are selling, chances increase exponentially that they will want to find out more information and sign up for your special offer thus providing you with a qualified lead.

Thank you for reading this article! If you would like more advice about PPC advertising, become an advertiser of 7Search.com – where you have access to 500 million searches per month, low bid prices and free campaign assistance. Visit 7Search.com today.

10 Easy Ways To Make Your Flyer Stand Out In The Crowd

Writen by Karen Saunders

A flyer is an inexpensive and highly effective way to grab attention in a very busy marketplace. How do you make your flyer stand out in the crowd? Here are some techniques that professional designers use to make flyers "pop."

1. Write a snappy headline or title.

Make it memorable, unusual or provocative using a few carefully chosen powerful words. Popular titles contain one or more of these words: Easy, The Secrets to, Unlock, Finally, Insider, Time Sensitive, How to, Free Bonuses, Now You Can, Discover, Proven.

2. Use colorful or striking graphics.

One large image will have more impact than many smaller images. A stunning photo or illustration grabs attention, creates a mood, and supports your story. This image is your "focal point" and will draw your readers in. You can purchase inexpensive but quality stock photos on the Internet. Download individual photos or purchase a CD with hundreds of images.

3. Focus on the benefits of your product or service.

Your prospects will ask the question, "What's in it for me?" Write from the their perspective using the words "you" and "your." Avoid using the following words: we, us, I and our. Be sure to keep your text short and to the point. Some of the most powerful words to use are: free, save, love, new, results, and guarantee. Break up long paragraphs with bullet points and place them in a separate box.

4. Use compelling testimonials and case studies.

Nothing strikes a chord like an endorsement from a happy customer, especially if it demonstrates the results they've had with your product or service. Be sure to include the first and last name, company name and location of the person providing the endorsement.

5. Organize your page with boxes, borders and areas of contrasting colors.

You don't need to fill your flyer with wall-to-wall text and graphics. Incorporate some white space to make certain elements stand out and to make the flyer easy to read.

6. Make your points easily identifiable.

Highlight titles and subtitles in bold, but avoid using ALL CAPS because they are more difficult to read.

7. Don't get too complicated.

Make it simple with two typefaces, and align items to a grid. Your page layout program will provide non-printing guidelines. Use the "snap to guidelines" function to align items easily to the grid. Be aware of printing margins. I suggest you create your layout with 1/2" margins on all sides, or add 1/8" for bleeds on items that print off the edge of the page.

8. Don't forget to proofread.

Have someone else proofread your work. Check your contact information. Dial the phone numbers on the flyer to make sure they are correct, and type in the URL of your website to make sure it is correct, too.

9. If you are on a tight budget, try this.

Select bright-colored or unique paper, and print with black ink. Use shades of grey to provide tones and contrasting background areas.

10. Offer a discount or special limited-time price.

Design a coupon on the bottom quarter of the flyer. Be sure to clearly state the deadlines and limitations of the offer. If it is a mail-in coupon, be sure to include the payment specifications with areas for filling out credit card information, mailing address, etc.

You don't need to re-invent the wheel when creating your flyer. Use these proven techniques and you will see big results in your marketing efforts.

Copyright 2006 Karen Saunders

Karen Saunders is the author of "Turn Eye Appeal into Buy Appeal: How to easily transform your marketing pieces into dazzling, persuasive sales tools!" Hundreds of business owners have used her simple do-it-yourself design system to create stunning marketing materials that really SELL their products and services! FREE audio classes, articles, an eCourse, and ezines on marketing tips are available at http://www.macgraphics.net.

My Ads Dont Work So I Dont Do Them Any More

Writen by Alan Boyer

Does that make sense? Yet, that is what I hear from a lot of prospective clients.

What that is saying is, "My Marketing Doesn't Work So I'll Never Do That Again!" (I've actually heard that statement).

Most small businesses don't understand how to make it work, so they dip their toe in, try it, and when they don't get what they expect, they leave to never try it again. Yet, generating exactly the number of leads you need every week is not only achievable but rather easy if you understand the principles and failure to understand them results in an 80% failure rate among most small businesses.

Critical Goals (The Keys: Guaranteed success, vs. Highly Probable Failure)

There are a few critical goals and measurements we track in a business. These typically are:

• The number of leads generated weekly (comes from our marketing plan, advertising, networking, referrals, etc.)

• The number of closed sales, and dollars in closed sales every week

• Number of completed jobs (customers, projects, etc), total dollars generated, and profit (gross profit) generated per job every week.

And finally the bottom line generated by the key measurement results above

• Total dollars sold for the year, profit generated for the year.

• Does the profit generated by your sales pay your overhead.

• After overhead is paid how much extra is generated that goes in your pocket as "net profit."

The definition of "critical" goals: a goal that IF accomplished will result in

• The total dollars of revenue for the year, the overhead is paid, and having a specific defined number of dollars to put in your pocket.

And IF these goals ARE NOT achieved the consequences will be:

• The total dollars of revenue WILL NOT be reached

• You will likely not be paying overhead and the money will be SUCKED out of your pocket instead of putting it into the pocket.

• AND the biggest consequence, you just entered the high probability that your entire business will fail.

