Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Affordable life insurance for you and your loved one!


         Life insurance is one of the most valuable decisions you make in order to give you and your loved ones financial security. In case, if you were passed away immediately, how would your mortgage or debts be paid off? How would your family continue their life without financial problems? Even if you are in healthy condition, life insurance is an important thing in planning your retirement. Therefore, you need to join many satisfied customers that have found reasonable life insurance policies by completing free service. How to apply life insurance? You have simplified their form, complete it easily within minutes. First, you have provided some basic contact information and medical details; you will receive life insurance quotes from many reputable companies and can choose the premium that proper to your budget. 
         Moreover, if you have questions about life insurance claims or need to file a claim; their informative guides will give you guidance. You may be questioned suppose a medical condition will influence your life insurance rates. The answer is closer than you have imagined. These guides also allow you to compare the different aspects of each life insurance policy and choose the best life insurance type for you and your family.

No longer be confused in choosing your car insurance!


       What is car insurance rate? Car insurance rate is your important online store for auto insurance. There are lots of company reviews, vehicle purchasing advice, claims help, valuable information on all types of policies are provided here. Currently, vehicle insurance becomes more outstanding. However, sometimes the process of selecting the appropriate policy can be very puzzled. That is why; this website offers you with valuable information on types of policies and outlines that you should be known with before buying the insurance. Nowadays, there are lots of drivers who saving money through lower premiums and better coverage and you must do like that. If you are still confused about the best insurance for your car, you should learn from abundant articles about coverage types, accidents, the claims procedure and others which are offered in this website.
         You can simply click of the below links and complete the short application to get free and no obligation quotes on another insurance type. This website shared with the best companies to give you the timeliest, the cheapest price quotes available. Furthermore, selecting the right coverage can be a confusing or just to say nothing of comparing the same charge across multiple provider offers. Suppose you need guidance in taking the right coverage, navigating the comparison process, or you just want to make sure you are doing everything right to make the policy inexpensive and effective, this website is proper for you. Their knowledge support is filled with informative articles connect with charts, illustrations, and guides to aid in navigating your new policy or provider easily.

Sunday, October 21, 2012

Online Payday Loans Lender that Will Help You


         You may face a condition when you have to buy or pay something but you cannot do this at that time because you have a little problem with your bank account. You can withdraw your money next month because of the little problem. What does it mean? It means that you have a financial problem. It is quite ironic. However, you should make sure that you have the cash to fulfill the need. In this case, you have to find a way to get the cash, and my recommendation is applying for online payday loans because you are qualified to get the cash. 
         When you face such problem, what you have to do is only finding the lender that will help you with the fast cash you need. You can do it by finding the website that can help you meeting the lender. Well, Easy Online Payday Loan is the right place you can visit to find the best lender for online payday loans. It is very simple to do because you just need to provide basic information about the need of cash you have. Now, you just need to visit the website by following the links available and you can do the rest by yourself because it is surely easy to do.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

The Value Of SMS Text Marketing


Whether you run a for-profit business looking to increase sales, or represent an organization that simply wants to be able to reach your members quickly and affordably, text marketing is the perfect solution. That's because text marketing can be as much a money-saver as it is a money-maker.
Here are a few reasons why SMS text mobile marketing is vital to your business or organization.
1. You Can Reach More People Than With ANY Other Method
Did you know...
6% of Americans have a Twitter account
33% of Americans have a Facebook account (more than 50% of males do NOT check their Facebook daily)
37% of Americans actively use email
92% of Americans have a cell phone (98% of which have SMS enabled handsets!)
In fact, believe it or not there are 2.5 times as many users of "texting" than email. But that's not even the most important point. You see, 33% of email addresses change on a yearly basis. Your email database gets more and more outdated with each passing day. But with phone number portability and the popularity of mobile phones, people are ditching their home phones and keeping their cell phones for life. That means your contact database will continue to grow - and almost never get old!
2. More of the People Who Receive Your Message Will Actually Read It!
With text marketing your SMS reminders, notifications, or coupons are received at the exact time your customers need to see them-and often at the precise time they are making a buying decision.
Consider this incredible fact: 95% of all text messages are read within 5 minutes of delivery, with an overall read-rate of 97%!
Compared with other forms of marketing and communication, mobile is the clear winner...
3. More of the People Who Read Your Message Will Actually Take Action
Reaching more people wouldn't mean much if it didn't have any effect on their actions. But perhaps the best news of all regarding text marketing is that it actually does drive behavior. According to research done by the Direct Marketing Association, 70% of recipients react to SMS (text) marketing messages, compared to just 20% for email. And the same study shows that up to 30% of users redeem mobile offers, compared to 5% for email.
Consider this...
94% of consumers who receive a mobile marketing offer recall the specific call-to-action (Hip Cricket Research)
15% of consumers admit to increasing what they spent toward a specific brand based on mobile marketing (eMarketer)
User response to a mobile ad is often 10 times higher than a computer/email offer (Quantcast Data)
33% of Americans acknowledged using a mobile coupon received via text marketing within the past month (eMarketer)
In fact, according to ABI Research, the average ROI with mobile marketing is $10 for every $1 spent!
4. Your Customers and Members Actually Want to Hear from You
The most valuable piece of your business is not your building or your computers or some specialized piece of equipment. It is your customer database.
Text marketing allows you to build and nurture your customer database so that they will have more loyalty to you and ultimately do business with you more often. And the best part is, they WANT to hear from you more often. DMA research shows that the vast majority of consumers not only want to receive special offers and information by text, but that they wish more businesses and organizations offered this option! Likewise, Nielsen Mobile discovered that 70% of consumers they surveyed are happy to receive promotional information via text message


