Online Advertising Marketing

Archive for the ‘Advertising’ Category

New advertising ideas and techniques most always get the quick attention of the optimistic small business owner.

The first time you hear about a something new to use or adapt, your mind races forward, especially if the testimonials are realistic and seem to relate to what you are doing.

To illustrate, picture that ad salesperson standing right there in your business.
Temptation is staring you in the face. “It’s a great deal,” they tell you. Do you go for it or not?

Here are three sets of realistic questions to ask yourself as you evaluate the proposal:

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1. Take a step to the side and consider this. Is your current advertising already covering the basics? Is this new temptation part of your basic advertising plan or does it fall in the “next level” category? Remember that you’ve got to do the basics first, just as you have to open a showroom before you can decorate it. So make sure you are doing the basics well before you move to the next level.

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2. Will the new idea or technique stand on its own as a profit generator? Can the new idea or technique be integrated into your basic advertising thrust so it can compliment what you are already doing? Will it contribute to building a cumulative advertising effect?

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3. Can you afford it? Is your advertising budget already strained? Will this advertising method pay for itself? Or will it break the bank?
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Okay, a couple of things need to be said before I get down to business. First, it is important to me that I try to practice what I preach as much as possible. This is not always the case and for that I am at times unhappy with myself. With that in mind, I am a person who believes in open communication. I don’t like hidden agendas. I also believe in the goodness of people and try to give people the benefit of the doubt. Also, I believe that in order to believe in people, risks must be taken in order for mutual respect to have an opportunity to grow. With that in mind I am going to take a risk and hope that no one abuses it, but respects a goal of mine and tries not to undermine it.

The goal: I want to invent a word and have it accepted into the Oxford English Dictionary. There are a few criteria that need to be met to successfully enter a word in the OED, which you can check on for yourself, but I think that I have my strategy and word all ready. What I’m trusting is that what I’m about to share will not be taken by someone else, thus supplanting a dream I’ve had for a long time. I’m going to tell you my idea and I hope that you appreciate it, but that it remains my idea to pursue and turn into a reality.

One of the criteria for the OED is that a word with a similar definition does not exist. Or in other words, there must be need for the word. That’s tough, but I think I have it. The English language has no word that means “A person or thing that is one’s least preferred. A person or thing that is one’s most hated.” This is essentially the opposite of “favorite”. We can get the idea across, but we have no single word that encapsulates “most hated” with the efficiency that “favorite” has for “most preferred or loved”. The word I think can solve this linguistic gap is “malrite”.
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When I first got into the online advertising business, I was looking for the magical combination that would put my website into the top search engine rankings, catapult me to the forefront of the minds or individuals looking to buy my product, and generally make me rich beyond my wildest dreams!

After succeeding in the business for this long, I’m able to look back on my old self with this kind of thinking and shake my head.

If you’re reading this article and you’ve come this far, you’re probably looking for the magic answer yourself. You’ve probably read a few dozen or a few hundred articles just like this about pay-per-click advertising, maximizing return on investment, keyword stuffing, black-hat seo tactics, text-link banner exchanges, and the list goes on.

Well, I’m here to tell you that I have the one be all end all answer and I’m sharing it with the world!

The truth is that there is no magic secret to online advertising. No one method will generate the largest amount of income/exposure for every website or business imaginable – it’s all a matter of trial and error, time and talent.

That’s a pretty weak answer, I know. It would have been much cooler for me to tell you that buying tiny classified ads in your local paper was the key to success and riches. Well, I’m sorry. For the few of you that have been down this road before and are starting to get it, you’ll hear a ring of truth in my words. The sooner you stop looking for a quick fix to make your message stick, the better.

For what it’s worth, these are my thoughts.

1) The internet has only been alive for a few short years, and in that time it has changed dramatically many times over. Remember in 1995 when everyone first discovered the cool little animated envelope .gif that you would click on to send them email? Where was your online bill-pay, instant messaging, and dynamically generated page content then? And only a few short years later you can see how far we’ve come and use that as a measure for how far we can go.

The point is that the internet, like other forms of media, is a rapidly evolving monster. What works for online advertisers today might be completely ineffectual only a few months from now. That’s why the best advertisers are constantly researching and creating their own unique marketing strategies. The trick is to find out what works for you, and to make sure that you revisit it from time to time to tune it up as the market changes.

2) You Have to Spend Money to Make Money. It’s a tired line, but it’s that way because everyone says it. Don’t be afraid to add fuel to your advertising fire and take it to another level. Try investing (note that I said investing and not spending) five, ten, or fifty thousand dollars in advertising. If you don’t jump out a window the first time you do it, you may walk away with a big smile and a little pocket money!

The hard part about investing a big chunk of money is coming up with it in the first place. If you already have $50,000 laying around for advertising and are just looking for a place to put it, give me a call. If you’re not that lucky, try looking at the Small Business Administration for ideas on how to get a small business loan.

If you don’t want to go farther than your mailbox, examine some of those credit checks your bank keeps sending you in the mail. A lot of people take advantage of their fairly reasonable interest rates to fund projects. Read the rest of this entry »

There’s not a question that promotional items can be an invaluable way to help market your company, product or service. However, it’s also safe to say that not all promotional items are of equal value or offer the same marketing power. The item given away should be wanted by the potential client, not just taken because it’s free, only to be discarded later. These should be items that people use, preferably on a consistent basis.

Very few promotional items can compete with the usability of advertising pens. You have probably used one recently yourself. Many people feel reluctant to use even the most commonly used items, such as shirts and hats, but pens have been accepted by the general public like none other.
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