2 Google Analytics Codes On One Page

This is a short heads up that if you plan on putting 2 google analytics codes on one page, you will most certainly affect the search engine ranking of your site.

In the course of optimizing a client's site, I was perplexed to see link referrals in his Google Analytics from the most obscure of places. In fact it just didn't make any sense. The site I was working on had no relationship whatsoever to the sites that were linking to his site.

After some head scratching, I inquired if this person owned other web properties. Lo and behold, the referral links were from another site owned by my client.

I quickly checked the source code to see if there was more than the one Analytics code there. Bingo! 2 Google analytics codes on one page were placed throughout the site on every page.
It seems that in the course of building his non-ranking site, he had used a template of another site and had forgotten to remove the original Analytics code from the template.

I quickly removed every duplicate Analytics code and was amazed how quickly the site's position had changed in the search results. In fact, within two days, it was in the number one position for it's main keyword phrase.

It seems Google can be very heavy handed and yet forgiving at the same time. One can only wonder how many sites may be suffering, when a genuinely unintentional error is made during the construction of a website.

More telling is, that if you plan to sign up to Google's Analytics program, make sure you've read and abide by every one of Big Brother's guidelines. It seems Google hasn't figured out or isn't willing to advise its Analytics participants with an immediate popup message reading "BEWARE - really stupid errors on your site."

Do I Really Need 2 Websites?

Well - well. As if managing one website wasn't enough, now cellphones have created such user urgency, that internet information MUST be available 24-7.

Today, (according to Wikipedia) there are more mobile web users than PC based internet users.

Does this mean you should rush to redo your website to be visible on cellphones and PDAs?

The simple answer is Yes and No.

Here are the problems:
-Small screen size - difficult viewing graphics
-Lack of windows - only one page can be displayed at a time
- Navigation - limited navigation.
- Lack of Javascript and cookies - not suitable for identifying visitors and stat analysis
- Limited access - Secured connections, Flash, PDFs, or video sites, not accessible.
- Speed - Service is very slow
- Broken pages - On many devices, a single page is broken into segments and treated as a separate page.
- Compressed pages - Many pages, in their conversion to mobile format, are squeezed into an different order.
- Size of messages - Limits on the number of characters that can be sent in an email message.
- Cost - User access and bandwidth charges are higher than fixed-line internet.

These problems alone suggest that waiting to create a .MOBI account (also known as dotMobi - a top-level domain), are in order.
However, be aware that technology is moving so quickly, that many of these issues will be solved by the time you finish reading this. :)

I strongly urge that website owners at the very least, register their respective business names before someone else does. I recommend Moniker (great pricing!).
This way, you'll be ready to reach the mobile masses when the time is right.

For many, the time is right - right now! If your business falls into the category of entertainment - don't wait! Restaurants, Movie Theatres, Sporting Events...you get the idea. What mobile users are looking for IMMEDIATELY, are telephone numbers, best prices, menus, weather info etc. usually to make on location decisions: Where do we eat?
What's playing?
Who's got the best price?
Let's book tickets!

For those making the move to create a .MOBI website, remember that nowhere else is the KISS principle so important (Keep It Simple, Stupid). Short and to the point is the order of the day.

Do It Yourself ADVERTISING?

With troubled economies come troubling decisions that can either keep a company afloat or sink it. Take the idea of DIY (do it yourself) advertising.

One of the first areas affected by cutbacks is media spending and production services. When advertising budgets are slashed, businesses may often look internally to manage their company's advertising.

What may seem like a sound move, is often driven by a false sense of creative smarts and strategic thinking. Blame technology. It has leveled the playing field so well, that many a business owner may rely on family and staff familiar with photoshop or shooting home videos, writing blogs or strumming a guitar, building a personal website and so on, to manage their company's advertising campaigns.

This is somewhat like an intern doing surgery. Yes, there may be some very talented interns who could pull off an operation, but is it wise to bet your limited Advertising dollars on someone with little or no experience?

I don't think so. Practically speaking, can a company be objective enough or knowlegable enough to create, produce and execute a advertising campaign? Not likely.

Then again, if their staff was well versed in creative thinking, graphic design, print production, audio production, media analysis and buying, TV production, targeting, web design, PPC advertising, social networks, public relations, researching, trends and so on - they might be successful.

So, what can you do during troubled economic times to promote your product or service?

My advice is to work even closer with your Ad agency to find ways of maximizing media budgets and trimming production costs. Make sure your Ad Agency is negotiating vigorously on your behalf to get more for your dollar. Get your web site optimized so that you can develop a steady stream of free traffic and work out contra-exchange (barter) deals with media whenever possible.

As a side note, it is well established that during economic downturns, companies who do not maintain a presence in the marketplace will, in the long run, lose out to those that do.

The Cost Of Building A Web Site Backwards

Time and again I come across websites that were built backwards. "How is that possible" you say? Let me explain.

The typical backward web site contains elements such as :

- Company ABC designs a site with keywords they "think" are ideal. (if they design it with keywords in mind at all, is another question).

- They put their company name as the TITLE TAG. ie:
< title >Company ABC< /title> and nothing else.

- They use improper anchor text: Anchor text is the word used to hyperlink to another page. For example: pass your cursor over this hyperlink - search engine optimization - and at the very bottom of the page in the status bar, you will note the complete address as it should be to earn higher Google rankings.

- They keep the same meta tag information for every page etc. etc.

- They design a completely flash-driven site.

These are just a few of the backward approaches that a well-meaning but inexperienced web site designer may use to construct your website. WHY is it backwards? Because the very first thing you should consider before designing a site is, how people will find it!

If you plan on forever paying big money for online advertising to get traffic, then a backward site is fine. But if you want a steady stream of free traffic and the status of being on the first page of Google, Yahoo and other relevant search engines, you must design your site to be found by the search engines as well as people.

This requires an area of expertise that most web designers do not have. This is evidenced, for example, by the many thousands of websites that are built using flash (and take forever to load - ugh!), and only currently, better indexed by the search engines.

What this all means, is that you must follow some very rudimentary steps before initiating the design of your site.

You must determine:
-Using the correct domain name
-Using the exact keywords people use to find your product or service
-Writing sufficient ORIGINAL content
-Setting up the proper internal linking structure
and more...

To get a better handle on how site optimization can help you, check out this information on search engine optimization .

Free Internet Traffic

I am totally perplexed by the majority of retailers who think that simply putting up a website will lead to sales.

Hasn't anybody told them that their site is INVISIBLE unless they are ranked by the search engines?

Don't they know that unless they are on the first 2 or 3 pages when someone does a search - That their site is basically useless?

Haven't they figured out that their competition is moving forward not simply because of a better product - but because they have a better position in the marketplace? Remember the old phrase - "location - location - location."

Are they not aware that today's "Marketplace" also includes the INTERNET?

I could go on and on about how many retail businesses could dominate the internet for their respective keyword phrases simply by doing some SEARCH ENGINE OPTIMIZATION.

How do I know this? Simple. After researching thousands of local sites I have discovered that many of them are on the first page of Google by default!!

What this means, is that those "on the first page of Google" web sites are only slightly better optimized than their competition. And I do mean SLIGHTLY.

Maybe the answer lies in the fact that the term "search engine optimization" is foreign to most people, meaning they are not aware that a process exists whereby you can legally and logically manipulate the design and content of your site in order to gain a higher placement in the search engine results pages!

Heck...this process is even blessed and recommended by Google. In fact, it is said that there is not enough local content on the internet. This means that local businesses are designing sites that either are not being found by Google spiders, or do not contain enough relevant content to make their site worthy of showing up in search results. You may have noticed that local Google Maps is now featuring 10 results instead of 3? If you're not seeing 10, it's because there is not enough content!

