by Raymond Johnston Jr. The art of writing … is … most people think they don’t possess. I hear so many people say that they don’t possess the ability to create ads that get result

by Raymond Johnston Jr.

The art of writing advertisements is something most people think they don’t possess. I hear so many people say that they don’t possess the ability to create ads that get results. The proverb that writers are born and not created takes over the thought pattern. I’m telling you to put those thoughts aside and open your eyes and your mind.

If you are in the business of Internet marketing, you probably read many advertisements each week. If you have the desire to improve your ad writing abilities, take the time and look at other ads. Don’t just skim over them and dismiss them. Actually take the time and study which ads grab your attention. Take those that are appealing and copy them to a file.

Set aside some time and look at those ads that caught your attention. Look at each individual ad and see what part of that ad grabbed your attention. Make a list of the points that were appealing to you and things that you feel would catch the attention of others.

Now that you have identified some things that you believe made these ads successful, it is time to use that information for your own benefit. At first, substitute your product or advertising information in some of the ads that you like. Then start making small variations to these ads to make them original. Keep working in this fashion and pretty soon, you will be thinking up your own variations and original ads that will sound catch as well.

This is one way to get the creative juices flowing. Most people have a difficult time getting new ideas for ads. Using other successful or appealing ads as a guideline, can sometimes get you over the hump and started towards writing your own successful ads. Don’t just substitute your product or business idea into another ad and leave it at that, make it your own work.

Advertising is such an important part of your online business, so spend some time and work on your ad writing abilities. With a little practice, you will be amazed at the thoughts that start flowing.

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The media bombards us with thousands of images, messages, andlogos everyday. In fact, the average person in the United Stateswatches between two and four hours of television on a dailybasis. (www.medi…

The media bombards us with thousands of images, messages, and
logos everyday. In fact, the average person in the United States
watches between two and four hours of television on a daily
basis. (www.mediafamily.org) Does it surprise you that we start
to tune out advertisements after awhile?

This makes it a lot harder for people trying to market their
business come up with ideas that stand out in the frenzy of ad
pitches. Unless Britney Spears happens to be singing jingles on
national broadcasts about your company, your ad campaign is
probably going to have to work a little creativity in there. Here
are some common advertising methods and ideas to give them some
sparkle.

Classifieds: Classified advertising is one of the oldest forms in
the book. Tons of people look through their Sunday paper in
search of apartments, jobs, or anything else you might ever want.
Smaller local publications are now also offering a classifieds
section, not to mention that the world of online classifieds is
at its peak.

So many places to find, place, and ignore classifieds. So how do
you prevent potential customers from skimming right over your ad?
Grab their attention from the get go, and chances are they’ll
read your ad, thanks to a great opening line. There are three
types of opening lines that work well with classifieds:
Informative, enticing, or challenging lines.

If you tell your reader in the first statement what you’re
offering, they’ll know whether or not they want to keep reading.
“Learn How to Quickly Generate Hot, Hungry, Targeted Traffic!” is
a great opening line, because it tells readers that the product
has to do with increasing website traffic. Right away
your reader knows whether or not that ad is for them.

Secondly, you can entice readers into your ad by using images in
your opening line. “TRY LIGHTING FIXTURES BEFORE YOU BUY!”
Although this line doesn’t give any specific detail, it does give
the reader a nice mental picture of being able to see their
lighting fixtures in place before they ever put any money down.
Offer your reader something they want: “BRING PEACE BACK INTO
YOUR LIFE! In today’s hectic world, who could resist?

Finally, if you challenge your reader to do something, they will
be more willing to see what the ad has in store. “TIRED OF
ANSWERING TO YOUR BOSS? START YOUR OWN SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS!” or
“SAVE YOUR DRIVING RECORD AND STOP PAYING A FORTUNE FOR
INSURANCE!” The incentive is there, and more often than not, the
reader will be motivated to see what else in store.

The body of a classified ad should be short and to the point.
Once you’ve gotten your main point across, readers will follow up
if they’re interested. Leave your contact information at the end
of the ad, in clear type.

Remember that you should devise a method for tracking your
classified ads. If you place three different ads in three
different places, you want to know which ads or which
publications are bringing the most business. This is so you can
continue a similar ad campaign to further your business.

