Forgot The Ad Budget Don t Panic

Bob is excited about his new business. He secured funding. He leased the building. He stocked it full of new gadgets. He hung the sign. He posted a banner on his window that reads,�Grand Opening!�. And now he stands behind the counter, waiting for customers to come flocking in. And he stands there. And he stands there. And he stands there.

And then it hits him: No one knows about his shiny new store!

I�ve seen new and even established businesses make this same mistake over and over again. Advertising is the last thing they think of. They assume that since their doors are open and the merchandise is on display, customers will come running in. But they won�t come. Not until they know how great your new business is! And to do that you need to plan and execute an advertising budget and strategy.

Many times I�ve been called in to consult with a new business to help plan their ad strategy well after their stores have opened when in fact, this is something that should have been done during the initial planning stage.

So is it too late? No, but sometimes it�s a major sticker shock to those who did not put a realistic plan together from the start. Remember that advertising, like your store and your merchandise, is an investment towards your profits.

But let�s say you�re like Bob and your business is already up and running. How do you put together a realistic ad budget? Well most people use a percentage of gross sales as a means of figuring this out. If however, you�re a new business owner with no prior sales, you can base it on industry standards. Use the web and search out other related businesses for a guide. Once you�ve figured what your gross sales should be, think about using 3 to 5 percent as a starting point for your ad budget. Another factor to consider when planning an ad budget is that it should encompass all aspects of your advertising from media placement to creative costs and production of your ads.

And remember: advertising must be done with consistency. Let me write that again. Advertising must be done with consistency. When planning your ad budget, make sure you allot enough funding to allow it to last throughout the year whether your sales will be spread out evenly or are cyclical. If you spread your budget too thin, chances are your ad campaigns may not be heard or seen enough to stay in the minds of consumers. And if your business is brand new, you�ll want to plan on spending more at the beginning for your initial start up campaign.

Some businesses make the mistake of advertising strong for about three to four weeks and then they stop. Keep in mind that consumers have very short memories and with 3000 plus advertising messages that pummel their brains everyday, it�s no wonder! That�s why you have to stay in the public�s eye consistently. Oh, and it also helps to have a clever message but we�ll talk about that in another article.

Once your ad budget is established, the type of advertising you use will be based on your specific business but normally if your business is consumer based, even in these mode web based times, traditional media such as radio, television, print, billboard and direct mail should still play major roles.

Many times I�ve helped clients put together an in-house survey for their customers to fill out. This can be helpful in determining what type of advertising they�ll need as well. Questions like, �What radio stations do you listen to?� �Do you subscribe to the newspaper?� and �Do you shop on-line?� can be useful in getting to know your customer�s habits as well as how to attract more like them.

Consulting an advertising agency is a very good way to get started as well. To find a good agency, try contacting other business owners you know for a referral or perhaps an established business whose advertising style and creative appears to fit your goals.

Remember: planning your advertising budget and strategy is as important as the products your trying to sell. Think about your advertising now and you�ll never end up like Bob: standing behind the counter waiting for customers that never come.

Hal Eisenberg is an award winning copywriter, voice over talent and producer, as well as owner of The Eisenberg Agency, a full service advertising agency specializing in creative ads that get results. Visit his web site at http://www.eisenbergagency.com. Mailto: halacious@eisenbergagency.com.