Wednesday, October 3, 2012

The Role Of Accurate Business Data In Getting Your Enterprise Ahead Of The Competition


Have you ever asked yourself why some businesses just seem to surge ahead of all the others? There are really enterprises that can take advantage of all the right opportunities. Some of them are even fairly new compared to others. But how is it that they can take the marketplace by storm? Let's take for example a fast food business. Of course, we all know that there are lot of them around. That's why it's probably one of those industries with the most number of competitors. So how come there are really food industries that can dominate the market almost overwhelmingly?
One of the biggest factors that can make a huge difference between success and failure of an enterprise is possession of accurate business data. What is this all about? Well for one thing, any kind of enterprise needs the right kind of information to help it in the market. For example, a food business needs to know which of its products are a hit with consumers and which are not. It also needs to find out how it can increase production while making it more cost-effective. Moreover, it also has to be constantly updated of incoming competition and what it will be up against.
Without these essential, up-to-date information, your business won't be able to progress smoothly. That's because it will just be relying on stale data while the rest of the business world is surging ahead. Hence, if you want your enterprise to keep up with the competition, you need to be equipped with the latest data. Plus, if you want to really be a step ahead of the rest, then you must be able to use such information properly. This is where seeking professional services can really be crucial. With the right professional business data services, you can give your business boost it needs.
Fortunately for us, there are so many companies these days providing for such services. The scope of such professional services extend to web lookup, list cleaning, and new mover information. Moreover, they also provide XML business services as well. With these, you can easily update existing customer information, find new movers, validate mailing addresses and more. While you are improving data accuracy in your enterprise, you're also helping reduce costs associated with bad data. Your business will have an easier time taking a leap forward and keeping up with latest technological developments.



Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Marketing Tips For Your Farmers Market Display


You've nurtured your tomatoes from seed, they survived that crazy wet spring and even several hornworms... but finally they are ready for market along with other treasures from your fields. It can be really hard to find some time or energy to think about your farmers market display. It's essential to have great product and great service - but it's also important to give some attention to your marketing presence.
If you had to move, even 2 spaces, from your current location would customers recognize this? Cookie Roscoe, Market Manager for The Stop's Green Barn in Toronto notes, "if I move a vendor 15 feet over, I get customer comments like - it's too bad those guys aren't here today or where is that lovely man?"
Farmers markets are naturally full of colour and activity and it's unlikely you are the only one selling tomatoes. To develop loyal customers you need to be memorable. Keep these tips in mind when developing marketing materials to promote your farm and its products.
Set a budget.
Estimate how much you will sell over the season and use 3-5% of this as a potential budget. For example, if you expect to sell $500, on average each week for 12 weeks, your total sales would be $6,000. In this case, with a budget in the 3% to 5% range, this would equal $180 to $300. If you are investing in items that will last more than one season, such as a banner, then spending slightly more is realistic. Don't forget that there may be taxes on items, and that some items may need replacing before the end of the season.
Consider your environment.
Farmers markets are naturally full of colour and activity. Keeping key items such as your banner simple and impactful will help ensure it gets noticed. Don't be tempted to add lots of patterns or photos. Make sure any signage can still be seen once the market becomes busy with customers. Items placed at floor level may become hidden, and also restrict traffic flow.
Be careful with terminology.
This is a very sensitive area. Make sure you are not over promising and be prepared to explain any claims you may make. The key is to maintain your credibility and trust with your customers as well as market management and your fellow vendors.
Make it visible.
Whether you hired a graphic designer to create an amazing brochure, or it's your neatly typed price list - make sure you can place it in a location where customers can see it. One of Cookie's examples of what not to do is to use a photocopied price list in black and white taped to the top of a freezer. As she simply states, "It gets lost in the sea and doesn't stand out."
Check with your market manager.
Your market will likely have specific guidelines for signage and other marketing materials. They may also have specific rules around the use of specific terms such as organic, natural, sustainable etc. If you are involved in more than one market, be sure to check with each one and develop materials that can be used at all of your market locations as much as possible.
Weather - keep it in mind.
Larger marketing expenditures should not be spent on materials that become easily damaged by wind, rain or sun. Signs printed from a home computer or written out quickly by hand should be somewhat weather resistant so they can make it through a bad weather day but can be replaced easily and quickly before the next market date. Produce extras and keep them handy if needed.
Think through transportation and storage.
Give some thought to how materials will be transported to and from the market and how they will be stored. Marketing materials cost money, and take time to create so it is important to keep them in good condition for as long as possible. Invest in a container where materials can be stored. This could be an inexpensive plastic folder for price signs or a cardboard roll to protect your banner.



Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Marketing for eBay Sellers: Part 1


Like any other business, honest item description, friendly and straight forward communication, prompt shipping are the cornerstone of any successful online business. There are no differences between traditional brick and mortar businesses and doing business online and even owning an eBay store. If you want to go beyond just being good at customer service and retain a loyal customer following, which will guarantee longterm success and repeat purchases then you should implement a direct email marketing strategies as part of your marketing campaign.
With email marketing you send current and potential customers periodic information about new products, store promotions and other happenings in your eBay Store. eBay makes email marketing a breeze. They have provided all the materials, tools and a detailed and easy way to implement a marketing strategy. You can customize up to five different messages which allows you to focus more on your campaign. They show how to attract new customers and to support their buying interests.
You can select how and when your emails are sent to your customers. You can choose to send different marketing messages to different niches. You can also divide your customer lists into different groups and market to them accordingly as well eg. some are interested in just when there is a sales and others want information. This email marketing system is very flexible and very effective.
When designing an email marketing strategy you want to make sure that customers are able to opt in and out easily. You can send your emails to everyone based on your findings but give them an option to choose. With eBay marketing, that is not an issue since it is designed to be straight forward. They can choose to be part of your mailing list by adding you to their "favorite store" list or subscribe to your newsletter. You have to include a link in all listings and other eBay store pages to get maximum exposure.
If you choose to design your own email marketing campaign you will also have to make sure it complies with eBay requirements. eBay prohibits links to off eBay sites. With this in mind you will then be limited in what you can offer your customers in opt in choices. One advantage is that you can market your own store on other sites freely.
With eBay Email marketing campaign all the guesswork is eliminated. You will only have to follow the steps provided. You can design and start running your campaign within minutes. With Email marketing you will be able to attract and retain customers to your business for a long time. This will end up bringing in repeat business, loyal customers and eventually profits.



Tuesday, September 11, 2012

A Glance at the B2B and B2C Marketing Collateral


Are you a business owner looking for innovative ideas to market your products? It is important to know the various marketing techniques involved and the B2B and B2C differences in order to create the right marketing materials for your business. The first step is to analyze the type of your business and the kind of customer you serve to. The following article is an attempt to distinguish between the B2B marketing methods and analyze B2B marketing tools to create effective marketing collateral.
In the world of business, there are several marketing techniques for B2B and B2C marketing respectively. B2B and B2C deals aren't the same; they differ in volume and strategy. While B2B focuses on corporate clients, the B2C involves retail marketing directly to consumers. It is the B2B and B2C differences that make the marketing strategies unique for both. Modern day marketing tools are quite innovative and creative and produce a great impact on the business. Some of the most commonly known B2B market tools include websites, brochures, outbound calls, and other marketing collateral.
Effective marketing collateral is a must to achieve success in B2B and B2C deals. The continuous research in the marketing arena has revealed much on the design of the marketing collateral that can create a positive impact to businesses. The ultimate purpose of the B2B marketing tools and the B2C marketing tools are to alter the decision making capabilities of the buyer. Whether it be a concrete product or an abstract one, there are a lot of competition in the market and one has to strive hard to make a sale happen.
A glance at the design of an effective marketing website will enlighten you on the nuances in the marketing arena. A B2B business website that targets corporate clients differs greatly from a website that caters to the retail customers. The findings of research in the corporate market are incorporated in designing the B2B marketing website. Some of the techniques include white space, larger text, images, and videos of products and the benefits of using the products over their competitors'. The same is true of B2B brochures. The design of the B2B marketing collateral should be in such a way to impress corporate clients. Much is actually made of what a B2B and what a B2C are. A B2B, by basic or general definition, is the Business to Business dealings which result in business. A B2C, on the other hand, again by the same basic or general definition, is the Business to Consumer which results in a transaction and business.



