Joe's AdBlog

Seth Godin Linchpin Review - Are You Indispensable?

2010-05-20T17:29:00.000-07:00

Here's a good review of Seth Godin's new book. Linchpin: Are You Indispensable?

While reading Linchpin I looked around a few times to see if author Seth Godin was perhaps peering through my living room window to see my reaction. It really felt like he was talking to me, singling me out. How could he know how I rationalize things?

"There are no longer any great jobs where someone else tells you precisely what to do."

Linchpin is a most unusual, well-organized, concise book about what it takes to become indispensable in the workplace - whether you work for someone else (at any level) or are self-employed. It's about how business has rapidly changed and how treating employees like factory workers (or doing your job like one) doesn't work any longer. We must make choices and take action to "chart our own paths" and add value that others do not. We cannot wait for a boss or a job description to tell us what to do, rather we must just take the initiative ourselves. Only then can we become indispensable "linchpins," rather than replaceable "cogs." There are so many fantastic quotes in the book too.

"You don't become indispensable merely because you are different. But the only way to become indispensable is to be different. That's because if you're the same, so are plenty of other people."

The 14 chapters in this book are each broken down into short segments with great headlines that summarize them. Godin uses special vocabulary words to describe the many factors that go into becoming a linchpin. These words have unique meanings in the context in which they are used. You'll learn interpretations for terms such as art, thrashing, gifts, resistance, pranja, ship, lizard brain, shenpa, emotional labor and others.

"Art is unique, new and challenging to the status quo. It's not decoration. It's something that causes change. Art cannot be merely commerce. It must also be a gift."

You'll never be bewildered or bored while reading Linchpin. It will awaken a part of your brain that you may have never used before. It will make you take a deep look inside your thoughts, patterns and habits and oblige you to realize there are things you can change right now to become more of a success, a true "artist." In fact, you may find yourself sliding down in your chair a bit while reading, like I did. But that's okay; it's part of the learning process.

"If all you can do is the task and you're not in a league of your own at doing the task, you're not indispensable."

This is particularly true in the chapter on page 101 entitled The Resistance. Just this chapter alone is worth the price of the book. You've got to read it twice to really capture all it offers. Here you'll be faced with all the reasons why you're currently not as indispensable as you could be - as you should be. Have you ever delayed a project and not delivered (Seth calls this shipping) on deadline just because you were trying to achieve perfection? That's resistance. It is the "lizard brain" way-of-thinking that causes us to resist. Do you find yourself doing a lot of busy work (obsessive email checking, Tweeting, etc.) rather than taking action that really adds value? That's resistance too.

"The lizard brain is the reason you're afraid, the reason you don't ship when you can. The lizard brain is the source of the resistance."

Godin will educate you on what it truly means to be a valuable gift giver. He'll tell you that there's no map in existence to help you become an indispensable artist. He'll tell you that you have a choice to either "Fit in or stand out. Not both." He'll even tell you that there are times when your art will not work, and for whatever reason, you may not be able to get paid for your particular talent.

"Maybe you can't make money doing what you love (at least what you love right now) But I bet you can figure out what you can do to make money (if you choose wisely)."

"There is no map. No map to be a leader, no map to be an artist. I've read hundreds of books about art (in all its forms) and how to do it, and not one has a clue about the map, because there isn't one."

The only thing Seth Godin left out of his well-researched Linchpin book is that his principles can be applied not only to business but also to other aspects of a person's life. Linchpins can be better spouses, friends and community members at large. They can be truly indispensable in many ways.

"Nothing about becoming indispensable is easy. If it's easy, it's already been done and it's no longer valuable."

Ever read a business or marketing book that is interesting while you're reading it, but two days after you have finished it, you cannot really remember the gist of what you read? Linchpin is not one of those books. This one will stay with you. There is nothing else like it; it can change your future. That is, if you set your lizard brain aside and replace it with the true linchpin artist in you.

You can get Linchpin: Are You Indispensable? on Amazon.com of course.

File Names and Search Engines

2010-03-17T04:08:00.000-07:00

File naming is easy to do

This is something easy to do and Google highly recommends you to do it. It is always important that what Google likes you should do if possible.

File names are the names of your website pages. For example: A page about dog food you probably will name it something like dogfood.html

Use Punctuation Marks in File Names

Google suggests you use punctuation marks in your file names. Instead of dogfood.html put it dog-food.html

You should use the - symbol to separate words, not the _ symbol.

This is great way for visitors to understand faster and easier what the page is about. Makes sense.

Little things make a difference

Google always tried to give their users (the people who search the search engine) the best results and experience. These little things make a difference, and for search engine optimization purposes you will get (even though small) credit. It is a good thing to do.

Do not however go and rename all your website pages. That will results in lots of 404 page not found error pages. Just for next time when you create pages, start using the punctuation symbol to separate words.

Let me give you few more examples. Wrong way to name a page is catfood.html or cheapcatfoods.html

File names that make sense and are good for seo

Good way to name a page instead is cat-food.html or cheap-cat-foods.html Easy and simple tip. File names also make more sense.

Something to think about now. Blogger blog platform is created and owned by Google. By default the blogs you created are search engine optimized. Notice the file names of the post pages. They are all created with the punctuation symbol. Google implemented this in the blogger blogs by default.

Here are some more tips on this subject.

1) Do not create a ton of different folders or directories on your website. For example create a folder named articles and put all articles inside it.

2) Avoid creating sub domains with identical or very similar content as your domain name.

3) Make meta tags unique for each webpage. If your site is big, you obviously cannot make each page with a unique meta tag. In that case at least make the most important pages with very descriptive meta tags that clearly describe what the page is about.

4) Avoid also creating pages like this: www.domainname.com/Support

(You do that by creating a new folder called Support, then putting an index.html page inside the folder) That can result in some errors too with redirection and so on.

So it is best to create html pages, like this: www.domainname.com/Support.html

These things that deal with how to structure your website and so on are all known as onpage optimization strategies/methods or techniques.

They are not so important as the offpage optimization strategies, which deal with getting links. But they still count and obviously simple things like these you should start implementing them.

Email Cover Letter and Resume Tips

2010-03-11T17:16:00.000-08:00

When you send an email that contains your cover letter and resume, it is very important to keep in mind that you only have between 15 and 20 seconds to get the attention of your prospective employer. During this time, you have to get the person who receives the email to open your email, read your email and not delete your email. To make these things happen and to get your submissions considered, it is important to remember the following rules:

Use a subject line that catches your reader’s attention. When you respond to a job listing, include the job title and/or job code in the subject. When you are not responding to a jobs listing, use a short sentence that specifies the purpose of your email. This helps your recipient quickly understand what your email is about without having to actually open the email message.
The first part of your email message should include your cover letter. Don’t attach the cover letter in a second document. Including the cover letter in the first part of your message will allow your reader to quickly get into the important details of you fit the position.
Never send your resume as an attachment to an email. The resume should be included direct below the cover letter. Including attachments in your email could cause your message to be rejected by email systems and no one wants to download an attachment that might take a long time to download and isn’t from someone they know.
Unless your email is properly formatted for email, it may not appear correctly in all email clients and operating systems. Format your email message using a plain text editor, such as Note Pad, and then copy and paste into your email client. Try to check how your message looks on multiple operating systems and email clients.
Always follow the directions specified by the job posting, even if some of the specification break some of the above rules. It is more important that you show the prospective employer that you can follow direction. If they tell you to send the message as a PDF or a Word document, then that is exactly what you should do.

Top 10 Cover Letter Writing Tips

2010-03-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

Below are the top things that are critical to successful cover letter writing. If you remember to apply these simply tips, they will definetly have a positive effect in your job search.

Try to find the hiring managers name and use it along with a standard business letter format when constructing a cover letter.
When you write an opening sentence for a cover letter, always give a clear purpose for the letter.
Show potential employers that you know something about the company by including a reference to a company specific piece of information in your cover letter.
Let employers know facts about your current life situation that will have an effect on the position.
Let potential employers know the reasons the position is of interest and how your skills can make you successful in fulfilling the requirements of the position.
Draw attention to your resume by referencing particular parts of it within your cover letter.
When you write your cover letter, don’t repeat the same information that is contained within your resume.
Proofread everything for grammar and spelling errors a few times, and when you are done, have a friend do the same thing.
End the letter with standard formal business letter closing phrases.
Electronic cover letters can be written similarly to standard cover letter format, accept they can generally be shorter and it is more critical to include detailed contact information.

59 SEO Ranking Factors

2010-01-23T15:28:00.000-08:00

#	Factor	Description	"+ / -" Attribute
1	Keyword in URL page name	(Google patent) Order of keywords is important. First word is most prominent, etc.	+
2	Keyword in domain name	Same as above	+
3	Keyword in page title	The keyword that is closest to the beginning is the most important. For best results, the title tag should be 10 to 60 characters and have no special characters.	+
4	Keyword in description meta tag	Search engines used to rely on this tag pretty heavily, but do not do so any longer because of spammer abuse. This tag will help users find content in search results however. Sometimes search engines will use it, sometimes they wont. For best results, the description should be less than 160 characters.	+
5	Keyword in keyword meta tag	Search engines (it doesn't seem like Google uses it at all) hardly ever use this tag for ranking results. It can help the search engine determine content theme, however. The keyword should be on the page somewhere and shouldn't appear more than twice. If this is not done content will be penalized for irrelevance.	+
6	Keyword density in body text	For best results the density (all keywords within phrase/total words on page) should be between 5 - 20%. Care must be taken to avoid to high of a density. The density rate at which search engines consider content spam depends on the topic. It is better to be safe than sorry and remain on the side of caution.	+
7	Individual keyword density	For best results the density (keyword/total words on page) should be between 1 to 6%. Care must be taken to avoid to high of a density. The density rate at which search engines consider content spam depends on the topic. It is better to be safe than sorry and remain on the side of caution.	+
8	Keyword in H1, H2,….. Hx	Use Hx tags when possible, but don't overdo it. Include the keyword in these tags. This is an important factor.	+
9	Keyword font size/style	Bold and italic font styles on the keywords are considered more important than other words on the page. (This is according to a Matt Cutts blog entry from July 2006)	+
10	Keyword proximity when phrase contains more than one keyword	Words that are directly adjacent are considered more related.	+
11	Keyword phrase order	It is important that word order on the page matches the word order of the search term. For example, if a common search term is chromatography columns, then the word order on the page should be chromatography columns, not column chromatography.	+
12	Keyword prominence	How close to the top of the page does the word appear? The earlier the better.	+
13	Keyword in alt text	The alt tag should describe photo and when possible it should have the keyword.	+
14	Keywords in links to site pages (title tags on links)	If there are links to other pages on the site, anchor text should be used to describe the link. When possible this link should contain the keyword.	+
15	Keyword in internal links (keyword within link text)	Link should contain keyword. The file that the link is pointing to should have the keyword(s) and multiple keywords should be separated by hyphens.	+
16	Navigation structure	How deep are the pages in the web site content? For best results, it should only take 2 clicks/at most 4 clicks to go to any page from the main navigation.	+
17	Contextual / intra-site links	Contextual links should be used appropriately. For example, if a page is talking about formulation but mentions chromatography, then the word chromatography can link to the chromatography section for more information.	+
18	Keywords in outgoing links/quality of outgoing links.	Recent Google patent. Only link to web sites with good reputation. If you don't want the link to count as a vote for the external sites content, use no-follow tags. Outgoing links should be checked periodically to make sure they are still active. Broken links can harm SERPs. Do not link to link farms.	+
19	Outgoing link anchor text.	Should be on topic and descriptive. When possible they should include the keyword/keyword phrase.	+
20	Link stability over time	Google patent. Outgoing links shouldn't change frequently. Frequently changing links are considered "Link Churn."	+
21	External link validation	Are outgoing links still valid?
22	Less than 100 links out total	Google recommends that a web site have no more than 100 outgoing links, but this number depends on the web site size.	+
23	Domain name extension	????????????? Check
24	Page file size	For best results, pages should be under 100K. Files smaller than 40K are preferred. The reason for this is that larger pages require more search engine resources and search engines prefer to crawl pages that take as little time as possible.	+
25	Hyphens in URL	Hyphens are the preferred method of separating words in a URL. For best results only one or two should be used. If there are more than four or more, search engines think it looks like spam.	+
26	Freshness of pages	Google patent. Google and other search engines like content on pages to change frequently over time. Pages that have fresh content get placed higher than those that remain the same.	+
27	Freshness of overall content	This is a measure of the ratio between fresh content and old content. The more new pages/content the better.	+
28	Freshness of links	Google patent. For highly trusted sites this is a good thing, but for new sites and low trust sites it's a bad thing.	+
29	Frequency of updates	The more frequently pages are updated, the more frequently the pages will get spidered by the search engine. The more content gets spidered, the newer the content will be in the search engines cache.	+
30	Page theming	Do pages on the entire web site or web site sections exhibit a consistent theme? Are there a lot of pages within a section that have this theme? If there are more pages with content on a consistent topic those pages will rank better when searches are made for that topic.	+
31	Keyword stemming	For example, stem, stems, stemmed, stemmer, stemming, stemmist, and stemification.	+
32	Semantics	Synonyms and related terms are beneficial.	+
33	URL length	Try to keep URL length short. For best results use less than 100 characters.	+
34	Site size	Google and other search engine usually prefer content from larger web sites. Exceptions to this would be web sites with computer generated pages.	+
35	Site age	Google patent. Old sites are considered more trustworthy than newer sites.	+
36	Age of page vs. age of site	Newer pages on older sites will get faster recognition than newer pages on newer sites.	+
37	Text presented in graphics form	Pages that only have text presented in graphic form do not perform well in search results. Most of the time they don't even get indexed.	-
38	Affiliate sites	Sites with affiliate content are treated negativly by search engines. The content on affiliate sites is usually identical with very little unique content.	-
39	Over optimization penalty (OOP)	Penalty for over-compliance with generally accepted optimization practices. Also includes things like the keyword to content ratio being to high and over use of H1 tags.	-
40	Links to low trust/banned sites	Check Google's status on all sites you link to. Not only when the link is first made, but also periodically. Remove all links to web sites that have lost good status with Google.	-
41	Redirect thru refresh meta tags	Refresh meta tags are generally considered negatively by search engines. When ever possible there use should be avioded.
42	Banned/bad words	Do not use words search engines consider bad.
43	Poison words	Some words are used frequently in spam and poor content. For example, having the word "Click here" and "Links to" in content could make the page place lower. Do not use phrases that are associated with spamming (Google patent).
44	Over linking between sites	Excessive linking between a few sites, especially between sites from the same web host/similar IP addresses, is viewed negativly by most search engines. Search engines consider this type of linking an attempt to trick the search engine. According to Matt Cutts this doesn't apply to a small number of sites.
45	Copying copyright protected imagry and text from other domains	If reported, Google will give strong penalties.
46	Keyword stuffing threshold	Excessive keyword repetition in body and various tags will result in demotion.
47	Keyword dilution	Including to many unrelated terms in your content reduce the strength of your content theme. The topic should focus on specific keywords/phrases and not include unrelated information.
48	Consistency in page edits	Google patent. When page content is changed, does it contain information about the old topic? If the theme changes frequently, Google may reduce it's SERP.
49	Changing content to often	Google patent. Changing content is usually a good thing, but if it is changed to often it can be a bad thing. Changes should be done in a consistent manner. If Google thinks the change is done only to improve SERP, the content will be penalized.
50	Anchor tag changes	Anchor tags shouldn't be changed frequently.
51	Dynamic pages	Dynamic pages aren't search engine friendly. Search engines do better when there are only a few variables. For best results, pages should have at least some hard coded links and no more than 2 or 3 variables.
52	To much Javascript	Search engines don't like Javascript. If Javascript is used, it should be called from an external file.
53	Flash	Search engines have a hard time indexing flash. If it is important for a page to perform well in search results, it is better to have HTML content. If flash is needed, provide an HTML alternative.
54	Frames	Spider bots have trouble indexing frames.
55	"No index" tag	This tag is used to keep the search engine from indexing a page. Do not use for pages that you want the search engine to index.
56	Single pixel links	Creating a single pixel link is seen as an attempt to hide a link. Google advises against any attempts to hide content or links.
57	Invisible (cloaking) text	Invisible text is text that is intentionally hidden from view. This could be done in a variety of ways, including making the text color the same color as the background. Cloaked text can't be seen by web site visitors, but it can be seen spiders. Since this is seen as an attempt to manipulate SERP, this is penalized by search engines.
58	Gateway/doorway pages	??????????????
59	Duplicate content	Google doesn't penalize for this, but it will only display one version of the content in search results. Usually the oldest content is chosen when ranking results.