Ezines: Most ezine subscriber lists currently have 100,000 to
300,000 readers per issue. That’s a lot of potential business!
Furthermore, most ezines are specifically targeted at a certain
audience. If you have a great business opportunity that needs to
be declared to the world, a biz opp ezine is a great place to put
an advertisement. Check out http://www.bizguru.com for top ezines
that reach millions, for less than two hundred dollars.

Most other ezines are also pretty inexpensive. The bigger ones
charge about $35 to $150, but there are smaller ezines that run
ads for much cheaper, too. Granted, smaller ezines only reach
about 2,500 to 5,000, but that still a few thousand people that
you’re reaching, and all for a relatively small price.

Remember that if you choose to advertise in an ezine, you need to
be marketing a product that can be shipped easily anywhere in the
world. If you product are breakable or expensive to ship, to
might want to consider advertising in your local area.

Local Media: With the advancement of the Internet, many
newspaper, radio and television stations realize they are in a
fierce competition. It doesn’t cost as much as you might think to
place ads in these ever present media sources. Not only is it
cost effective, but a great way to get your name out in your
immediate community.

Let’s face it. It’s not exactly easy to add attention grabbing
flair to a radio or television ad on a limited budget. You don’t
have to hire the cast of Friends, however, to get people to
listen to you.

Listen to the ads that are already out there. You know what you
like, and it’s probably the same sort of stuff that’s going to
grab the attention of potential customers, too. Try to use
components of ads that have affected you, and see what you come
up with.

Don’t forget that while bizarre ads can be a little, well,…
bizarre they can also have a lasting effect on people. There’s an
ad out right now that features an array of singing belly buttons.
I was a little freaked out the first time I saw it, but I still
tried on a pair of the jeans advertised the next time I was
shopping for new pants.

Using a little creativity will get your ad noticed far more than
the boring ones, no matter where you place them. Target your
audience and track ad placement, and you will be well on your way
to having an awesome ad campaign.

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Opening Line

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Oftentimes, when the words “public” and “relations” are throwntogether in a sentence, a light bulb goes off in the headshining, “Advertising”. However, using advertising and publicrelations as synonym…

Oftentimes, when the words “public” and “relations” are thrown
together in a sentence, a light bulb goes off in the head
shining, “Advertising”. However, using advertising and public
relations as synonyms is a long shot. So what’s the big
difference?

One of the most crucial differences between public relations and
advertising is that PR is free. That’s right, none of your hard
earned cash is going to be thrown down to promote your business.

For example, if you run an advertisement in your local
newspaper, they charge you for the space you use as well as for
the time frame that the ad is run. But if that same newspaper
decides that your business or product is article worthy, you are
getting great publicity with no out of pocket costs.

While it’s great to get free recognition if someone writes an
article about your product, the downfall is that you have no
content control. In other words, the journalist that takes on the
task is going to have all the say in the length, word choice, and
format of what is being said about you and your business.
Advertising, on the other hand, makes you the boss as long as
you’ve got the cash flow for it.

Along with the benefit of knowing exactly what your ad is going
to say, you also have the option of running the ad campaign over
and over again if you’re getting good results. The media will
most likely only run your story once, unless you give them new
topics, or an interesting new way of looking at the old ones.

That’s not to say that there aren’t great benefits that come with
public relations, too. How many times have you looked at an ad in
a magazine or on a billboard and been beyond skeptical in terms
of the product’s reliability? When you read an article or blurb
about it in a printed media source, though, you are usually more
inclined to think that the product is trustworthy.

Sending off a great press release has a lot of advantages that
you might not have taken into consideration before. Let’s say
that your small business is sponsoring a local charity event. It
would probably sound awfully snobbish of you to run an ad
promoting your own selflessness, but if some other media source
decided to talk you up, that would be okay, right?

One important thing to remember is that no one is going to cover
your story if it’s not interesting to the editor that goes over
it. First you have to grab their attention, and hope that the
editor or journalist will want to give your business some
recognition. You also have to wonder if the audience that sees
the coverage will be captivated enough to remember your name when
looking for products in your specific market. When you pay for an
advertisement, the only audience you have to target is your
prospects.