Tuesday, September 4, 2012

The Best Ways to Get More Traffic to Your Blog


Sadly, people will not find your blog (in the beginning anyway) unless you do a little legwork. These are some of the things I did to get traffic and some that I still do. The first thing I suggest doing is writing a few great articles about your topic and feature them in your sidebar. Then I would start working on generating traffic, because you not only want traffic, but you want returning traffic as well.
- Guest Posting: I think this is one of the best ways to start getting some quick traffic
- Sign up for blog community sites: Just a few off the top of my head are mybloglog.com, technorati.com, and blogcatalog.com. Look for other blogs in your niche and join their networks and ask to become their friends. Networking with some of your fellow bloggers here will send a few visitors your way and is a good way to get started.
- Submit to Blogcarnivals: One of the best things beginning bloggers can do is to sign up for blogcarnivals. At this site you can submit articles that you wrote on your blog to be included in a list of articles by the hosting blog. It is kind of like "open mic night." If you have a good article with a good title, you can get some good traffic from blogcarnivals, not to mention incoming links from other related sites.
- Join Directories: If I were starting a blog today, one of the first things I would do is Google "whatever topic I want to blog about" + "directory" This should return a list of web directories about your topic. Getting added to these directories will only help. You may not get a lot of traffic from them, but ultimately they will help you get more traffic from the search engines. A few of the more valuable ones to get you started...
- Forum Commenting: Becoming involved in forums related to your topic and having a link to your blog in the signature line can send a few visitors. Google "your topic" and "forums" and you are sure to find a few. Just don't be annoying and go in just to promote yourself. People can see that from a mile away. The new age of the internet (aka Web 2.0) is very much a "give and you shall receive" environment. If you seek to give and be a benefit before seeking your own rewards, you will be much better off. Why not get started at the Christian PF Forums?
- Linking to other blogs: I don't know what it is, but everyone wants to know when someone is talking about them. So it is with blogs. When people link to my site, I get a notification and often go check out who linked to me and what the context was. I have had some good relationships form just from this.
- Create Squidoo pages: Squidoo.com, InfoBarrel.com, Hubpages.com, and a handful of others are sites that allow you to build a simple page about a topic. You can do it very quick and the pages often rank well in the search engines. If you build a page that gets a little bit of traffic and have links coming back to your site, you will catch some of those visitors. If that weren't good enough, many of them allow you to earn money from your articles as well.
- Article submissions: Submit articles to article submission sites. These sites collect articles and most allow a bio-section that can include a link back to your blog. Here are a few that are worth looking into...


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

In Appointment Setting, Put Preparations Over Presumptions


One of the perks of quality appointment setting is that your lead generator can already identify a certain level of problems and advise you on what objections to expect. However, you need to know the fine line between preparing for a problem and simply presuming it.
At first, there doesn't seem much of a difference. After a short exchange of telemarketing calls and emails, your lead generator sends you all the information you need about an upcoming appointment. You then start creating a presentation regarding the problems that have been discovered and the potential objections a prospect might have.
However, it is at that particular step that your preparations should not be confused with presumptions.
Review the process again and evaluate how you view the problems that your B2B leads pointed out. Do you dedicate a significant portion of time to answering an objection because you are so sure or do you give any chance for your prospect to bring it up?
  • Presumptions - Making presumptions is all about the former option. You feel so certain that your prospect will raise a certain objection that you answer it even without them asking. This is not a good idea. For example, not all prospects are that hung up about price. There are also times when a prospect is already aware of a certain obstacle to their buying decision but have taken measures to address it. In short, your presumed objection might not always come to surface.

  • Preparations - The difference between making preparations and making presumptions is that you simply set aside a response without thinking you will always resort to it. The trick is to test if a prospect would really make an objection or actually affirm the problem. Once a prospect has openly admitted to one or the other, then that is the only sign you will ever need. A few tips you can try is by really encouraging them to voice their objections and ask more questions. After all, what is the purpose of B2B appointment setting if you do not have much of a dialogue?
Furthermore, this might not just apply to presumed problems and objections. These could also apply to presumed solutions. No matter how sure both you and your appointment setter are, always let the prospect establish the need. Do not simply go ahead and present them something that they were not really expecting.
And at this point, you should also be reminded to listen carefully to your appointment setters too. You never know when they might be saying one thing but you are hearing something completely different. When they finally deliver you your information, analyze it carefully.