Now that we've set the ground work for what critical goals will do for you if you achieve them, and what will be the consequences if you don't, this leaves us with a rule I give all of my clients: Critical goals are something that YOU WILL do no matter what.

It's likely that there are 50-60 other things pulling on you to get done, but since these 5-6 things are SO CRITICAL (success on one side, failure on the other), then NOTHING else is more important. Stop doing the trivial many and focus on the 5-6 critical things that WILL deliver results, guaranteed.

When it comes to a critical goal that appears difficult, our response to that will not be "CAN'T" but rather "HOW?"

Now back to our original statement that

My Ads Don't Work, So I don't Do Them Any More

Isn't lead generation, the leads that come from our ads, one of our critical goals To generate X number of leads EVERY WEEK.

And our rule was Make it happen no matter what, it's not CAN'T but HOW?

If our ads are not delivering what we expected, shouldn't we be figuring out HOW to make them work instead of saying "they don't work so I'll never do that again." We just said CAN'T instead of How. The opposite of our ground rule.

Is business really that simple? Just deliver the Critical Goals? You bet!

How to fix the ad response rates

For most ads I find these are the critical factors:

1) Who we are communicating to

2) What we are saying

3) How we are saying it (and How must be about the benefit of the product, not the name, specifications, features, and especially not about WHO WE ARE.)

I've seen ad response rates jump 10 times on the very next advertisement just from following these ground rules and developing the answers to these questions.

Alan Boyer, CEO of The Leader's Perspective, LLC is considered one of the world's leading breakthrough specialists.

With over 35 years of business experience, he has catapulted businesses lightyears ahead in weeks. Some double, some jump 10 times.

He helps companies worldwide reach further than they EVER thought possible….FASTER

http://www.leaders-perspective.com

mailto:AlanBoyer@leaders-perspective.com

The Golden Age Of Advertising Is Still Ahead

Writen by Bill Fritsch

The golden age of advertising may be just ahead of us. This is according to Catherine Bension, CEO of Select Resources, one of the largest advertising agency search consultants in the world. Bension presented at a recent ad industry conference in Milan, Italy on behalf of Worldwide Partners (www.worldwidepartners.com). This is an interesting thought to ponder, given the complexities the proliferation of media has brought to advertisers.

Consider for a moment how difficult it is becoming for marketers to consistently get their messages in front of their most important audiences. With myriad choices, many advertisers are less visible to their core audiences. A primary reason is that consumers are not consuming media in the ways they did even five years ago. While time in front of video screens is increasing, these screens now include e-mail, Internet web searching, video games, and DVD movies. While much television is viewed, TIVO is giving consumers control to skip over commercial messages.

As a result, it is more important than ever that all elements of advertising programs work from the same central theme or idea. Since reach and frequency needs are no longer met by using traditional media methods, an effective program requires that messages rigorously reinforce each other at every point of consumer contact. Given the way most advertisers are organized, this is a tall order.

Many advertisers have different groups handling advertising, direct marketing, sales promotion, Web site design, and public relations. Within most organizations, these groups are independent and do not collaborate in ways to ensure success in this new media age.

Advertising agencies are mostly organized in a manner similar to their clients. They run specialty areas like direct marketing, interactive, and advertising as separate business entities. Each area is vertically integrated with full service staffing. In practice, this does little to solve the realities of today's media world.

Bension's organization, Select Resources, helps marketers with significant budgets find agencies that are the right fit for the marketer's needs. They also know what is on the mind of decision makers for household brands when it comes to advertising their products and services.

At the Milan conference, Bension summarized what today's marketers want from their ad agencies. First, they are concerned about the proliferation of media and the resulting complexity this creates. They want their agencies to help them spend their money more effectively, and they want holistic solutions and agencies that that are capable of sorting out all the things they can and should do. Most importantly, per Bension, clients are coming to recognize that creative is now more critical than ever. Clients need powerful ideas that are executed with high impact, and they are willing to pay for them. They seek creative that also can cover all advertising specialties.

This makes a lot of sense. If media is fragmented, one of the best ways to emerge from the sea of daily messages is by having ads that have stopping power to engage consumers. The "big idea" can help campaigns emerge from the clutter and can also bring cohesion to the whole communication mix including specialty areas like direct marketing.

Why might the golden age of advertising be ahead of us? The old rules no longer apply, and there is huge opportunity for enterprising organizations to remix things. With the huge broadband "pipe" getting into more and more American homes, we will see new and more exciting uses of motion graphics that will be far more fun and exciting to create than television ever was. Smart agencies will organize around the new realities. This will include more cross-training of staff around multiple areas of advertising specialty.

We are also coming into an age where the quality of the creative work is more important than ever before, and great work is not a commodity that any firm can deliver at the lowest possible price. This will open new doors for agencies to drive healthy profits.

If Bension is correct, we will see our industry move into the most exciting time in its history. This will be tough for firms that are resistant to change. For those who are, the opportunities will be boundless.

Bill Fritsch is president of Hydrogen Advertising, an award-winning, Seattle-based advertising agency emphasizing superb ideas efficiently produced. Reach him at 206-389-9500, ext. 224 or email bill@hydrogenadvertising.com. For more information, visit http://www.hydrogenadvertising.com.