There are great benefits in both the worlds of advertising and
public relations. Depending on your budget and your needs, you
can figure out a combination that will suit you best

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Ashley opened a posh, little gift shop and decided that the bestway to … was a 15 second spot on one of the … … Her … … that people … by for th

Ashley opened a posh, little gift shop and decided that the best
way to advertise was a 15 second spot on one of the local
television stations. Her commercial emphasized that people should
stop by for the grand opening. When her shop first opened,
it was visited by a steady stream of customers, many who came by
because they had seen the commercial.

After her shop had been open for several weeks, business began to
taper off. Ashley visited several of the larger, chain gift shops
in town and found that business was booming.

Ashley couldn’t figure out what the problem was. She felt that
her products were unique and stylish. She thought customers would
be intrigued by a shopping experience that was more personal than
that in stores like Pier 1 Imports and Pottery Barn.

In her advertising, Ashley emphasized that people should come by
for the grand opening, but she figured the shop would sell itself.
She didn’t understand that people might fail to see the benefits of
shopping in her store if those benefits weren’t pointed out to them.

Here are some advertising techniques small businesses can utilize
to compete with chains:

* Emphasize the uniqueness of the product. People are often
attracted to the idea of getting something unique from a smaller,
independently owned business, but are used to the larger selection
a chain store can offer. Ashley could have featured the originality
of her stock as compared to the universal stock a chain store offers.

* Shoppers often create a comfort zone of buying from stores that
have everything. They know what they are going to find there, and
that means they don’t have to take the time to search. However,
many people shop because they enjoy it. Always knowing what you
are going to find can be boring. Ashley’s store offers mystery.
People won’t receive a catalogue that shows everything they would
see if they went to the store.

* Although Ashley’s store is not at the same economic level as the
larger chain stores, she should make her business as recognizable
as possible.

One way to do that is hire a designer to create a logo that
represents your business. Many companies spend millions of
dollars making their logo familiar to the public. One could also
include a jingle or an original piece of music in commercial spots;
something a viewer can become familiar with.

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For small business professionals, placingadvertisements in newspapers and magazines requires a lot of forethoughtandplanning. There are many parts to placing an effective ad, the least ofwhich is desi…

For small business professionals, placing
advertisements in newspapers and magazines requires a lot of forethought
and
planning. There are many parts to placing an effective ad, the least of
which is designing the ad itself. Consideration must be made to how and
where the advertisement is going to run, as well as the length and
amount of
exposure the advertisement will receive. The following is a basic guide
to
help you develop the most effective fitness and personal training
advertisement.

Developing an effective advertisement begins not by sitting down to
write
copy, but instead begins with research. Find out what periodicals are
available to advertise in, and what periodicals your clients read. Make
a
list of local magazines, newsletters, and newspapers that you would be
interested in. Contact the advertising departments of these periodicals
and
ask to speak to your area accounts representative. Many magazines and
papers
have reps covering specific areas of your county, city, or state. When
speaking to the person, explain to them who you are and what you wish to

accomplish. Most representatives are very helpful in making suggestions
regarding proper placement of ads, and may be able to offer suggestions
that
you had not yet considered.

When speaking to your local rep, you should make sure to obtain the
following information:

1. Rate Card: Have the rep fax or mail you a current rate sheet so that
you
know exactly how much your advertisement will cost.

2. Current Demographics: Each newspaper and magazine tracks the number
and
type of people that read their publications. Many publications also
track
the spending habits and reading habits of their demographic. Make sure
to
obtain a list of the periodical’s demographics, this is the most
valuable
piece of information that a fitness trainer can obtain from an ad rep.

3. Submission Requirements and definition of “Photo Ready:”
Make sure to find out what is required to submit an article. Find out
what
form the ad must be in, and when submission deadlines are scheduled.
Also,
find out what the periodical’s definition of photo-ready is. This
definition varies from paper to paper, and may vary from a concept
sketch to
pre-printed three color film. Make sure that the representative explains
how
the ad must be submitted.

4. Special Promotions: Many times, magazines and newspapers implement
their
own promotion programs or events. As a trainer, these promotions may
provide
you with the added exposure that you need. Be sure to ask if there are
any
upcoming events or additional publications that might address your
needs.