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

The Right Strategic Plan to Win the Market


A solid marketing plan is one of the most crucial determinants in when it comes to winning a particular market for the long-term. Unfortunately, too many companies make the mistake of diving headfirst into a market battle arena without so much as a judicious plan in place to guide them.
Although winning one's target audience is never an easy feat to undertake because of the influx of competitors and available information through our current technology, both of these two play a part in making a fickle market. The key to getting ahold of a changeable market though, is to comprehend and address the competition through a well-planned strategy.
Assessment of Market Position Through A Customer's Perspective
With this information, we can glean that there are strategic ways of winning your target consumers using both the customer's perspective along with marketing and technology know-how. How so, you may ask?
Well for starters, you have to first evaluate your position in the market. This information will pave the way in order for you to properly align your strategy with the said data. Once this is in place, you can then identify the most effective advertising method befitting your current market position.
This is where knowing a customer's perspective can come in handy since you'll be able to know the specific needs of your target market. After which, you will be able to adjust your campaign, pricing or products accordingly in order to better reflect the demands of your consumers.
Simply put, be customer-obsessed. In this age of consumerism, there is no better way to get your desired audience but to understand the fundamental elements of their behavior - what motivates and compels them to buy the things they do.
Technological Know-How and Market Engagement
On the other hand, winning the dynamic digital consumers of your market will have to be done by connecting and serving them through technology. Although there are a lot of risks associated in this age of instantaneous digital communications, it can be wielded to your advantage by knowing where the opportunities lie.


Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Watch Out for The Goo!


Creating a great offer is one of the best ways to get your product or service into the hands of your prospective customers.
But you do have to make sure the offer is a good one... and an appropriate one.
For example, here's the relevant part of an e-mail I received last month:
To celebrate the festive season, until Christmas, we are offering an upgrade to the GooSync one-time subscription for $19.95. (This is the same price as a 12-month renewal of your current account.) This of­fer ends December 25th, 2008, so treat yourself to an early Christ­mas present and order yours here today...
Okay, a little background before we get started.
What Am I Doing Today?
We use the Google Calendar system to manage our personal and business calendars. You can have separate color-coded calendars, and share them with designated people, each with a distinct, user-defined set of privileges.
For example, we created a calendar item called "Misc. Public Events" for non-business-related activities that Lorie and I do, like getting together with friends, triathlons, trips, etc. Only she and I have access to these events.
Similarly, there are two calendar categories my staff use for schedul­ing phone calls for me: one I use to designate "Call Blocks," when I'm available for calls, and another one, "Calls," where they actually indicate the calls they've scheduled for me.
Terry and Jama, who are on my virtual team, have "read-only" access to the Call Block calendar, and "write" access to the Calls calendar.
In addition, there are a variety of other calendar categories for personal tasks, dates blocked out for live programs and related travel, and several others.
This approach works absolutely great when I'm sitting at my com­puter with a live Internet connection, and is one I highly recommend. (Note: a related product, Google Mail, is where we host our mail servers, and its spam filters work with near 100% accuracy. As a bonus, both the mail and calendar products are absolutely free!)
The only concern, when using a PC-, Mac-, or Internet-based calendar, is that you may want to access the calendars on your mobile phone.
Sync Me Up!
And that's where GooSync comes in. It works with most phones, whether they're Windows Mobile, Palm, or just plain old basic phones, with built-in propri­etary calendar functions.
Instead of syncing by plugging the phone into a USB port on your computer, it syncs your calendar events and contacts "over the air" using your carrier's phone network, or Wi-Fi network if available and supported.
So when we got new phones a few months ago, we signed up for the one-time fee program since this was something we were planning on using for a while.
So, needless to say, I was a bit surprised to receive an offer to upgrade to the level we had already purchased for a price that appeared to be less than what we originally paid.
A quick e-mail to the company explained that the $19.95 was actually an upgrade fee and the total would end up being the same price as what we paid.
Their response, however, did not explain why we received the offer in the first place.
And that's the Magic Lesson I want to share with you this month:
Match Your Message to Your Market
This is an extremely important concept that we've discussed many times, but normally in the context of targeting new products and services to specific market segments. You wouldn't want to send an offer for premium steaks to a list of vegetarians, after all.
Well, the same rules of niche marketing apply when making offers to your existing customers. You don't want to send an offer for a particular product to a customer who's already purchased it.
Fortunately, there are clear and easy steps you can take to make sure this doesn't happen. Here are three ideas to consider so you don't do something like this with your own marketing efforts:
1. Does the Right Hand Know What the Left Hand is Doing?
When you create a market­ing campaign with a predefined sequence of steps, delivered via various media, and at predetermined intervals, there's one thing you need to plan for: what happens when prospects do respond.
You need a mechanism - manual or automated - that will allow you to remove prospects from your mailing campaign when they accept your offer. (You also need to be able to remove them from your mailing sequence when they request you to do so.)
2. Send the Right Offer to The Right People
It's critical to tailor your offers to specific market segments. You can do this by customizing your materials for each segment. This allows you to more effectively connect with each group and it person­alizes your message just for them.
3. "Service After the Sale!"
After someone has responded to your offer, that's the beginning of the work, not the end of it. You need to solidify the relationship within the first 30 days of the initial sale.
This means that just as you had a definite sequence for acquiring the customer, you now need an equally well thought out sequence for retaining the customer.
Keeping these three basic prin­ciples in mind will help ensure that you're always getting the right message to the right market - a neces­sary formula for success, particu­larly in challenging economic times like these.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