Creating news releases easy and free publicity for your business

*Article Use Guidelines* Use in opt-in publications, or on Web sites, but please include the resource box. Please send me a copy, if possible. Many thanks. ** Summary: If you're not sending out news releases every month, you're missing out on free publicity for your business. Total words: 700 Category: Small Business Creating news releases: easy and free publicity for your business Copyright (c) 2002 by Angela Booth What's news? You are! If you're not creating monthly news releases for your business, you're missing out on giving your business an instant boost. As a tech joualist, I received dozens of news releases every day. Most of them went into the recycling bin, or were used as scrap paper. However, the releases I did use received a fantastic boost of free publicity and instant credibility for the businesses which sent them. Years ago, when I managed a dog training and boarding business, we spent huge dollars every week buying display advertising in a Sunday paper. It bit a massive chunk out of our cash flow, and I knew there had to be a better way. At the time, I wrote romance novels, and didn't think of myself as a copywriter. However, I figured that if I could get some free publicity for us, maybe we could save on advertising. I sent dozens of news releases to newspapers, radio stations, and TV shows, and we got a wonderful response. Lots of interviews and television appearances. Great coverage. I managed to position our business as experts in dog behavioral problems, so whenever anything dog-related made news, joualists would call us as the experts on dog behavior. One of our trainers would then give newspaper and TV interviews, dispensing advice while promoting our business. Once the publicity ball got rolling, the only paid advertising we needed to do was in the Yellow Pages. That taught me that if you're willing to put thought, creativity, and time into promoting your business, not only can you save on advertising, but you can also build an image for your business. => The major element of your release Here's a list of the elements of a news story. The story you're presenting must contain at least one of these elements: TIMELINESS, PUBLIC INTEREST, CONFLICT, TRAGEDY, HUMOR, SEX, MONEY, HUMAN INTEREST, THE FUTURE, or ANIMALS. => Rules for news releases IDENTIFICATION: Display the words "News Release" prominently. DATE THE RELEASE. LETTERHEAD: Use your own business letterhead. (Create it in your word processor.) TIMING OF THE RELEASE: Undeeath the letterhead, type in caps, underlined: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. USE DOUBLE SPACING. LEAVE WIDE MARGINS, for joualists and producers to make notes. FINISH OFF THE COPY: type **ENDS** or ### at the end of the copy. CONTACT INFORMATION: vital. You can end the release with it, or begin the release with it, your preference. You need to include the name of the contact person: you, or your client, or both of you, and the phone numbers you can reliably be reached at. => The structure of a news release: the inverted pyramid After you've done a lot of news releases, you'll get in the habit of writing in inverted-pyramid style automatically. "Inverted pyramid" writing is used in newspapers. You can remember what IV style is if you imagine it. Imagine a pyramid. Stand it on its apex. You now have the broad base uppermost. This signifies that the base of the story, or the root of the story, comes first. Therefore, news releases have this structure: a headline, and the first paragraph giving the most important information. The first graph tells the entire story. Then each succeeding paragraph gives more information in order of descending importance. You can chop off any of the later paragraphs and still have the story make sense. I like using a headline in a news release, but it's optional. Unlike the headline in an ad, your headline shouldn't be cute or gimmicky, it should summarize the story in five or six words. For example: 'Nursery Gives Away Free Trees'; 'New Store Opens'; 'Delaney Sponsors Local Swimmers'. The first paragraph is your story in a nutshell: who, what, how, when, where and why. It's easy to write. Just state your case. Tell who you are, what you're doing, how you're doing it, where you're doing it, and why. For news release examples, visit http://www.prweb.com . (PRWeb.com lets you send out free news releases.) When you get into the swing of whizzing out monthly news releases, they take less than an hour write. After all, they're just a page of straightforward information. However, that hour can have a powerful impact on your business. Make some news today! ***Resource box: if using, please include*** Author and copywriter Angela Booth crafts words for your business. Words to sell, educate or persuade. Contact her today for a free quote: http://www.digital-e.biz/ Free ezine: Creative Small Biz --- subscribe at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Creative_Small_Biz/ ###

Full Service Advertising Agencies

Full service advertising agencies have the ultimate intention of influencing the purchasing behavior of consumers, in a way favorable to the advertiser. How do they achieve this end? The first requirement is that the advertisement should capture the attention of its audience. To achieve this, the advertisement has to provide the audience with information that is of interest to them. It may give them new information, or it may support the information they already have, or it may attempt to alter their existing views or beliefs.

Some people like information that is communicated through stories, while others like figures and data. There may be another category who may listen to information that is couched in real experience situations, and there may be others who totally avoid unpleasant information or information that upsets their existing faiths. In any case, the advertising message should interest the audience.

So it is essential that an advertisement provide information that is of interest to the audience. Only then would the audience listen to it. It is also essential that the audiences see the advertisement and interpret it in a way favorable to the advertiser. The same advertising message under a given setting can be perceived and interpreted by different people in different ways. An agency has to ensure that his message is interpreted in the manner intended, in a way favorable to his products/offerings.