So for those of you who want to dominate the local search results pages and have a steady stream of anxious shoppers visiting your online business daily, 24-7, GET YOUR SITE OPTIMIZED! Believe me, your No. 1 position is ripe for the picking.

For those of you with tight Ad budgets, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? I said FREE INTERNET TRAFFIC! Move some of today's less effective Print Ad budgets, optimize, and drive traffic from your website to your brick and mortar business - or finally get some online business from your online order system!

DO YOU REALLY NEED TO BE ON THE INTERNET?

The answer is simple. YES.

Why?

Because more people than ever, are researching, comparison shopping and making purchases online.

But being on the internet, isn't enough.
PEOPLE MUST BE ABLE TO FIND YOU.

Yes...doing a search for your business name may yield results, but what about the thousands of potential buyers who don't know your name?

If they are looking for Blue Widgets - will you be the top choice?

Most likely, not.

If you are one of the millions of website owners NOT on the first few pages of the internet search engines, your website is basically a sometime viewing event for family and friends.

What's missing from your beautifully designed website, is optimization. Yes, you've spent thousands of dollars building a web site that is invisible and basically, a waste of money. Not only a waste of money already spent, but a loss of future income and internet marketshare.

Not that it will make you feel better, but you are not alone. Of the millions of websites online, most cannot be found because they have not been designed to be found.

And creative graphic design is not enough to win you a first place seat in the Google search results pages. In fact, it can hurt your position because the Google search spiders who look for websites are not fully capable of reading the many flash-driven sites that are impressive, but useless.

Websites absolutely need to be optimized, but sadly, most web site designers are not trained to do it properly. You need a search engine optimization specialist.

If you're interested in having your web site place high in the search engine results pages (SERPs), you clearly understand that search engine optimization is not a passing fad, but a key ingredient in determining your company's visibility and success in today's marketplace.

Businesses that have achieved top search engine ranking for their vital keywords, are feasting happily on a much larger share of the internet traffic and money pie.

IT'S TIME TO FACE AND EMBRACE THE NEW REALITY.

THE INTERNET MUST BE PART OF EVERYONE'S BUSINESS MARKETING PLAN.

Just imagine having HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of visitors to your web site EVERYDAY that you didn't have to pay for... Read more...

Is Your Website Useless?

Further to the story in the Gazette, it is estimated that by 2011 Internet advertising will become the largest ad medium, at nearly $63 BILLION. Yes, Billion! Compare that to just $16.9 billion for the full year of 2006 or $7.134 billion in 2001. (Industry Survey Conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers and Sponsored by the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB))

This is "a watershed moment" in the media business. Newspapers as well as electronic media are scrambling to incorporate and monetize their online presence. The marketing landscape is in upheaval and quickly changing.

What does this mean for the advertiser using traditional media? Simply put, if the Internet is not part of your advertising arsenal, you are losing business to those who are aggressively using online marketing to promote their goods and services.

I say "aggressively" because if you believe as many website owners do, that "if you build it they will come," you are quite mistaken. Check these numbers. Here's what the Internet universe looks like:

As of 2006 figures, there are approximately 100 MILLION WEBSITES serving up somewhere between 15 and 30 BILLION web pages and it is estimated that over 30,000 web pages go up every single day.

So where is your website ranked within its niche and is it useful to your visitors?

Well here's the sad truth. Unless you are ranked on the first or at least the second page of any given search engine, your website is virtually invisible. Yes, you may have spent thousands of dollars on your not-so-search engine-friendly flash driven website - but nobody knows you exist.

For a primer on how to tell the level of your online competition and where you rank on the Internet (Google as example) - click on this image.









You will see that the global search term “women’s fashion” has 15,300,000 web pages that are vying for top ranking position on that keyword search.


A little closer to home, if you click on this image, you will see that a local search query for the keyword phrase “montreal advertising” lists 7,850,000 web pages hoping to place on the first page of Google. Look further down and you will notice that our advertising agency, Noasound, is actually the first listed agency on the page. The others are industry related.








How can you get noticed?

You now have two choices.

1. You can advertise your web site offline and online

and/or

2. You can have your site professionally optimized so that you rank on the first page of the search engines for the keyword search terms that are most related to your business.

I mention above, “and/or” as an option. This is to say that even if you rank on the first page of Google, you should still use offline media to direct people to your site. I advise my clients who have first page ranking, to do exactly this. It gives them an opportunity to do what no other advertising medium does quite as well as the Internet. For example, when you direct a primed radio listener or newspaper reader to your site:

1. You welcome a receptive visitor and prospective client who will respond much better to the sales copy on your web pages.

2. You can show and sell using video clips as mini infomercials.

3. You can actually make a solid connection and build a long-term relationship with your visitor. Using powerful promotions to capture their email address you can build a list of eager buyers that you can sell to over and over again!

To find out more about harnessing the Internet, take a moment to give us a call at: 514 696-9443 or write us.

Make Millions Working In Your Wife's Underwear

There's no end to, or lack of shame in the kind of persuasive headlines that online marketing pros will use to solicit your attention in the hope of making a sale.

Whether you can or cannot make an online living while working in your wife's underwear is not really what this article about. Though I will say that the marketing techniques you use, will play a large part in whether making money online is a possibility.

But if you were to write an article or Ad that was related to starting an online Internet business, this headline would work quite well. After all, you're reading this - aren't you?

You're reading because of one marketing technique that has been around since man was able to scratch words on a tablet.

Creating a powerful headline.

The headline is the default technique for attracting the eyes of prospective customers or the impulsive shopper.

Today, more than ever, the headline is king. As the information age continues to accelerate via the Internet, millions of search queries bring potential customers to massive listings of information and ads that correspond to keyword input.

The competition is fierce and it is the headline that determines the viewer’s next decisive click!

How can you channel the clicking frenzy in your favor? Several ways...

First, don't assume that humor is the key ingredient as was used in this article. As a matter of fact, it can backfire against you if your headline is not pertinent to the content.

When advertising online using PPC (pay per click) advertising such as Google Adwords, you are most often better to match the headline with the keyword search term that has been used. For example: Someone looking for "debt consolidation loans" will be drawn to an Ad headline with a similar or exact headline. Something like "Debt Consolidation Quote" would be an excellent choice. You can then mention, "Free quotes..." within the body text.

Using a humorous headline similar to the one for this article is something I would use in an email campaign, an ezine article, a blog post, a forum post or banner Ad on targeted sites.

The key is, to understand the subject matter, the advertising medium and your target market before you decide on a straight up approach or to add a "shock quotient" to make your reader do a double take.

In some cases, it might even be prudent to sensationalize if there are many competing advertisers. The tabloids do it all the time ie:
"HEADLESS BODY IN TOPLESS BAR."

Still not sure which headline to use? In my next article I'll discuss a foolproof way to select the best headline to go with before you spend thousands on an advertising campaign.

Can't wait? Subscribe to my newsletter and get your marketing tips before they go online.

Google Health Advertising Blog: Do people watch online video ads?

Google Health Advertising Blog: Do people watch online video ads?

The Emotional Font

Few people consider how something can be so subtle, yet, obvious and powerful at the same time.

Welcome to the emotional font. Misrepresented so often by people who have no clue how to harness the attention-grabbing strength fonts have.

Time and again I see advertising with no target market appeal. Like boorish ads with typical Helvetica Black fonts that try and reach out to the feminine heart, or pretty pink serif fonts trying to capture the oft-unfocused male eye.

These Ads rarely get a second glance and if they do, they typically reflect badly on the product. Result: no interest, no sale.