The Future Of Voiceovers Hold Your Tonguepossibly Forever

Writen by Peter Drew

"Do we need to cast a voice-over talent for this project?"

That's a valid question any producer might ask when creating an advertisement, corporate audio-video presentation, video game, etc. Of course, the answer depends on what elements the producer and client feel will best communicate with the audience.

For a radio ad, a fully sung jingle with no voice-over could work best. A TV spot or corporate narration might be most effective using scrolling graphic and text, again without an announcer. But very soon producers could be pondering whether their productions need a voice over talent for a more disturbing reason. Vocal utterances produced by air passing through folds of tissue and formed by lips, teeth, and tongue may, simply put, become obsolete. Yes, the "virtual voice talent" may very well become a reality.

Welcome to the Machine

In the May 2004 issue of Mix Magazine, in two separate articles, Stephen St. Croix and Paul D. Lehrman relate their experiences with a new piece of software ominously named "Vocaloid." This little computer-coded wonder is a speech synthesizer that's being used to synthesize background vocals on actual recordings that are being sold to the public--background vocals so good, you'd be hard-pressed to recognize they're fake singers. Now, considering the dubious singing talents of many of our current pop stars, maybe a Vocaloid virtual diva named Britney isn't too far-fetched. Audio manipulation, including pitch correction, equalization, compression, reverb, have been used for decades to save the bacon of many a pop star's performance in-studio or on stage. Technically, it's just a short step from this point to a "singer in a box."

In fact, in the letters section of the July 2004 issue of Mix Magazine a person identified only as "BC," referring to the St. Croix and Lehrman articles, boasted that he's created a "band" called The Bots, "...created wholly from speech synthesizers and 3-D graphics." BC further states, "I use Vocaloid among a variety of other speech synths to make it more into an ensemble. The Bots have released two CDs, a 'record deal' with Magnatune, and a second video in the works. It's been a long and painful ordeal, but I've finally gotten them to the point where they seem as real as any other band out there--except no live concerts."

I've Gotta Sing

And that's the crux of the matter. The appeal of virtual entertainers probably will be quite limited--at least for the foreseeable future--because they can't tour, do drugs, get into fights, sue their record labels, promote world peace, raise money for charity, or do anything live flesh and blood performers can do. We, the audience, love the performer as much as the performer's music. And, in this case, that's a good thing. Tony Bennett, the White Stripes, Diana Krall, Toby Keith, Frederica von Stade, and all of the American Idol wannabes are quite safe from Vocaloid elimination.

Speak Now of Forever Hold Your Peace

But voice over talents may not be so lucky. Voice talents are not seen. They don't have adoring fans, except their moms and, maybe, a few other voice-over talents. They perform in short increments: 30 seconds, 60 seconds, a 30 minute narration on how to make a million in real estate. If speech synthesis has reached a point of sophistication sufficient enough to create virtual singers, what's to prevent a software genius from developing a program to replace voice talent? Write the program.

Sample 300 to 500 voices, male and female, each with unique characteristics, incorporate them into the software and, voila, Instant Announcer in a Box. Just load your script text into the program, which converts the text to perfectly uttered speech. No retakes. With a few clicks of the mouse to tweak inflection, emphasis, pacing, dynamics, etc. to polish the natural feel of the voice-over and you're done.

Far-fetched? If entertainment's got a virtual band call The Bots, why can't advertising and marketing have its own virtual Don Pardo?

Well, it seems maybe they can...

©Peter Drew

Peter Drew, a freelance voice-over talent and copywriter/producer with decades of experience, is heard on radio and television stations, corporate presentations, web sites, and messages-on-hold across America and countries around the world. To send an email regarding this article, please visit Peter Drew Voiceovers at http://www.peterdrewvo.com/

Advertising Strategy

Writen by Daniel Wadleigh

1) Customer Base - Under the assumption that you are an existing business and have repeat business from the same customers:

A) you want to ensure that they stay loyal in each opportunity to buy from somebody;

B) you want to offer them additional products/services.

"A" is best done with mailings, e-mailings and telemarketing (or all) to this prized, expensively acquired select market. You need to show your continued "added value" over the competitors as well as your "special treatment" of the customer base. When somebody buys a business and pays extra for "goodwill", that is supposedly represented by loyalty due to that special treatment of customers. Make sure that you inform them that the same condition still exists. Telemarketing follow-up, if practical, to your customer base is a way to ensure loyalty and to sell "after-market" products/services.

Still, face-to-face remains the best method to sell anything! It's cheaper and more effective than letters or phone calls. If your business puts you at their place, develop additional products/services to offer. It's about 1/5 the cost of getting new customers. This is the most important single effort that your company will make! It's called "locking the back door" before the cows get out! This also means that any additional increase in sales is just that, an increase, not replacing lost market share. If the customers come to your place, point-of-purchase displays or flyers for the taking are an inexpensive way to promote additional products/services. Again, if you are paying extra for retail space, maximize the income potential. Have you ever bought something on impulse, off a rack, while standing in line? Some of the most productive retail space is set aside for impulse buying, especially for a captive audience (those waiting to check out). I worked in a department store in my youth. I'd likely be restocking a table when the loudspeaker would announce, "attention, ladies - there is a 1/2 off sale in linens." I would have to dive out of the way to avoid the stampede.