It is not enough if the audience listens to the advertisement and interprets it the way the advertiser expects it to be interpreted. It should also appeal to them and influence their attitudes, thought processes and purchasing behaviors in favor of the advertised brand. It is generally agreed that purchases are goveed by the attitudes of consumers towards alteative product offers. The full service advertising agencies therefore should know that if attitudes of the target customers can be manipulated and changed, behavior changes on the lines preferred by the advertiser would naturally follow.

Advertising Agencies provides detailed information on Advertising Agencies, Inteet Advertising Agencies, Full Service Advertising Agencies, Top Advertising Agencies and more. Advertising Agencies is affiliated with Promotional Advertising Specialties.

Excite Me Tease Me Make Me Want to CLICK

Banners are a necessity for anyone doing business online. Sooner or later you'll want to do some banner advertising or simply swap with another site, so you'll want to make sure you have a few to choose from when that time comes. There are "standard" sizes for banners, and you need to make sure you adhere to those standards before creating them. The most popular size by far is 468X60. Some of the others are: 234X60 Half Banner 120X240 Vertical Banner Popular button sizes are: 120X60 and 125X125 and a micro size of 88X31 You'll want to make a few in a variety of sizes so you already have the right size for the job at hand. So what do you need to include on your banner? There are a variety of things you can do when designing to ensure clickability. 1) Use the actual words "click here" somewhere on the banner as a call to action. 2) Use some form of animation- Movement catches the eye 3) Make sure your banner loads quickly by keeping the size down to no more than 10K if possible. 4) Offer Something Free 5) Tell them just enough to pique their curiosity so they'll want to click and lea more. 6) Studies have shown these colors work the best Orange, Green, Red, Blue, Black and Purple. 7) Create a sense of urgency by stating something like "Last Chance," or "Limited Time Offer." So you've taken all this into consideration and you're thinking to yourself, "I can't even draw a stick figure - how am I going to design a banner?" Have no fear, there are many resources online that will help you make banners quickly and easily. http://www.Addesigner.com I love this one and have used it many times. Make all you like free. You'll have to register first to get a password. http://www.Animation.com Here you can make some free or choose from a higher end variety for cash. http://www.QuckBanner.com Click on a banner you like and add your text http://Crecon.com/Banners.html Use the online generator or download the free templates to make your own. http://www.Customotion.com/ Make Really cool Flash banners here. Choose a template type in your text and download it. If you're handy with PhotoShop or any other graphics program you may want to download some free banners and modify them to your liking. Try this: http://katekreates.com/freebann.shtml Remember, banners today are a dime a dozen so you need to put forth that extra effort to get people to click. You don't need to be a graphics designer to create your own banners. By using the many free resources that are available to you online you'll have a storehouse of exciting banners next time the need arises.

Developing a Formal Brand Messaging Document

Ensure everyone in your company sings from the same sheet of music when it comes to communicating a consistent brand message.

Imagine one of your customers calling six different people in your company. The customer asks why they should consider purchasing your product. What do you think these six people would say? Would their explanation be consistent?

That�s where brand messaging comes into play. In the audio book, �Sound Advice on Brand Marketing,� author Tom Miller says brands need to speak with a single unified voice in every communication with customers and prospects.

�Brand messaging is a formalized document that captures the most important points about your brand,� says Miller. �It is then used to create all of the various brand communications, such as ads, press releases, web sites, literature, and so forth.�

The best place to begin the brand messaging process is with the elevator pitch. �Think about getting on an elevator with a senior executive from a great prospect company. He asks you to tell him why your product or service is so special and better than all the others are. You�ve got 30-seconds. Go!�

Distilling your brand message into a short, memorable description or value proposition sets the stage for the rest of the brand messaging to flow in a logical, informative fashion. �It may take a little hard work now, but it pays big dividends in the future,� says Miller. �Not only is your message consistent, you should also realize major time savings in developing communications pieces. The heavy lifting from a messaging perspective has already been done.�

Tom Miller offers brand marketing advice each week in the free audio newsletter from What�s Working in Biz � http://www.whatsworking.biz/full_story.asp?ArtID=92 � and is president of the branding firm, Miller Brooks.