As any seasoned advertiser knows, everything revolves around the headline of your ad. It is here that your time-starved reader wants the gist of what you are hoping to convey. That means just a few seconds to make your pitch! To that end, you must use every trick in the book - eye-catching, thought-provoking words, images and emotion.

Sadly, it is the emotional part of an Ad where so many falter either through ineffective images or uninspiring fonts.

It doesn’t matter if you want to convey trust, class, cheapness, urgency, madness, coolness or funny. It all starts with your font.

The best example of font usage can be found all around you. Your neighborhood book store, on packaging, newspaper and magazine Ads, store signage etc.

Here is a quick look at fonts that clearly convey who they are trying to reach, what they are trying to say, when they should be used, where they belong and why they make you feel a certain way.



Yes, these fonts make you feel something. This is the emotional power that fonts have to attract or repel.

Feel childish with the Walt Disney font…adventurous with the adventure font…or spirited away to the land of Camelot with the Camelot font.

With the high cost of advertising, it is wise to inject as much appeal into your Ads as possible.

So. Do you choose a font to appeal to a specific market or to define the product?
Good question!

The short answer is: both.The long answer depends on what the product is and to whom you are selling to.

The key is to remember that you basically have masculine fonts, feminine fonts and “bi-fontual” fonts.

To get a better idea of the type of fonts available, simply do a search on “fonts” and see what’s available. You can even download free fonts for both PC and Mac from several sites online.

Why Online Businesses Fail

There are millions and millions of online businesses. Most of them spend more than they make and many close down with tired and frustrated online marketing entrepreneurs giving up and going back to their day jobs.

You don't hear about the failures. The reason for that is very simple. Your email box is filled with promises of fantastic riches waiting for you if you just buy into some dream marketing business or how to start an online business.

Let me say this unequivocally. Most offers are pipe dreams that too complicated with many that are simply scams selling regurgitated information.

Unfortunately nobody is going to spend money emailing you the perils and frustrations in becoming an internet marketing millionaire.

Why is starting up an online business and making it successful so difficult? Here are just 5 major reasons...

First of all: COMPETITION.
There are probably hundreds of thousands of folks out there doing the exact same thing. All of them want to get to page one of Google be it through a well optimized website or by using Google Adwords to get traffic. Don't forget - this isn't a retail store cozying up to a huge anchor store in a shopping mall with just several competitors around the corner. You've got hundreds of thousands of internet sites that are better built, with possibly cheaper products and that may happen to already have brand recognition.

Second: ADVERTISING.
The cost of advertising your products can ruin you fast if you don't know what you're doing. CPC (cost per click) advertising can add up big time, and if your ROI (return on investment) is low, you'll be crying the blues. You have to convert those clicks into sales. In order to do that, you need to understand how your web site design, navigation, ease of use, price points, guarantees, sales page and trust-factor all affect the outcome of a sale. If the pieces of the puzzle aren't put together in just the right way - you'll be out of the game before you know it.

Third: PRODUCT SELECTION.
Finding the right product to sell is a hit and miss process. You basically have to experiment. Things you're absolutely sure will sell - don't. Things you would never buy - sell like crazy. It is best not to rely on your personal tastes. This means you have to do research and test. For most new internet marketers this can be a very exhausting and costly exercise. For the most part it can drain you and leave in a cursed mood if you don't use the right strategies and shortcuts.

Fourth: LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.
Nobody should get into the internet business if they aren't prepared to learn some basic survival skills. These include: simple website design, basic html code, copywriting, where to advertise, keyword analysis, search engine optimization etc. For many, just these few examples is enough of a deterrent. That being said, you'll be surprised at what you can do if you are determined and set your mind to it. For those of you who are so inclined, you're half way there!

Fifth: ORIGINALITY.
There are many unique sites. Those that make it big all have one thing in common."THE STICKY FACTOR." This is the ingredient that keeps people coming back for more. ie: youtube, myspace, facebook etc. The likelyhood of attaining such remarkable notoriety is small indeed. But it is possible within smaller niche markets. How do you do it? Again, it involves a mixture of all the elements above and then some.

For those of you looking for a quick buck - I will tell you THE ABSOLUTE TRUTH. It doesn't exist!
Even the scam artists work like dogs to feverishly come up with devious plans, setting up websites, re-writing and reselling the reseller's information.

So what can you do to get into the game?

Above all, be informed! You will need to learn a fair amount.
If you buy several e-books and find that they are misleading or contain information that goes nowhere and doesn't resolve your problems - give them back!

Many e-books are legitimate and offer tremendous information and value. The benefit, is that you'll learn a lot of the shortcuts as well as what NOT TO DO! But to succeed in the online internet business, you'll simply have to accept the fact that there are many dead-ends...turn around and try something else.

For those of you determined to get online, you'll find a wealth of information at Top10InternetGurus.com

Advertising's Biggest Money-Wasters

They say that fifty percent of your Advertising budget is wasted. The only problem is, nobody knows which fifty!

Well it's your lucky day, because over the years, I've uncovered advertising waste aplenty. Let me tell you about the most common ways advertising dollars are squandered, misspent, misdirected and misused.

But first, I think it's important to define which advertisers are likely to be the most wasteful.

1. Companies that don't use professional media-buying services.

2. Companies with in-house agencies that lack the expertise to buy media correctly. They save the standard 15% agency fees, but waste way more in weak creative, poor media planning and overbuying (it impresses the boss to hear or see his company name every 3 minutes).

3. Businesses that simply don't use the proper media to reach their target market.

4. Businesses that rely solely on their Agency. Although Agencies are usually very adept, honest and have the company's interests at heart, they may not be quite as frugal with their client's money. It is wise to hire an inside marketing professional to be your liaison.

5. Companies that lack a leadership approach in their creative and simply follow the same old - same old.

These are just a few examples of the kind of companies that are wasteful when starting up an advertising campaign. Let me say that we are talking about wasteful - no successful.
In fact, many of these companies are major players as well as spenders. That being said, I only wish I had the money they wasted.

So, what are the most wasteful advertising practices that go on day after day?

Let's start with Print.

1. BUYING FULL COLOUR, FULL PAGE ADS
They're simply not necessary unless the colour of the product is integral to making a sale. ie: fashion collections, paint, wallpaper etc. The fact is, when you take a full page ad, there is no competition. You dominate. Your message is absolutely getting through. Colour ads will serve you much better when you want your ad to stand out on a page filled with ads. Don't get me wrong, I think full page ads say something very important - THIS IS BIG, DON'T MISS OUT! But I believe spending extra money for full colour is generally unwarranted. And really, newsprint colour rarely does justice to the product.

2. BILLBOARDS WITH MORE THAN 7 WORDS
Here's a real money waster. People are driving by at a fair clip, and some companies actually expect them to read sentences, paragraphs and even instructions. Can you believe?
And what's with the 5 point type? Yes, we know it's big when you stand on it, but from the ground....

3. ADS DESIGNED FOR FREE BY THE NEWSPAPER
There may be plenty of talent in the graphic departments of the nation's newspapers, but truth be told, they'll never give you cutting edge creative with font finesse, eye-catching headline and motivating body copy. Why? They simply don't have the time. It's a sausage mill environment typical of most media that offer up free production services. Bottom line - it wastes your money because it lacks impact. It may even lower your customer's perception of your business if the design qualities lack taste.

4. BAD LOGOS
When it comes to branding, your logo is key! Nothing irks me more than a poorly designed logo. If you plan to be in business a while, invest in a properly designed logo that will inevitably define who you are. If you're looking to build trust, consider a consumer's perspective. Shoddy design = shoddy company.