5. Creative Design: The final thing that you should ask the
representative
is whether they offer creative design assistance, and if there is a cost
for
such assistance. Most newspapers offer graphic design services to
advertisers who are placing ads in their papers. Better still, many of
these
services are included in the price of advertising. Ask if the periodical
can
help you with the graphics on your ad and if you will be charged for
this
service. Personal trainers live on a budget, and this is a great way to
save
what would otherwise be spent on graphic artists.

Now that you have the information about your advertising options, it is
time to decide exactly what and how you are going to advertise. Sit down
and
write out EXACTLY WHO YOU ARE SELLING TO. Which fitness clients are you
trying to attract? Define the age, sex, and specific demographic that
you
are trying to attract and train. Be specific, people who want to train
to
lose weight are in a completely different demographic than those who
want to
train to gain lean muscle mass.

After you have written down your specific training demographic, write
down why people in this group would want your services. Write down what
you
believe they want, and what value they will receive by choosing you as
their
personal trainer. Once again, be specific, this will be the foundation
of
your advertisement. Keep in mind that most people will not pick up the
phone
for an advertisement that says “get fit.” However, millions of

people every day invest hundreds of thousands of dollars to “lose
weight.” Make sure that you know the real reason why a client would

chose you as their trainer.

Now that you have chosen who you are marketing to, and what you are
offering, it is a simple matter of choosing which magazine or newspaper
to
advertise in. Match the demographics of the magazines with the
demographic
of the fitness clients that you are trying to reach.

You have chosen where you are going to advertise, and what you are
selling, so now it is time to determine what the ad is going to say and
how
it is going to be laid out. This is where the assistance of magazine
creative designers is invaluable. However, the onus in still upon you to

write the copy. In order to develop effective ad copy, there are a few
basic
facts that you must address to attract fitness clients.

You will usually have less than 0.8 seconds to get a potential client’s
attention. Make sure that the ad uses attention-getting words and
phrases
along with proper colors. Use phrases that attract attention such as
Free,
Special Offer, Limited Time, Sale, Money, and Sex. There is a large
volume
of research available on words that sell effectively. If you are
planning on
placing many advertisements, it may be prudent to research these words
at
the library or on the net.

In addition to attention-grabbing words, proper use of color is
invaluable to create an effective display ad. Red and Yellow stand out
among
all other colors, and are usually attract the most attention. If you are

placing color ads, these colors should be considered.

When writing the copy, word it in such a way that it addresses your
training clients specific need. Refer back to your notes on why the
client
would want to use you as their trainer, and what would they expect out
of
your services. Don’t offer to help people “Get Fit!” when you
can offer to “Lose Ten Pounds Fast!” Most people don’t care
about fitness for fitness’ sake. Most just want to look and feel good.
Address the specific needs of your target client, and word it to address

specific wants, worries or concerns.

Word the advertisement in a way that creates emotion. A client will only

act if you can create enough emotion to motivate them. How many of
people
out there say they want to get fit and lose weight, but have yet to call

you? Unless you create enough emotion to make them act, they will never
respond to your ad. Create negative feelings toward where they are at
right
now, and positive emotion towards what a change in fitness will be like.

Before and after pictures are especially effective in creating emotional

responses. If you are in doubt, watch late night infomercials, or flip
through Flex or Muscle and Fitness magazine. Each ad creates an
effective
emotional response targeted to a specific fitness demographic.

Now that your ad uses wording to create emotion, it is time to encourage

action. You should now make an offer. EVERY ADVERTISEMENT SHOULD HAVE AN

OFFER. Showing before and after pictures may motivate some people, but
you
will have a much better response if you ask the customer to contact you.

Putting your contact information is not enough to get most people to
pick up
the phone. Make sure the advertisement asks your potential personal
training
clients to contact you, and does so in such a way that the customer will
be
motivated to call now as opposed to waiting for three months. Once
again,
EVERY ADVERTISEMENT FOR PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINING SHOULD INCLUDE AN
OFFER.

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Have you picked out your Oscar’s night outfit? I have. You should. Have you thought about what you will say when you accept your award? I have. You should. At least in your mind, that … playgr

Have you picked out your Oscar’s night outfit? I have.
You should. Have you thought about what you will say when
you accept your award? I have. You should. At least in
your mind, that wonderful playground for imagination – the
very place we are going to venture today for great publicity
ideas.