Selecting And Evaluating A Solo Ad List Broker


Let's talk about...
Selecting a solo ad list broker is half art and half science.
The art involves searching on Google or other search engine sites, visiting each website, reading the information presented and making a judgment of which sites can best help you. Next you will want to make contact with the list owner.
Developing your list is the keystone to building your online business successfully. Yes, it takes time but it is time well spent to grow your business.
However, it doesn't have to be that time consuming because as a member of Networking Insight's Inner Circle Kevin Hokoana provides you with a list of Solo Ad brokers to start evaluating for yourself. Watch his videos and if you pay attention you will see who he uses throughout the demonstrations.
What I look for in a Solo Ad list broker; first is a guaranteed delivery of the number of clicks purchased. Second I want to have total control over my subject headline and the body copy. Third the ad must go to targeted traffic related to my ad. Fourth I want my ad to be the only solo ad that the Solo Ad list broker sends out. I don't want my ad to be one of many on the page.
Once you identify a few possible Solo Ad list brokers send an e-mail and introduce yourself. Tell them what you want to purchase. When is it possible to send the ad? How many slots are open in the time frame you want the ad to be sent? Ask if ads similar to yours have been placed. Include a copy of your ad for review. Wait for a response.
You goal is to develop a friendly and professional relationship with the Solo Ad list broker that is build around courtesy and appreciation.
Here is where the science comes into play.
I believe very strongly that you must always measure your outcomes and set up systems that are repeatable. You will pay more attention to the things you measure. In the healthcare industry we use metrics to measure results that help us to make better decisions. As an example:
I use twelve column accounting paper and in each column header I list the following: Solo Ad list broker's name, number of clicks, purchase date, dated ads start coming in, cost of the ad, cost per opt-in, number of opt-ins, percentage of opt-ins, and number of sales.
Over time I am developing data about which Solo Ad list broker gets the best results. Once I know where the best results are I will get a better return on my investment. You probably use an excel spreadsheet to build your metrics. However you measure your results be consistent. Money is a precious commodity, use it smartly. Don't let calculating the numbers frighten you, its just arithmetic. Test and evaluate must be your standard operating procedure. Trial and error in selecting and evaluating a solo ad list broker is not an option.
I'll see you in the front row of success


Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Promoting Salon Services - Salons and Spa's Crack the Groupon Code and Cashing in Big


One of the greatest challenges beauty techs, nail salons, hair salons and spa's have is getting clients, which translates to monthly profits. Because of this, many salons and spa's are struggling to make ends meet and are falling behind on bills due to lack of available funds. When businesses find themselves in this kind of situation, closing their doors seem to be the only option.
However, the help needed for struggling salons and spa's could be as simple as marketing. By making changes to how the salon is marketing their beauty services could mean the difference between a few hundred dollars a month or several thousand dollars coming in every month. That's what putting the right marketing strategy in place can do, but many beauty businesses can't seem to find that right strategy.
There is one marketing strategy, though, that is working to bring in money and clients at a phenomenal rate for salon and spa owners. This marketing strategy is modeled after one of the most successful businesses today. You know it as Groupon.
Groupon makes millions of dollars a year simply by selling daily deals to their subscribers and this figure is growing everyday. Currently, this "Groupon model" or Personal Contact Advertising as it is called, is being implemented by many salons and spa's and it's doing wonders for their bottom line.
Personal Contact Advertising is about making people an offer they simply can't refuse, while not selling yourself cheap. It's about being your own "Groupon" and having your own daily deal promotions. People today are being programmed to look for daily deals and some salons and spa's have taken note of this and using it to their advantage with much success.
For example, one beauty marketer, Safbrina Hayer, made $16,000 using the "daily deal" way of promoting salon services in a single month. Like Safbrina, many businesses now use Personal Contact Advertising to make money and get clients as it offers a solid marketing strategy that consistently brings measurable results.
So, whether your salon or spa is struggling or if your beauty business simply needs a boost in profits, this marketing strategy may be something you want to look into. Groupon seems to know how to get the attention of the masses and it's always good to follow a successful business model.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Tips for Marketing Strategists: The Value of Product Packaging