About The Author

Richard Cunningham is a principal of What�s Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz, a publisher of business audiobooks and online audio programs on marketing, sales, and small business strategies.

Affordable Advertising Agencies

Low cost inteet advertising agencies are the ideal way and most recommended means to make your product or service known and for your web site to ea money. There is such a very huge range of affordable inteet advertising agencies that are now found in the Net.

There are various Inteet advertising agencies according to the kind of product or service they provide. Here is a list of a few of these kinds of online marketing agencies.

1. Web design agencies

These are focused on building web pages for a website. Many web developers are now offering affordable services if you just know how and where to find them.

2. Logo services

Production of web site logos is the main conce of these agencies. Hundreds of pre-designed logos could be purchased or even customized to complement your website better.

3. Copywriting Agencies

In adjunct to search engine optimization, these agencies provide quality content that targets the attention of the market you intend to tap. Looking for the best deals with copywriting services will be a cinch if you know where to look. If you prefer freelancers, they are often found with their own websites.

4. Search engine optimization companies

These companies analyze and modify websites in order to achieve the highest possible search engine ranking. They improve your website's design and content to better attract more traffic. Link building could also be employed by these e-marketing agencies to benefit your business. They are actually a combination of all the services mentioned above. Sometimes they also go by the name of Inteet marketing consultancies or something of that sort.

5. Domain registration companies

Your business's name in the web is the business of these companies. Looking for the best amongst a wide array of these agencies is like looking for a needle in a haystack. But if you are determined enough to do your homework with these marketing services, results would be more than rewarding. Just make sure that you don't register with those whose only intention is to rip off those who can't afford the most reputable domain registration agencies.

These are just a few of the Inteet advertising agencies that a web marketing newbie could tu to. Examining your needs first will better your chances in getting in touch with the cream of the crop of these Inteet marketing agencies minus the hefty price tag.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

Little Known Minnesota Man Making Six Figures Per Year Online, From the Comfort of Home, Reveals His Top Inteet Money-Makers. www.push-button-online-income.com/pbi

Brand Work Will Make Your Advertising Work Smarter

As a corporation, Stealing Share battles many misconceptions because we define ourselves as a brand development firm. Most companies confuse the idea of brand with the product name and only think about brand when they are launching or re- launching a product into the market. The misconception is that brand is something you consider and invest in only at the product�s germinal stage and is simply �managed� for the rest of the product�s life cycle.

Few Need Name Changes
However, the majority of our work does not involve a name change or new name. In fact, most of our critical brand work is designed to empower an existing brand to be more important to the target audience and to make all advertising and communications more effective. This indicates that there is a big disconnect between what the market believes BRAND is and what brand actually controls and effects.

The tendency today is to hold your advertising and marketing goals beyond reasonable possibilities. We expect our advertising to deliver our marketing message in compelling and convincing manner. We expect our marketing department to segment and understand the target audience in a way that finds opportunity to grow share and exploit competitive weakness. Both of these expectations are valid, but advertising is tactical and marketing strategy needs to support it � brand strategy provides the permission to both to be important. Great brand development understands the preceptive (not perceptive) fabric of the target audience and accounts for the societal context. It then builds a foundation of permission on both. This permission is the DNA code that makes your marketing and advertising thrive and drive. Without this foundation, your marketing and communications cannot reach their full potential because your target audience does not see them as either fully believable or �lawful� based on their own sense of brand permission.

Brand Needs an Oustide View

Companies have marketing departments and most have advertising departments � but none have brand departments. They might have brand managers but brand development cannot happen inteally. You must have an objective view to develop brand strategy that steals or grows market share. To do it effectively you must have the freedom to challenge everything and that includes all preconceived notions or tightly held beliefs. Brand is so germinal to your success that it is nearly impossible to see it objectively when you are on the inside. This is the fatal flaw that pushes brand onto the back buer as only a �name change� or �product launch�. To evaluate your current brand objectively is akin to looking at your beloved family photo album and commenting to yourself that your �kids are very homely.� Many times, this is precisely the place where Stealing Share� finds itself. It is our objectivity and lack of political ties that allows us not only to say it but to be heard.