Razzle, dazzle, sparkle, and shine. Isn’t this how we think
all those stars get to the Oscars in the first place? However,
it’s less glitter, and more planning that creates the reality.
First comes the dream, then the work, then usually a host
of disappointments to test the resolve, then a series of
small successes, and then….publicity. It is a fairly predictable
road, but often as business people we forget to plan our
own personal Oscar’s night.

We also miss the key ingredient – publicity. Marketing
is what gets you in front of your target market to make the
sale. Publicity is the spotlight that shines on you and solidifies
you with mass appeal as the popular expert in your field.
You drive marketing to your buyers. Publicity drives the
masses of buyers to you.

When your focus has been marketing it’s a little tricky to
change your paradigm to publicity. However, the important
difference between marketing and publicity is your target
audience. You are no longer pitching to buyers of your product
or service, now your audience is the media. This means editors
and producers. These important people are looking for one
thing, the story. A unique story. Something inspirational,
motivational, newsworthy, or educational. Period. Nothing
else will do.

In order to be successful in the media you have to think
like a publicist and find your unique story. If you don’t
have a story, it’s time to create one. What is unique about
you or your business? Sometimes it’s an attitude. Like the
employer that regularly asked her employees what they didn’t
like about their jobs and then proceeded to shift responsibilities.
It may be an event, like a charitable event that raises
money for starving children but serves beans and rice at
the gala event to demonstrate how it feels to be poor. It
may be your wit, your way of thinking, what you care most
about, or how you integrate your values into your business.
Only, you can find it, but trust me, it’s there.

Begin to explore your own unique angles and media curves
by keeping notes on your thoughts and attitudes. Scribble,
color, or paint it out – it really doesn’t matter as long
as you begin to devote time to exploring your “story”. Not
your ad, not your price, not your product, but your story.

Once you’ve angled into your own unique media offerings,
find the appropriate avenues to make your pitch. Take care
though, the media should always be treated with good will
and respect. Do not, I repeat, do not go for the hard sell.
This is not the time. If you must, save the hard sell for
marketing, or better yet, chuck it all together. Do not
wheedle, whine, or beg the media. Make your pitch, respect
their time, and their decision, then work toward building
long term relationships. In the end, you’ll have the kind
of names in your pocket to begin dropping at parties, and
you will be a star! A star with the mind of a publicist.

See you at the Oscars!

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Famous is as famous does and the famous get known through … Yes, that’s right, fame doesn’t discover you, you create it through … … What’s more, the … for increa

Famous is as famous does and the famous get known through publicity.
Yes, that’s right, fame doesn’t discover you, you create it through
strategic campaigning. What’s more, the techniques for increasing
your exposure isn’t as difficult to attain as you might think. A
great publicity campaign starts with courage, then planning, and lastly,
it succeeds through persistence. If your not sure why you should
seek fame, consider fortune because the two go hand in hand.

Fame will bring your business into the forefront of your target audience
faster than any advertising campaign can hope to do. It solidifies
you as an expert and creates a deep, abiding confidence in the consumer.
It makes you a shining star with infinite possibilities. So what’s
are the steps you ask? Well paste a gold star to your forehead and
let’s get started.

1. Press Releases: Increase awareness through a press release.
Yes, I know, press releases have become quite the popular little
tool around cyberspace with releases being blasted hither and there,
but is it working? Probably not. Blasting your press release will
bring blasted little results. Instead, thoughtfully put together
a very dynamic one page press release and target publications that
would be most interested in you and your business. Don’t drone out
the details, make that press release sing your praises. Then send
it to a real live editor and follow up with a phone call. In other
words, let the press release be the invitation to your follow up phone
call. Begin making connections with the media. Be polite, be excited,
and be patient.

2. Create A Press Kit: A Press kit is basically an exaggerated press
release turned into a package. It’s more complex, tells more about
you and your company, and is all pulled together into a nice neat
folder. Of all the questions I receive, first is, what is a press
kit? Simply, it is a folder of information about you or your business.
It should contain:

A. An Introduction Letter
B. One or Two Press Releases
C. A Fact Sheet (This contains the facts about you or your business.)
D. Bio Sheet (Which is a biography of you and your accomplishments.)
E. Copies of Published Articles
F. Company Literature
G. A Business Card

Send your press kit when an editor, publisher, or producer wants to
know more about you.