Product packaging is meant to protect your merchandise from any damage. This is when the manufacturer transports the commodities to retailers and while the goods are on the shelves of retail outlets. Moreover, packaging is not only for protection of products. It also plays a vital part in the marketing mix, advertising campaigns and pricing standards, creating unique brand identities, and describing new products.
Packaging compels consumers to check out the goods on the shelves of supermarkets and department stores. Some shoppers are satisfied with how goods are wrapped or placed in boxes. However, some are more meticulous and look carefully at the designs and colors. That is why companies spend a lot of resources and time on research regarding product packaging. The key is to come out with the most effective strategy to entice potential customers. There are different factors that marketers should consider to put in more appeal to commodities and convince consumers to purchase the item.
  • The packaging has to grab the interest of buyers. It has to appeal to the target audience like housewives or teenagers. The product has to stand out among the multitude of other goods in the same category.

  • Marketing experts know that many people usually judge a product by its packaging. The objective of unique but rational designs and creativity is to tell customers that this particular merchandise is worth buying. Design is crucial to some segments such as cosmetics and sweets.

  • In packaging, you have to take into consideration the elements of functionality, cleanliness, protection of the product's handling during storage, and environmental accountability. At the same time, you have to be innovative in packaging for the purpose of enhancing sales.

  • The material that you use should be durable and easy to dispose as well. Customers are easily turned off by boxes or packs that are disfigured or crumpled.

  • Packaging serves as the primary medium of communications between the manufacturer and consumer. When a shopper picks a certain product from the supermarket shelf, the first thing that this individual does is to scrutinize the packet and read the information about the commodity. Once this appeals to the senses of the consumer, you can be sure that the product will be sold. In other words, it must appeal to the buyer's sight, feelings and smell. This is what multi-sensory attraction is all about.

  • There should be suitability in product packaging. This is considered as one of the gauge for quality. In short, the value of a certain commodity is shared to the public not by mere hype and literature printed in the box. The more important factor is the creative design wherein the packaging and contents are consistent with each other. The buyer must be influenced by this uniformity.

  • Packaging must have the element of value. In other words, consumers are fascinated by sophisticated packaging. For most shoppers, the product is classy and expensive if packaging looks stylish. This is the reason why packaging should both have aesthetic qualities and functionality.



Wednesday, July 18, 2012

7 Do's And Don't Of Making Blogging Easy And Fun To Do


Nobody expects your blog to a literary masterpiece so immediate stop trying to make it perfect or the one that gets 1,000 shares in Facebook, but bear in mind that you always want to deliver something of value and not just "something" that ranks for a keyword you thought of.
Set aside some time each week to write your next article for your blog and once you a first draft, go back over it, editing out the 7 Deadly Sins of Copywriting.
  • Spelling mistakes, use a spellcheck by all means but never rely on it, it is always good practise to print it out and proof read it in black and white.

  • Grammar and punctuation errors. Buy a good grammar guide or use an online reference to help with common mistakes like using their instead of there.

  • Factual inaccuracies, just because someone says something, does not make it right. Make 100% certain with the spelling of people's names, job titles, book titles and recommendations for products you may write about and make sure your numbers add up too.

  • Long sentences are a big no-no. Shorter sentences are easier to read and give your message greater impact as people tend to "scan read" online.

  • Do not use overly complex words, speak through your blog as you would talk to someone in person so they get a simple, clear and direct message.

  • Using too many unnecessary words. Check every section once you have printed your article out and edit where necessary and words or phrases that do not contribute to your blog post, message or meaning.

  • Jargon and abbreviations of words that most people do not understand. Although there may be industry specific terms you can use in your niche, make sure you explain their meaning and do not just assume that your audience will know that "badass" means great for example. (I thought these people had something wrong with them)
Just by eliminating those seven common mistakes, most of which are of course common sense, but as the saying goes, if common sense was more common.. there would be a lot more of it around.
Now take your blogging to the next level by implementing these simple tips:-
  1. Keep it simple, limit your blog post to one topic or one simple idea per post.