When your advertising is not delivering the goods and sales are not as robust as they should be despite a robust product or service � your problem may very well be a brand issue and not an advertising. How many ad agencies has your company changed in the past 10 years? Newness will give you a bump in sales but after that bump are you back down in the doldrums again left to trying to boost sales through discounts, promotions and increases in media spending. Brand makes your advertising work harder because it is a strategy and not a tactic. It only grows more powerful as time moves forward and is the counterbalance to �new and improved.� When your brand is defined properly, as a highly polished reflection of your customer�s precepts (beliefs) then your advertising works harder, your marketing improves and your product or service sells even if it is not the lowest priced or the most convenient.

The market is so crowded and noisy today that your customer spends most of his/ her time filtering out messages. The 1,800 marketing messages that they receive everyday does not even include those that they receive on-line. The noise that this chatter creates is such a din that the customer must find a means to tu down the volume just to maintain a sense of normalcy. This means that they tune out messages that they believe are not vital to their own sense of self.

Messages are Filtered
If you have ever bought a home you have seen this phenomena first hand. While in the market for a new home, everywhere you went you noticed �For Sale� signs. Funny thing: after you bought your home, they all seemed to disappear. Your mind decided that the noise of �For Sale� signs was no longer part of your core identity and it simply pushed them off into your mind�s junk mail box and tued on your SPAM filter. Just delivering your product message battles these filters everyday. Your goal is to get past the filter and into the considered set. Tactical marketing and advertising plans try to overwhelm this filter by talking about the category or product or service. Brand permission moves around the SPAM filter it by identifying the PERSON and not the product or service promise.

The need to buy a house goes away and gets sated. The need to see oneself as a caring provider does not. Finding the key to personal importance is the domain of brand. Uncovering the preceptive life markers is the science of it. Understanding this perspective and keeping your marketing and advertising on brand strategy is the difference between winning and losing.

Tom Dougherty CEO, Senior Strategist at Stealing Share, Inc. Tom began his strategic marketing and branding career in Saudi Arabia working for the inteationally 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 Northe Africa. After his time overseas, Tom retued 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. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tom_Dougherty

Business Cards Why Waste Valuable Space

So many business people neglect this valuable asset that may be used for a multitude of messages.

Don�t fall for the trap of supplying a �scribbler� for others that virtually guarantees your card will be in the �round file� sooner rather than later.

Remember it is your card, why not put it to good use? Here are just a few ideas to get you thinking along the correct lines.

� List the things that differentiate you or your company from the competition.
� Relevant information on your products and/or services
� Testimonials from satisfied customers
� Your guarantee for your products/services
� If it is appropriate�your hours of business
� Your company mission statement and/or goals
� Special Offers
� Your Points of Difference from the competition
� Product Information
� Links to Interesting Websites
� A Cartoon
� Public Holiday Dates and/or Holiday offers
� Recipe
� Famous Quote
� Next Appointment
� Your Opening Hours
� Other Clients
� Taxi Service Numbers
� Inteational Time Differences
� Toll Free Numbers
� Terms & Conditions
� List of Email Addresses
� Local Services: Doctor, Dentist, Chiropractor
� Competition Numbers
� Refund Policy
� Money saving Tips
� Tips to Help a Bad back
� Five Ways to Overcome Stress
� Before & After Testimonials and Client Testimonials
� Members Code
� A �Thank You� Message
� An �I�m Sorry� Message
� Charities Your Business Supports
� Weight Conversion Table
� Measurements
� Health Tips
� Riddles
� Reports Written by your organisation
� Available Products
� Emergency Numbers
� First Aid Tips
� CPR Information
� National Flag
� Interesting Facts
� Laws
� Stretching Exercise
� Tips to Help a Sore Neck
� Tips to Help a Headache
� Photo of You as a Child
� Restaurants You Recommend
� Competitions
� Instructions
� Marketing Tips
� Management Tips
� A Line That Says �I just wanted to say��

Of course this list can grow according to your imagination, but you get the general idea.

After a wide and varied career spanning a number of diverse industries, some in management roles and others as owner of the business, David retired as National Manager for a division of Wesfarmers, one of Australia's top 20 companies. He now consults to small business owners and can be contacted at http://www.TheLMPGroup.com

Eight Yellow Pages Advertising Cost Savings Secrets from Doctor Yellow Page

Check any Yellow Pages directory heading from one year to the next and see how many ads disappear, or reduced in size.