5. IN-DIRECT MAIL
I say in-direct because that's exactly what it is! Unless it's got the recipient's name and address on the envelope it will more often than not, end up with the dozens of other flyers it is grouped with...in the trash.
When you tally up the cost of designing, printing, and distributing your "in-direct mail" piece into the marketplace, the return on investment is just too low. Always remember. TARGET - TARGET - TARGET your market, otherwise you might as well just throw your money to the wind.

Let's look at money wasters in the RADIO media.

Radio happens to be one of my favorite ways to advertise and for many reasons. But there are companies that just don't understand it well enough to buy it responsibly. And that leads to an inefficient campaign. There are a number of reasons to use radio, but I'll focus on the 2 main reasons.

1. You are introducing yourself or a new product and you want to do some brand building.

2. You are well known and have a fabulous promotion you need to advertise.

Each demands a totally different approach in how you plan to schedule your spots and the number of spots needed. Unfortunately, it can be rather lengthy to explain the many variables in this article so I will site just a few examples.

1. OVERBUYING
Building a brand takes time. It makes no sense to buy radio spots every half hour. Slow and easy is the rule here. Several spots spread out over the long term.

My favorite approach is to double my radio budget by buying alternate weeks. You can actually buy 26 weeks of airtime and leave the listener with the impression that you advertise ALL THE TIME - 52 weeks a year! This happens because there is a roll-over effect of your message from week to week and the listener does not have a sense of that time frame. Why buy 52 weeks when you don't need it?

2. UNDERBUYING

Radio is powerful, but don't expect much action with 1 spot a day. The power is in the frequency. I mean this in reference to planning a large promotion. If you don't get the job done right, you will have wasted your money. 1 spot a day isn't right.
If your budget is limited, what I usually do, is to group my spots over a three day period in the week. This concentration is very effective and the spill-over effect is enhanced if you run a print ad at the same time.

3. NOT USING 10 AND 15 SECOND SPOTS

There was a time when 60 second spots dominated the air. As rates rose, 30 seconds became the norm. But today, it may surprise you, but you can get a fabulous response with just 10 and 15 second spots. This approach works even better if you've already run 30 seconds beforehand. The secret here? Listeners who have heard the 30 seconds previously, hear the same global message when they hear the 10 second message. A great way to save money and make a more efficient and effective radio buy.

4. BUYING ONLY MORNING AND DRIVE SPOTS

You may think your radio dollars are reaching your audience in the prime time slots, but here's a surprise for you. You're reaching the same people every day. Now, at first glance that seems like a plan, but think of all the people who never hear your message. If you don't have some exposure between the hours of 10am - 4pm, or 7pm - midnight, you're missing out on 6 hours of audience that may not necessarily be prime time listeners. They could be watching TV, reading the paper, surfing the web or asleep!
Spread your radio spots out. The rates are cheaper, and in many ways more effective.

Being a big believer in brevity, I'll take up more wasteful advertising practices in my next article.

THE MOST IMPORTANT ADVERTISING DECISION YOU HAVE TO MAKE

I hate internet gurus!

I hate to buy all their internet marketing books, I hate to read all their online advertising tips and tricks, I hate learning new stuff on how to start a home business and mostly, I hate selling. The fact is, I'm as lazy as they get and would simply like to press a button and have someone put some money in my bank account.

Oh... Hi! Guess you caught me babbling to myself. Well, if I sound like you, welcome to the biggest club in the world! I also hate to give you the bad news, but understanding the Internet marketing puzzle is absolutely key if you want to make money online.

Sure, we all want it easy, but the best you can hope for, is easiER...

So, what in fact IS internet marketing? People use the term but only have a vague notion of what it is.

According to Wikipedia, Internet marketing is the use of the Internet to advertise and sell goods and services. Internet Marketing includes: pay per click advertising, banner ads, e-mail marketing, affiliate marketing, interactive advertising, search engine marketing (including SEO search engine optimization), blog marketing (video & audio), article marketing, and blogging.

Let us not forget the sub-categories of: classified ads, viral marketing, etc...

Just reading this list should be enough of a reason why you should seek out the best internet marketing experts for guidance and knowledge.

There are simply so many ways to make money on the internet, that you must first decide which marketing methods you can work with. For example: if you dislike contacting people, forget multi-level marketing and just head straight for Adsense or affiliate marketing.

Don't know a thing about HTML and web design? - Then learn everything you can about Google Adwords to sell either your own products or other people's products. And let's not forget Ebay!

In other words, if you want to play the internet game, then you must know the advantages and pitfalls involved.

Of course, you can find out all the information you need on the internet, but first, and foremost, you have to know what you're looking for.

This is probably the most important first step to take. Deciding what kind of internet marketer you want to be.

The only way to find out, is to know what's involved with the many money-making methods available.

That's why we turn to the Gurus...the internet marketing know-it-alls...who live eat & breath this every day.

Let's face it. They've gone down those dirty roads and made the mistakes so that you don't have to! And let me tell you, it can get very costly in money & time to promote products online.

But it doesn't have to be, if you know which secret doors to open and how to use the must-have shortcuts to start sucking up money like a vac on steroids.

If you're in a daze trying figure out how to make money with affiliate associate programs or other online marketing businesses, do yourself a favor and read what the pros have to say.

They have the marketing secrets you need to do business on the web.

In fact, many of their e-books are absolutely indispensable if you are going to get into Affiliate programs, Google Adsense, Selling your own products or setting up any kind of internet business.

To hook up with the Internet's brightest & most successful marketers click here:
www.top10internetgurus.com

RADIO ADVERTISING COMMANDMENTS - Part 3

Radio Commandment Number 8
Thou Shalt Use Radio To Build Strong Business Alliances.

When you advertise on radio you hope to reach many thousands of listeners. But there is one type of listener few retailers think about. It is this person that can be just as important and sometimes, more important than your intended market - Business associates.

Buyers, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors. People that you do business with on a day to day basis.

The benefits of influencing your secondary markets through radio advertising is important for several reasons.

1. It legitimizes your business, especially if you're the new kid on the block.
2. It opens doors to suppliers who may not have been interested in selling product to you.
3. It gives you the opportunity to invite your business associates to work out exclusive promotions.
4. You can create a co-op situation and share the cost of your radio advertising with a preferred supplier. In some cases you can get them to pitch in from 25% - 75%!
5. You can carry a bigger stick when you visit your bank manager.

Speaking of banks, there is this story of a company looking to get a bank loan to start up a jean company. Of course, the bank had no fashion sense, didn't see the potential and rejected the loan request.

So the owners went and booked a full scale campaign on radio who gladly gave them time & terms. The radio spots ended up creating a huge demand for the jeans at the boutique and department store level. The owners, now armed with hundreds of thousands of dollars in purchase orders were able to get the necessary loans from the bank to manufacture the goods!

Quite a risk to take, but very effective! I suspect that good timing may have been a secret ingredient.

Speaking of timing.

This brings me to Radio Commandment number 9
Thou Shalt Know When To Book Radio

There's nothing more frustrating than preparing a good advertising plan only to find out that most of the radio stations in your budget are sold out!

Yes it's true. Radio stations sell out. Not all of them, but certainly the top-rated ones.

Buy your time late and several things happen. The on-air schedule you get is mostly outside of prime time. Spot rates can go up. And some clients even get bumped for higher paying clients. (don't say I told you so).

This can definitely affect your entire Ad campaign, especially when your other Ads in complimentary media need support. (I'll be discussing the importance of creating a balanced advertising campaign in my next blog).

My recommendation: Always buy electronic media (radio / TV) as far in advance as possible.


Which brings me to Radio Commandment number 10
Thou Shalt Book The Right Radio Station

I am always amazed at how many retailers buy a station simply because THEY are a listener. The only reasons to do this is to reach like-minded business associates, or to stroke your ego.