Top Ten Fun Recycling Project Ideas

2009-11-06T19:35:00.000-08:00

Recommendation Report Format / Template / Outline

2009-11-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

FRONT MATTER

Letter of Transmittal

Explain the purpose and content of the report

Precedes the title page

Acknowledge those who helped with the report

Highlights parts of the report that may be of interest

Talk about any problems

Make observations

Cover

Purpose is to protect the report
Contains the title, writer’s name(s), date of creation, company name and/or logo

Title Page

Contains the document title
Author(s)
Intended readers/recipients

Date of documentation creation
The title should describe the contents of the document very clearly and therefore, it should be as informative as possible.

Abstract

Condensed version of the writing that highlights the major points covered

Concisely describes the content and scope of the writing

Reviews the contents in an abbreviated form

Abstracts can be descriptive or informative

Descriptive Abstract: Provides purpose, methods, and scope. Does not provide results,
conclusions, recommendations. Introduces the subject to the readers. This
section should be very brief – usually less than 100 words

Informative Abstract: Communicate specific information from the report including the
purpose, methods, scope, results, conclusions, and recommendations. This
section lets a reader decide if they want to read more of the report and
is usually under 250 words.

Executive Summary

The section is similar to an abstract. It reviews the essential elements of
the report including the subject, purpose, scope, methods, conclusion, and
recommendations.

Gives a decision maker enough information to make a choice.

An executive summary is usually about 10% of the total length of the report.

Table of Contents

This section lists the headings and the page numbers of the sections that
correspond to those sections.

The reader uses this section to find part of the report that are of interest
to them.

List of Illustrations

This section lists the documents illustrations along with the page numbers on
which they can be found.

There are usually two categories, figures and tables.

BODY

Introduction

The introduction talks about the subject, purpose, organization and scope.

Discuss why the report was written and what benefit it will provide the
organization.

Show the major sections of the report and present the order in which they will
be discussed.

Define the scope and limitations of the document.

Methods Section

Discuss what methods were used to obtain the information for the report and the
parameters in which it was obtained.

Results Section

Note the key data that was obtained and give a detailed analysis of the data.

Should be clearly organized and objective.

Conclusion

Provide an interpretation of the data presented in the body of the report.

All conclusions should be built upon data that was presented in the body of
the report. New information should not be introduced.

Recommendations

This section should contain a recommendation based upon the information
presented in the conclusion of the report.

BACK MATTER

Glossary

List the key terms used in the document.

List of Symbols

Symbols and abbreviation

Appendices

Could be a variety of material that helps the reader understand the report
better.

Reference List

List of sources.

Index

Similar to the table of contents but with more detail.

Usually for long reports.

32 Best Outdoor Advertising Advertisements

2009-10-10T15:16:00.000-07:00

Some of these ads are kinda hard to see small so click to enlarge:)

Outdoor Advertisement # 1
This is a pretty cool ad for six flags amusement parks. It features an outdoor billboard type ad that is shaped like a sled.

Outdoor Advertisement # 2
This outdoor ad is in a bus stop. It's an anti smoking ad that has glass lungs filled with cigarette butts.

Outdoor Advertisement #3
Lung shaped cigarette tray. I'm not sure if it's an outdoor advertisement or not, but it's a pretty creative ad, outdoor or not.

Outdoor Advertisement # 4

I've seen quite a few of these type of outdoor anti smoking ads, but they are quite clever. They are quite hard to miss, so they definetly cut through the clutter.

Outdoor Advertisement # 5

I'm assuming the sign in this outdoor ad says "Stop". That would be funny if the town had all there stop signs looking like this.

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 6
I'm not sure how big this outdoor ad is, but it seems like a lot of tar. Do they mean just the top amount? Usually pavement is pretty thick... So, IDK about the tar amounts but its creative...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 7
I'm not sure how many people will go and buy puzzles after seeing this outdoor advertisement....

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 8
I think this one is for Nike... I wonder how they are holding that ball up. It looks like a rather large object. I'm sure it's full of air, but still...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 9

Disney outdoor ad on a building...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 10
Fedex ad. I'm assuming they sell office supplies or something. If they don't I'm not sure what they are trying to advertise.

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 11

Nestle ad... even the birds like it...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 12

I think I posted this outdoor ad in another section of this site, but it was awhile ago, soenjoy again.

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 13
Swwweeeeetttt billboard ad that features an actual car hanging from a sign...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 14
From up here, I can see BMW of Bridgeport...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 15
KillBill advertisement... I love how they continued the advertisement off of the building onto the sidewalk, car, and the road. What city would let a company do that???

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 16

I guess a few people must look up at buildings or something... Kinda looks like a tall building...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 17
Clever lego advertisment on a crane...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 18

Cannon ad that features a camera like model. It looks like the other pillar things on the road...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 19

Mcdonalds outdoor ad on a bus stop... cool enough I guess...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 20
I love this billboard ad for Bic razors. It kinda looks like it's hard to figure out for what company it's for. the cut grass looks pretty rough... About as rough as the job Bic's do for shaving... At least it's not false advertising.

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 21

Woodland shoes ad.

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 22
Coca cola bus advertisement. Not all that great in my humble opinion, but whateva!

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 23

Coke bottle on a building...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 24

Another coke bottle on a building outdoor ad.

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 25

Not sure if this outdoor and if it's even an ad... It may be more like a decoration or something.

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 26

Fabulous!

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 27

Semi truck with a bottle cap poking out... It's kind hard to tell if the rest of the bottle is sticking out in the ad or not.

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 28
haha... someone loves coke...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 29
Not sure what the ad is for. Pretty cool though.

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 30

Don't Speed ad featuring a guy behind bars...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 31

Dental ad of some sort...

Best Outdoor Advertisement # 32

I can't figure out what the ad is for... I like the idea though...

Top 5 Online Ad Mistakes

2008-11-10T15:35:00.000-08:00

# 1
Refuse to Pull Failing Campaigns: Some people get so stubborn and convince themselves that a campaign should be successful even when it proves not to be. Instead of shutting down campaigns that are not profitable, they forge ahead only to lose more money. Don't let this be you. If you have given a campaign ample time and it is not making you money, don't be afraid to pull it.

# 2

Don't Track Your Advertising Efforts: Not tracking your advertising efforts can really be a hindrance to your online success. If you fail to track where you are advertising or what pay-per-click words you are using, you won't know what is working and what is not. Therefore, it is very important that you don't get lazy on this step. Be sure to track all of your ads.

# 3

Don't Test Your Landing Pages: Not taking the time to test your landing pages can also be a big mistake. Periodically create a new landing page and see if it makes you more sales. Keep the former ones and if you find that your newest efforts are performing more poorly then the former ones, pull them and replace them with the ones that were doing well.

# 4

Don't Test Your Ads: Not testing your ads can cost you money. Google offers a really easy way to track your advertise your ads. They allow you to create 3 ads which they will take turns showing. You will be able to see which ones are converting the most visitors. Eventually, you will want to get rid of the poor performing ads and improve on the best ones. If you don't test your ads, you may be leaving money in the pockets of online visitors.

# 5

Refuse to Do The Ground Work: Before you start advertising your business online, it is vitally important that you do the basics. This includes determining if people are interested in your niche and specific product, what you competition looks like, your marketing budget, expertise and what the barriers to entry are. If you can figure out these things before you begin advertising, you will find yourself in a much better place and will be able to navigate the online marketing waters much easier.

Top 10 Title Tag SEO Mistakes

2008-10-03T16:09:00.001-07:00

Here are the top 10 mistakes people make when writing the title tags but first I have attached a screenshot to show you what exactly a title tag is and where it shows up….
Mistake #1: Using the Company Name in the title tag - I honestly don’t understand the relevance. If some one is searching for your company on the internet then they will enter your company name in the search engine. This will lead them to your company website whether you use it in your title tag or not (assuming that you mention your company name on your company website - I don’t see why anyone wouldn’t mention the company name on a company website).
So using company name in your title tag is a waste of real estate.
Mistake #2: Not using Keywords in the title tag - Use the keywords that you have assigned for that page. If your keyword is ‘baby bath toys’, make sure you use that exact phrase in your title tag.

Mistake #3: Placing the most important keywords in the end of the title tag - Don’t do this…Use up to three keywords in a title tag and place them in the order of importance. Place the most important keyword at the beginning of the title tag.

Mistake #4: Stuffing with too many keywords - Use only a maximum of 80 characters in your title tag - Don’t stuff it with too many words.

Mistake #5: Not using one - This is probably the worst mistake. Don’t ever leave your title tag blank. This is one of the most important pieces of information you are giving to the search engines. All the search engine algorithms use this tag to determine the rankings.

Mistake #6: Not related to content - Don’t try to fool the search engines. Search engines compare the title tag with the content on your page. If they are not related your rankings will be affected. Also by using an irrelevant title tag you are annoying the visitors to your site. They come into your site hoping to find information related to your title tag and they find information totally unrelated to what they come in for - Not a good experience.

Mistake #7: Not enticing to eye - Use upper case and lower case letters appropriately. A very bad example of not using the proper case letters would be - example ‘Xyz cOmPutErs’. First impressions do count.

Mistake #8: Having same title tag on every page - Every page on your site is unique and you have to treat it as such. Every page should have its own keywords and hence every page should have its own unique title tag.

Mistake #9: Using the same title for a post and a page - For your blog keep the title of a post and the title of the page different. The blog title cannot always make a good page title.

Mistake #10: Not devoting time to writing a proper title tag - Titles give the first impressions about your site. You can have the best site but if you don’t have a good and captivating title then people will not click on it…

Print Ad Archive : Ads 73 thru 79

2008-09-15T16:26:00.000-07:00

Print Ad Archive : Ads 73 thru 79

Print Ad Archive : Ad 73

This may be one of the most creative print ads in this print ad archive. It's for sony's product "Bravia" and it's advertising it's vibrant colors.

Print Ad Archive : Ad 74

This is a very creative 3d advertisment. "If you really want to touch someone," the ad says, "send a letter." Not many better ways of getting the message across.

Print Ad Archive : Ad 75

Ad Archive : Ad 76

These two ads are promoting adoption. It's hard to read on ads this small, but if you enlarge the photo you will see that is says, "Adopt: You will recieve more than you can ever give!"

Print Ad Archive : Ad 77

I don't remember if I added this one another time or not and I don't feel like checking. So if I did, enjoy it a second time:)

Save water. Save Life. Awsome advertisment! Very effective way of communicating the idea trying to be presented.