2. Yellow Pages - For almost any business, I can give a rational argument for anything from no ad to 1/3 of a page ad. I know of service companies that are not in the yellow pages at all that grow at a rate of 20% per year. These companies mail and phone exclusively, and include good offerings face-to-face. Also, a full-page ad is very expensive. As long as you can get noticed, it's the message, and not the size. Make your yellow page ad an ad, not a "me-too" announcement. Every piece of information that is displayed to the public must be your best ad, be it a business card, truck, flyer or incoming phone call. If you want to think that you need yellow page exposure, make it your best shot using your best 'Value added" message. I know also of service companies that are for sale and not likely to be purchased because of $18,000 per month yellow page expenses. For $18,000 a month, I can do a lot of direct, controlled marketing that can be changed, cancelled or increased at a moment's notice. There are also competitive service companies that you couldn't buy that are not in the yellow pages. If you use yellow pages, make it roar to the point that the only rational response is, "I'd be nuts not to call this company."

3. Location - If you offer retail products and you are in a decent traffic location, you are paying extra for that high traffic. Look at it as marketing costs. So, make the most of your opportunities to be noticed by a lot of people. Use "headline grabber" type statements on signs to attract them into your den or to your web site. The message, "SALE", only has impact if they are predisposed to buy your product. Don't wait for them to accidentally stumble into your store. Put your most exotic, mysterious and irresistibly provocative benefits and products in the window. The front of the store's main role in life is to get them into the store. Contractors pay as much as $85 for a new customer. Look at it as the carnival barker - you must inspire them to enter.

Daniel Wadleigh is a nationally published marketing consultant and has programs for start-up and existing businesses including effective web sites, e-mail/database, other non-internet ways to drive them to your website, and low cost ways to get more new customers.

Go to: http://www.more-new-customers.com to get free copy of "Marketing to Men vs. Women- the 8 different responses" and a Free copy of "Market Research- 7 Questions to Ask to Start-up and 7 to Ask to Improve Any Business."

Is Your Yellow Page Rep Working For You

Writen by Jeffrey Hauser

The real question would be, how are they actually paid? But let's start at the beginning. Assuming you are the archetype small, family-run business, that is the typical Yellow Page advertiser, you probably have a YP rep that sees you every year. Or perhaps you are a moderate spender that only warrants a telephone call instead. Either way, you will be contacted by the rep and should be aware of some basic truths. What qualifies me to give them to you, you may ask? Because I was a YP rep for 25 years, owned my own advertising agency prior to that and have a degree in marketing. So, with those credentials, let's look at the rep. On every call they should be providing:

1. A review of your current YP program
2. An overview of all the new products that are available
3. A recommendation for your next year's program
4. An ad redesign or, if you have just a listing, a potential ad
5. Statistics, testimonials, and usage studies specific to your industry
6. Answers to any of your questions
7. Continuity: that is, the same rep contacts you every year

Unfortunately, the last statement isn't always the case. Many YP publishers prefer to "churn" or rotate accounts and you may get a new rep annually. But the other six items should be part of every call. But this is not a one-sided contact. There are several things you should also provide, many before the contact takes place:

1. A list of any changes in your business, that may affect your advertising
2. An overview of any other marketing you are currently involved in
3. A history of all your YP ads, in an "archive" binder
4. Ideas for improving your current ad
5. A list of questions for your rep
6. Tracking results from last year's ad: i.e. how many people saw it, called, etc.

The tracking should have been part of the previous program so you know how well the ad worked. Without it, how do you know it worked and if it did or didn't, why? What part of the ad (headline, artwork, etc.) was the most or least effective?

If you and the rep are ready for the call, it will go more smoothly and be productive. Treat it as though it will be the only time you will be make contact and remember, you're the one that pays the bill. Which brings me to the original question.

If you have already figured out that they work for you, think again. The publisher pays them and therefore they owe their allegiance to them first. That is the ultimate truth. So, when they are told by the publisher to push a particular product or service, it might not always be in your best interest. There are many other pitfalls to avoid and ways to handle your rep. Most of them can be found in a booked titled, "Inside the Yellow Pages."

Jeffrey Hauser's latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages," which can be viewed at http://www.poweradbook.com He was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree in teaching. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.

Headon Apply Directly To The Forehead

Writen by Dana Wallert

I'll spare you the three-peat, but you know you've heard that commercial. You may try not to hear it, but it still gets stuck in your mind. Could there be a more annoying marketing campaign?

Well, it seems to be working. The Head On people have gotten a large part of the nation to know and remember the name of their product and what it does through what I'm guessing was not a very expensive commercial to produce! They put some cash into buying spots, but they seem to have gone for a quantity over quality approach in that area too. Yet, they are gleaning semi-regular references from Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert, David Letterman and countless others.