Although there are many things to consider when buying radio, the 2 most important things as far as I'm concerned are:
1. The Target Market (the listeners/shoppers you want to reach)
2. The Cost per radio spot

I'm talking about buying local radio in a market you know. Otherwise, if you're looking to run a campaign in another city, you must rely on stats. Arbitron offers radio stats in the U.S., and Canada offers complete listener profiles from the BBMs. (Bureau of Broadcast & Measurement).

Now there are many ways to buy radio depending on who you want to reach and what you're trying to sell.

Prime time periods, though heavy with listeners, may not be the best time to pitch, for example,
a night club.

I would suggest running spots Thursday, Friday & Saturday nights. People at that time are out partying or looking to party and are more inclined to take your queue and drop in.

Consequently, you pay far less for that time period, and you zero in on the listeners who are most receptive.

Now, many stations consider their prime periods as morning and drive, and costs vary wildly depending how many listeners a station reaches within any given time period.

Although you can target specific time periods to reach your market, in many cases I prefer to buy a rotation plan. This allows you to reach different types of people throughout the day instead of reaching the same listeners every single morning. This scenario may be good "frequency" (how many times a person hears your spot), but is poor for "reach" (how many different people hear your spot).

Rotation plans are also cheaper and in the long run, get the job done quite well. Radio stations also love selling rotation plans, because it evens out their spot distribution.

I mentioned above, that you should buy radio as far in advance as possible. But is there a time when you shouldn't buy radio in advance?

YES. And it can get you the lowest rates possible. Stay tuned to my next blog. You'll love this!

RADIO ADVERTISING COMMANDMENTS - Part 2

In my last article, we left off at Radio Commandment number 4
Thou Shalt Pick The Right Music Bed

If you're going to produce a radio spot that has the most bang for the buck, you have to make sure that every word "sits" comfortably on the music bed (background music). You can record the announcer first and try to match the music, but it's a lot smoother when you pick the right music from the get-go.

What I typically do is run a few different tracks as I read the spot over in my head. What I'm looking for is a music bed that flows and a matching cadence in the read.

I want to make sure that if I'm pitching a limited time colossal sale that the music is exciting with a strong beat and essential music "posts" (where certain words get pushed by a musical punch or stop).

When I find the sound that I'm looking for, I then begin to re-write the spot making sure that I take advantage of the various musical modulations, punches and "holes" (silence) where each key word is as impactful as possible.

Believe me, when a well written spot is married to a great music bed, the fireworks happen and listeners not only hear it - they feel it!

That being said, let me state that some of the best commercials I've ever been a part of, have had no music bed at all!

In these cases, the power came entirely from the announcer who was able to take every cherry-picked word and make it his own.

The best "cold voice" (spots without music) radio commercials were the ones that had the least amount of words, the greatest amount of meaning and the strongest emotion.

Now you might think that male announcers dominate the airwaves and you may be right. But there are female voices that do incredible work.

Which brings me to Radio Commandment number 5.
Thou Shalt Pick The Right Talent For Your Radio Commercial

While great copywriting may be the key to a successful radio campaign, it is the announcer, who opens the door!

There are many great sounding announcers in the marketplace, but sadly few, who understand the importance of verbal foreplay. The innate ability to roll passionate words around effortlessly, bumping and grinding each syllable into a heated and euphoric grab for your attention - and money.

It is these wordweavers who you should seek out.

How do you find these voices? A good place to start is on the internet. Just key in "voice over talent" and you'll find plenty of demos to audition. How will you know who's good? Simply listen. If they move you - take their name, email and find out what they are offering. In some cases, you may be fortunate to find someone who is also an accomplished copywriter.

A question I often get asked is whether a male announcer is better than a female announcer.

I think alot depends on what you are selling. For example, I'd be hard-pressed to use a male voice if I'm selling menstrual pads. I'd also find it less convincing if a female voice were selling shop tools.

Interestingly, I think women can get away with selling more products than men- however, I believe men seem to have a more commanding and convincing presence.

Which brings me to Radio Commandment number 6
Thou Shalt Believe In Your Product

Nothing irks me more than radio spots that hammer away at listeners with zero conviction. Spot after spot of useless unconvincing dribble to buy this, call here, shop there and the most redundant and pathetic of them all...quality, service & price!

Is there any business out there that isn't about quality, service & price? DUH. Well...hmm, maybe banks.
Let's face it. Everybody in their right mind wants the best quality and service at the lowest imaginable price. Enough already!

The fact of the matter is, that your radio spot should evoke those sentiments without having to spell it out.

Remember - it is a classy spot that says quality for you.

Relating how you make sure to always do a little bit more for a customer, says you're into service.

And letting your listener know the difference between the regular price and the sale price while throwing in some added-value offer certainly says there won't be any objections to the prices.

In other words, you can't sound believable if you're echoing the same redundant information as everybody else. Believability happens when truth prevails.

You can sell $2. t-shirts and pretend they're great, or you could say something like
"...and we're stuck here with these posh, really high-end 100% baby-soft cotton t-shirts that have these, like, minor flaws because of some imperfect dye run that no one would really notice anyway, and heh, for $2. you absolutely can't go wrong, so come by before you feel sorry....that you didn't..."- blah blah...

The matter of fact, conversational & up front tone, brings you into the announcer's "I'm your friend, listen to me - I'm offering you advice" space. And it works.

It is believable. It is real. It is reliable & convincing.

And that means you've just gained another excited customer.

This brings me to Radio Commandment number 7
Thou Shalt Use Radio To Make Friends & Build Trust

Creating a relationship with your listener is a long term commitment and important for sales today & tomorrow. But making friends on radio will take more than a serious up front spot. Spots can and should at times, be humorous. As long as there is a sense of imparting truth.

In fact, humour is a wonderful tool because it entertains and radio is in the entertainment business.
Yes, I know that talk radio is very serious and not entertaining, but that is what is only on the surface.

But getting back to using humor. It's a great way to grab someone's attention, win someone over and invariably, make a friend and a potential customer. But it can also work against you.

In fact, the most successful award-winning radio commercials that have used humor have left many people scratching their heads trying to remember the advertiser. A case of "that was so funny that I didn't get what product they were selling."

What went wrong?
Simple. The product name was not intrinsically linked to the punch line or plot line.

The least you ever want a listener to walk away with, is the product name or company name and have it relate to the good feeling that they're feeling. One day that listener may need to decide between your product or service and another. The one they'll go for is the one that will "feel good" to them and is offered with the feeling of a trusted friend.

People definitely have a relationship with the radio station of their preference. It starts with the morning announcers who talk to you in your very private bathroom as you dry up from a shower or shave & strutt naked to the morning music.

They tell you all kinds of information over breakfast. Some even gets in and gets stored in your subconscious. And they guide you safely through traffic to your morning destination. The alert you to impending storms, washouts and the like.

This happens every working day & even weekends - 365 DAYS A YEAR! Is it a wonder that over time, radio is the best media key to unlock a listener's inhibitions and build up a place of trust in their lives?

Talk about trust. Listeners are not the only ones you want to win over.

In my next article, I'll discuss Radio Commandment number 8.
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Thou Shalt Use Radio To Build Strong Business Alliances.

RADIO ADVERTISING COMMANDMENTS - Part 1

In my last article "Local Advertising - The Biggest Mistakes" we took a look at the major media available for local advertisers to market their products. To follow up, I'd like to discuss the many uses of Radio. Sort of the 10 Commandments Of Radio Advertising. This will take up several pages, for sure, so I'll start by asking the most obvious radio questions.


