Interesting And Innovating Ideas For Mobile Marketing Campaigns

Mobile marketing is one of the latest and greatest methods of advertising for business of many kinds. If it is done correctly, it can really increase the traffic to a website or number of customers to a store. Use the following tips to help you incorporate mobile marketing into your marketing plan.

You can offer special phone-only promotions to encourage your customers to participate in your mobile marketing plan. One way to do so is to use QR codes. These are codes that can be easily scanned via camera phone; you can link QR codes to special offers or discount coupons. Customers will welcome your messages and they will be keen to participate in such promotions.

Add a sense of urgency or value to your mobile marketing campaign efforts. In most cases, customers following a mobile link or advertisement expect to receive information quickly and in short, segments. Rather than trying to put a large amount of content or information through a mobile channel, focus on short bursts designed to provide customers with enough information to pique their interest.

Make your messages viral. Text messages can be very quickly and easily forwarded to other people. Yous should sometimes ask your subscribers to invite their friends if they enjoy your service. Make sure to include opt-in instructions. You may be amazed at how quickly that can make your database grow.

Consider leveraging geo-location if your business supports this type of mobile marketing. If you have a physical business space, using geo-location to push location specific marketing to nearby customers can be a great way to draw in unplanned business. If a potential customer is nearby and receives targeted marketing messages based on their current location and nearby sales or promotions, they are more likely to drop in.

Offer check in bargains and discounts at your brick and mortar store. This encourages individuals to “check in” while visiting your location, and increases your exposure to their friends and family. Some businesses have seen a significant increase in traffic just by taking this step. An app like Foursquare can help with this.

Never copy someone else’s mobile strategy. Just because they may be doing well does not mean it is the right method for you. Customers like innovation, and if you are sending out similar messages or styles as your competitor, they may not be interested in making a change to you.

Make a social marketing policy. Every business should have policies to help dictate proper behavior, and mobile marketing is no different. You should make sure that every member of your company is aware of and understands that policy, and take steps to ensure that it will be followed in any event.

Take the tips that you have learned through this article and apply them to your marketing plan. Your business is sure to benefit from the time and the energy that you put into your mobile marketing campaign. Keep with your plan and you are sure to see the results you seek.

Cross Promoting Techniques That Work

Cross promotions are not a new idea. They have been used by businesses for a very long time. For example, a real-estate company may promote a certain lawyer to close a sale, as the lawyer will promote that agency in his firm. The system is somewhat similar to the primitive barter system, where people traded items rather than using money. How can anything primitive fit into the online world of Internet marketing? Very easily. Cross promotions are, simply stated, a trade of advertising space. Instead of paying for advertising space on a site, you would place their ad on your page and yours on theirs. There are many ways to use cross promotions in your internet business that can be an effective and cost efficient way to advertise.
One way is to use link exchanges. This is very effective when doing cross promotions with a company that is similar to yours, however you should be sure and never link to a page that is in direct competition with yours. One of the best things about link exchanges is that some search engines are factoring in hits from the sites that are linked to your page to when determining the ranking. Therefore linking to a more popular site, can not only increase your advertising, and traffic, but also increase your search engine ranking.
When customers or potential customers subscribe to your ezine you can use this as an opportunity to use cross promotions. On the same page that the customer subscribes to your ezine, make available the opportunity to subscribe to another company’s ezine. You can even exchange ad space in ezines, and provide recommendations for those whom you cross promote with. You might even want to exchange column space in one another’s ezines.
Writing free articles that inform customers or potential customers with information that is useful and accurate can create a reputation for you and your business. Soon readers will come to know you as an expert on the subject. In these articles the author uses a byline to help promote his site. Bylines can be a way to use cross promotions as well. You can use part of the space in your byline to recommend another’s product.
If you have been considering writing an ebook, a joint venture could mean increased profits for you and the person you are partnering with. Cross promotions through ebooks are an excellent way to allow for a wider topic and to promote both your business and your partner’s business. The ebook should contain information that will benefit both businesses and still be helpful to the reader. A good example of using cross promotions through an ebook is to a site selling used video games partnering with a site selling gaming devices. These are two subjects that would interest the same reader and most likely lead the reader to both sites.
You should keep in mind that the recommendations that you make are a direct reflection of you, so choose your cross promotional businesses carefully. Also keep in mind that it would be nice as a shopper to be able to link from one site to another as a way to “shop around.“ Since this is usually not beneficial to you, never link or recommend a site that is in direct competition with you. Instead, recommend those who are similar, such as health and life insurance.