Print Ad Archive Ads

72 Creative Advertising and Marketing Ideas, See the Rest

Ads 1 - 10 Ads 11 - 20 Ads 21 - 30 Ads 31 - 40 Ads 41 - 50 Ads 51 - 60 Ads 61 - 72

Additional Ads Not Part of this Archive

Print Ad Archive : Ads 73 thru 79
12 Old Advertisements and Vintage Ads for Coke
Target Weekly Ad and/or Other Target Ads

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Top 5 Factors of Good Web Design

2008-09-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

#1: Easy Navigation
The most important thing that a high impact website must be is easily navigated. When a visitor comes to your site it should be easy for them to find what they are looking for. When you speak to the designer make sure that they understand how important this is to you. Visitors are likely to leave your site if they are unable to find what they need quickly and easily.

#2: Contact Information
Your contact information should be in a very prominent location on your business website. A visitor should know who you are and what you do immediately when they land on your high impact homepage. You will be creating the impression of a solid and reputable businessperson when you list information that allows a visitor to contact you with their questions.

# 3: Business Name and Logo
Your business name and logo should be the first thing that a visitor sees when they are on your high impact business website. A business name and logo are one of the things that can keep you in the mind of your visitors even after they leave the site. This is important, as more and more people are comparison-shopping on the Internet. When a great number of sites are visited during this process it can be difficult to remember all the sites that you visited. As the owner of a high impact business website you should do what you can to make your name and logo as memorable as possible.

# 4: Make a site that loads quickly
A high impact website should also load quickly for a visitor to your site. Make sure that your site loads in a few seconds. Web surfers will not wait around for anything that takes longer than that. If your site has a lot of graphics and video it will slow the whole thing down. Make sure that your web designer tests the site on a number of platforms before they are finished. All web surfers are not connecting at the same speed.

#5: Make good website content
Don't forget the content on your site. It is very important that you provide your visitors with useful information when they go to your high impact website. You should have content that is interesting as well as useful so that you can keep them on your high impact site long enough to make a decision to purchase. If you have a good quality product as well as interesting content, you should have no problem attracting loyal visitors to your website.

Optimizing Alt Tags for Search Engines

2008-09-15T15:36:00.000-07:00

As mentioned in a previous section, a website that only has photos and graphics won’t do you much good if you want to show up high in search engine search results, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have any. If used correctly, photos not only add to the quality of your content but they can also help you achieve higher search result placement. This can be accomplished through the use of a html tag known as the alt (short for alternative) tag. The alt tag is a tag that contains a text description of photos or graphics. When you add this little text description to your photo, it can be seen by holding your mouse over the photo until the description “pops up” over the photo.
Most search engines that really matter use text within alt tags to determine what placement in search results a web page will get for a particular query. Therefore, it is important that you add the alt tag to every photo and/or graphic on each web page you are doing search engine optimization on. Some exceptions can be made for graphics such as those used as backgrounds or for those used as part of a complex header image, but as a general rule make sure your images have alt tags.

Be sure to make your targeted keyword phrase part of the text within your alt tag. For example if you have a web page on marketing communications plans and you have a graphic that has a pie chart showing an example of a budget pie chart, include your targeted keyword phrase as part of the pie charts description. Assuming that your chosen keyword phrase is “search engine optimization plan,” your alt tag would look something like this:

alt=”Budget Pie Chart Example for a
search engine optimization Plan”

Don’t just label it “Pie Chart Example,” because it won’t help get you a higher search result placement. If you are using the graphic or photo as a link, use the alt tag to describe the web page that it is linking to. For example, if you have a photo that is linked to web page containing a sample search engine optimization plan, this would be your alt tag:

alt=”Link to a Sample of a search engine optimization Plan”

Even though most search engines don’t place much importance of the content within alt tags, when you are competing for highest search result placement you can possibly get, it is important to utilize every possible technique. If nothing else, the alt tags will provide a description of your photos on the occasion that your images won’t load or if one of your web page visitors has a visual disability.

Search Engine Placement Tricks

2008-09-15T15:35:00.000-07:00

If enough of your pages include the use of techniques that are considered unethical/spammer techniques, your page content or even your whole website may get banned from placement in search results. You may be thinking that you’ve discovered some new way to trick the search engines, but I urge you to think again. You will be discovered sooner or later. It is extremely difficult to trick search engines, so spend your time learning accepted search engine optimization techniques instead of wasting your time attempting to deceive the search engines.

When I first started trying to get good placement in search results, I used some “spam” techniques on a website a website project I was working on. It was a fairly large website with over 1,000 pages and obviously took a considerable amount of time to create. I didn’t really know anything about search engine optimization at the time, so I wasn’t purposely trying to do something wrong. I was just trying to get my website to show in search results, but I ended up using search engine optimization techniques that got the website banned from most of the major search engines. Although this was a big disappointment, I learned a valuable lesson from this experience; NEVER, EVER, EVER TRY TO SPAM SEARCH ENGINES.
Take the time and learn how to write good content that has an adequate number of keyword phrases scattered throughout it. If you aren’t a very good writer, then have a friend or a web content specialist write the content for you.

Heading Tags and SEO

2008-09-15T15:33:00.001-07:00

A lot of people don’t use heading tags, but if you want to improve your position in search results, it’s time to start using them. For those of you who are thinking, “What are heading tags?” They are HTML tags that tell your browser to make the text within the tags larger than the paragraph text. For example, if this book was comprised of HTML, the title of this section could be enclosed in heading tags and the code would appear as follows:  

'h3'Search Engine Optimization Heading Tag Importance'/h3' 

There are other methods that could be used to make text look like it’s a heading, but those methods won’t help improve your position in search engine results. Use the heading tags in your code whenever each page can be divided into topic sections. Let’s use the search engine optimization plan example again. When you write the content for your page, you have three main topics, “Why Create a Search Engine Optimization Plan,” “How to Create a Search Engine Optimization Plan,” and “Implementing Your Search Engine Optimization Plan.” You would enclose each of these terms within heading tags. It doesn’t really matter what size you choose, but be sure that you use the keyword phrase that you’ve chosen to optimize your web page around in each of the heading tags. Assuming your chosen keyword phrase is “search engine optimization plan,” your HTML code would look something like the following:  

'h3'Why Create a Search Engine Optimization Plan'/h3' 'p'Text about topic'/p'  'h3'Developing a Search Engine Optimization Plan'/h3' 'p'Text about topic'/p'  'h3'Implementing a Search Engine Optimization Plan'/h3' 'p'Text about topic'/p'  

Most designers don’t like using headings because it’s hard to control how they are going to be displayed and therefore it makes it difficult to design a layout that will appear the same on every browser. By default most browsers will display considerable space after headings. To keep this space a more exact amount and to keep a consistent font size, you can add a couple attributes to each heading tag as shown below: 

 'h3 style=”margin-bottom: 0px; font-size:14px;”'Heading Goes Here'/h3'  

The algorithms that search engines use to choose which web pages will be displayed the highest in the search results, put a lot of significance in the text that is held within the heading tags. Most websites are completely void of heading tags, which is a big mistake if getting a lot of traffic is a main purpose for the website. So, if you want a lot of organic search traffic, always use headings. Always. Always. Always.  Remember to keep the purpose of the website at the forefront of your design decisions. Most people don’t visit a website because they want to see a wonderful design; they visit because they are generally looking for information.

Passive Approach to Search Engine Optimization

2008-09-15T15:15:00.000-07:00

Passive Approach of Search Engine Optimization

You have two approaches: the passive search engine optimization approach and the progressive search engine optimization approach. If you chose the first one you simply design the pages that you think need to be within this section, upload them to your server, and sit back and hope for the best. The results of this search engine optimization approach are varied, but usually not very successful. If you happened to use the right search engine optimization techniques or at least most of them, you are in luck, but if you didn’t the amount of search traffic you get will be quite limited, and definitely not as much as you could have if you had a good understanding basic search engine optimization techniques. When most people design and setup websites they rely on this approach and then wonder why their website isn’t getting a lot of search engine traffic.

Purpose of Search Engine Optimization
Passive Approach to Search Engine Optimization
High Search Engine Ranking Optimization
Natural Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization Rules
File / Domain names and Search Engine Optimization
Static vs. Dynamic Web Hosting and Search Engine Optimization
How to choose keywords for Search Engine Optimization
meta tags and Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization and Heading Tag Importance
Text Content and Search Engine Optimization
Length of content and Search Engine Optimization
Spamming Search Engines and Search Engine Optimization
Photos, Alt Tags and Search Engine Optimization

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Purpose of Search Engine Optimization

2008-09-15T15:13:00.000-07:00

SEO

Purpose of Search Engine Optimization Article

The purpose of this article is to provide an easy to understand resource for those who are trying to get their website to place high in search engine results. The process of making this happen is known as search engine optimization or SEO. In simple terms, search engine optimization (SEO) can be defined as the sum of techniques that are used to make search engines index the content of your website and to associate specific search keywords and phrases with that content.

>Example of How Search Engine Optimization Is Used

Perhaps an example search engine optimization (SEO) will help you have a better understanding of this concept. Let’s say that you have a search engine optimization company (Michigan SEO Experts) and that one of your services is developing a search engine optimization plan. One of the tools you utilize to obtain new customers is a website that describes your search engine optimization services. You decide to add a section on your website about the importance of having an effective search engine optimization plan and you would like as many visitors as possible to find your information when they are searching for information relating to search engine optimization services.

Purpose of Search Engine Optimization
Passive Approach to Search Engine Optimization
High Search Engine Ranking Optimization
Natural Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization Rules
File / Domain names and Search Engine Optimization
Static vs. Dynamic Web Hosting and Search Engine Optimization
How to choose keywords for Search Engine Optimization
meta tags and Search Engine Optimization
Search Engine Optimization and Heading Tag Importance
Text Content and Search Engine Optimization
Length of content and Search Engine Optimization
Spamming Search Engines and Search Engine Optimization
Photos, Alt Tags and Search Engine Optimization

Bad News Letter & How to Tell Someone Bad News

2008-07-17T13:29:00.000-07:00

Bad News Letter Or In Person | BAD NEWS STRATEGY

When communicating bad news (either spoken or written letter), use the following step-by-step strategy:

Bad News Letter Or In Person | 1. Provide a Buffer

Don’t hit the person right off with the bad news. You should ease into the information. A buffer can be:

Appreciation
-"Thank you for taking the time to write me about the unfortunate experience you had at our restaurant this past weekend."

Agreement
-"I agree that a product you purchase should last longer than a few months."

Apology
-"I’m sorry for the delay in getting back to you concerning your loan application."

Bad News Letter Or In Person | Technique Used In Negotiation

The “buffer” is a technique used in negotiation. Finding something that can be agreed upon by both parties sets a more positive tone for future negotiation.

There are other possible buffers, whatever seems to be appropriate (and sincere) for the situation.

Bad News Letter Or In Person | 2. Give Explanation/Provide Information

In this step, you are providing the information that the reader/listener will need to understand the outcome. For example, when responding to a job applicant you did not hire, you might write, "We had many excellent applicants for this position—making it a difficult decision." Sometimes this step is simply a neutral piece of information that sets a tone for what’s to come. "We pride ourselves on offering customers the best possible service."

Bad News Letter Or In Person | 3. Offer the Decision (Either Stated or Implied)

One of the more interesting parts of this step is to decide whether you directly state the decision ("We’re not refunding your money" or "You didn’t get the job.") or imply the decision ("We gladly refund money within 90 days of purchase" or "We found someone who closely matched our desired qualifications.")

My advice would be—whenever possible—to imply the decision. Most of us can better handle a statement like, "We found someone who closely matched our desired qualifications," as opposed to, "You don’t have the skills we’re looking for."

The only time that I believe directly stating the decision would be preferable is when you’re afraid of legal ramifications or that the decision will be misunderstood. In these cases, I would directly and clearly state the decision.

Bad News Letter Or In Person | 4. Provide a Positive/Neutral Closing

Examples of this would be: "Good luck on your future job search," "Although I’m unable to refund your money, I would welcome the chance to repair the product," or "As an individual’s financial situation changes, we are always willing to re-evaluate loan requests."

Bad News Letter Or In Person | COMMUNICATING BAD NEWS

Next to persuasive communication, the most common type of communicating in the workplace is relaying "bad news"—you didn’t get the job, we’re not extending you the loan, we will be closing our branches on Friday, we’ve sold out of the product you ordered, etc.

To “spin” bad news into at least neutral news is an art in and of itself. In fact, many politicians hire people who are talented at making bad situations seem acceptable (e.g. "fooling around" with a White House intern!) This is where the term “Spin Doctor” comes from.

Bad News Letter Or In Person | Soften Bad News

Sometimes you want to soften the bad news to save a customers’/clients’ feelings. Sometimes you do it for legal reasons ("covering" yourself). Here are some hints to communicating bad news:

Bad News Letter Or In Person | Don't Use Personal Pronouns

Try not to use personal pronouns. Instead of saying, "You must not have read the warranty information when you purchased the product—of course, we won’t refund your money after 90 days!" It is much less abrasive to say, "Oftentimes, customers overlook the warranty information that comes in the package."

Don’t be "phony" with your "spin" on the situation. Once I received a letter from my bank that stated, "To serve you better, we will be closing some of our branches on Wednesdays." How does that serve me better? I think we can see through that pretty quickly.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Newspaper Advertising Tips

2008-07-14T07:14:00.000-07:00

Below is an overview of the newspaper ads / newspaper advertisement industry, and below that is tips and tricks on choosing the right newspaper company and newspaper ads format. Newspaper ads are still an effective form of advertising, but you have to make sure that they fit the needs of your marcom strategy (linked page is about internet marketing, but applies to all forms of marketing) or marketing communications plan (sample marketing plan).
59 million households within the United States alone, receive at least one newspaper at least once during a weeks time. The newspaper that has the largest circulation is the U.S.A. Today, with a daily circulation of 2.22 million. It is followed closely by the Wall Street Journal with 2.11 million daily circulation.