3. Newsletters Offline. Don’t forget that a whole world exists offline.
Locate newsletters or smaller print publications offline and submit
articles. This can be a very dynamic way to increase your exposure
as well as add to your press kit. You can locate newsletters in your
subject area by visiting the local university library reference section.
Ask for a directory of trade newsletters and do your research. Once
you have been published, it’s easier to step up to the larger publications.
Fame starts small and then snowballs onto itself.

4. Speak Up! Yep, that’s right. Start giving speeches on your area
of expertise. Start locally at civic clubs and local educational
programs. Then find the local talk radio shows and make your case
to the producer. It’s surprising how many talk radio shows are actively
looking for new speakers. Once you have achieved Talk Radio, the
opportunities will start coming to you.

5. Publicity Pitches: Put together several dynamic article ideas.
Just the ideas, not the actual article. This is called a Publicity
Pitch. Take those ideas and then pitch them to editors of targeted
publications. This can work very well as it saves Editors time and
puts the outline right into their hands. As a past Editor I know
how well this works. Editor’s love ideas, especially ideas that are
completely outlined and correct for their readership. This means
don’t send pet article ideas to cooking magazines. Send pet articles
ideas to pet publications. Seems like a no brainer, huh? But you’d
be amazed at what editors see that don’t apply to their own publication.

Fame comes from planning and persistence. It has it’s rejections,
but if you can learn not to take it personally, it will eventually
work. Remember, once you start, keep going. Once you stop, you have
to start all over.

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Banner advertising is one of the most widely used marketingmedium on the Internet. Though banner click-throughs havedecreased to less than 1.0% in the past year, it is stillpossible to achieve reasonably good click-through of 3.0% andabove.

Below are 10 effective steps that I have successfully used tohelp my clients boost click-throughs on their banner campaigns.

1. Employ Action Words

Use action words like “FREE” and “Click Here” in your banners.

Offering something “FREE” in your message attracts the reader toclick on your banner. Banners with “Click Here” teasers andsimilar action phrases also increase click-through.

2. Use Short and Punchy Headlines

A short and punchy banner headline makes a difference. Alwaysload your headline with benefit statements – offer solutions tothe challenges that your customers face. If you sell dietproducts, try “Lose 10 pounds in four weeks!”. Work on a winningcombination of text and graphics in your banner ad.

3. Animated Banners vs. Static Banners

Animated banners usually outperform their static counterparts bymore than 100%. Surfers are more likely to notice banners thatare animated. Example: If you have the words “Click Here”flashing in your banner, it will perform better than a staticversion.

4. Adopt Better Designs

Many of us are not graphic artists. We can create simple bannersbut it is hard to match the work of a professional graphicartist. You should engage a professional banner ad designer tocreate your banners. Expect to invest $80 per banner.

The standard sizes for banner ads are 400×40 pixels or 468x60pixels. I recommend that you design a 468×60 banner. With theclutter of graphics on most webpages, a larger banner has ahigher chance of getting noticed.

5. Try Trick Banners

These banners resemble Windows dialog boxes, scroll bars, submitbuttons or blue-colored underlined hyperlinks. They attract youto click on the dialog boxes and scroll bars – which you arealready accustomed to doing with the Windows operating system. Ifyou use trick banners with short and punchy headlines, you canget click-throughs above 10.0%!

6. Reduce Your Banner File Sizes

Reduce your banner file size to less than 15k. The last thing asurfer wants is a slow-loading webpage. Most websites and bannerexchanges do not allow excessively large banners.

Create a fast-loading banner right from the start. Optimize yourbanner file size through your graphic software or an onlinegraphic optimizer.

7. Rotate Your Banners Regularly

Always have 2 or more banners to promote each product. A bannerusually burns out after a surfer has seen it 3 times. They willignore (if not hate) banners which they see repeatedly. If yourclick-through is steadily declining, then it is time to rotateyour banners.

8. Target Your Banners

Place your banners on websites visited by your potentialcustomers. If you promote gourmet coffees, place your banners onsites targeted at gourmet coffee drinkers. The quality of leadsgenerated are higher, and more likely to result in sales.