Here are some little secrets that your Yellow Pages rep will never tell you but may save you a small fortune.

1. A colored ad will double the amount of calls that you will receive over a black and yellow ad. The truth: There is no study by any independent research firm that verifies any increase in calls. Many large advertisers will use color in their ads when it is free and drop the color when they have to pay for it. These advertisers track their calls and see no difference in colored or black and yellow ads.

2. The largest ad in a heading will receive the most calls. The truth: In fact the smallest ad will sometimes receive the most calls.

3. The Yellow Pages publisher will design a wonderfully effective ad for you for free. The truth: Letting the publisher design your ad could make it the most expensive ad design you will ever pay for. Paying for a professionally designed Yellow Pages ad is better than spending money on color or size.

4. A display ad is always better than an incolumn ad. The truth: I have many clients who have increased their calls from their Yellow Pages advertising by going incolumn instead of the display ad that they had before. They were able to reduce what they were spending by 75%.

5. You're better off spending money on your Yellow Pages advertising than on the Inteet. The truth: This year more people have used the Inteet for local business search then used the published Yellow Pages.

6. If you buy a Yellow Pages ad your phone will ring off the hook. The truth: More businesses than I can count have been put out of business by paying for ads in the Yellow Pages that they couldn't afford. A new advertiser should be very conservative in the size of the ad they purchase. No matter what your sales rep says there is no guarantee that you will receive one call, yet you still have to pay the bill every month for the next year.

7. Put your name in big print at the top of the ad. The truth: Yellow page publishers suggest this all the time, not to make your phone ring but to appeal to your ego. What you do that separates you from your competition should be your ads headline. Example:� One Hour Service, Guaranteed� Your name and your phone number should be at the bottom of the ad.

8. The big phone companies Yellow Pages directories are used the most and is where you should advertise. The truth: All directories that are distributed to businesses and residents are used. Almost always the phone companies directories are used the most, but you may get a much better deal from some of the secondary publishers. There also will be far less competition in your headings.

To West Coast Yellow Pages advertisers I have been known as the good Doctor Yellow Page. I have consulted with over a thousand businesses and professionals the last 20 years, helping them cut their Yellow Pages advertising cost and increase their customer calls. I have trained over a hundred Yellow Pages consultants across the United States. I can be seen and contacted a http://www.doctoryellowpage.com.

Are You Content With Your Advertising Budget 16 Methods for Getting Free Advertising

Advertising is an important part of any business. It doesn't have to cost a lot of money. Here are some suggestions for free advertising. Make sure that you check your local laws before you do any of these things. It's not worth going to jail or getting fined to get free advertising.

1. Place copies of your circular on bulletin boards throughout your community, such as in coin-operated laundries, grocery stores, barber shops, etc. Concentrate on Fridays and Saturdays when shopping increases.

2. Check with local newspapers. Before going to press, many smaller newspapers have space left that needs filling.. Your ad may be just the right size to occupy this unfilled space and they will run it free.

3. Place your circulars on windshields of parked autos, Youngsters will be happy to do this for you for a dollar or two. Check first with city ordinances to see if this is permitted in your locality.

4. Leave sales literature on doorsteps of homes & businesses in your area. Do this on weekends in residential areas; weekdays for businesses. 5. Have your best pulling 1 inch or 2 inch ad made into a rubber stamp. Stamp this on envelopes of all of your outgoing mail.. Check rubber stamp dealer's ads in current mail order publications for price information.

6. When you have envelopes printed with your retu address, have them also print your best ad directly beneath your address. It costs noting additional to have this printed on the front of your envelopes.

7. If you publish a mail order magazine, newspaper, adsheet, etc., contact other publishers, If your circulation is equal to theirs, many will be happy to exchange an equal amount of ad space with you.

8. Many publishers will give you free adspace for mailing a few copies of their publication. Simply write to them and ask if they will give you a free 1 inch ad in exchange for mailing 50 to 100 copies of their pub.

9. Write informative articles for mail order trade publication. Most publishers will give you free ad space for the use of your article.