Newspaper ads used to be the most widely used medium for marketing communications efforts, but in recent years it has been passed up by television in both the amount of use and in the amount of expenditures. There has been a constant decline in the number of people who read newspapers. This has mostly been caused by the increasing numbers of people who going to the Internet to find information. Newspapers have been having a hard time detouring this because of how the Internet allows users to find specific information that suits each individual’s specifications. Most newspapers are trying to establish a web presence to minimize their readership losses.

Most of the newspaper industry’s revenues come through the sale of localized advertising, although the industry has been making efforts to increase national advertising campaigns. The Newspaper Advertising Organization has been been starting to provide a number of services that are helping to facilitate the success of these efforts. Google has introduced an online service that makes selling advertising space easier. Companies that participate in this program are able to sell advertising space quicker and to a larger audience. Perhaps in the future I will do a (some) entries on this service.

Newspaper display ads and classified ads can be a good way to advertise your business, and depending on the type of service or product you offer the ads can dramatically increase business.

Selecting the newspaper to run your advertisement in is of utmost importance. For example if you have a Ebay listing service, don’t pick a large metropolitan newspaper, pick something smaller and more local. People are not going to want to drive all the way across town to drop off there items to ship. Usually large newspaper have a better response for things like real estate ads. Before you select a newspaper, think about what type of service you offer, and about your current customers. Are they local? Or they come from pretty far? If you go to them, how far are you willing to travel to provide service?

Once you have decided what kind of geographical reach you would like the newspaper you are going to run your ad in to have, consider which specific newspaper you are going to use. The Monroe times? The Toledo Blade? If there are newspapers that target specific audiences, you should consider those before you consider other newspaper companies. If you have a hunting supply store, and there is a newspaper in your area that caters to the outdoors audience, then you should probably consider advertising with them.

Next you need to consider cost. Don’t just compare local newspapers and then assume that the cheapest is the best. Ask the publisher what the circulation of the newspaper is. 15,000? 30,000? Daily? Weekly? Calculate the CPM (cost per thousand) for each (divide cost by the number of thousands). When considering cost consider different sizes, what page in the paper you will be on, if you can get an ad above the fold, and if you can have an ad in full color. All of these will have an impact on how “seen” your advertisement will get by the readers of the newspaper.

Consider running the advertisement more then once. Run it for a few weeks. Marketers agree that it takes about three ad impressions for a consumer to properly remember the advertisement message.

Try to make some kind of promotional offer in your advertisement. Don’t just put a logo of your business and expect people to come flocking. Make it a good offer. While working for an advertising company awhile back, we once had this barber who would come in and want us to run his ads with a “dollar off” offers. Then when he didn’t get a good response he couldn’t understand why people didn’t bring them in more. Nobody will remember that, “Oh, I have that dollar off coupon somewhere” when they need a hair cut. If, however, he had done as we advised and given half off to first time customers, I’m convinced that he would have had a better response. If you have an offer at all, make it good. Don’t do something like “Ten percent off.” That just won’t work, especially if you are trying to pull customers away from your competitors. Consumers perceive changing to another company as risk. The only way they are going to take that risk is if they perceive the potential benefit as greater the perceived risk. You are not trying to make money on there first visit. You are trying to get a customer and then once you have that customer, you try to keep that customer and you hopefully try to keep that customer happy. Getting new customers is always more expensive then keeping current customers satisfied.

Try getting a press release published in the newspaper about your business. They can provide a good cheap source of customer if used correctly. Also, if you are a good writer, write find a newspaper that will let you write a column about your area of expertise. If you are a lawn care company, then do a column about lawn care and landscaping. Don’t make the column a sales pitch for your services, provide good information, and people will come to you.

If used correctly, newspaper ads can be a good source of new customers. They are a good way of getting the word out fast and they can be used to convey a lot of information. Turnaround time is very short, which allows for quick ad changes if the first version of you ad didn’t work so well. This also makes newspaper advertisements a great way to advertise sales and special events.

How Are RFID Tags Used and How Do They Work?

2008-07-07T05:48:00.000-07:00

RFID Tags Technology: What Are RFID’s?

RFID stands for radio frequency identification. Radio frequency identification is a technology that uses devices called RFID transponders as an identification method. These transponders are used to store or send data that can be retrieved or sent by RFID tag or chip readers from a distance of a few feet to a few hundred feet. These RFID tags can be attached to or imbedded into a person, animal, product, and practically anything else, for the purpose of unique identification. The data that the RFID (Radio Freqency Identification Devices) tags reading device collects is sent to a database to be analyzed by people or software for various purposes.

Circuit Board Sends and Recieves Radio Wave Frequency Signals

Most RFID tags (Radio Freqency Identification Devices) have an integrated circuit board that stores and processes information, modulates and demodulates radio wave frequency signals, and completes other specific functions. The circuit board is attached to an antenna that transmits and receives radio wave frequency (RF) signals. There is also a developing technology that does not require the use of integrated circuit chips. This allows the tags to be printed directly onto items and reduces the cost of creating RFID tags (Radio Freqency Identification Devices).

History of RFIDs(Radio Frequency Identification Devices}

The first invention that was similar to a RFID tag or chip was invented in 1946 by Leon Theremin, which the Soviet Union used as an espionage tool. This device was more of a passive covert listening device, not a RFID tag or chip, but it is accredited to being the technology that was used to develop the current RFID tags or chips. In 1969 Mario Cardullo invented the first true ancestor of the current RFID tags or chips. This device was similar to modern passive RFID tags, as it had memory and a passive radio transponder. A few years later in 1973 the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory created the technology for the first reflected power RFID tags (Radio Freqency Identification Devices).

Types of RFIDs Used on Products

There are three general types of RFID tags or chips: active RFID tags, passive RFID tags, and semi-passive RFID tags. Active RFID tags require a power source, such as a small lithium battery. Passive RFID tags do not have an internal power supply. Semi-passive RFID tags also have a battery, but the battery only gives enough power to run the microchip but not to broadcast the signal.

Active RFID Tags or chips

Active RFID tags tend to be more reliable then the other two types of RFID tags. Because active RFID tags have an “onboard” power source, they are able to transmit higher radio wave levels; this allows them to be read from greater distances and to be more effective in environments that are not favorable to RF signals. Such environments include, but are not limited to the following: water, humans, animals, metal containers and vehicles. Active RFID tags of a range of up to 1,500 feet and have a battery life of up to 10 years and have more memory capacity then passive RFID tags or semi-passive RFID tags. The two main drawbacks of this type of RFID tag or chip are that they are larger and cost substantially more to manufacture. An example of an organization that uses this type of RFID tag is the United States Department of Defense. The USDD has used this type of tag in supply chain management and cargo transportation for over 15 years.

Passive RFID Tags (Radio Freqency Identification Devices)

Passive RFID tags do not have an internal power supply; rather an electrical current is induced in the antenna by an incoming radio frequency. This provides enough power for the integrated circuit in the RFID to transmit a response. The antenna is designed to collect power from the incoming signal and to transmit what is known as a backscatter signal. Passive RFID tags have relatively short read distances compared to active RFID tags and semi-passive RFID tags. The normal distance is from about 4 inches to a few feet. The distance depends on the antenna size and the chosen radio frequency. Because there is no power supply a passive RFID can be quite small compared to the other types of tags. This type of tag is the most commonly used tag in logistics.

Passive RFID Tags Will Replace Bar Codes

As the cost of this type of RFID tag or chip continues to go down, it is expected to become as common as bar codes. In fact, many believe they will eventually replace bar codes on products. Technology is being developed that will eventually allow for RFID tags to be roll-printed, like a magazine. This would make the cost of each individual RFID tag almost nothing, making the need for barcode obsolete.

Semi-Passive RFID Tags

As mentioned earlier, semi-passive RFID (Radio Freqency Identification Devices) tags have their own power source, but this power source only powers the microchip and not the radio frequency signal. The antenna is powered in the same that the passive RFID tag receives power. The semi-passive RFID tags have greater sensitivity than passive tags and can therefore be read from much greater distances. Because the battery doesn’t power as much as the active tag battery does, it has a longer life. It can also perform functions that a passive RFID tag cannot perform.

How RFIDs Are Used on Products and in Logistics

The RFID system captures and manages detailed information about items through out the entire supply chain. The system greatly improves supply chain management by providing timely information. This includes information about when items are in storage, when they are in transit, and when they are delivered. The RFID tags or chips allow manufacturers to track the complete production history of each product. This in turn, allows them to have a better understanding of product defects and successes and to have timely information about which products should or should not be produced. Customers of the manufacturers benefit from RFID systems in a number of ways including having a dramatic reduction in out-of-stock items and by only having items that sell well produced and delivered.

RFID How it Works example

The best way to describe how the system works is to describe how an individual company implements the system. An example of a company that uses an RFID system is Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart has RFID readers installed on the store receiving docks that record the arrival of goods that have been shipped with RFID tags. Other RIFD readers are installed in the doorways that lead out of the storage room into the sales area. Wal-Mart then uses sales data from the point of purchase systems and from the RFID data about the number of items brought onto the sales floor to determine which items need to be restocked. This automatically creates a list of items that need to be either picked up from the storage area or shipped from the manufacturers.

Wal-Mart shares the data it collects with its suppliers through an extranet system it has created called the Retail Link. The data is used to improve inventory management because the suppliers and manufacturers know exactly where their products are located and how many need to restocked or produced.

The RFID system has helped Wal-Mart reduce the out-of-stock merchandise in its stores by over 30 percent in the first two years of the systems implementation. The system still has room for improvement, however. Because RFID tags are still relatively expensive, Wal-Mart doesn’t require each item to be tagged rather it uses RFID tags on cases of individual items. The implementation of the RFID tags cost suppliers 25 to 75 cent per case or pallet. This is not substantial when it comes to per pallet cost, but it would be costly if each item where to be RFID tagged. Once the RFID tags become cheap enough Wal-Mart will be able to tag each item and the information will be timelier and more precise. Once the technology is developed for the printable passive RFID tags, it wont be hard for Wal-Mart supplier to afford printing RFID tags on each individual product.

As can be seen by the success of the Wal-Mart example and many other examples not mentioned, RFID tags (Radio Freqency Identification Devices) have great potential in not only logistics but many other areas as well. Only the future can tell how great this potential will be, but one can be sure that they will play a great role in the future and that they will part of everyone’s life in someway. Cargo management will become more efficient and companies will save money, which in turn will save everyone money.

Writing / Grammer | Commas, semicolon, Colon, Possessives, Adjectives, Nouns, Pronouns, Abbreviations, Titles

2008-07-05T09:21:00.000-07:00

Writing / Grammer Business Communications and Grammer

Writing is an important part of doing business. Most people, me included, could deffinetly use some help when it comes to proper grammer usage, letter writing, and more. Since I'm not very good in the area myself, I'm including notes from a class I took in business communications. Clear writing and grammer is part of advertising and marketing.

Writing / Grammer When to Use a Comma

One of the toughest set of writing rules deals with when to use commas. Here is a website that can help take the “mystery” out of commas. It addresses many of the myths about commas that we were told in grade school. In fact, a really long sentence can be perfectly okay without commas; and “When you take a breath—you need a comma” is definitely not true.

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/commas.html

Writing / Grammer Commas & Semicolons Used With Independent Clauses

· Use a comma before a conjunction that joins two independent clauses.

Examples:
Our listings include several charming colonial-style houses, but none of them meet your space requirements.

Are you really interested in leasing warehouse space, or would you prefer to purchase your own facilities?

· Use a semicolon between two independent clauses that are not joined by a conjunction.

Semicolon Examples:
Homes in Glen Oaks are very convenient to public transportation; express buses to the business district depart every 15 minutes.

We do not think the building is structurally sound; the foundation is in need of major repairs in several places.

· Use a semicolon before the conjunction that joins two independent clauses if either of the clauses contains commas or other internal punctuation.

Semicolon Examples:
Come in on Monday, June 22; or if you prefer, call me to arrange another date.

Tom said, “I don’t want to go”; but I think he’s not telling the truth.
OTHER USES FOR SEMICOLONS

· Use semicolons to separate items in a series if they contain internal punctuation (such as commas).

Semicolon Examples:

Tenants are urged to take advantage of the pool, which opens May 31; the four tennis courts, which are lighted until 10 p.m.; and the exercise rooms, which include men’s and women’s saunas.

Please bring the following on the trip: a flashlight; a thermos, presently on sale at Target; and a map.

Writing / Grammer Colons

· Primarily, colons are used after the introduction of a series of items.

Colon Example:

All managers should bring the following to the meeting: a data sheet, a budget plan, and a calculator.

Writing / Grammer SEPARATE OWNERSHIP

· When showing separate ownership, use the possessive at the end of each noun.

Seperate Ownership Examples:

Sara’s and Tom’s reports were in competition with each other.

Clara’s and Susan’s offices are adjacent to each other.

Writing / Grammer JOINT OWNERSHIP

· When showing joint ownership, only use the possessive at the end of the last noun.

Joint Ownership Examples:

Bob, Tom, and Sue’s document was submitted on time.

Tim and Alisha’s son was elected president.

Writing / Grammer FORMING POSSESSIVES

· For words ending in a letter other than “s” form the possessive by adding (’s).

Form Possessives Examples:

My brother’s car is being repaired.

The men’s bowling league begins on February 1.

· For plural words ending in an “s” form the possessive by adding an apostrophe (’).