Q: How do I know if radio will work for me & why should I use radio?

A: I usually have gotten these questions when a client is afraid & can't stomach the idea of paying for an Advertisement that they can't physically hold on to. In other words, they think that if they can't SEE their Ad, then no one else can. They seem to have a hard time believing that a disembodied radio voice can move people to buy their product.


Yes, it's probably true that most advertisers get their feet wet with print advertising. Your typical print advertiser will place an Ad in a local weekly or daily newspaper and bingo, the next day - traffic. The results can be quite immediate.


Radio is a different animal and although it can work as effectively as print, it can be equally disappointing to a seasoned print advertiser.


Local radio advertising can turn off a new advertiser who expects immediate results, but it doesn't have to be this way. Here are 10 reasons why "immediate results" are hard to come by:

1) the spots were not aggressive enough

2) the offer was not strong enough

3) there was not enough weight (number of spots) booked

4) the wrong local radio station was used to reach the desired market

5) not enough radio stations were booked

6) only radio was used

7) spots were poorly placed throughout the day

8) the production was poorly executed or the wrong announcer used

9) timing of the campaign was off

10) the new client had no name recognition


This brings me to Commandment #1
Thou Shalt Not Underestimate The Power of Radio.

The voice is a wonderful thing.

Used properly, it can move you to tears, unleash a fury of anger, sooth both physical and mental pain, irritate you like chalk on a blackboard, hypnotize you into the most embarrasing behaviour, fire you up & motivate you to accomplish the most daunting tasks, fire up a nation to battle, seduce the most cold-hearted soul and yes, it can certainly convince you to happily part with your money.

In fact, the people who make radio production their livelyhood, are paid quite handsomely to get you to do things that are not on your priority list.

Ever listen to a movie trailer? Listen to the announcer. His job is to get you to see that movie. Whether you realize it or not, the impact of that voice lasts longer than you may be aware of.

You may remember the visuals, but it is the EMOTIONAL AUDIO IMPRINT that leaves you with a "I've got to see this when it comes out!" memory.

It is the same subliminal effect that radio can create.

The problem faced, is that most radio production quality can often be sub-standard.

Let's face it - the radio station copywriters are under the gun to write & produce dozens of spots a day & there just isn't enough time to write super creative & dynamic commercials. Even if the copywriter can squeeze out something really hot, there is often a lack of voice-over talent to make it happen. Let's not talk about the studio engineer's backlog!

This doesn't mean that you can't have an effective radio spot come out of a radio station. It just means that to make it more effective, you may have to go to a third party production house to get your spots professionaly produced.

This brings me to Radio Commandment #2
Thou Shalt Get The Best Creative Production Possible

Why do you want the best creative possible? Well, there are several reasons.

1) it makes your advertising more effective

2) the cost of your campaign can actually be lower if more people respond to a better commercial, as fewer spots are necessary to make the same impact

3) better creative is more memorable.

4) strong creativity entertains and sells at the same time

5) powerful creative radio spots get people talking about the spot & consequently the product

"OK," you're saying, "but this sounds like it's going to cost a fortune!"

Nothing could be further from the truth. What will cost you a fortune, is a radio advertising campaign that falls flat because the production was not up to scratch!

Remember, advertising is an investment if you eventually get back more than you paid. It's a fortune if you don't get back anything!

In order to make sure that there's a payback, I highly recommend you look at all the variables and creative production is high on the list!

This brings me to Radio Commandment #3
Thou Shalt Develop A Strategy & Stick With It

There are many ways to use radio. Short campaigns, long campaigns, image building, promotions, product launches etc.

The first thing to be aware of is that new advertisers have to develop name recognition with a station's audience. This isn't as important for long time advertisers who have used other media, but it is crucial for first-timers.

Well known advertisers are seen as reliable and trustworthy. The longer you advertise, the more favour you win with listeners. It is like money in the bank.

I advise all new advertisers to start with an introduction campaign to highlight who they are, what their product is and the benefits of shopping at their store.

This doesn't mean that you can't break the rules and have a one-time grand opening with a fantastic door crasher special. Certainly that will work. But ideally, the best results for that type of scenario come when a "teaser campaign" precedes the grand opening.

It also doesn't mean you can't change certain elements of your strategy in the middle of a campaign. You may decide that you need a stronger promotional item. I say go with it! Just don't give up on radio after the first week if it doesn't bring you the expected results you were looking for.

Let me state that much of the advice offered here is what I believe to be the "safe route" to effective radio advertising. Even under less optimal conditions, radio can be quite effective!

What you want to do, however, is not succeed by throwing tons of money into your advertising, but rather, to cover all the essentials so that you have an effective and cost efficient campaign.

Good planning can go a long way.

In my next article I'll continue with commandment #4
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Thou Shalt Use The Right Music Bed

Local Advertising - The Biggest Mistakes

When it comes to small business marketing and advertising, I am amazed at how many local advertisers squander their money. I wish I had the money they wasted. I'd be a rich man.

Let's talk about your typical retailer with 1 - 5 locations.

One of the biggest problems I've seen is that most retailers have no idea of which media to use when running a campaign. In fact, some don't even know WHY they are running a campaign.

They know they should advertise, but they don't really know what they are trying to accomplish.

Let's clarify the TOP 10 obvious reasons you should advertise.

1. You are opening a new business
2. You are closing a business
3. You have a problem selling sufficient quantities of your product or service
4. Your competitor has started a price war
5. You have taken on a new product line or phasing out a product
6. Your business is expanding with new locations
7. You need to renovate but don't want to lose business
8. Sales are dropping and you need to create a new buzz
9. You are moving your location
10.You want to go public

All these reasons to advertise are born of typical "problems" and Advertising solves problems!

I prefer to see problems as challenges and recommend that mindset for everyone. It makes it more of a positive game and stimulates the problem-solving areas of the brain instead of bringing on the worry & depression when you're scrambling to generate sales or save a business.

Now. Which media to use?

Let me give you the bigger picture of the Top 5 advertising vehicles.

RADIO

Need to get a message out fast? Nothing works better than radio!

Radio Pros: This is the sizzle. Hollywood. The Buzz. Entertainment. Excitement. Light my fire. Theatre of the mind. Fast turnaround.
With the right production your local burger joint can come across like MacDonald's. Fairly inexpensive.
A "word of mouth" medium that taps into the trusting subconscious that "A friend told me about such & such...".

Radio Cons: Sausage factory radio spot production and mediocre creative copywriting due to time constraints and poor client communication. Limited inventory of spots means there's nothing to buy when station is in a sold-out position.


PRINT

Print is all about details. Not enough time to say it in 30 seconds on radio? Take out a print Ad!

Print Pros: Powerful headlines work. Graphic images can be a powerful selling tool! Lots of room to showcase plenty of inventory. Good target market penetration. Good vehicle for couponing. Color Ads grab the eye. Reader can cut & save Ad or coupon.

Print Cons:
Slow turnaround time due to production. Your Ad can end up on the same page as your competition (not recommended if the competition is underselling, but that's a whole other story!) Print production by the newspaper graphic department offers up less than interesting creative Ad design or punchy layout (because of time constraints). Can be quite expensive in certain markets. Easy to get lost on a page of Ads. Powerful headlines are key but hard to come by unless you hire an outside creative person oe design firm.

TV

How else can you walk into someone's living room and get them to buy your product while they're still in their underwear?

TV Pros:
Let's face it. Nothing beats the one-two punch of audio-video. Powerful visuals. Emotionally stirring music or audio sound bites. A dash of sex...intrique...fear...laughter...
Yes - your emotions are being assaulted & manipulated by the very best advertisers in the world. And you know what? TV works!