10. Take advantage of advertising specials. Many publishers offer ads on a 3-for-the- price- of -2- basis, or 4-for-the-price-of-3, etc. This saving is the same as getting one ad free of charge.

11. Some publishers offer a free classified ad with your first display ad. Watch for such specials. Use the free ad and pocket the savings.

12. When starting a new publication, many publishers will offer reduced ad rates to help fill space. Watch for ads regarding such offers.

13. In your ads, request a SASE. Then insert some of your other offers in regular outgoing mail. This is the same as getting free advertising.

14. Become a mailer. Get your printer's lowest price for printing circulars on both sides of the sheet. Contact other dealers and state you will print and mail their circulars for this price with no conflicting ads on the back. Then print your circulars on the reverse and distribute them with your outgoing mail. There is no extra cost for postage and envelopes, and your side of the circular is paid for by your customers.

15. Offer a free commission circulars. Print one of your regular offers on one side; a commission offer on the reverse, leaving space where the mailer can rubber stamp his name & address, Your offer gets a free ride.

16. If you use a postage meter machine, use the ad space directly left of stamp imprint for a free message.

Copyright 2004 by DeAnna Spencer

Are you content with your advertising budget? Schedule a coaching session with Frugal Solutions Expert, DeAnna Spencer. She will design an affordable online advertising plan for you.

Contact her by sending an email to deanna.spencer(at)gmail.com

Visit this small business resource for more information.

Basic Newsletter Planning

Planning your newsletter has five basic parts: 1. Size 2. Content/Theme 3. Who will receive it 4. Budget 5. How often to publish it These five choices work together. In most cases, the larger the newsletter, the less frequently it will be distributed. Conversely, a one- or two-page piece can be produced and set out often, even daily if the need exists. Your audience may not want a big publication in their mailbox each week, but may welcome it monthly. Your content, and the type of content or the theme will affect size and frequency as well. Obviously, if your content is time-sensitive, it can't wait three months for a quarterly issue and will need to be published at least once a month. Alteatively, you could publish in-depth features that require lots of research and interviews with sources, and doing these properly may take more than a few days or weeks. Who will receive your newsletter? Will it go to residents in a geographic region, people who have signed up for a mailing list, past and current customers, or a demographic such as households with children under ten? If your list of recipients is large, you might want to restrict the size and frequency of your publication. Larger pieces are more appropriate for tightly targeted lists. Your newsletter budget includes more than just money - it also takes into consideration the expenditure of time and labor. Are you committed to putting forth the effort to create a quality piece each month? If not, could you do it every three months instead? Surprisingly, many companies find it's more efficient in terms of money, time and labor to put out a small newsletter more frequently than a large, elaborate piece every few months. Considering size, content, readership and budget will help you to determine the frequency of your publication. Getting this right is an important step, because you're going to have to stick with it for maximum results. Plan on committing to your newsletter schedule for at least a year before reviewing results and making changes.

Advertising Specialty Pens

Advertising Specialties are usually small but useful products that carry the name and logo of the company. These everyday products could be caps, coffee mugs, mouse pads or pens for that matter. Advertising Specialty Pens are gaining importance because pens are products used by everyone and for long durations of time. Advertising Specialty Pens have taken the advertising and brand recognition to the next level. Nowadays everyone wants to promote his or her company in a big way. For this they make use of all the available options so that maximum market could be captured and all at one go.

Advertising Specialty Pens have taken the world by storm due to the great brand recall. Everyone uses pens and if that pen carries your brand logo then it enhances the brand association. These days, Advertising Specialty Pens come in various designs and price range depending upon the quality of the pen. Usually these Advertising Specialty Pens are priced from $15 to $40 a set. Most of the companies are making full use of this by deriving the maximum benefits out of the competitive prices. While designing the Advertising Specialty Pens the aim of the marketers is to try and cater to everybody: clients, potential clients or corporate hotshots. These days, executive Advertising Specialty Pens and animal-shaped pens are becoming popular, as they both are very elegantly crafted and well-designed. They suit your pocket with such an ease and finesse that it�s bound to fetch you compliments.