  2. Break your text up into smaller paragraphs and use bold and italics to emphasize your key points to help people "scan read" your content.

  3. Make liberal use of bullet points, lists and breaks in the text to help draw people to the "good stuff"

  4. Embed links to make it easy for your readers to read more evidence or information that may be of interest to them and enhances your blog post as the provider of great information.

  5. Be yourself, remember blogging in today's business world is all about authenticity.

  6. Write something.. often! Just do it!

  7. Take it 3 dimensional by adding video or audio, add in worksheets and Free Reports to make your blog stand out and keep adding value in everything you do


Wednesday, July 11, 2012

The Learning Styles Of Lead Generation Salespeople


One thing that you should remember in your lead generation campaign is that selling is not an inborn talent. It can be nurtured in almost anyone. What you need are the proper tools and methodology to maximize the learning curve of your potential sales people. You need them to be in their top form if you wish to succeed in generating sales leads. Of course, you also have to consider the learning styles of different people. No one is the same, so to speak, and that includes learning new things. So, what are the various learning styles of people? What can you do to make it effective in teaching B2B leads skills?
The first category would belong to the attending preference (or style). Here, the learner focuses on learning what he or she sees during the time the lesson is taught. They can either focus their entire attention on a single topic, like in telemarketing(which makes them specialized); or on several, like in social media (which makes them versatile). Either way, they focus on being there at the classroom, learning at the time of the lecture. The problem here is when they skip the lesson, since they will have a hard time catching up later.
The second category would be called the translating style. In this method, the trainee learns the art of appointment setting through their own method of input. For example, there are those who prefer to learn their trade through direct lectures, interactions and demonstrations with their fellow trainees, or prefer doing their own learning based on a general topic given to the class. Based from this, you will realize that one teaching methods may not work with another kind of learner. You have to make the proper adjustments in your teaching method in order to be more effective in your lessons.
The third learning preference is based on the relating concept. With this method, they learn based on their understanding of previous lessons and concepts. In this case, stock knowledge plays an important part of learning. This can be advantageous for the lecturer, since all they need is to fill in the blanks that are in the head of the trainee. From there, learning becomes easier to achieve. This will work, as long as the knowledge the trainee has is enough to learn the lead generation topic.
The next learning style deals with understanding. Memorization is not the goal here. Rather, it is the internalization of concepts and teachings that the trainer has conveyed to the class. The lessons learned, the topics raised, all of these will depend on the viewpoint of the trainee. It could either be confined to local perspective, or it could extend to a global worldview.
As you can see, each of these learning styles has their own strengths and weaknesses. If you want to be sure that your appointment setting team, despite their different learning styles, get the basic concepts of generating B2B leads, you should take each of these styles into consideration.



Wednesday, July 4, 2012

How to Create an Entry Level Offer


Today's topic is about entry-level offers. See, in your business I believe that you should have more than one offer, whether it's a product or a service that you sell. For many years I offered just one program and it was take it or leave it. That's just what people did. They either took it or they left it. The problem was, not enough of them took it in the beginning for me to feel like I was really making the kind of money I wanted to make in my business. So, I decided to create a series of yeses.
Instead of having just one price point, I usually offer three programs. Client can fit in to one of the three. But there are also some people who say, "Okay, but what if my lowest program is so accessible that it cannibalizes, meaning it eats into the other two programs?" Well, there are couple of things you can do about that.
First, make your biggest program the juiciest one.This means that it has the most bells and whistles and is the best value. I'm not saying the lowest price point, but the best value overall.
Next, have your entry-level program be a one-time thing that people feel they can afford. Once they take you up on it and have their session, you let them know that if they decide to go into one of your other programs, the fee they paid for your entry-level program will be applied to your higher-level program.
This allows them to experience you in your service, so they know that you are trustworthy. They know that they like working with you if they've gotten results and they want more. They feel good about you.
They'll also experience what's called 'money burning a hole in their pocket.' When you have a gift certificate or when you have this opportunity to take $200 or $400 or whatever amount and apply it to something else it really makes you want to do that.
Your Client Attraction Assignment
Look at how you could do this in your own business. Look to see how you can expand your current offerings so you have more than one product or service to offer. Then decide how you'll charge clients for a taste of what you do and then allow them to apply their investment toward a higher-level program if they'd like to continue working with you. Good luck!