Examples:

The jurors’ opinions will determine the outcome.

The committees’ schedules will be posted.

· For singular words ending in an “s” form the possessive by adding (’s).

Examples:

One witness’s comment was especially helpful.

My boss’s report will be ready tomorrow.

Writing / Grammer TRANSCRIBING NUMBERS

· Spell out numbers from one through ten, but use figures for numbers 11 on.

Transcribing Numbers Examples:

We ordered eight cartons of forms.

We ordered 25 cartons of forms.

Writing / Grammer Transcribing Numbers EXCEPTIONS:

· Always use figures for percentages (5 percent)

· Always use figures for measurements (2 feet, 6 pounds)

· Always use figures when using a.m. and p.m. (1 p.m., 8 a.m.)

· Always use words for numbers that begin a sentence (Thirty-five students attended the class.)

· Use the same style to express numbers that apply to the same category within a sentence. If at least one of the numbers should be a figure, use figures for all of the numbers.

Examples:

Prepare a requisition for 4 printers, 15 computers, and 6 modems.

Prepare a requisition for four printers, seven computers, and six modems.

Prepare a requisition for 4 printers, 15 computers, and 6 modems, four days ago.

Writing / Grammer DOUBLE ADJECTIVES

· To determine if two adjectives appearing together in a sentence need a comma to separate them, ask the following question:

“Can the adjectives be switched and the sentence still sound correct?”

If the answer is yes—a comma is needed to separate them.

If the answer is no—a comma is not needed to separate them.

Examples:

Bob drives a red sports car.

It was an interesting, informative speech.

HINT: Another way to check to see if a comma is necessary is to insert the word “and” in between the two adjectives. If the sentence still sounds correct, a comma is needed to separate the two adjectives.

Writing / Grammer USING “I” OR “ME”

· When determining whether to use “I” or “me,” delete the words coupled with the “I” or “me” and decide which of the pronouns sounds the best. This is the correct one to use.

Examples:

They have asked Sue and me to give the presentation.

Dave and I will attend the meeting.

Writing / Grammer USE OF “SELF” PRONOUNS

· Only use “self” pronouns (myself, yourself, herself) when the noun/pronoun to which it refers has been mentioned earlier in the sentence.

Examples:

I have tried to pace myself in completing the project.

Sue has resigned herself to the fact that she will not be selected.

Writing / Grammer ABBREVIATIONS

Grammer and writing is part of effective advertising and marketing. Something I need to work on too.

· An abbreviation for one word requires a period.

Examples:

Doctor = Dr.

Mister = Mr.

· An abbreviation for more than one word does not require periods.

Examples:

Federal Bureau of Investigation = FBI

National Football League = NFL

Writing / Grammer EXCEPTION:

Always use periods in the abbreviations U.S. and U.S.A.

Writing / Grammer TITLES

· Italicize (underline) titles of complete works such as books, magazines, newspapers, movies, television shows, albums, plays, etc.

Examples:
I read about it in Newsweek.

I loved the movie Gone With the Wind.

· Use quotation marks around titles of parts of works such as articles from newspapers or magazines, chapters from books, songs, episodes from television shows, etc.

Examples:

“Working Mothers” was an interesting article in People magazine.

Read Chapter 7, “How to Write a Resume.”

Writing / Grammer | QUOTATION MARKS AND OTHER PUNCTUATION

· Periods and commas always fall inside of the closing quotation mark.

Examples:

Tim said, “I will call her tomorrow.”

“I will call her tomorrow,” said Tim.

· Semicolons and colons always fall outside of the closing quotation mark.

· Place question marks and exclamation points inside of the closing quotation mark if they are part of the quote.

Examples:

James said, “Will you be attending the meeting?”

Who said, “ Give me liberty or give me death”?

Sheila exclaimed, “I can’t believe I won!”

Writing / Grammer | “WHO” VERSUS “WHOM”

· Use “who” as the subject of the sentence, and use “whom” as the object of the sentence.

Examples:

Mabel was not sure whom to trust.

Bob asked Dave who had given him the document.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

India Facts: Economy, Population, Government, Business, & More

2008-07-04T08:05:00.000-07:00

India Facts: History of India

India is officially named the Republic of India and is a country located in South Asia. The people of India have had a continuous civilization culture since 3300 BC., when the inhabitants of the Indus River valley developed an urban culture based on commerce and sustained by agricultural trade. India quickly became a center of important trade routes, cultural development, and vast empires. Despite invasions over the past 5000 years, Indian culture and society has been very resilient. In the earliest years of the country, the southern kingdoms remained more stable than the north and carried out trade involving spices and precious gems with Arabia, China, and Europe. From the 16th century onwards, several European countries including Portugal, Netherlands, France, and the United Kingdom, started arriving as traders, later taking advantage of the relationships between kingdoms.

India Facts: Independence and Mahatma Gandhi

In the early twentieth century, a nationwide struggle for independence was launched by the Indian National Congress, and various revolutionary groups. The movement was mainly led by Mahatma Gandhi. India emerged as a modern nation-state on August 15, 1947 from British rule, when they went through an intense movement of social reforms and forged into a single nation. On January 26, 1950, they ratified a new Constitution and became a republic.

India Facts: Emerging World Superpower

Since their independence, India has seen violence and insurgencies in various parts of the country, but has maintained its unity and democracy. They also are a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement and the United Nations (at the time as part of British India). Significant economic reforms beginning in 1991, have transformed India into one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. India is now considered to be an emerging world superpower.

India Facts: Government of India

India Facts: Largest Democracy in the World

India is referred to as the largest democracy in the world, by virtue of the fact that it has the largest electing population among democratic countries. The country has a federal form of government and a bicameral parliament operating under a Westminster-style parliamentary system. It has three branches of government, similar to that of the United States. The executive arm, which contains a Chief of State (President), Head of State (Prime Minister), and Council of Ministers or cabinet (appointed by the president), headed by the Prime Minister. The judicial branch is made up of the Supreme Court which has one chief justice and 25 associate justices who are appointed by the president. The Supreme Court is headed by the Chief Justice. The legislature of India is the bicameral Parliament, which consists of the upper house (Council of States), and the lower house (House of People).

India Facts: Politics of India

For most of its independent history, India has been ruled by the Indian National Congress; a political party. India practices Hindi law and is home to the Communist Party of India (Marxist), Indian National Congress, and Bharatiya Janata Parties. Since their independence, India has maintained cordial relationships with most nations. They took the lead during the 1950s in advocating the independence of all European colonies in Africa and Asia.

India Facts: The Cold War and India

During the Cold War, India tried to maintain its neutrality among nations. After the Sino-Indian War and the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, India’s relationship with the Soviet Union warmed at the expense of ties with the United States and continued to remain so until the end of the Cold War. They have consistently refused to sign the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) to maintain sovereignty over its nuclear program despite criticism and military sanctions.

India Facts: Close Relationships with South America, Asia, and Africa

In the economic sphere, India has close relationships with developing nations of South America, Asia, and Africa. In more recent years, India has played an influential role in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). They have also been a long time supporter of the United Nations, with over 55,000 military and police personnel having served in 35 UN peace keeping operations over four continents. Since the 1990s, India has been considered an emerging power on the global stage, meaning it has increased influence on international affairs.

India Facts: India Economy

The economy of India is fourth largest in the world as measured by purchasing power parity or PPP, with a GDP of $3.6 trillion. When measured in exchange rates in relation to the US dollar, it is the twelfth largest economy in the world, with a GDP of over $785 billion, as calculated by the World Bank. India is the second fastest growing major economy in the world with a GDP growth rate of over 9%, and annual industrial production change of over 12%, as of the first quarter in 2006. Wealth distribution in India is fairly uneven; the top 10% of income groups earn an estimated 33% of all income. It is calculated by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) that by 2007, the Indian economy will be ranked third measured by PPP. Population below the poverty line is ranked at below 25% and as of 2005 the public debt exceeded 53%.

India Facts: Government Control of Economy

For most of its independent history they have followed a quasi-socialist approach, with strict government control over private sector participation, foreign trade, and foreign direct investment. Starting from 1991, India has gradually opened its markets through economic reforms by reducing government controls on foreign trade and investment. Privatization of public-owned industries and some sectors to private and foreign players have continued to be subject to political debate.

India Facts: Labor Force, Agriculture, Industries, and Oil. Import Commodities

India has a labor force of over 496 million of which 60% is employed in agriculture or agriculture-related industries which contributes to only about 22% of GDP, 17% in mainstream industry, and 23% in service industry. Their agricultural produce includes rice, wheat, oilseed, cotton, tea, sugarcane, and potatoes. Major industries include textiles, chemicals, food processing, steel, transportation equipment, cement, mining, petroleum, and machinery. Electricity production is over 556 billion kWh (kilowatt-hour) and its electricity exports are 187 million kWh as of 2003. India’s oil production is 785,000 bbl/day (barrels per day) and their oil consumption exceeds 2.3 million bbl/day. The largest import commodities are crude oil, machinery, gems, fertilizer, and chemicals.

India Facts: Growth in Business Process Outsourcing

India’s large English speaking middle-class has contributed to the country’s growth in Business Process Outsourcing (BPO). It is becoming a major base for US tech companies for future targeted research and development, including Google, IBM, and Microsoft. All this has helped the service sector to increase its share of the economy to approximately 50%.

India Facts: Major Trading Partners

The most important trading partners India deals with are the United States, China, UK, Singapore, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Belgium, and the United Arab Emirates. They are a major exporter of financial and research and technology services as well.

India Facts: India Population, India People, Demographics

India Facts: Seventh-Largest, Second Most Populous, Language & Religion

India is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second most populous country, and has the largest democracy in the world. India borders Afghanistan, Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. They are the second-most populous country in the world with an estimated 1.1 billion people as of 2006. Language and religion are determinants of social and political organizations within its diverse population. 81% of inhabitants are Hindu. India is also home to the second largest population of Muslims in the world with 12%, after Indonesia. Other religious groups include Christians, Buddhists, and Jews. The national average literacy rate is 64% (males 75% and females 54%). The state of Kerala leads the country with a literacy rate of approximately 94%.

India Facts: Sex Ratio, Median Age, Birth Rate & Growth Rate

Unlike the US, UK, and Australian Censuses; the national Census of India does not recognize racial or ethnic groups within themselves. India’s largest metropolitan areas are Mumbai (formerly Bombay), Delhi, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), Chennai (formerly Madras), Bangalore, and Hyderabad. The national sex ratio is 933 females per 1,000 males and the median age is 24 years. Birth rate is currently averaged at 22 births per 1,000. The total fertility rate (TFR) is above the world average; however the growth rate is decreasing in Southern India.

India Facts: Two Major Languages, Indo-Aryan, Dravidian, Hindi

India is home to two major languages, Indo-Aryan; spoken by 74% of the population and Dravidian; spoken by 24% of the population. The Indian constitution recognizes a total of 23 official languages. Hindi and English are used by the Union Government of India for official purposes. The number of dialects in India is well over 1,600.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Sample Marketing Plan | IMC | Integrated Marketing Communications

2008-06-17T21:55:00.000-07:00

Below is a sample marketing plan (also known as integrated marketing communications plan). It's not the best sample marketing plan (or business plan) in the world, but it will give you idea about how a marketing plan (IMC) (or business plan) works and is constructed. If you would like to create your own marketing Plan (IMC), use this Free marketing plan example / template / outline. Read about the importance of marketing plans.

Sample Marketing Plan: Executive Summary

Our company, Innovative Marketing Solutions has come up with a new marketing plan or IMC plan for the Rio mp3 player. In this report, we will further introduce ourselves and how we got started, our client background, the internal and external situational analysis, and why a new IMC plan is needed. Innovative Marketing Solutions is a strong competitor in the electronic marketing industry and is focused on increasing the brand equity and profitability of companies focused on increasing their share of the electronic and technological market. Our mission is to make sure that our clients have the tools and information that they need to become successful in the electronic and technological field. This is a sample of a marketing plan, if you would like to make your own marketing plan (or business plan), please use this free marketing plan template / outline.

To help SigmaTel Inc. decide if they should target the baby boomer generation with an mp3 player that can fit their lifestyle, we have looked at the strengths and weaknesses of the Rio product as well as the opportunities and threats and have included them in this sample marketing plan. We feel that SigmaTel Inc. would profit from making a simple mp3 player that older adults can use and understand. Not many companies are focusing towards the older generation with electronics, and we want SigmaTel Inc. to be one of the first companies to have an mp3 player that everyone can use no matter what a person’s age is.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Introduction to our agency

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Background

Innovative Marketing Solutions (name created for the use of this sample marketing plan. If there is a company with that name we are not representing them) was created in the mid 90’s to assist companies in Northwest Ohio to better understand customers interested in technology and electronics. Innovative Marketing Solutions partnered with a small electronic company called Loblaw Audio Solutions. The owner, Bob Loblaw, had invented a new system for connecting component audio parts with people’s existing stereo systems. Innovative Marketing Solutions tirelessly worked with customers and audio distributors to understand the best approach for Mr. Loblaw to introduce his new product to the market. With help from Innovative Marketing Solutions, Loblaw Audio Solutions has grown and become one of the largest distributors of audio component parts in the Tri-state area. Innovative Marketing Solutions continued to work with electronic manufactures and continued to assist organizations around the nation with their marketing needs. Innovative Marketing Solutions uses their focus on hard work, communication and developed partnerships with clients to play a competitive role in the marketing needs of electronic and technology organizations to this day. Like this sample marketing plan? Make your own marketing plan by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Mission statement

Innovative Marketing Solutions exists to provide clients with the necessary tools and information to be successful in constantly growing market of electronics and technological advances. It is our focus to create strong partnerships with our clients in a never ending attempt to increase awareness, a positive image and consistently growing equity for their products and brand as a whole. We are sure we can successfully demonstrate a measurable value by creating growing and profitable solutions to our client’s marketing needs. (This sample marketing plan includes items that are usually included in a marketing plan. If you would like to create your own marketing plan (or business plan) please use this free marketing plan template / outline. It includes an outline of what to include in your marketing plan and when completed your plan would look similar to this sample marketing plan.)