It seems as though everyone in America has seen these things. Somehow, these people have done the near-impossible. They've taken a very simple, cost effective ad, and seemingly overnight built a very well known brand.

Now, I have no idea how well this campaign is converting into sales and profits for the unique pain reliever. But I must admit, solely out of curiosity, I'm tempted to pick up a few tubes myself. Honestly, I don't know if I'd ever want to use it, but how much fun would it when someone at a party asks if you have an aspirin and you whip out your Head On?!

So anyway, as always, I'm asking myself what marketing lessons can we as small business owners, learn from Head On.

I think the moral of this campaign is the old cliché K.I.S.S. or Keep It Simple, Stupid. (Not to infer that you are stupid, nor am I!)

As a small business owner, it is far too easy to get caught up in the latest marketing trends. Especially on the internet, you can literally go crazy worrying about your SEO, SERM, etc. Those are all important pieces of your marketing puzzle, but let's not forget about good old fashioned, tried and true marketing tools that we may have forgotten or forgone. Print advertising, cold calls, radio and tv spots, if feasible, are all valuable tools and should always accompany your web marketing and non-traditional methods. More than likely, some percentage of your target market may still be fonder of the yellow pages, mailers, flyers or the like. Plus, if there's one thing we can definitely take from the headache causing campaign for the headache relieving product, is that repetition is still a marketer's best friend, so don't worry about a little overlap between mediums.

It's always a great idea to examine popular ad campaigns or marketing techniques and determine whether they can be directly applied to your forehead, I mean business!

Dana Wallert is the owner of an online virtual assistance company. She has over 10 years experience in sales and marketing, as well as office management. Read Dana's virtual assistance blog and find out what a virtual assistant can do for you at DW Office Solutions - Virtual Assistant Services

Present Your Product On A Tv Show For Free

Writen by Bob Dean Stanford

Would you like to get your new or existing Internet business moving nearly at the speed of light? Do you know what is required to get your business noticed and how to build your personal credibility fast, making clients secure enough to purchase from you over the Internet?

The Simple Answer

The primary answer is putting potential clients in a comfort zone relative to your product quality and your reputation as an authority in your marketing niche.

One Solution

Market it on television. There are many ways to do this, such as Infomercials, guest appearances on talk shows like Oprah, short form (1 minute and under) TV commercials, long form (2 minutes up to 30 minute infomercials), and etc. Most online businesses can't afford the expense of these types of advertising or have products that target a specific niche that just doesn't fit in the above media methods.

The secret is to find a JV (Joint Venture) partner who is marketing on TV, targeting your product niche, and interested in your product offering. One example is the national cable television show "The Screen Savers," (replaced by "Attack of The Show"). If you have a new or dynamic computer related product, such as hardware, software, or training materials (like the "Little Professor" series), you could get tremendous exposure by presenting your product on their show. Again, the cost is often an obstacle, though some . There are ways around this problem.

Find a media that will work with you for a percentage of the profit and provide ALL the production and airtime costs. Who offers these types of shows? Local Indie (current term meaning Independent) producers that provide programming on your local cable lease access stations. This is NOT the Public Access non-commercial stations, but programming on a legitimate commercial station. Local cable TV networks usually have at least one station enabling them to sell low cost quality airtime to Indie producers. Call your cable network and ask them for referrals of local producers and to list any locally produced shows.

Often, there are local business, music, talk, and variety shows that could feature your products. The producer would make the interview or TV commercial and insert it into his TV show, for a percentage of any sales, at no upfront cost to you. You receive double benefit from this approach. The first is possible sales. The second is instant credibility, providing you material to use for future promotion as a video presentation on your website and on CDs and DVDs for direct mail. You can even beef up your personal online BIO (Biography) adding to your credibility as an authority in your chosen niche. Once you accomplish this successfully, you may locate other Indie producers nationwide, producing similar TV shows and offering them the same concept. Possibly, you can use the original interview or commercial from your first show to eliminate any additional production costs.

Are these ideas really attainable or just theoretical? The answer is, it's being done everyday, across the nation. What is a great way to locate Indie producers across the nation? Visit http://www.indieclub.com and http://www.mindy.com becoming a member for free. This will give you access to considerable free related information and thousands of Indie producers. Contact them with your offer. Also, new online television stations and networks are springing up with instant video presentation capabilities that may represent your product as an affiliate or feature your product. You can locate these through major search engines. A little creative thinking on your part can give you a competitive edge in the Internet marketplace.

Bob Dean Stanford - EzineArticles.com Expert Author
Bob Dean Stanford, an international marketing consultant, specializes in new product development and affiliate marketing, through presentations on his website, his newsletter, and upcoming business TV show. He specializes in assisting web-marketers automate their sales presentations through instant video, audio presentations and newsletter publishing. Subscribe to his FREE marketing newsletter, "The Maverick Entrepreneur," at http://maverickentrepreneur.com or email maverick@stanfordtc.com

Bob Dean Stanford, aka Maverick – will host "The Maverick Entrepreneur" TV show scheduled to air in September 2005, targeting aspiring and established entrepreneurs. He specializes in Internet affiliate marketing and newsletter publishing through cable TV, online video and radio presentations.