Promotional Products Industry History And Overview

Promotional products have been around for nearly 200 years. The Promotional Products Association International (PPAI), a trade association for promotional item distributors, points out that the promotional market came about when George Washington created buttons for his campaign. Although the promotions market has changed and expanded greatly since then, the original concept behind the message remains the same, get your message seen.

Promotional items are increasingly becoming a regular part of companies’ budgets. People are realizing that potential business growth can be directly related to the use of promotional products and creative advertising. Sometimes this means having to spend a little bit more on promotional products while creatively thinking outside the box for new ways to express your message.

The promotional products industry is currently one of the fasting growing industries in the nation with total sales exceeding $16 billion in 2003.

PPAI provided the following breakdown of promotional product sales by category and item:
2003 Category Sales

* Corporate Gifts 17.9%
* Employee Relations & Events 10.1%
* Tradeshows 9.1%
* Brand Awareness 9.0%
* Employee Service Awards 7.5%
* Dealer/Distributor Programs 7.5%
* Public Relations 7.5%
* New Customer/Account Generation 6.6%
* Internal Promotions 6.0%
* New Product/Service Introduction 5.3%
* Safety Education/Incentives 3.8%
* Not-for-Profit Programs 3.8%
* Customer Referral 3.7%
* Marketing Research 1.3%
* Other 0.9%

2003 Promotional Items Sales

* Wearables 29.5%
* Writing Instruments 10.5%
* Desk 7.7%
* Calendars 6.9%
* Glassware 5.5%
* Bags 5.4%
* Recognition 5.0%
* Sporting Goods 4.2%
* Buttons 3.5%
* Automotive 2.9%
* Computer 2.8%
* Textiles 2.6%
* Games 2.5%
* Other 2.4%
* Electronic 2.1%
* Food 2.0%
* Personal 1.7%

BENEFITS OF BUSINESS PROMOTION

Connie O’Lane, a senior writer for Imprint, gives the following as beneficial reasons for using promotional items:

– They’re affordable and don’t have to be supported by more advertising
– Promotional items generate repeated impressions without repeated costs
– Logos can now be affordably rendered with four-color processing
– Promotional items constantly reinvent themselves; there are more than 250,000 promotional products currently available.
– Promotional items help to drive traffic to a website or somewhere with more information
– Promotional items are durable and they aren’t discarded like print advertising
– Business promotions appeal to customers as a way to get something for nothing, eventually generating business back to the company
– Promotional products are the only form of advertising that people don’t mind being subjected to
– Records show that 40 percent of people can remember the names of the advertiser as long as six months after receiving a promotional item and 31 percent still use the promotional item one year later.

The most obvious reasons for using promotional products include reinforcing your brand identity and establishing your name and logo in the eye of the consumer. Advertising professionals give the following as other potential reasons one might decide to use promotional products as an advertising medium:

Promote goodwill
Advertise goods and services
Build customer loyalty
Build/Increase store and trade show traffic
Celebrate an anniversary or grand opening
As a thank you to your employees and customers
Provide incentives for quality work or safety programs
Get your company’s name, phone number, or URL out and in front of current and potential customers

Promotional products are a unique alternative to your regular advertising. Whether it be your logo or url address, these marketing products can help brand your company and keep it top-of-mind.

Simple Business Marketing For Start Up Business

Starting up a business is never easy; it can be stressful and at often times energy draining. Things are uncertain and the risks may be too much to handle. For some people, making that jump from employee to boss seems so elusive. Different business owners have their own strategies and defining activities that would make there business marketing unique among others. But for those who made the hasty jump to the entrepreneurial world, two things should be kept in your mind, plan ahead and define your plans well.

A definite thing for those starting a business would be there market. To come up with the decision to start up a business would mean that you have convinced yourself and a handful of people that you have a profitable market. For you to define the different market segments would be the first step amongst the millions you take towards attaining success.

Being able to define the market segment is the key guide in business marketing. This enables business owners see on which aspects he should be focusing his advertising and promotions more. Like for instance, if you are a store selling wigs, it would be a bad idea to hand out brochures and leaflets to high school and teenagers which are less likely to use your products.

There are different kinds of low cost business marketing activities that you could undertake and it could only cost you a couple of dollars.

Business Alliances

Making that jump into the unknown world of entrepreneurship would be stressful for most and it would be a good idea to have a mentor who can guide you every step of the way. It would be best to build alliances with businesses who could be co-beneficiaries of your business. With this strategy you can attain leverage by having your product compliment other businesses products.

Another form of business alliance activity is by leaving information about your product at counters of high traffic areas. Have some brochures or leaflets printed or perhaps a poster that contains the information about your product and your contact details. A good example for this are car service or rental brochures left at hotel lobbies. This way if a guest would decide that he or she would want to drive they can have options.