So what if it cost Apple $10,000,000 to sell you 1 ipod? They'll make it back a hundred times!

TV Cons:
Can be very expensive in local markets. Production is key but again, very expensive. Out of reach for many local businesses. That being said, there are TV. package opportunities available during off-season and sometimes end-of-season that are affordable. (I highly recommend you take advantage and get your feet wet with these type of offers).


FLYERS / INSERTS / DIRECT MAIL:

I have grouped these together because they fall into the category of distribution of printed material. The most telling difference is the way they are distributed.
Let's define each.
A flyer is an independant piece of printed material typically distributed by hand and bundled with many other flyers.
An Insert is a flyer that is inserted into the local paper for distribution.
Direct Mail is a flyer, card or Ad in a sealed envelope that can be specifically targeted to certain city zones, apartments, streets, businesses, high or low income areas etc.
As you can imagine, direct mail is the more expensive method but best targeted.

Pros:
Flyers are stand alone Ads that thrifty retail shoppers look forward to. The key is, to have an outstanding promotion or offer. Strong creative, pleasing layout and quality paper stock all make a difference as to how you are perceived by the shopper. Shoddy Ads = Shoddy business. (There are exceptions, but that will be discussed in another article.) Flyers allow you to coupon your product or service.

Cons:
Flyers rarely deliver a high rate of return. Even when expertly conceived, designed and printed, they can easily get cast into the garbage bin. The key is to pre-promote your flyer in another medium or offer samples. (I'll cover the powerful effects of combining complimentary media in my next article).


BILLBOARDS

There are many types of billboard services. From huge highway, street-level and bus shelter signage to bus, train, and taxi signage.

Pros: There is an "air" of big time advertising associated with billboards. Great for image building as long as you follow the 7 second rule. (Never say anything on a billboard that takes longer than 7 seconds to register in someone's brain!). Powerful visuals & headlines are key!

Cons: You pay extra for mass targeting. Can be very expensive. Poor creative can render your efforts invisible. Production can eat up alot of your budget. Slow turnaround. Key positions are booked sometimes for years in advance.

The biggest question you are probably asking is: What do I do now?

That all depends on what "challenge" your business is presenting.

You need to formulate a plan of action. This is typically called an advertising plan.

You must:
1. come up with an affordable advertising budget
This money should be viewed as an investment
2. create a timeline (how long you need to advertise)
Decide if this is a longer image-building campaign or a short promotional campaign
3. define the nature of your campaign and what you hope to accomplish
Do you want to build up your name or sell a particular product or service?
4. come up with a strong creative campaign
You can play safe and emulate everyone else who is successful, or lead the pack with new and aggressive creative
5. select the media (preferrably more than one) you can afford
I caution you to avoid a one media campaign. They are very limiting. Whenever possible, use a combination - ie: print/radio, flyer/radio, tv/print, tv/billboard

Once you have done all of the above you are closer to taking your first step.
Unfortunately, advertising goes much deeper than this. ie: what kind of Ad offer do I make? What kind of creative do I use? Is my logo strong enough? Is the newspaper Ad big enough? How many spots should I buy on the radio? Color? Black & White? What print stock should I use?

It can be daunting.

The good news is, most media have reliable reps to help you sort it all out. Your job then, may be to separate fact from fiction. The best way to do this is to pick the most knowledgeable rep who understands more than their own product and give them the opportunity to advise you.

You can also hire an independant consultant or a small Advertising Agency to put it all together for you.

How To Make An Advertising Decision

It never fails.
The ad agency spends countless man-hours sweating over the fine details.
Things that no one would ever notice are discussed, dissected, double-checked and then dutifully discarded for a "better" idea.

Graphics are viewed upside-down and sideways. Letters are kerned in pixel widths. Font catalogues brimming with thousands of choices are scrutinized until the perfect one is found or the artist lapses into a coma.

Finally, the deadline is met.
The pitch is made...
and...

The client asks the delivery man from the restaurant for his opinion.

It's a painful situation to be in.
But the client pays the bills and if he can't make up his miind, he'll damn well find someone to make it up for him!

Now, some of the bigger players can afford "focus groups" to determine if they've got the right goods. But what do you do if you're strapped for bucks?

Believe it or not...
you ask the delivery man from the restaurant.
Ask the janitor...your dentist...the grocer...the guy who fixes your photo copier.

Most agencies hate the idea of being scrutinized by the mailman, but the fact is, his opinion is as good as it gets.

Tally up all the answers and ask yourself - Is it a "deal or no deal?"

There's your decision.

The more astute clients, won't waste a second. They know immediately if it's hot or not.

How do they do it? They trust that first impression.

What they see or hear immediately appeals to them or makes their eyebrows disappear in the furrows of their brow.

So, how do you make a good advertising decision?

1. Trust the ad agency you've hired. They do this for a living.
2. Listen to that little voice inside that you always say you should have listened to.
3. Be different. Lead instead of follow.
4. Ask your delivery man. There's nothing in it for him.

Or, call us...we do windows.
www.noasound.com

Launching A New Jingle Ad Campaign

So you've just bought the hottest jingle from the coolest production house and you're ready to start advertising. Congratulations! But why did you buy that jingle in the first place?

Too often, retail advertisers buy jingles for all the wrong reasons. The number one wrong reason is - client ego.

Sure, it's a thrill to hear your name on the radio or tv, but there are more important reasons for creating a jingle.

A key reason to create a jingle is if you are launching a new business, product or service. As the new kid on the block you'll need to break through the advertising jungle with something that will catch a person's attention. A properly written jingle can do this faster than any other form of advertising and amazingly continue to "jingle" your name in someone's head long after you've finished your campaign.

Yes, it's all about getting your name front and centre. If people are humming your name, consider your ad campaign a success. Now does that translate to sales? Not necessarily in the short term - but in the long-term, it could be a bonanza!

What the jingle actually does, is draw attention to your business and the listener to the announcer message. And it is the announcer sell message that will ultimately drive buyers and consumer dollars to your business. This brings us to a very important aspect of creating a jingle campaign. Timing.

There are alot of advertisers who have complete 30 second jingles created and start their campaigns off immediately with the announcer trying to sell something. WRONG.

WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SELL FIRST, IS THE JINGLE!

It is no different than creating a hit song. If you don't play the song often enough, it will never reach the top of the charts. A top of the chart song sells because people have learned the essential musical elements and are enjoying humming, singing or moving to it.

My recommendation is to run a full 30 second jingle for at least 2-3 weeks in order to build up sound & name recognition and get the public ear "tuned" to image of your business. I say image, because that is exactly what you are doing - Image building - (hopefully you will have a jingle with a musical style that defines your business).

It is only after the preliminary jingle campaign that you can start eliminating some of the sung lines of your jingle and replace them with sell lines using the appropriate announcer. Make sure that, whoever produced your jingle creates at least 2 other versions with "donuts".

Donuts are holes in the jingle where the vocal parts are removed leaving a musical "bed" for the announcer to speak over.

Eventually, you will end up using the jingle mostly for announcer voice-overs with a 5-10 second tag that is sung at the end.

So, your budget is limited? Well, you should still run the full 30 second vocal jingle for a minimum 1 week campaign. This will wake up radio audiences because it is a new sound and it doesn't take much to catch a person's ear.

We've mentioned that one of the best reasons to produce a jingle is if you are starting something new. But what about seasoned advertisers? Should they use jingles?

If budget allows...Absolutely. Remember - a jingle is a signal that there's something new and fresh happening. If you have added a brand new division or service to your business, a jingle is a great way to get that message out.

Another reason to use jingles is to break away from the monotony of a typical 30 second spot.