These Advertising Specialty Pens generally come in various colors giving you a great range to choose from. They also help you to create a market at trade fairs, thereby attracting potential clients. So if your business is expanding and you want to capture the maximum market then make full use of these Advertising Specialty Pens to market your company to glory.

Advertising Specialties provides detailed information about advertising specialties, advertising specialty companies, advertising specialty distributors, advertising specialty manufacturers, and more. Advertising Specialties is the sister site of Outdoor Banner Stands.

Click Fraud and How to Deter It

Pay per click (PPC) advertising continues to gain popularity in the online marketing world as an effective and inexpensive way to drive targeted visitors to web sites. Research firm eMarketer reported that between 2002 and 2003 the paid search listing market grew 175 percent. Major trusted search properties such as Google, Overture, FindWhat.com, and Kanoodle, all offer PPC campaigns in which you pay only when someone clicks through your banner ad or link. But PPC also has an enemy--click fraud--and understanding what it is and what to do about it should also be a key part of your PPC campaign.

What is Click Fraud?

Click fraud is when someone or something generates illegitimate hits on your banner or text advertisement causing you to pay for worthless clicks. AS PPC campaigns have grown in popularity and keyword prices and bidding have become more competetive, click fraud is on the rise.

Online marketers are becoming increasingly worried about the prospect of click fraud. According to CNET News, some marketing executives estimate that "up to 20 percent of fees in certain advertising categories continue to be based on nonexistent consumers in today's search industry."

This estimate is certainly unsettling for advertisers who, recently, have been paying hefty amounts bidding on desirable search terms. Financial analysts report that in the year 2004 advertisers are paying an average of 45 cents per click. Compare this to 40 cents in 2003 and 30 cents in 2002; the bidding wars continue to rise.

Who's Doing it and Why?

Click fraud perpetrators are most often motivated by trying to increase revenues from affiliate networks or attempting to damage competitors' revenues by forcing them to pay for worthless clicks. The Google Adsense program, in which affiliates receive payment for clicks whether they are real or not, has caused great conce for Google and has intensified its focus on click fraud.

Those engaged in click fraud use a variety of techniques to generate false clicks. Low cost inteational workers from all over the world are hired to locate and click on ads. The Times of India provided investigative reporting on payment for manual click fraud happening in India. Unethical companies may pay their own employees to click on competitor ads. Last but not least, click fraud can be generated by online robots programmed to click on advertiser or affiliate ads. Some companies go to great lengths creating intricate software that allows for this to happen.

How Can You Deter It?

Many advertisers know about the possibility of click fraud but generally haven't done much in the past to prevent it. Some feel that if they complain to any of the search conglomerates, it could ruin their free listings. Others feel like the problem is beyond them.

"It is a bigger problem, but folks just don't want to take the time to track it down because it's a complex problem," stated John Squire, of web analytics firm Coremetrics, to CNET. "Given that some of the largest marketers manage up to 1 million keywords in a campaign the data can be difficult to crunch."

Companies who do understand and report click fraud to search engine properties have had success receiving refunds for fraudulent clicks. For those advertisers who want to address the possibility of click fraud in PPC campaigns, good option do exists. At the most basic level, advertisers can use general auditing; many have been known to compile lists of sites that generate high numbers of clicks but not sales. This will indeed put up a red flag.

On the other hand, because click fraud is advancing at such frequency, click fraud detection companies and software have been popping up all over the country. Let's take a look at some of the options:

ClickDetective - ClickDetective allows you to track retu visitors to your site and alerts you if there is evidence that your site may be under attack. Its reports show you every click in real time rather than a summary hours later.

Who'sClickingWho.com - This fraud detector tracks all PPC search engines, detects multiple IP's, and even pops up a "ClickMinder" after a potential abuser clicks repeatedly over five times.

BogusClick - BogusClick can help advertisers determine competitor IP addresses, originating PPC search engines and/or partner sites involved, as well as keywords used.

Clicklab - Clicklab employs a score-based click fraud detection system that applies a series of tests to each visitor session and assigns scores. Calculations are made to indicate bad/good sessions to show an advertiser the quality of traffic.

Click fraud is a big problem in search engine marketing that's only going to get bigger in the future. It is wise for any online advertiser to implement some auditing system. Why continue to waste precious campaign money?!