Advertising

For start up business owners, do not be afraid of the cost of advertising. You may be overwhelmed by the cost of media advertising especially if it is done by professional advertising agencies. Advertising is essential and the core principle of business marketing. The main premise of advertising is getting your product known across your target market. There are traditional and non traditional advertising practices that would only cost a couple of hundred dollars and can have thousands of impact.

Focusing your advertising on your defined market segment would save you thousands of dollars. This is why it is important to define your market to have a marketing plan based on these data. Having extensive media coverage on a local event would be a waste of money since the reach of your media is further than your market circle.

Business marketing is not a perfect science. It would still depend on the hard work and determination of the business owner that would tip the scale between success and failure. Having a strategy would only mean a defined technique on how success could be achieved at a lesser cost.

Avoid Direct Mail Suicide with Postcard Magnet Mailers

Keep your direct mail from going directly to the trash can by sending a postcard magnet mailer. Stand out from the competition, get long term quality exposure and increase sales with one powerful, affordable product.
On their 10 year anniversary American Printing & Promotions, Inc. launched www.postcardmagnet.com to make business owners aware of postcard magnet mailers: a powerful direct mail alternative that accomplishes what traditional direct mail cannot.
Experts say, “The most difficult task of any mailing is to stay out of the trash can long enough to deliver a message.”
Everyday, enormous amounts of direct mail take a short and un-eventful journey directly from the mailbox to the trashcan, representing tens of thousands of advertising dollars literally wasted. www.postcardmagnet.com offers business owners a mailer that consumers will keep and use rather than discard and ignore.
“It’s our mission to provide business owners with a product that will keep their message in front of their clients longer resulting in more impressions and a greater response rate,” says Ryan Christensen, owner and CEO of American Printing & Promotions. “A postcard magnet mailer is the perfect way to keep your marketing dollars out of the garbage and continually promoting your business.”
“Effective marketing includes differentiating yourself from your competitors”, continues Christensen. “That includes not only your products and service, but your direct mail as well”.
A report found in a direct marketing annual statistical fact book reports that “a postcard with a magnet attached is read at least 51.9% more often” than traditional postcards or envelope mailers.”
“Cost per exposure,” says Christensen, “is what makes this product the most effective and affordable direct mail choice. Postcards get ignored, thrown away or lost. A magnet goes directly to the fridge; and it’s going to stay there for years. You can’t get that kind of exposure with anything else.”
A well known and accepted law of marketing is that a consumer must be exposed to a product or service multiple times before the decision to purchase takes place. Some businesses, in an effort to create repeat exposure, send out a series of postcards. Production costs and postage has to be paid for with each mailing.
The same positive effect of repeated exposure can be achieved by sending out a magnet postcard once. The magnet will continue advertising a message or service long after traditional mailers have been thrown away and forgotten.
Postcard magnet mailers also pave the way for personal follow up. Contacts will remember receiving the magnet mailer because of its attractive and unique design.
“When advertising with postcards you don’t have that power” says Christensen, “People remember things that are unique. They will remember the company’s message and service because they will see their magnet every single day. Sending out regular postcards or envelope mailers doesn’t give you a competitive advantage: It just makes your company easy to forget.”
“Remember”, he concludes, “anything but a magnet will just get thrown away.”
A free sample, order and production details and additional information can be obtained by visiting www.postcardmagnet.com.
Contact:
Ryan Christensen
American Printing & Promotions, Inc.
1-801-636-5375
Toll Free: 1-800-660-8668
www.postcardmagnet.com
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10 ways women restaurant owners and managers are using unconventional restaurant marketing and advertising to skyrocket profits

Many women restaurant owners and managers have learned how to drive a starving crowd to their restaurants on a shoe string budget.

On the other hand, many men restaurant owners and managers seem more likely to stick with the status quo and many keep using conventional marketing techniques even while they continue to lose money.

The problem with conventional restaurant marketing techniques is that they are getting more and more expensive while they are proving to be less and less effective.

Maybe a psychologists can explain why women are taking the lead of using unconventional restaurant techniques in the restaurant business. This seems odd because we know that men are usually more willing to take risks.

Never-the less, women seem to be the more aggressive gender when it comes to restaurant marketing.

Here are some of the many unconventional marketing techniques women are now using:

1. Women are using far less radio, TV and print advertising.

2. They are doing a much better job of capturing customer data such as names, addresses, birthdays, anniversaries and most important email addresses.

3. Women are doing a lot of direct mail promotions and they are doing even more email promotions to their customer data base.

4. They are taking advantage of the power of press releases. Maybe they are more successful in this area because a great press release must strike an emotional button in the reader and we all know that women excel when it comes to tuning into emotions.

5. Women know what their “Unique Selling Proposition” or “USP” is and they can clearly explain it in one to three sentences. They don’t try to be all things to all people when it comes to marketing their restaurant.

6. They know the demographic of their customers. They do a better job of learning what it is that their customers like and dislike.

7. Women do a much better job of negotiating and with these skills, they are able to buy advertising for 10% to 50% on the dollar. After all, every dollar saved on advertising and marketing (as long as the advertising brings in the same amount of business) goes straight to the bottom line as profit.

8. They seem to write headlines that bring in two to 10 times more business for the same ad. They probably do this because they are able to do a better job of putting powerful emotion into their headlines.

9. Women are using the power of the Internet to bring in customers and save up to 90% of the typical cost of bringing in a new or repeat customer.

10. Finally, women do a better job of tracking marketing campaigns than men do. This fact alone provides them with the proof they need to drop conventional marketing techniques that are not working and expand the use of unconventional restaurant techniques that are working.

This information is from Jerry Minchey, editor of Marketing Your Restaurant.

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Internet Marketing: Bring Those Profits Home!

Bringing profits of your business home – internet marketing work is one of the terms used – is not as difficult as you might think. While advertising used to be the kind of skill best left to the professionals and big advertising agencies, with the advent of the internet and the ease with which almost everyone can now access the global marketplace, for those who call business their home, internet marketing work is a quite lucrative sideline. Others have this type of business as their only business.

The proper term is affiliate. While these affiliates do not actually sell a product or organize sales rallies and presentations, they do work hard to make someone elses business successful; home internet marketing work is quite possibly the least expensive way of cashing in on the internet by any affiliate. Generally speaking, affiliates will own websites, run portals, or have editor access to large sites where they are allowed to run promotions and put ads. Some may be people who have hobbies and are running a site that deals with their hobby, These people are willing to sell products that pertain to this hobby. There are also bloggers who are open to selling a wide variety of products via affiliate links.

Many affiliate programs hosted by big companies take into consideration that to bring profits from business home, internet marketing work must be given to as many affiliates as are willing to participate! Consider for example
the power a portal holds. This kind of site is loved by the search engines since it fits the profile with respect to the search terms. At the same time, it is a wonderful way to advertise opportunities for companies willing to spend the money. Thus, if you are a business in need of advertising help, or a webmaster looking for a way to bring profits of a lucrative side business home, internet marketing work is something for you to consider.

A Fold that’s worth a Thousand Gain

How much are you charged for an online ad? How much will you be paying for an advertisement space in a magazine or newspaper? Advertising and marketing can be a very extravagant business. Every second, space and word is paid accordingly.

If you have invested a large sum in your ads and promotions, how sure are you that you will get it back more than you expect it to be? How will you profit from it?

Some businessmen are having qualm about spending high on ads and promotions. This is because they are not sure that they will profit from it. Some perceive it as just throwing away of money. This may not be a serious bother to multinationals or big corporations and business. Nonetheless, to the point of starting entrepreneurs, spending high may mean ‘make or break’ endeavor or worst may result to future bankruptcy.

When talking about your business, everything matters – even the minutest details. One detail that must not be overlooked is effective communication. Therefore, promotions and advertisements are indispensable.

If you are this point worrying about expenses, worry no more. There are affordable alternatives in connection with marketing your business. Tiny pieces of paper can do you a great favor. Brochures for one are effective marketing materials.

Brochure may come in a fold or several of them. These folds can give you the edge in the marketing world. In fact, they may return as several folds of bucks. Imagine, you are hitting two birds at the same time. Brochures printing are affordable plus the aftermath of its distribution can be financially rewarding to business enthusiasts.

Brochures printing can be had in an easy and practicable manner. In fact, you can transact online. Brochures printing companies are rampant. All you have to do is select the best – the printer with outstanding reputation and credibility can do your printing job superbly.

Your friend’s personal recommendation is a good recommendation. You can also rely on reviews and goodwill. Just be sure that your printer will bring life to your folds of communication.

The Power of Local Email Marketing

As a local business owner you realize the opportunities available on the Web, but you probably do not have the time or money to invest into a full blown web presence. The obstacles and costs in building a web site keep many local businesses on the sideline.

But as a local business there is an opportunity to exploit the marketing power of the Internet at little or no cost, and it does not require a web presence.

Through email marketing you can have a direct conduit to both your customers and prospects. You may think email marketing is complicated, but that is a misconception. If you are already using email to correspond, then you are quite capable of advertising through virtual mail. In fact, if you are communicating to your customers through email, in a sense you are already marketing online. You are probably aware that a small amount of customer communication can be very profitable, and email can generate considerable income.