If you've been running the same old message for too long, people tune you out. And they can do it without even switching stations!

Remember, the bottom line is - strong creative!

Well created messages are more impactful and require less frequency to let people hear what you want them to know. Strong creative, is definitely money well spent.

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Well Written Radio Jingles Can Save Your Budget

You're up at the crack of dawn, staring down that person in the mirror when you realize things aren't going to look better until you start your morning routine. You begin by tuning in your trusted radio announcer who feeds you the time, news, weather and traffic situation all topped off with a couple of radio commercials.

Little are you aware that a sinister event will soon unfold. That your mind is subtly being programmed.

The truth reveals itself at the end of the day, when you cut that wonderful roast on your dinner plate and start singing "I'm stuck on bandaid, 'cause bandaid's stuck on me".
In fact, you realize you've been singing the hook line to the Johnson & Johnsons bandaid jingle pretty much all day....

Now, what do you suppose you're actually doing. Well, you are in fact planting a solid memory in your long-term memory centre just by humming this tune all day.

And what do you think you'll buy the next time you need a bandaid?
Case closed. Jingles work.

In fact they work so well that advertisers are willing to pay big bucks for old classic tunes that can be used to sell anything from cars to fashion to ipods.
So do you run out and get a jingle done? Not so fast.

There are things you absolutely need to know before you get a jingle produced.
First, you don't want any wanna-be rock star or garage band to do it for you.
Unless you have a team of bright creatives who can spell out exactly what you're looking for, don't bother. This isn't a knockdown on the talent pool of available musicians. But a musician does not a marketing expert make.

It is difficult indeed to find a music studio that can identify your target market, understand the benefit of the product, match up the right music style and determine the best way to get the product name humm-able without sounding like it a forced effort.

Most music studios can give you the greatest musicians and vocalists, but unless you have someone who can see the whole picture, you'll end up with a mediocre spot.

Then there is the challenge of whether you should buy 60 second, 30 second or 15 second spots. The saavy production houses are able to write them so that they can be easily edited if need be.

But do you really need a 60 second spot?
And how long do you run the jingle. Which version should you play. The 10 second donut (announcer sell portion) or the 20 second donut?
Believe it or not, there is a right and wrong way to run a jingle campaign.
To answer some of these questions check out my website at www.noasound.com.

8 Essential Tips For Retail Advertising

Today's recession isn't helping the many retailers who keep dropping like flies. And in many cases, inexperienced advertisers do themselves them in.
Either they don't advertise enough, try to do it themselves or advertise in the wrong places.

There is alot to think about when operating a retail shop - but one thing invariably gets saved for last. Advertising.

I suppose that those who rely solely on the ever-perfect "location-location-location", have forgotten that "promotion-promotion-promotion" and "timing-timing-timing" are overlooked in the process.

Like all new light bulbs, there is no denying that eventually, a new store's visibility begins to fade. What to do?

Advertise!

In many cases, however, the poor retailer has waited too long, runs a poor campaign, can't recover and goes belly-up. The media join other creditors who line up "waiting - waiting - waiting" for nothing.

To avoid becoming another retail statistic, here are simple rules to follow:

1. Have a marketing plan. It is integral to your success.

2. Don't rely solely on the marketing 101 skills you acquired too many years ago. Get some guidance. Print reps, radio reps, tv reps can give you some necessary pointers. Learn what you can but remember, they are selling you their product. One of your best bets is to ask your sales reps who they would recommend you advertise with as a complimentary ingredient in your advertising media mix.
Good reps are always ready to make recommendations.

3. Read up on the different benefits of available media. For example, check out the RAB (Radio Advertising Bureau). Download their Marketing Guide and Fact Book.
Dig into the valuable info available at the Newspaper Association of America - Download the 2001 detailed Study Report.

4. If there is something extremely original about your business that is newsworthy, make a point to write up a press release and fire it off to the media.

5. Your best bet, is always to hire a small or mid-size agency that specializes in retail advertising. Nothing beats having a team of pros who can assess your needs and steer your business in the right direction. Look for fair rates and understand that the time you'll save (as well as the headaches you'll be spared) is absolutely worth it. Remember that micro-managing is not the solution if you want your business to grow.

6. Typically, retailers have a reputation for being tight-fisted and worse, penny-wise and pound-foolish.
The best scenario is to establish a budget and stick with it. Spend only what you can afford. Depending on the nature of your business, 2-5% of your sales is a typical expenditure for advertising. If you're not sure, speak to your accountant.
Once your budget is set up, you can plan a campaign that makes sense.

7. AND DO INVEST IN YOUR WEBSITE! Once optimized, it is the single most effective way to advertise for FREE, develop a client list and gain the consumer trust that comes with a first page ranking in the search engine results pages!


8. ADBIZTIP: The best clients in the world are the ones you already have. Use letter campaigns, mailers, email and phone calls to invite them to VIP offerings from your company. Do that often enough and your clients end up feeling left out if they don't hear from you. Now that's a good position to be in.

Internet Marketing Millionaires

Internet marketing experts are everywhere and they all want one thing.
They want you to make money - and lots of it!

And that's no joke. They really do. Because most of these guys make money when you make money.

But is it as easy as they say?
Well that depends on how you apply all the techniques they sell you.

If you're a newbie, getting started in internet marketing can be quite the headache. So you'll need all the help you can get.

Now, while most of the information you need is readily available on the net, it is, however, difficult to determine what information is reliable and what will bankrupt you.

I know this from experience. Having purchased and/or read endless e-books on "internet riches", it eventually became apparent that many marketing wizards were offering basically the same things.

The differences were, that some had set up better systems than others for you to follow.

The main (in no particular order) income generating systems they pitch are:
1. Ebay selling
2. Affiliate Referral Programs
3. Creating and Selling your own Products or Services
4. Google Adsense
5. Multi-Level Marketing

Within these categories are many sub-categories you'll have to get familiar with. ex: Using Google Adwords, Copywriting Techniques, Autoresponders, List Building, using PayPal, understanding EBAY, Affiliate memberships and the list goes on....

Do any of these systems work?
Yes.

Will you be successful?
That depends on your determination and creative smarts.

The main stumbling block after spending hours of trying to digest all the knowledge you soak up from the internet marketing experts, is actually finding clever ways to incorporate it.

Though some information may give you much needed support, the fact of the matter is that everyone and their uncle is trying to do pretty much the same thing. The competition is fierce.

The key, is to do it differently. With a twist. To take that knowledge and build on it.
Unfortunately, most wannabe internet entrepeneurs don't have what it takes to think and execute that way. They're the ones that sooner than later give up and go back to their regular jobs.

And if you think that working the internet to make money on autopilot is easy - think again.
Prepare to invest plenty of hours before you can even dream of such luck.

Some who have made it and can help you decide if this is something you want to get into include Rosalind Gardiner. Her story is inspirational and her information is straight-ahead easy to follow. Whether you can replicate that success is another story.

Another well respected internet marketer is Dr. Ken Evoy who can help you set up a complete turnkey system. Dr. Evoy has invented over 23 products that have sold internationally, generating 100's of millions of dollars in revenues for various companies.

For more information on some of the best internet marketers, head over over to http://www.top10internetgurus.com.
You'll find fantastic and free must-have internet tools and info to get you started.

ADBIZTIP: Don't jump in expecting to make money overnight. I would advise that you pick an approach you can handle and start slowly. Think of it as a hobby. Surprisingly, if and when things start to work for you, it gets extremely exciting. And remember. You can find alot of information for free - but it takes way too much time to sort through it all. Use your time wisely, because the fact is...time is really the only currency. Unlike money - you can't make more time!

Stay tuned to Ad Biz Tip for some more info....