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Purpose

Innovative Marketing Solutions is a strong competitor in the electronic marketing industry and is focused on increasing the brand equity and profitability of companies focused on increasing their share of the electronic and technological market. We work with companies in the audio/visual and computer electronic market with the goal of obtaining and implementing market research that can help our clients better understand their customers and develop their overall brand image. Like this sample marketing plan (or business plan)? Create your own marketing plan (or business plan) by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Execution

At Innovative Marketing Solutions we use a developed approach that involves goals, research and implementation. By setting achievable goals we are able to create measurable and obtainable marketing plan with a vision that is in sync with our client’s goals and desires. By conducting extensive primary and secondary research that is highly focused on a reachable target market we are able to gain a greater understanding for the markets buying habits and behaviors. Finally, we create a developed plan for implementation that is fine tuned to the needs of our client and will meet and exceed the expectations set at the conception of our sample marketing plan (or business plan).

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Client Background

Our client is SigmaTel Inc. and their brand is the Rio. The Rio brand, which technology assets were bought by SigmaTel from D&M Holding Inc. in 2005, has always been seen as the innovator of the mp3 world. From the time that the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) filed a lawsuit against Rio for its Diamond model in 1998, Rio has been developing new technology before anyone else. After defeating the RIAA who tried to ban mp3 players on the basis that they would encourage and increase music pirates and destroy the business Rio opened the door for a digital audio market (www.rioaudio.com). Rio’s major models include the Rio Carbon, Rio Forge, and Rio Karma. The Rio Carbon is palm-sized and has either a 5 or 6 GB hard drive. The Rio Forge is targeted to the athletic crowd and is a flash-memory player. It has convenient features including an arm strap, stop watch, and lap timer. The Rio Karma has a 20 GB hard drive and plays mp3 files without any gaps between them which allows full albums to be listened to as they were intended.

Make a marketing plan like this sample marketing plan (or business plan) by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

The new product offering, called the Rio Innovo, will be targeting active consumers over the age of fifty. The Rio Innovo will feature a easy-to-use, wide display screen with large control buttons. The Innovo will have a 2GB hard drive so that users can easily store all the music that they enjoy. The product will also utilize an innovative easy-to-use menu. Users can access their favorite music through an in product music database for easy download. The new target market, as mentioned before is consumers over the age of fifty years old. Traditionally, the brand’s target market has always been young, technology savvy consumers. Make a marketing plan (or business plan) with this free marketing plan template / outline. Your completed plan would be similar to this sample marketing plan.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Internal Situation Analysis

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Current Target Market

The target market is baby boomers: more specifically early baby boomers or mature consumers also known as seniors that are age 55 and older. They make up about a quarter of the U.S. population and have larger disposable incomes than other segments. These are active, vital, and busy people which are the main reasons they are the target market for the Rio Innovo music player. By active me mean physically energetic people who enjoy participating in aerobics, swimming and social walking. It has easy to use features including large buttons and screen as well as an overall durableness. These valuable benefits are most important to and sought out by those in the baby boomer demographic. They want something easy to use and that is made well for an active lifestyle. Health conscious consumers are also included in our target market because Rio offers a waterproof and durable product that can accompany them on their workout. Rio’s company image will remain innovative especially in serving to this niche market of baby boomers and active consumers who require a simple, but durable mp3 player. We will be targeting consumers who have not traditionally been the majority of users in the mp3 market. The new targeted consumers have not traditionally been the main buyers of the music players. Make a marketing plan similar to this sample marketing plan (or business plan) by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Positioning

Positioning is how target market defines in relation to competitors. SigmaTel, Inc.’s Rio Innovo mp3 player is unique because of its simplicity. It’s easy to start using it right away which is a huge benefit to busy people who might shy away from complicated music players because they do not have the time to learn a complicated process just to listen to music. Our positioning is based on a combination of attribute positioning and benefits positioning. We will combine positioning in terms of a particular feature that represents a competitive advantage and with respect to brand benefits that appeal to consumer needs. Our attribute positioning is product related in that our design is made with superior materials and with a differentiating appearance such as large buttons and screen which makes it easy to use. The superior materials include the durableness and waterproof features. By using benefit positioning, we will show the customer how the product will suit their needs. The main benefit positioning need we are appealing to is functional needs. We are attempting to fulfill the consumer’s consumption-related problems. Our large easy to read function buttons and waterproof rubber casing fulfill the consumer’s need for convenience. The waterproof ability is only offered with the Rio brand and gives us a competitive advantage. It is an outstanding feature that allows the customer to virtually have their music with them at all times which is great for the active and health conscious consumer. These unique features are what will give the Rio the competitive advantage against other mp3 players. Our target market will respond well to these features and find it easy to join the mp3 craze with the Rio. This is a sample marketing plan. Make a marketing plan (or business plan) that will fit your needs by going to the following link and using the free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): SWOT Analysis

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Strengths

The unique selling points are a larger screen, and large buttons that make it easier to see and it more user friendly. It is simpler to use then an iPod. The Rio Innvo player can be charged by a USB cord or adapter. An excellent feature is our unique, durable, water-proof casing which enables the mp3 player to be used during sporting activities without worrying about damage. The Rio brand has always been seen as an innovator to the mp3 world. The target audience baby boomers that tend to have the majority of disposable income. This is a sample marketing plan (or business plan). Make your marketing plan with this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Weaknesses

A problem is that Apple iPod is the market leader. Currently when considering mp3 players, a lot of people think of iPods and they don’t have a brand loyalty to Rio. Currently there is not enough brand recognition or promotional strengths. This could be a problem until the Rio brand is better known. This is a sample marketing plan. Make a marketing plan (or business plan)for your company with this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Opportunities

Our niche market is the baby boomers who maybe aren’t as technology advanced. We will offer a product that is easy to use and that they can start enjoying right away instead of being turned off by the technology. The growing emphasis on keeping fit, could lead to an opportunity to market are product to start walking and jogging. With our durable casing, Rio Innovo can be taken anywhere. New cars are being sold with built in adaptors for mp3 players that allow music to be taken wherever people go. We could consider partnering with the auto industry in the future baby boomers have more disposable income and our product is the positioned to capture that market. Make a marketing plan (or business plan) for your company by using this free marketing plan template / outline. It will be similar to this sample marketing plan.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Threats

iPods market share is huge. We have to show how Rio Innovo is more beneficial to baby boomers. The threat of new technology is always a consideration. We must continue to be innovative in research so that the Rio Innovo does not become obsolete too quickly. Another threat is future lawsuits from the recording industry. The Rio brand has successfully beaten a lawsuit from the recording industry and must endeavor to stay ahead of other legal problems. The cost of downloading music could be seen as a threat if it suddenly rises. If the costs of downloading music rises people will be less likely to download music and therefore less likely to purchase an mp3 player. Include the threats to your company or product in your marketing plan. You can create a marketing plan (or business plan) similar to this sample by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): External Situational Analysis

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Customers

SigmaTel, Inc.’s Rio brands mp3 players have traditionally been marketed toward the younger, more technologically enabled consumer market. The Rio Innovo will be geared at an untouched target market. The current MP3 player market is comprised of twenty and thirty year old consumers who like music and who like technology. The Rio Innovo will change the demographics that make up the current MP3 market. This is a sample marketing plan (or business plan). Make your own by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Environmental factors

With all the technology around us today people either learn it or try earnestly to ignore it (which tends to not work). The baby boomers are one of the groups caught in a struggle to either become technologically savvy or fall behind. The reason for the Rio Innovo 2G model is solely due to the ability and willingness of the older adult population to learn how and use the new mp3 technology that was originally geared toward the younger population. The Rio 2G model was released due to the socio-cultural developments within our society regarding technology and the push for the latest and most advanced within the industry: “Now given the rapid development of digital music production and storage, as well as broadband wired and wireless access and distribution technologies, music is among the most potent forces in existence...” (Burger 1). America and many other foreign nations’ alike are moving forward to innovate the latest gadget; if we can simplify the technology through its appearance and use, then we can attract the baby boomers. This is a just a sample marketing plan (or business plan). Make your own by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Competitors

Our research for this sample marketing plan has revealed several mp3 players that could potentially be competitors in our market niche. These include the SanDisk Sansa, the Coby MP7095C, and the Samsung YP-K3JQB. Specific attributes of these models will be discussed in further detail below. All of these mp3 players have attributes that could give the proposed version of the Rio Innovo brand competition. They do not, however, target the proposed niche in the mp3 product market. No brands were found that directly targeted the baby boomer market niche.

The first of the possible competing brands is the SanDisk Sansa mp3 player. This brand has 1-4 GB of the same type of flash memory we are suggesting. It also has a subscription download service similar to the download service that our proposed version of the Rio mp3 player. It supports the Microsoft PlaysForSure download subscription service. The brand is targeting the Innovators on the VALS framework. The SanDisk company is attempting to attract consumers with the products unique and innovative design. Prices for this mp3 player vary from $39.99 to $79.99, based on the amount of memory available. This is a sample marketing plan. Create your own marekting plan (or business plan) by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

The second brand that we will look at is the Coby MP-C7095 mp3 player. This brand has 1 GB of flash memory, 2” LCD color display, and FM radio. It can be used to play music and videos and it stores photos and text documents. The navigation buttons are small compared to the buttons we are proposing for our brand and menu navigation structure is to engaging for our target market segment. Like the SanDisk Sansa it does have a download subscription service similar to the one we are proposing for the Rio. The product is regularly priced at $58.00. This is a sample marketing plan. If you make a marketing plan (or business plan), be sure to include products or companies that would compete directly with your product.

The last competing brand we will discuss is the Samsung YP-K3JQB. This brand’s positioning is product related attribute positioning, and is based on the slim product design, the fact that the mp3 player is P2 subscription enabled and that it is touch enabled. The communication message for the product is, “Imagine the power of touch, Imagine slim size big sound.” Its competitive advantage is that the mp3 player is touch enabled and it is very easy to download music with the music players P2 subscription service. The ease of use will be attractive to our targeted market segment, but it may appear to be to technologically advanced for the majority of the baby boomer market niche. The communication message Samsung is using may not be an effective means of reaching the proposed market niche. A more appropriate message would enhance the ease of use rather then innovative product features. The price for this brand is $119.99 and it has 4 GB of flash memory. This is just a sample marketing plan. Make a marketing plan (or business plan) for your company or product by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Need for new IMC plan

SigmaTel, Inc. needs our services to develop a new IMC plan (or this sample marketing plan) for its Rio Innovo mp3 2G model. The new integrated marketing communications plan (marketing plan) will be developed around the five key features of the marketing plan. The product was designed specifically for the older adult population; so step one (start with the customer) has already been completed. Step two is to use any relevant form of contact; this will be discussed later in the midway report. The target market, in this case is the older adults (known as the baby boomers). Our agency will achieve synergy (the third step of the marketing plan (IMC)) through specific mediums that will speak with a voice. We will build relationships with the target market and encourage them to try out the new technology made easy. Lastly, through our new marketing plan we want to affect behavior by making the sale. This is just a sample of a marketing plan. Create a marketing plan (or business plan) for your company by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan: IMC Objective Setting

a.The new marketing plan (IMC) will accomplish many marketing communications objectives; objectives that will provide the foundation for remaining decisions to be made by the not only our company, but also by our client. The goals are measurable and they are based off our current objectives covered in our SWOT analysis. The overall objective is clearly to improve the Rio brand name through increased brand image, in which will increase sales and then win market share. This is a sample of a marketing plan (or business plan). Create your own marketing plan by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

b.The goals of the new marketing plan (IMC) will vary in degree, but the overall objective is clearly to improve the Rio brand name through improved brand image. In order to reach our stated goals, we must first recognize and complete objectives that will help in fundamental and implementation decisions. The goals or this sample marketing plan that have been established in order to increase the Rio brand market share are as follows:

•To move customers in our identified baby-boomer target market from unawareness to awareness (through advertising)
•To build sales of the Rio brand through new product offerings aimed at our target market
•To facilitate the successful introduction of the new product offering
•To gain consumer trust and loyalty
•To offer a product that is unlike any other in the market today, aimed specifically at providing simple, easy-to-use technology for the future.

The goals outlined for the sample marketing plan (IMC) are simple. In order for our sample marketing plan to be effective, we must move the general population from unawareness to awareness, implement new product offerings, facilitate those new offerings through successful introductions, build consumer relationships, and lead the market in user-friendly technology.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Marcom message

To position the new Rio Innovo we are going to take a very different marketing approach in order to differentiate our product from existing mp3 players. We will be taking a reverse approach at marketing the new Rio Innovo by positioning the product around its ease of use and simplicity rather than innovation and advanced technology. Many of the new mp3 players including our direct competitors such as, the Coby MP-c7095 and the SanDisk Sansa, focus on attracting customers with advanced technology and fashionable usability. Although the younger generation does like the most up to date technology and trendy accessories we realize that the baby boomer generation cares about ease of use and compatibility with their lifestyle. Since the younger generation is already swept up by the iPod we will maintain our approach at targeting the older generation and our positioning will reflect the needs and wants of this market segment. This is just a sample of a marketing plan (or business plan). Write your own with this free marketing plan template / outline.