What Type Of Advertising Is Most Effective

Writen by Jeffrey Hauser

Word of mouth! Next question!

That was the typical answer of most of my clients over a 25 year period of consulting. Why? Because it was (a) free, (b) easy, (c) obvious, (d) what their customer told them, and (e) free. Did I mention it was free? That seemed to be their criteria in choosing an effective media. What they didn't want to hear from me was how expensive their campaign might be. But I was kind and gentle when I told them they were completely insane. No, I didn't really say that. But I wanted to, believe me.

The plain truth was that I had to learn their business, who their customers were and what they wanted to achieve. Then I could break the bad news to them: advertising actually costs M-O-N-E-Y. That is, effective advertising is an investment. The type is determined by the needs of the business. Answer all the who, what questions first:

(1) Who are your customers?

(2) Where are your customers?

(3) When can you reach them?

(4) How can you reach them?

(5) Why do they need your goods or services?

(6) What do you plan to do to get these customers?

Depending on the answers, you can construct a basic advertising strategy. For example, if you're a local company with a product, newspaper, radio, and cable television might be the cost-effective solution. If you provide a service, start with the local Yellow Pages. Direct mail can be good for targeting certain zip codes and offering discounts. You have to figure each one's ROI (return on investment) and the reach. That is, the amount of people they are seen by and the CPM (cost per thousand). Begin with the media rep and get a rate sheet. They are the experts and their advice is free, Then consider getting a consultant on board.

The most effective promotion is the one that works best. It may not be the cheapest or fanciest, but it's the one that keeps the business afloat. Whatever media that you choose to attempt, don't forget to track the results or each one. That way, you reinvest in the one or ones that work best. And don't be afraid to spend. Closing a failed business is far more painful.

Jeffrey Hauser was a sales consultant for the Bell System Yellow Pages for nearly 25 years. He graduated from Pratt Institute with a BFA in Advertising and has a Master's Degree from Monmouth University. He had his own advertising agency in Scottsdale, Arizona and ran a consulting and design firm, ABC Advertising. He has authored 6 books and a novel, "Pursuit of the Phoenix," available at amazon.com. His latest book is, "Inside the Yellow Pages." Currently, he is the Marketing Director for thenurseschoice.com, a Health Information and Doctor Referral site.

The Best Advertising Money Can Buy Is Absolutely Free

Writen by Avril Harper

If your business involves selling a service, such as consultancy, you might find blatant advertising is counter-productive. After all, no-one wants to hire someone to help make their business more profitable when that other person is so obviously hungry for money!

But you can't just sit back waiting for customers to find you; it simply doesn't work that way. You must get out there and drum up business yourself, based on subtle marketing methods that sometimes go unnoticed. But work wonderfully well, drumming up valuable advertising while costing little or even nothing. These neat ideas will get you started...

NETWORKING

Networking simply means building a client list, comprising potential customers for your business and people who might recommend or refer you to others. Networking involves making and using contacts from various circles, including colleagues and friends, family and neighbours, established clients and customers from an earlier business, and so on. The whole thing is about keeping yourself in the public eye but unobtrusively. Next time one of your network contacts decides they want the particular product or service you provide, they should think automatically of you.

For example, a leading consultant reveals his easiest, cheapest, most profitable method of generating business is to produce alerts about his area of business which is e-mailed regularly to established and potential clients.

Other networking ideas:

* Telephone just to say 'hello' whenever possible, but not too often - once every few weeks is about right.

* Find out when their birthdays are. Send a card or invite them out for a drink.

Get Listed In Directories and Similar Publications * This includes being listed in professional directories as well as trade and business journals and yearbooks. It also means having your details included in telephone and other advertising publications, including 'Yellow Pages'.

ATTEND MEETINGS

Attend as many meetings as possible where referral sources and actual or potential clients are likely to be. Suitable gatherings might include association meetings, professional seminars, trade meetings, and so on. Always make a point of being seen but not by monopolising the proceedings. If you are an expert on some newsworthy topic, volunteer to be a speaker at some well-attended event or ask leading questions, provide answers, and so on.

MAKE SPEECHES AND PRESENTATIONS

Offer your services as speaker at popular events or to present awards, and so on. Appropriate contacts include trade and professional associations, civic groups, business clubs, large companies, and other high profile organisations.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Having your letter published - and more importantly, your name - increases your visibility and establishes you as an authority on your chosen subject. For example, a close colleague who is a management consultant, writes regular letters to management and business journals, always ending: 'M.D. is a management consultant specialising in Conflict Training and can be contacted on...'

RADIO AND TELEVISION EXPOSURE

Radio and television producers are desperate to fill odd gaps during the day when advertising falls short or other news is patchy. If you can be called on at short notice for a studio or telephone interview, you'll find plenty of takers. A friend specialising in conflict management has appeared on countless radio programmes as well as national and satellite television shows. Showing how it works he related a recent incident where the story of a local shopkeeper who had been assaulted hit the headlines locally. Mark specialises in training retailers to manage and control conflict and aggression and, following e-mailed and phoned messages to TV and radio stations, he was invited to appear several times in the days following the retailer's assault. Within hours he had also been approached by several organisations keen to have him address their employees and staff trainers in the art of tackling dangerous situations at work.