Running your banners on targeted sites generally yield higherclick-throughs and return-on-investment (ROI). You are reachingpeople who are most interested in what you have to offer. Ofcourse, you can try websites with general audience if theygenerate substantial ROI.

9. Monitor Your Banners’ Performance

Make it a point to check on your banners’ performance every fewdays. Monitor the click-through rate. The click-through tells youhow well your banner performs. Most banners fetch a click-throughof between 0.8% to 2.0%. If your banner gets more than 2.0%, itis doing a pretty good job.

By monitoring your banners’ performance, you can kill under-performing banners before they waste away your advertisingdollars.

10. Do Your Mathematics

Do your mathematics for each banner advertising campaign.Calculate the cost-per-visitor, cost-per-sale and return-on-investment ratios.

For example: If a website charges you $20 per thousandimpressions ($20/CPM), and you get a 2.0% click-through (20visitors), your cost-per-visitor is $1.00 ($20 / 20 visitors).

And if 1 in every 10 visitors buys your product, your cost-per-sale is $10.00 ($20 / 2 sales).

So if each sale of your product produces a gross profit of $15,then your net profit per-sale will be $5.00 ($15 gross profit -$10 cost-per-sale).

Your return-on-investment (ROI), before non-marketing expenses,is 50.0% ($10.00 total net profits / $20 investment). Thiscampaign is profitable!

Try advertising on different sites or using different banners.Find the winning combination(s) that can yield the highest ROI.Comparing Deal A which yields an ROI of 20% to Deal B that yields60%, your advertising dollars work three times harder (andprofitable) with Deal B!

Article Tags:
Banners Performance

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Millions of people … on the Internet try tograb the … of all the rest daily. How does … a … if you will, figure out how towrite an ad that pulls in … First, d

Millions of people marketing on the Internet try to
grab the attention of all the rest daily. How does a
beginner, a “newbie”, if you will, figure out how to
write an ad that pulls in responses?

First, do we even want to write our own ads, what with
the so-called tested ones that come with our affiliate
programs? The answer to that is, “Yes!” Your
individual ad writing ability can mean your ads get
noticed and leave the prewritten ones behind.

Here are 10 steps to writing ad copy that will work
for you and increase your profits immeasurably.

1. Narrow your market to a specific group of
prospective clients. Find your niche market.
2. Analyze your website. Does it appeal to your niche
market? If it does, tailor your ads to relate directly
to your website.
3. Appeal to the impulse in the viewers of your ad.
Call your readers to action * now*. Cause your readers to
click a link to your sales letter. Emphasize the benefits of
reading that letter. Offer something free in the ad itself,
“just for looking”. Perhaps a free copy of your newsletter
or a free Ebook you’ve added to your site would do the
trick.
4. Use outside resources to create your ad.
Draw from sources like junk email and free classified
ads. Analyze the work of others. Notice ideas that
grab you and call you to action now.
5. Design “killer” headings. What types of headings
get more attention? Headings with all capital letters?
Headings that take up the entire heading field of the ad?
Use caps sparingly for emphasis, and don’t pile on words
just for length.
6. Avoid hype. Don’t over sell your product or service,
discouraging your prospects even before they get to your site.
Relay your excitement about your product through your own
experiences, not unbelievable exaggerations.
7. Proofread. It’s crucial to your success in ad writing,
and online generally. Check your spelling, grammar, and
punctuation. Be rigidly careful. Test links to make sure they
work *and * actually lead to the places you intend them to
go.
8. Test your ad for efficiency. You can’t over-test. Use
your ad in many media, including the newspaper classifieds.
Track where your ad pulls from by using free or paid tracking
services that are out there. Look to your affiliate program for
good tips and instructions on ad tracking.
9. Keep a winning ad working for you. Keep submitting
it to new places. A few sales will never wear out a good ad.
10. Submit only to places where your target market will
be looking. This will save you time, money, and unwanted
attention from would be spammers.

Now promise yourself this: You’re going to get your
ads noticed by writing them yourself and taking these
steps to advertising success.