Proper positioning is all about establishing an image that consumers can relate to. The image should create a distinguishable differentiation between your brand and competitors while leaving an impression on the consumer they will not soon forget. The baby boomer generation is not overly impressed with flashy advertising and loud, overbearing messages that is why our theme will be simple yet sophisticated. The theme of our advertising will be focused on displaying the simple functionality of our product such as easy to access buttons, a highly visible display and simple to use software with step by step instructions. By showing our mp3 player being used by members of our market segment and enjoying the ease of use it will be simple to relate to our target customers since so much advertisement for such products is directed away from this particular segment of the population. This will give us an opportunity for differentiation by explaining how the Rio Innovo “is unlike any other mp3 player in the industry with its overall simplicity and easy to use functionality.” After developing an image of easy functional usage we can direct the consumer’s attention to how the Rio Innovo could be used in their life. This is where symbolic imagery will play a major role since we know the baby boomer generation still likes to be active and doesn’t want to be seen as behind conventional society this is how we will portray them. By showing consumers using the products while being active such as running or hiking we will open up the possibilities of use to our consumers and how our product can positively impact their active lifestyle. Also by showing consumers using the product at work or in other professional settings we will display some unique uses of the Rio Innovo our market segment could possibly relate to.

This is just a sample marketing plan (or business plan). Make the real thing for your company by using this as a guideline and by using this free marketing plan template / outline.

Our overall sample marketing plan (or business plan) will be focused on offering the consumer a “more for less” positioning strategy. Although our product does not offer the customer as much as our competitors in the way of advancing technology we do offer the customer more in the way of usability, unique design and compatibility with their lifestyle. We also offer the customer more in overall satisfaction because by easily understanding the product and having to spend less time figuring out how to use it the customer can spend more time enjoying the mp3 player in their everyday life. As far as getting “more for less” the consumer can expect to spend far less in effort, time and cost. By doing away with a lot of unnecessary technology that will only serve to confuse and cause difficulties for the user we will be able to offer the Rio Innovo at a reduced price compared to our competitors units. Since the software will allow our target segment, who may not be as capable as younger consumers at mp3 and computer usage, to easily transfer music from their computer to the player without difficult applications and services our product with save the consumer a great deal of time. Also by making the actual unit easy to use with small buttons and a highly visible screen we will save the consumer from any effort and strain associated with using trendy, sleek designed mp3 players. That is why our marketing communication plan will reflect our products image of offering “more for less” which will be reflected in our brands tagline “All the mp3 playback capabilities you could need without any unnecessary extras to slow you down!” THis is a sample marketing plan (or business plan). Make the real thing with this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Creative Style

Our creative style of this sample marketing plan (or business plan) wants to meet all the criteria needed for creative advertising to be effective. The creative style should come from a sound marketing strategy, take the consumer’s view, find a unique way to break through the clutter, not promise what it cannot deliver and prevent the creative idea from overwhelming the overall strategy. The creative style should be both original and appropriate meaning that the ideas should be new and the advertisement should have a solution to the customer’s problem. The focus of our advertising is to show the consumer that we have a product which will offer them the benefits of new-age mp3 players without the difficulty of use. We will communicate with the consumer by relating to them through visuals based around their demographics and activity based displays. This is why we will use a combination of creative styles including unique selling proposition, brand image, and resonance creative marketing techniques. We will use the unique selling proposition style to develop awareness of our easy to use software and simple design which takes advantage of enlarged buttons and a bigger display screen. We are attempting to create a brand image because we want our older target market segment to see our brand as fitting of their lifestyle. By creating an image of simplicity and overall ease of use we can attract an older segment to our brand that is not as tech-savvy as the traditional mp3 player customer. Finally by displaying an older consumer using our mp3 player and being active we can relate to their desired lifestyle and successfully use the resonance creative style approach. By using synergy to combine these three separate creative advertising styles we can successfully reach our target market segment in a way that will excite them and create desire to purchase our mp3 player. This is a sample of a marketing plan (or business plan). Create your own marketing plan with this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan (IMC): Promotional Tools

Since we are targeting the active baby boomer generation, we have decided that we are going to have demonstrations showing how to set up and operate the Rio Innovo. We will send representatives from our company to local YMCA’s, Lifestyles for Women, Curves, Bally’s and other workout facilities. As a company we feel that if we have some of our target market try our product while they are working out and then ask them what they think of the Rio Innovo, we will be able to get personal testimony from our target market. Another way we will promote the new Rio Innovo is by having an in-store display with a working model. With the working model there will be a brochure for the customer to take with them and a board displaying all the information about the Rio Innovo. We could either train the employees at the stores that we are thinking of selling the Rio Innovo or once again we could send out a representative out to show how to use the Rio Innovo. Some stores that we have in mind to sell the new Rio Innovo are Circuit City, Best Buy, Radio Shack, Target and Wal-Mart. This is a sample of a marketing plan (or business plan). Create a marketing that will serve your company with this free marketing plan template / outline.

Sample Marketing Plan: Media Selection

Our target market segment will be people above 50 and who have an interest/use technology on a regular basis. When the Rio Innovo is completed and we are ready to enter it into our target market, the main concern will be to get the innovators and early adopters to purchase and use the product. This will be done by specific message targeting that will get the attention of this segment of the 50 and over market. The internet will be the main form of advertising, because Internet users who are 50 and over are innovators in their target market and are already users of technology. This means that they are more likely to adopt a new technology. Direct mail will be the second form of advertising. It will be used to both introduce consumers to the product, and to re-enforce the advertising message that they may have received from the Internet usage.

The use of the Internet in this sample marketing plan

Internet advertising will be purchased through the Google Adwords program and through the Senior Citizen website, AARP. Adwords is a targeting advertising program that Google provides to businesses. Google will display ads on various participating websites according to the content that corresponds to the advertisers preferences. For example if a website’s content is related to retirement, then the Google Adwords service will display advertisements associated with retirement. Adwords provides a way to display advertisements on thousands of websites in targeted areas or all around the world. For the Rio Innovo, United States will be selected as the target country until the product has become well established in the market niche. 1 million dollars will be budgeted for Adwords advertising in the year following the product introduction. This budget would display millions of ad impressions to our target market, so that chances that a consumer would see the advertisement more then once would be substantial.

AARP is a website that does not use the Adwords service, but sells advertising space independently. The AARP website users are the ideal target audience. The visitors are generally hip, happy, healthy, and surprisingly tech savvy. The website says that its visitors are, “redefining our expectations on age, vitality, and life.” Below is part of a report Nielsen/Net Rating did on the website’s online visitors:

• 42.9% Male
• 57.1 Female
• 69.1 Married
• Mean Age: 54.9
• Mean HHI: $70,038
• 66.5% Employed
• 92% have been online for 3+ years
• 61% go online every day
• 78% go online 3+ times a week
• 77% have broadband access

The company has over 2 million unique visitors and over 16 million average page views each month. The average time spent on the website is 6 minutes, and 5.4 pages are viewed during each visit.

AARP charges rates based on the number of ad impressions each ad receives (in increments of a thousand views). Below a table that contains the different advertising options with the price per thousand impressions:

Banner Placements<>
RON Dimensions CPM
Square Button 125 × 125 $27
Leaderboard 728 × 90 $27
Medium Rectangle 300 × 250 $27
Wide Skyscraper 160 × 600 $27
Skyscraper 120 × 600 $27
Banner Targeting
Topic Targeting Any Size $35
Sub Topic Targeting Any Size $55
Geo Targeting - RON Any Size $40
Geo Targeting - Topic Any Size $55
Geo Targeting - Sub Topic Any Size $65

During the first three months of the advertising campaign, there will be $350,000 budgeted for advertising space on the AARP website. This will result in approximately 13 million ad impressions. The type of ads will be varied and in different spots through out the website.

Sample Marketing Plan: Direct mail

One of the media selections (included in this sample marketing plan) used in the marketing communications program will be direct mail. This direct mail will be sent to individuals who are age 50 and up, and who have purchased a technology or music product within the last six months. The mailing lists will be sent to addresses that are obtained through InfoUSA targeted mailing list service. The mail pieces will be 4x6 postcards and will depict an individual from the target market niche using the product in a fun environment. $650,000 is budgeted for this form of advertising.

Sample Marketing Plan: Evaluation and Measurement of Success

We will measure our sample marketing plan’s success based on sales records and awareness. Return On Marketing Investment (ROMI) will be based on increase in sales volumes as well as increase in brand awareness and improved attitudes toward the brand. As we market our product the aim is to ultimately increase sales. Looking at the sales records we will know that our marketing plan is working if sales increase within three months after implementing it. Because marcom efforts in the current accounting period may not improve sales volume measurably until a later period we will allow three months to start seeing results. After the initial three months if we see no increase in sales we will reevaluate to see if brand awareness is increasing enough with our current marcom efforts to determine if we should continue with our these efforts.

Brand awareness is very important to us because there are so many other mp3 players available we want people to think of ours first in hopes that they will end up buying ours. Top of Mind awareness is our ultimate goal although we realize this will take time. Along with brand awareness, improved attitudes toward the Rio mp3 and increased purchasing intentions are also important.

Improved attitudes and purchase intentions must predictably turn into an increase in sales to be considered affective. An increase in brand awareness must translate in proportion to sales increases to be successful. If we decide that brand awareness is still increasing at a steady rate, but not affecting sales yet we will allow another two months to see if the increased in sales is just delayed. If after five months there is no increase in sales our sample marketing plan will have failed and we will rethink our marcom efforts.

Hope you enjoyed this sample marketing plan (or business plan). This sample marketing plan (or business plan) was added to this website to help you have a better idea about what a marketing plan should look like. It is just a sample of a marketing plan (or business plan), so most of the information is fictional. If you want more then a sample marketing plan (or business plan) and you would like to have a real marketing plan (or business plan) for your company, then you should consider using this free marketing plan template / outline and a guideline.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

12 Old Advertisements and Vintage Ads for Coke

2008-06-11T12:12:00.000-07:00

I was going through a bunch of old Coke advertisments and it's kinda interesting to see how the ads changed through time. It's amazing how fast our culture has changed. Below are 12 ads in order of age, starting with the oldest advertisment I could find (from 1904) and going until the newest advertisment (1988). I looked for newer ones, but I couldn't find any. And besides, everyone knows how the new ones look anyhow.

ENJOY:)

1st Old Advertisement for Coke

1904 Advertisment... I think it's either there first one, or one of the first magazine advertisments. I also think it's rather scary:)

2nd Old Advertisement for Coke

1909 coke advertisment. Lol, 5 cents?

3rd Old Advertisement for Coke

1917

4th Old Advertisement for Coke

1926

5th Old Advertisement for Coke

1931

6th Old Advertisement for Coke

1937

7th Old Advertisement for Coke

1943... ofcourse!

8th Old Advertisement for Coke

1949

9th Old Advertisement for Coke

1956

10th Old Advertisement for Coke

1961

11th Old Advertisement for Coke

1980

12th Old Advertisement for Coke

1988

72 Creative Advertising and Marketing Ideas, See the Rest

Ads 1 - 10 Ads 11 - 20 Ads 21 - 30 Ads 31 - 40 Ads 41 - 50 Ads 51 - 60 Ads 61 - 72

Additional Ads Not Part of this Archive

Keep a Consistent Look And Feel On Corporate Identity Materials

2008-06-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

If it's "da dat duh dat" on one thing, make it "da dat duh dat" on the other. In other words, don't change your look and feel on your different marketing communications tools. If your website has red, white, and yellow, then use the same colors on your business cards, letterhead, postcards, brochures and and you know whatever else. I've seen so many company's use one type of design for one thing and another for... yes, another:)

Develop a nice logo and use it everywhere. The same one, the same way, and everytime. You need to create brand recognition. changing it around all the time, slows the encoding process down. Sometimes it's ok to change your logo color, but that's usually only when the company is confident about consumer recognition. For example, Target changes the color of their logo in advertisements. But they can do that. Everyone recognized the Target logo, and because it's so common, the likelihood of perceptial blocking occuring is increased. Sometimes changing the color of a well know logo, like Target's get's attention because people expect it to be the red that it normally is.

But anyways, I didn't mean to get into branding issues, but since I have, just read it and learn something from it.

When I say you should keep the same look and feel, I am mostly talking about corporate identy materials, not so much about advertisements. Advertisements can and should be very different and unique. They can still have a similar look and feel, but it is not necessary to keep to it as strictly as with corporate identy related items.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Use Other Companies Advertisements for Ideas

2008-06-09T07:45:00.000-07:00

Create a collection of advertisements. Collect them from everywhere. Newspapers, magazines, postcards, and others. Although a lot of these advertisements are probably junk (not as far as junk mail, but as far as marketing quality), there are probably some of them that you can get ideas from. The more you have, the more you will be able to better determine which types of designs and marcom messages "stick out" amongst the rest. If you likes parts of a variety of ads maybe you can put the different idea parts together to create one great, effective idea. For example, you might like the design of one postcard's title, the photo layout in another, and the coloration in another. Don't copy them exactly ofcourse, but ya know, similar;)

Have a great idea? Or more to ad to this? Please comment and share with readers all around the world.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Give Your Customers Free Food & Drink While They Wait

2008-06-08T19:36:00.000-07:00

If you own a company such as a quick lube, think about offering your customers free food and drink. I've seen a few placing doing this, but they were kinda pathetic attempts. A little water container in the corner for example. Or maybe four day old coffee. Umm... yeah... that just ain't going to help ya. Try something good. Try donuts and GOOD coffee. Muffins, you know stuff like that. If people like what you have, they'll enjoy their stay. And ofcourse when they need a service done again, will they go to the business across the street that doesn't offer anything or will they go to you? YOU. and they'll probably tell their friends, who will tell their friends, and so on and so forth.