PRESS RELEASES

A press release, as the name implies, means 'releasing' information to the press in the hope it will be published. It could be about a book you have written or a recent invention, providing it interests readers of particular magazines. Press releases can be sent - posted, faxed or e-mailed - to all kinds of publication, including trade and business journals, national and regional newspapers, professional journals, and so on. Response can be immense and can even generate more business than some firms can handle. A leading Canadian publisher, for example, sold over 20,000 books on the strength of one press release in one major magazine!

Avril Harper is a triple eBay PowerSeller and editor of eBay Confidential and webmaster of http://www.publishingcircles.com and offers many free articles and reports at http://www.pimpernels.com

Finding Your Target Market

Writen by Elizabeth McGee

Achieving sales is probably the biggest challenge a web business owner has. It requires a balanced mix of the right products, competitive pricing, optimal web design, aggressive advertising and attracting the right online visitors.

While all of the above are equally important in achieving abundant sales, none of them will work at all if you don't target the people that are most likely to buy your products or services. These people are known as your target or niche market. Focusing in on your niche market will allow you to find only those that are ready, willing and able to buy what you have to offer.

Your niche market provides you the competitive edge over larger corporations because larger companies tend to market to a much broader range of people. Their promotions are more generalized and less focused. For them, the smaller markets are not worth bothering with. This now becomes your opportunity to capture those highly defined niche markets that they left behind.

Defining your Market

In order to find these people you must first determine who they are. This might sound like a simple or perhaps insignificant question at first but it can possibly make or break the success of your sales if you don't give it some serious thought. Here's how to get started.

Think about the following and jot down all those that might apply to people interested in your products or services. Don't rule out any category completely. Think about each group of people and how they might apply.

Age Group:

infants, Children, teens, young adults, baby boomers, middle aged, elderly or all.

Gender:

Male, female or both

Marital status:

single, married, divorced, widowed or all

Ethnic or religious backgrounds

Occupations:

Executives, doctors, lawyers, housewives, business owners, teachers, blue collar, white collar, students, out of work, etc.

Health Status:

healthy, diseased, home bound, active, sedentary, etc.

Interests:

sports, hiking, music, arts, computers, reading television, animals, home decorating, cars, walking, running, relaxation, health conscious, age conscious, physical fitness, etc.

Income status:

low income, middle income, high income, no income.

Education:

high school dropout, high school, college, MBA PHD, hates school, loves school, etc.

Certainly all categories are not listed above, however these can get you started on thinking about all the possibilities.

Next, it's important to determine what benefits you are offering. Examine your products or services carefully listing all the benefits that you can think of. Perhaps take a poll of your existing customers and ask them what it is they like about your products or services. What benefits them the most.

Once you have a listed all of the benefits, think about what people would be interested in these benefits based on your list above. Then put them together to assist you in reaching a market that will bring you sales.

Reaching Your Target Market

Search engines are the best way of finding a targeted market because those searching on the web can type in exactly what they are searching for and receive the targeted traffic the search engines so proudly advertise.

But attaining good placement on the search engines is often difficult and time consuming.

Ezines and newsletters are a very effective alternative.

Most ezines cover specific subjects such as finance, marketing, health, internet, etc. Your job will be to find an ezine whose topic matches your target market. To do this you must locate an ezine directory. Directories usually list contact information, advertising rates, and circulation. Once you find a targeted ezine then place your ad. Be sure your ad includes as many of your product benefits as the ad will allow.

The idea is to define your target market specifically enough so that you can find the appropriate place to advertise and then create sales messages that make your readers feel you are talking directly to them.

You'll be amazed at the amount of traffic you can receive by finding your target market and reaching them in the appropriate location.

Elizabeth McGee has spent 20 years in the service and support industry. She has moved her expertise to the world wide web helping businesses find trusted tools, enhance customer service, build confidence and increase sales. Elizabeth's sites can be viewed here: http://www.pro-marketing-online.com http://www.homenotion.com

Copyright © 2004 Adlite Enterprises All Rights Reserved.

Advertising And Pr

Writen by Matt Bacak

What Is The Difference Between Advertising and PR?

Advertising and PR are two different functions, however, many business do not know the difference. Since spending your advertising budget and your PR budget effectively is crucial, how can you expect to accomplish this important goal unless you understand the difference?

When thinking of advertising, billboards, glossy spreads, quarter-page newspaper advertisements and other forms of highly visible promotional material comes to mind. This is clearly advertising. Branding or creating a well-recognized presence for your company is a clear example of effective advertising. Business cards with pizzazz are a form of advertising.

What, then, is PR? Public relations are those things that must be accomplished to let the world know who you are and what your company offers. Press releases, news conferences, professional networking and exhibitions or trade shows are examples of PR work. PR is not as flashy as advertising but it is every bit as important.

Effective Advertising and PR

In today's competitive marketplace, it is crucial to spend every bit of your advertising and PR budget strategically. Public relations can provide a mix that uses advertising but also enhances the efforts of your advertising dollar.

It has long been a "supposed fact" in business that word of mouth is the best advertising. This is not necessarily true. It is an unfortunate fact that a customer who has an exceptional experience dealing with your business will tell one or two people about their experience. A customer who has a bad experience will tell at least a dozen people and your business gets negative advertising.

Word of mouth is, however, one of the most effective PR tools available. Offering school tours, sponsoring science fairs or children's' sports teams, volunteering for public speaking opportunities, attending trade shows or presenting at conferences are rather inexpensive ways to build a wealth of good will and put your name out front.

Have you noticed that television commercials for a product often run a 15 to 30 second advertisement of a really great advertisement and within a few weeks shorten the advertisement to the most important 5 to 10 seconds? The reason is that the initial advertising is meant to brand the product or service and associate the advertisement and the product or service in your mind. It works very well - provided you have really memorable advertisements.

Matt Bacak became "#1 Best Selling Author" in just a few short hours. Recent Entrepreneur Magazine's e-Biz radio show host is turning Authors, Speakers, and Experts into Overnight Success Stories. Discover The Secrets To Unleash The Powerful Promoter In You! Sign up for Matt Bacak's Promoting Tips Ezine ($100 value) just visit his website at http://www.powerfulpromoter.com or http://promotingtips.com

How To Dominate Other Yellow Page Ads

Writen by Joe Farinaccio

What I'm about to reveal to you is "classified" information. Top secret stuff.

Okay… maybe not top secret… but you should know some entrepreneurs pay big bucks for the information I'm about to reveal to you. And that's no fib either.

If your business is listed in the yellow pages this strategy will send lots of customers your way… resulting in more sales.

It's a simple tactic, but works in a big way. Yet hardly anyone uses it. I'm not sure why. I'm guessing it has something to do with a tendency us to go along with a crowd without even consciously thinking about it.

When it comes to marketing, we want our customers to buy from us or hire us. Then again, we're often afraid of appearing too different from other businesses.

So what's this got to do with advertising in the Yellow Pages? Plenty.

In fact … I can prove it. Just go right and grab your local Yellow Pages Directory. Alright now… open it up… and tell me what you see.

Lots of ads, right? Problem is… they look alike.

Right at the top of 99% of these Yellow Page Ads is the business name. For example, under the "Haircutters and Stylists" listings we might see something like the following at the top of each ad block:

"Sally Jones Hair Salon"

"Theresa's Hair Care"

"Quickie Cuts"

"The Family Hair Gallery"

Now… if you're thinking, "Sure Joe, but EVERYONE structures their Yellow Pages Ad like that…"

Uh huh. You see where I'm coming from?

Most people are afraid of looking too different from everyone else in business. And this is especially true in their advertising.

That's no good. For one thing, your advertising is supposed to set you "apart" from the crowd… tell readers what's unique about you. And second… you're paying big bucks for a Yellow Page Listing.

So make your yellow page advertising count!

The person who opens up the yellow pages is looking for something. They're either looking for a particular item, or they're looking for something to solve a particular problem.

If someone is reading the category you're listed under it's a good chance they're a HOT prospect. A high percentage of Yellow Page shoppers are ready to buy NOW.

So is your business name likely to grab their attention? Probably not. People don't care about your business name. They want to know if you can help them with their need. And help them NOW.

So how are you going to make your Yellow Page Listing stand out from the crowd? Well… for starters…

Use a big, bold headline. Right at the top of your space ad.

Let's say you're a busy person who's just moved into the neighborhood. Today, you're in the market for a new hair cutter/stylist. Your turn to the above section in the Yellow Pages Book and read the listings. Except now, instead of Theresa putting "Theresa's Hair Care" at the top of her ad there's the following headline:

"People Wasting Time at Most Hair Salons Trying to Look Their Best"

Hmmm… that's interesting. You begin reading. The next few lines of body copy immediately following the headline say something like this:

"Most hair salons waste a client's time. First, they make customers sit in a room and read magazines. Never mind the customer has an 11 a.m. appointment. The Salon thinks 11:15 or 11:20 is the same thing as 11:00. Next, the customer gets their hair washed. Then they sit a few more minutes until their stylist has an open chair.

This NEVER happens at Theresa's Hair Care. Whether you want the latest style, or simplest cut, you can look your best without spending half a day at the salon. Her stylists are all experts in the latest trends. But Theresa has developed a system… like clockwork. This means no wasted time. She even promises that if you call ahead and book a time-slot you'll NEVER have to sit and wait more than 7 minutes before a stylist gives you their full personal attention - - or your haircut is FREE. To find out more pick up the phone right now and call 555-5555 to book an appointment."

Notice how this is written. Like a news editorial; not an ad. It's written this way for a reason.

If getting a nice haircut quickly is important to customers in Theresa's area then her Yellow Pages ad speaks directly to a core desire. If Theresa can deliver on the promises she makes in her ad then she's got a winner. And her YP listing will generate customer response like crazy over other listings in her category.

Bank on it.

Joe Farinaccio helps entrepreneurs sell their goods and services. For more information on Yellow Page advertising and direct marketing visit his website at… http://www.sales-letters-and-marketing.com