Article Tags:
Advertising Success

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

Article Tags:
Advertising Success

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Want to get your company news into the media? It’ll never happen unless you start by … what editors and … want. To find out what works, I spoke to editors and … at top medi

Want to get your company news into the media? It’ll never happen unless you start by understanding what editors and reporters want. To find out what works, I spoke to editors and reporters at top media organizations across the country.

The editors quoted here work at the top 100 papers and some of the highest visibility media in the United States. Their answers prove that there is no magic formula: getting press coverage for a company is not an easy feat.

Just The Facts M’am
One overwhelming rule emerged. Be brief when you pitch a story. Stick to the facts, get them into who, what, where, when and “why should I care” format. “If it’s more than ½ a page it won’t even get skimmed,” says Charlie Crumpley, Business Editor of The Daily Oklahoman, Oklahoma City, OK. “I don’t mind going to a web site for the full information, if I’m interested.”

“Just the bare bones,” said Jerry Underwood, Business Editor of The Birmingham Times, Birmingham, AL. “And I prefer to be contacted before a general press release goes out to everyone.” Jennifer Couzin, reporter for The Industry Standard says to keep initial information to “two or three paragraphs in a quick email.”

Says Leslie Eaton, Economics Reporter, The New York Times, “Send a quick email first. If it involves a serious study I want to see the whole thing.”

TIP: Keep your initial contact or release to 200 words or less. Make sure you cover who, what, when, where and why and give at least two names as contacts. If an editor wants to do the story, they will ask for more information.

Be Reachable!
Don’t use superlatives. The more you use the least likely you are to be trusted. Journalists are trained to check when you say your mother’s name is Susan Jones. If you say you are the first or the only, you’d better have a patent or some other proof to back up your claim.

One often-cited annoyance was that contact people were not available to reporters and editors on deadline. “At least give me one alternative person to contact,” says Danny Sandy, Business reporter for The Fresno Bee, Fresno, CA. “Many times we get a release with a name and number and then find out that person is out of town for the week and can’t be reached.”

Don’t Send Email Attachments
If you send your pitch or release by email, make it plain text with no attachments. David Joachim, Senior Managing Editor at Internet Week says “We have a policy against opening attachments. I would never risk it.” As Crumpley notes, “Email can be lethal.” A virus could put a writer out of commission.

An editor may be on the road, accessing email long-distance on a laptop with limited batteries. Most journalists simple delete attachments under those circumstances. One email rule agreed upon by every editor: never send a group email that shows your entire press list.

TIP: Send email or a fax containing only the bare bones of your story. Put your release, background, executive bios, White Papers and other documentation on a unique URL on the company web site. If you are asked to send more information, tell the editor the size of your file before you send it.

Should you send tsotchkes? Yes and No.
Will sending tsotchkes (novelties) to editors help you get their attention? Yes and no. “It’s a nuisance. I throw most of them away,” says David Zeilenziger, who covers People In Business at Bloomberg Business. “But just yesterday I received a huge package from a consumer-related site and inside was just a candy bar. I did go to the site and I called the company. And they haven’t returned my call.”

“They don’t help at all. I’ve got them scattered all over the office,” says Joachim. “If it’s food, I leave it on the table outside. Others I either share, give away or throw out.”

“If they’re clever they get my attention, but they don’t necessarily get ink,” says Crumpley. “A larger gift has the taint of a bribe. So then we have to do something with it. We’ll donate it to the orphan’s fund or something and then we have to write a letter to whoever sent it and say this is what we did. Who has time for all that?”

Dave Elbert, Business Editor of The Des Moines Register, Des Moines, IA, concurs, “We have an ethics code that prohibits accepting freebies and that means I have to find some way to dispose of them.”

TIP: If your tsotchke is clever and small, you might not get a story, but you might get name recognition. Branding. Might hurt, could help.

Should you leave the price of your product or another important detail out of your release? Yes and no. “I can see the rationale,” says Crumpley, “but it’s a tricky call. If you know the editor or reporter might be interested, it might be good strategy. If it’s kind of a weak story, you might be shooting yourself in the foot.”

Clearly, positioning a company to receive the press coverage so valuable in establishing a brand, attracting investors and selling products is not a simple matter.

Probably the most important rule to remember is that journalists need to know what’s new, what’s hot and what’s affecting a lot of people. Keep their needs in mind and you may very well end up with media coverage.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR