Why Some People Do Not Have a Clue About Advertising!

Some people are completely oblivious to reality. They do not have a clue.
There is a story about two little old ladies driving down the street. You know the kind. You can barely see their heads above the steering wheel.

The lady in the passenger seat happens to look up just as they are passing through an intersection and saw that the light was red.

She waited until they came to another intersection and again, the car went through a red light.
She turned to the driver and said, "Mable, you need to drive more carefully or you are going to get us killed. You just went through two red lights."

Mable turns with a surprised look on her face and says, "Am I driving?"

Sometimes it seems as if internet marketers are following the same course. They blindly drive down the road without a clue where they are going or where they have been.

It has been said, "The definition of insanity is continuing to do the same things, but expecting different results."

Are you still following the same path that leads to nowhere? Have you arrived, yet? Maybe it is time to try something new.

Here are some Internet marketing ideas that have brought great success to many others.
Pay Per Click.

When you think of pay per click advertising, the first thing that usually comes to mind is Google Adwords, but there are many other pay per click search engines that cost considerably less.
You may not get as much traffic as you would with Google, but with an effective ad copy and the lower costs per click, you can still make a great amount of money in a short amount of time.
Another great source of advertising is ezines. Many ezines have a circulation into the hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Rates can vary from free for a small classified ad to hundreds of dollars for a solo ad.

With ezine advertising, you can target your ads to thousands of readers who have already shown an interest in the type of product or service that you are promoting.

You can type "ezine advertising" into a search engine to find thousands of ezines.

One advertising method that is often overlooked is paid website advertising.

There are many highly ranked websites that get millions of hits per month that accept your paid advertising. Like ezines, rates can vary, but if you type "work at home" into a search engine, you can scan which ones accept advertising and how much it costs.

If the sites are on the first page of the search results, you can be fairly certain that they get a large amount of traffic. Whichever method you choose, be sure to track your results. You will want to know which ones are working and which ones are not.

These are just a few methods that you can try. If one does not work, try another.

But whatever you do, do not remain on the road to nowhere because before you know it that is exactly where you will end up.

Is Your Advertising Working Hard Enough for You?

As a small business owner, every dollar you spend is a dollar that comes right out of your pocket and affects your profit margin, especially when you're trying to grow your business. If you're going to succeed, you have to pay close attention to your bottom line and look for creative, innovative ways to cut costs while still getting what you need.

That old saying that it "takes money to make money" has never been truer than when it comes to promoting your business.

So when it comes to spending money on advertising, how do you make sure that your advertising is working hard enough, without spending a fortune?

Thanks to the Internet, you've got lots of options for finding cost-effective advertising that does what it's supposed to -- bring targeted customers who are hungry for what you're selling, right to your door. But don't forget about cost-effective offline methods as well.

Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

Focus your advertising dollars on your target market. The tighter your niche, the better your chances of finding the customers who are looking for exactly what you've got to sell! So rather than going wide, and trying to sell to everyone, narrow your focus, and then, if possible, narrow it some more! Figure out who your "ideal" customer is, and then create an advertising campaign for them. Once you know who you're selling to, look for media that targets that demographic. Depending on your product or service, think community and neighborhood newspapers, high school sponsor advertising, chamber of commerce directories, etc.

If your ideal customers aren't defined by a specific geographic location, look at regional or specific demographic publications. Perhaps a regional paper runs an annual issue that focuses on an issue or activity that reaches your target market. Use local cable television to broadcast your ads only in certain markets. You'll get cheaper rates and a more focused demographic.

Always ask for a discounted rate. (Many publications offer an "agency" discount of up to 15 percent. If you are acting as your own in-house advertising agency, you might qualify for the special rate.

Some monthly magazines offer discounts for multi-ads placed over a 3, 6 or 12 month time period. Most publications have a different rate schedule for different types of advertisers -- so depending on your product or service, you could qualify. And if not, sometimes just asking for the discount will give it to you.

Buy leftover space or airtime. This is advertising that the publication, radio or television station hasn't filled by their usual deadline. Of course you'll have to take the spots that are available, but again, depending on your business and the product or service you're selling, that inconvenience could still be worth the discount and the exposure you'll receive.

Use classified ads. They're not just for employment offers any more. You'll find classified ads in magazines and newspapers. Before writing your ad, go to your local library, and look through the back issues of the magazine or newspaper that you're considering. Look at the ads that catch your eye, or that are repeated month after month. Those ads wouldn't be in there each month, if they weren't making the advertiser money. Use those ads as springboards for ideas when you're ready to start writing your own classifieds.

Test your ads. Start out with the cheaper publications, so you can find out what's working and what's not. Play with them, and tweak them. Once you've got an ad that works, keep using it. You can run it more than once, or in more than one publication at a time. When it quits bringing in customers, or you start noticing a drop in effectiveness, then it's time to change it.

Do you own a retail business? If so, check into co-op advertising funds that may be offered by your vendors. Co-op programs provide joint advertising for your and your vendor, and you'll get a portion of the cost of the ad reimbursed because the ad mentions the vendor. (Note: most Co-op programs have strict guidelines, so check with your vendors and make sure you're following the rules).

Barter for goods and services. This can be especially effective with radio stations and local papers. See if you can provide your products or services in trade for the cost of advertising. (Also called "trade" or "In-kind" ads, the radio station or publication gives you the ad in exchange for products or services of equal value, and then uses those products or services as part of a promotion or contest for their listeners or readers). This can also be a great way to get additional free publicity, so if you decide to try this method, get creative and think outside the box!

Reuse your ads in other advertising medium. If you've got an ad that's especially effective, or looks great, reuse it in a circular, brochure, handout, flyer or direct mail piece. Use the graphics on your Webpages.

Finding a healthy mix between online and offline advertising, looking for ways to extend your reach and your advertising dollar, and cutting costs creatively will help you ensure that your advertising is working hard for your success.