One of the aspects about the Web is the amount of creativity that is available to any business online. Take advantage of some of the online tools to tell your story. Whether you are looking at a making a video or a short advertising segment, tell a story that captures the imagination.
What are you waiting for? Do you want more customers today?
Get your business found online. Get to the top page of search engine results pages for your keywords. Don't get left behind.
Everyone knows that advertising is essential to growing a business. One problem that small business owners have always faced is the high cost of marketing. Most, however don't realize that there is an effective way to reduce the cost of your advertising while - at the same time - increasing its reach.
Advertising co-ops are nothing new. Usually they are a "perk" offered by major manufacturers to encourage retailers to promote their products. Because the retailer has direct access to customers that would want to buy certain products, it only makes sense that they should do joint advertising. You've seen it - McDonalds mentioning Coke in their commercials, Dell stating that you get a free Epson printer with purchase and so on.
The retailer doesn't make the product the manufacturer is providing, but it IS a great match with what they DO offer. Nobody would want to eat a Big Mac without something to drink, and a computer wouldn't do a lot of good without a printer.
Now you can use this same strategy to create your own advertising co-op to increase the reach of your ads and drastically reduce the cost, too.
--- How It Works
Generally speaking, the cost of any advertisements (bulk emailings, ezine ads, banners, newspaper, etc.) would be split equally between all participants. If you and two associates decide to purchase a solo ad, you would each receive equal mentions in the ad and you would each pay equal portions of the cost.
So if the solo ad were going to a list of 200,000 and cost $150, each of the three would pay $50. You get to reach 200,000 people for 1/3 the cost you would have normally paid. And, because this ad relates you to other types of businesses, you actually expand your advertising reach.
--- Getting Started
So who would be qualified to enter into an ad co-op with you? It depends on the nature of your business. Think of others that reach your same target customer and make a list. If you design Web sites, you might approach hosting companies, graphic artists, copywriters or programmers. If your business is landscaping, you could invite yard maintenance companies to join you.
Once you have a list of one or more business types, think of current associates you know who belong to those groups. Also, ask others if they know of any reliable businesses that fall into the categories you've outlined.
--- Making the Approach
When you have a list of businesses to approach, simply write or email them with your offer. Be sure to point out the benefits such as:
* a win-win situation * reduced cost of advertising * expanded reach of advertising * larger, more prominent ads for a fraction of the cost
Also, be sure to ask about the advertising outlets these businesses currently use. You will likely find new avenues that lead to greater exposure.
--- Finalizing the Deal
You'll need to work out payment arrangements with your partners prior to placing the ad(s). The best way I have found to handle the finances is for each party to pay me for their portion of the cost with a credit card. I then place the ad order with MY credit card. This way, you are assured of receiving the dollar amount due to you; and your partners have the assurance that - should you default on your end of the deal - they have recourse for getting their money back.
Working in cooperation with other businesses can lead to tremendous successes with advertising. When like-minded companies pool their resources to reach one target audience, the impact is doubled while the cost is reduced by at least half. That's the best advertising bargain around today!
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Diane C. Hughes * ProBizTips.com
FREE Report: Amazingly Simple (Yet Super Powerful) Ways To Skyrocket Your Sales And Build Your Business Into A Tower of Profits! ==>> http://madmarketer.com/diane
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Professional Web Services * Online Marketing Strategies
The online market place is very unique in the marketing and advertising aspects of the business. Marketing and advertising are on a convergence course. Doing one disciplinary, without an understanding of the other disciplinary could be limiting your bottom line sales. I have said many times that it is getting more difficult to judge whether a web page is first an online marketing concept or a creative advertising force. The reasons for the difficulty in differentiating between advertising and marketing are many because of how the Internet is structured.
The Internet is all about links. In its simplest form, that being a two page web site, or simply two key words linked together from one page to another has in effect created a small internet. By having two pages linked together; this is the foundation to form the simple Net. Now, multiply that by millions or hundreds of millions of websites, each of which may have hundreds, or thousands of pages all linked in a web network, one can quickly see how the Internet was formed. Taking the links one step further, and instead of having a text link, people now have picture links. Wow, what an online advertising concept! In this case, a picture really is worth a thousand words. While the picture is displayed on a website, many times with words written in the graphic, it can cause visual stimulations and drive the emotions of the viewer to cause an action. Thus the online advertising click through was born.
Prior to the Internet, advertising took substantially longer to inspire an action. Many times products would have to be shown repeatedly before a buyer would go to the store in order to purchase it. Now, online advertising takes on a whole new dimension in that it still many times requires repetitive viewing before an ad is clicked on, but it has a major advantage over any other form of advertising; a direct connection. No other form of advertising is at the finger tips of the target audience to provide instantaneous feedback to both the advertisers and the businesses or consumers being targeted. The advertisers can view statistics on click through rates and conversions. Likewise, the consumer or business that clicks on the ad can just as easily click the back button if they are not interested in it or like what they see.
While we're on the road to comparing advertising to marketing with pictures and images, we have not really addressed the body text and actual words in the web pages themselves. For example, having a call to action item at the end of an article, is simply a great place to advertise your business. You've set the groundwork for your product or service in a web page of your site, why waste the opportunity and not have a call to action item. Yes, this is a marketing concept, but it is also an advertising opportunity. Don't let it go to waste.
Set your business on fire, with an online presence that will produce more sales for your company. Contact Professional Web Services for a free Internet marketing report of your website.
Stop searching and get your B2B or B2C business found online now!
Name: James A. Warholic Home: San Ramon, California, United States About Me:Jim said: Never settle for mediocrity. Life is about change, new growth, and making a difference in the lives around us. No matter what direction life takes us in our new thinking, always striving to do it to the best of our abilities is key to success. Actions speak louder than words. B2B, B2C, and C2C Internet marketing services, ethical SEO, search engine optimization, online advertising strategies, professional web site customizations, website branding solutions with Professional Web Services, marketing business solutions. See my profile...