All you need to do is start collecting customer emails, and send them occasional promotions or sale updates. The email advertisements do not need to be coded in html, plain text messages are quite acceptable.

So how do you start down the road to Internet marketing success? You begin by simply collecting customer email addresses, with their permission. Permission email marketing is a requirement. It is referred to as opt-in marketing. At all stages of email marketing you MUST respect your customers and their privacy. Only when they have accepted your request to send information, should you forward email promotions.

How do You Collect Customer Emails?

You simply ask! As a local business owner you are constantly in touch with customers and prospects, either in person or on the phone. As a retail business you could have a clipboard by your register or pre-printed index cards that your customers can fill-out. As a service business you just ask for their email address when you make contact.

What’s in it for Your Customers?

The opportunity to save money or be notified of special offers. People are always looking for a bargain, and through email you can keep them informed on the latest deals, in addition you can alert them to new services or products. This is very appealing. And customers will perceive this as a value added service, that makes doing business with you more appealing.

How Difficult is Email Marketing?

It is quite simple. If you email friends or family, you are quite capable of marketing through email. Initially your list will be small so you can manage it through the use of your current email client like MicroSoft Outlook. You place your customer emails in a “group,” compose a message, and hit the send button. Not exactly rocket science. (Note: Make sure you use the “blind box” feature.)

But from the start, you may want to consider using a professional email management service like ConstantContact.com. They have a service that is free for lists that are under 50. Their next level handles up to 500, and cost only $15 per month. A service like Constant Contact simplifies the management of your list. These types of services offer features like tracking, reporting, templates and customer support. In addition, they automate the process of people opting out of your list. An important factor with permission email marketing.

What Results Can You Expect?

Think about the potential profit from simply keeping your customers informed. This is not invasive advertising, but permission marketing, where your customers have willingly given their consent to receive your advertisements. It is like they are saying, “Please allow me to spend more money with your business.”

If you already have a web site then you will also want to add an opt-in box. Give your site visitors an opportunity to join your promotional list. Many will.

From a marketing perspective it doesn’t get anymore targeted then this. And your advertising costs are insignificant. A perfect example is a local wine store owner who works her list twice a week with special promotions. She makes a killing, and often sells out her promotional inventory through email alone.

As a local business owner there are opportunities and there are golden opportunities. This one is solid 24 karat. It’s simple, direct and very profitable. And yet few local businesses are taking advantage of email marketing. Why not lead the pack.

Your Advertising Business Internet Marketing Plan Is The Answer To Sucess

One of the built-in benefits of running a business that involves helping other businesses promotional effort is the built-in testimonial of an advertising business internet marketing plan. When you take part in a business where advertising is a key service you provide, then the ability for your customers to find you and be swayed to employ you is a testament that you understand internet marketing and advertising. If this is the kind of business you’re looking to go into because you want to consult or handle promotions for other businesses, then don’t miss the opportunity to point out to potential customers that you grow your own business with the very techniques you want to provide for them.

While it’s inherent that an advertising business internet marketing plan must be successful if they do find clients, you must also bring this to the potential client’s attention. Of course you’ll want to have concrete results from other companies that you’ve helped promote products and services. But don’t neglect to use your own promotional techniques and results as tools to market your own business. While your knowledge of advertising business internet marketing techniques maybe be clear since you’re earning their business, it might consciously occur to them so be sure and point it out.

Advertising business internet marketing has the benefit that many other online businesses don’t have–built-in testimonial information from within their very own business! Take screen shots of your search engine rankings on various searches and use those. Describe your own company’s efforts towards promotion and the results. Reiterate the ways in which customers find you—when you mention the manner in which that particular client found your advertising business internet marketing campaign, they’ll be impressed—and stress that you can do for them what you’ve done for your own company.

An advertising business internet marketing strategy of this sort is especially key for a new business with no other clients to give testimonials and no other sites on which to show real results. In a case like this, it’s not going to be easy to convince a potential client to sign on, since there’s no real evidence that you can do what you claim as far as their promotional efforts go. But if you show your marketing efforts and the good results, you do have evidence for them to see.

While it might not be as compelling evidence as another site with concrete results, it will still show potential clients that you do know how to market a business online, and you do know how to implement a promotional plan. For someone starting out in an advertising business that focuses on internet marketing, in order to get some evidence beyond your own website, create one or two websites based on varied interests. They don’t have to be businesses, just general information. Use all your promotional skills in tweaking the site and the methods of marketing you use for it. Then your advertising business internet marketing skills will have more good results to show potential clients.