Like I said, make it good. Don't be cheap and just get a bunch of old junk.

As Seth Godin says, BE REMARKABLE!!

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Advertise Your Business By Wallpapering Your Waiting Room

2008-06-06T07:30:00.000-07:00

I was looking at a house recently that had some interesting designs incorporated. One of the designs gave me a marketing idea (yeah, I'm always thinking marketing). When I went down into the basement, they had a room that was "wallpapered" with newspaper clippings. I know, you are probably thinking that something like that would be pretty darn ugly, but the way they did it was actually pretty nice. I wont go into how it was designed a whole lot, but it kinda had a rustic western look with part of the walls being covered with the newspaper clippings and part with rustic paneling (probably out of a old barn).

Anyways I'll stop with that before you think I'm half crazy. I still have to get in the other half about how this can be used for marketing, and here goes.

Make your waiting area kinda rustic (as long as it is fitting with your business, that is) and instead of all just newspaper clippings, paste up notes from your customers awards, testimonial notes, thank you notes, photos, and some newspaper clippings of community events you've been a part of. It depends on how you would design it, but everything could be black and white or everything could be full color or both. Be creative and let your mind wonder.

This type of wallpaper would serve several purposes including having a uniquely designed waiting room, informing customers about a variety of things, and keeping your customers "entertained" while they are waiting.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Bathroom Marketing | The Importance of Keeping Your Bathrooms Clean

2008-06-05T07:55:00.000-07:00

There are few things that turn me off more than a disgusting bathroom. You know the type. "Stuff" all over the floors, dirty(to put in polite terms) toilets, no toilet paper or towels and a mirror that looks more like something out of an alien war zone. Once you've been in one's like that, it's hard to forget. I wonder how many customers businesses lose over this issue? Maybe it's better I don't know...

So my advice, is take the extra effort to keep things looking nice. Keep things clean, well stocked, smelling great(air freshener doesn't cost that much) and the garbage cans emptied. Add a little decoration and try and get some music playing in there. Put interesting things on the walls.

You do that and I'll come the extra mile to your store instead of the one down the road. I'm pretty sure I wont be the only one.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Unique Way to Guarantee Your Product / Service

2008-06-04T07:34:00.000-07:00

How many times have you heard the phrase 100% satisfaction guaranteed? 100 times? Or maybe 100 times a 100. Maybe you’ve stopped noticing when you see it because it’s done so often. It’s pretty much pointless to even try to use that as an incentive towards making a purchase. 100% satisfaction guaranteed is SOO last decade.

If you want to do a guarantee, why not find a creative way of presenting it? Do what everyone else isn’t doing. Think outside the box for a change and try something no one else has tried. Of course it depends on you product and company, so I can’t tell you what exactly to use, but I can give you an example of something. If you are a coffee shop for example you could have a guarantee that goes something like this:

Hated your drink? Then here’s something to get buzzed about, we have a “Like it, or get your money back and a free double shot espresso guarantee.”

I don’t know about you, but I think that would get noticed at least a few more times than the same old, same old, “100%” line.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Vinyl Wrapped Car Creative Advertising Idea

2008-06-03T07:30:00.000-07:00

Put advertisements on your car and then park your car in an area with high visibility.

I was driving through a town recently and I saw a very good example of something like this being done. What I saw was a decent sized truck (about the size on an average U-Haul truck) parked in a parking lot along side a busy road. The truck had a huge picture of a tiger on it with the message “Think Big.” When I got closer I could see another line saying, “The Hamlin Print Company – Helping you get your message seen.”

Some towns have restrictions on the size of sings you can put out by the road, if your town doesn’t have any restrictions on were cars with advertisements can be parked, then this might be a good way of getting around that restriction. The truck doesn’t even have to cost you all that much, because it doesn’t really have to be in working order. The part that might cost you more is having the truck wrapped and having the design created. But you have to think of it in terms of 1.) effectiveness, and 2.) long term savings. If you are creative and come up with something that cuts through the clutter your return on investment should be pretty good. Also, with a truck like this, you can move it around to different locations, which expands your reach. You’d probably want to keep in one spot just long enough for most of the people to see it a few times and then move the truck to another location. Doing this will reduce the perceptual blocking that is liking to occur after a week or two. The long term savings comes in when you take into account that the signage on your vehicle can be put to use for a longer period of time.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Telling A Good Marketing Story | Seth Godin Q & A | Question 5

2008-06-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

View video

Question 5:

You said earlier, that marketing is all about telling a good story. What are the elements that go into a good story? You mentioned authenticity… How do you do that?

Seth:

Well let’s start by understanding, it’s NOT your story! It’s my story. You let me tell myself a story. If I’m the consumer, if I’m the business buyer, or a consumer consumer, I’m going to buy something because I believe the story. I’d like to talk about Fancy Feast Gourmet Cat Food. It smells horrible and it’s smooth like pâté. Well, cat food is not for cats. If cat food were for cats it would come in mouse flavor. But in fact people buy Fancy Feast cat food for themselves. Because of the way it makes them feel. Because of the story they can tell themselves. Not because of the cat. And the story is, “If you love your cat, if you want to take care of your cat, if you want to prove to your cat that she’s worth an extra buck, then you’ll buy this. That’s a story. Well if it was just ???? in a smaller can, the story wouldn’t resonate. It has to be different cat food. It has to be cat food that actually appeals to cats, because otherwise the story will fall on it’s face. So what we see here is that we have to live the story We have to breathe the story. All marketers aren’t liars, all marketers are truth tellers, because the best stories are the ones that spread and the ones that are authentic.

Read: Q & A 1 | Q & A 2 | Q & A 3 | Q & A 4 | Q & A 5

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Definition of Marketing | Art of Telling a Story | Seth Godin Q & A | Q 1

2008-06-02T11:35:00.000-07:00

Below is another video with the speaker Seth Godin. I will include a text version of what is being said for the people who have slow internet connections.

Question 1:
What the definition of marketing?

Seth:

I think that marketing is the art of telling a story to a consumer that they want to hear that lets them persuade themselves that they want to buy something. And inherent to that story is that you have to have something that they want – you can’t force it on them. Number two is you have to be authentic, you have to tell them the truth. You can’t have a story that’s a fraud. And number three, your story has to be so remarkable that people want to tell it to other people. When you put all those pieces together that’s what a marketer does for a living.

Read: Q & A 1 | Q & A 2 | Q & A 3 | Q & A 4 | Q & A 5

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

10 Creative Advertising Ideas That Save You Money | Top Ten List | Marketing Ideas

2008-06-01T04:30:00.000-07:00

1.) Run of Station and Run of Paper

Get good deals on radio, magazine and newspaper advertisements by requesting ad that your ad is run whenever the radio station or publisher has open air time or open ad space. Offer the companys about 50% of their regular rates and save yourself a lot of money. Many radio stations/publishers are glad to do this, because instead of just putting filler copy, they are still making something from the ad space/time.

2.) Use your voice mail message to advertise

Everytime people call and hear your voice mail message you can have an opportunity to inform them about a sale or promotion. This is a really good idea if people call during hours when you aren't open. Instead of losing a potential customer, you can make some offer in the message that will make them call back. You do something like, mention this voice mail message and get 10% off for a limited time only.

3.) Put your advertisements in non-competing companies' products

Here's an example. You are a movie store, why not contact a pizza place and ask them to paste a flyer to each pizza box and in return you'll give one of their ads to every person that rents a movie. People who are having a movie night are more likely to buy pizza. May as well remind them of the idea. It's important that you do it only on non-competing products and that the people are within your target market.

4.) Advertise your product/business on your car

Depending on where you drive and where you park, you could have thousand of ad impressions (ad views) at a fairly low cost. Make a catchy bumpersticker, wrap your whole car, or put a magnetic sign on each of your car doors.

5.) Print your business card information on the back of a friends card

Why not get your message out twice as often? Make up some two sided business cards. Print your info on one side and your friend's on the other. When either of you hands a card out, you are advertising for both of you. Business cards are a good form of advertising because people tend to keep them.

6.) Business card referals

When you give a customer a business card, give him one or two more. On each card, write the customers name. Tell the customer that when a refered friend does business with you, you will give both of them 10% off their first/next order.

7.) Get a vanity plate that gives people an idea about who you are

This could be especially effective if you have other advertisements. If you are a lawyer, no stealing my plate. It's ILSUYU2.

8.) Write stuff with chalk on the side walk in front of your store

Sales. Funny things. Anything to get them to notice you.

9.) Advertise on checks

Print your company information on your personal checks

10.) Respond to my ad and get xyz free!

This one is kinda a "duh" one, but it works. Make it something that is useful, but ideally not that expensive. For example a dvd on your product.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

72 Creative Advertising & Marketing Ideas | 61 thru 72

2008-05-30T13:57:00.000-07:00

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 61

YKM tote bags. Hold the jump rope handle.

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 62

Straws promoting a yogo center. After this campaign the center's enlistment went way up. Awsome idea.

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 63

" We get to the point." I think this is for a news company in Denmark or something. Not completely sure. I forget where I found it.

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 64

"Wear a helmet." It's kinda hard to see, but the box where the person's head is says "Jigsaw Puzzle" and has a picture of the person that is laying there.

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 65

Where's your child?

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 66

Tarzan is losing jungle!

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 67

Donation campaign for saving some kind of animals or something. It's for WWF.

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 68

Denver water: Use only what you need.

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 69

Utah: Put the remote away and slowly step away from the television. Advertisement promoting Utah's great outdoors.

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 70

Another Utah advertisement displaying the message, "Roaming rates will definetly apply." Nice play on words that really makes the message sink in.

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 71

Volvo for life.

Advertising & Marketing Ideas # 72

VW parts list. VW's are well engineered.

72 Creative Advertising and Marketing Ideas, See the Rest

Ads 1 - 10 Ads 11 - 20 Ads 21 - 30 Ads 31 - 40 Ads 41 - 50 Ads 51 - 60 Ads 61 - 72

Additional Ads Not Part of this Archive

72 Best Advertising Techniques / Ideas | Ads 51 thru 60

2008-05-30T13:44:00.001-07:00

Advertising Techniques / Ideas # 51

Super glue holds everything. These are actual cars, that had the super glue bottles attached. Now that is thinking outside the box! It's a great example of a great advertising idea.

Advertising Techniques / Ideas # 52

Time for the fitness center. Great advertisement that makes you look twice and really sinks the message in. Sometimes I wonder how people have such good advertising ideas, but then there are A LOT of people in this world and each person is unique and therefore has unique ideas.

Advertising Techniques / Ideas # 53

Let's toast to nature. Great advertisement! I really like how they did that tree! That design technique in the advertisement must have taken awhile to create.

Advertising Techniques / Ideas # 54

HP's recycle your computer campaign advertisement. Put your old printer to a better use. Trade it in. It's hard to tell if this advertising idea / technique is a print advertisement or something that they set up in real life. I think both would be very effective means of breaking through the clutter, but I think I real life set up would be really effective.

Advertising Techniques / Ideas # 55

Use electricity wisely. Perfect example of an advertising idea / technique that gets the message across in very few words. Really reduces the amount of time a person needs to encode the message and would therefore be more easily remembered.

Advertising Techniques / Ideas # 56

Advertisement for Sharpie permanent markers. Great advertising technique.

Advertising Techniques / Ideas # 57

Enjoy your mind now, because after you taste xtreme fruit gum it will blow! Explode the rainbow, taste the rainbow. Very nice advertisement by Skittles. Nice, that is if you like advertisements. Great advertising design techniques / ideas.

Advertising Techniques / Ideas # 58

Smallstep.gov advertisements.

Advertising Techniques / Ideas # 59

We don't mind if people ski, as long as they do it in the water. It's hard to see, but if you look closely there is a shark grabbing someone in the water. This is, ofcourse, an advertisement by a snowboarding company. One of the best advertising techniques I've seen and would be especially effective for the target audience, snowboarders. Snowboarders usually have a strong dislike for people who ski.

Advertising Techniques / Ideas # 60

Disgusting? Stop whaling!

72 Creative Advertising and Marketing Ideas, See the Rest

Ads 1 - 10 Ads 11 - 20 Ads 21 - 30 Ads 31 - 40 Ads 41 - 50 Ads 51 - 60 Ads 61 - 72

Additional Ads Not Part of this Archive

72 Best Marketing Strategies and Advertising | Ads 41 thru 50

2008-05-30T12:51:00.000-07:00

Best Marketing Strategies and Advertising # 41

You can't see the sign on here, but it says something like "Car accidents kill 600 people a year, smoking kills 6000. Quit smoking to keep it from killing you."

Best Marketing Strategies and Advertising # 42

Obesity finds it hardest to catch up with those who are running. Some obesity awareness advertisement but the government or something.

Best Marketing Strategies and Advertising # 43

Red Cross bottle with words, "Try living on this for three days."

Best Marketing Strategies and Advertising # 44

Reserved for drunk drivers advertisement.

Best Marketing Strategies and Advertising # 45

Samsung: Express your musical side.

Best Marketing Strategies and Advertising # 46

Some playstation advertisement that I don't really get, but it was kinda cool and catchy, so I included it in my list. That and 72 ads take awhile to find.

Best Marketing Strategies and Advertising # 47

Another weird Playstation advertisement. Look closely and notice the clown face. Not sure what the point of it is since I'm not a gamer.

Best Marketing Strategies and Advertising # 48

You probably can't see this, but in the last circle it says "Made in China," on the flag. This is an advertisement for Orion Telescopes. Pretty cool.

Best Marketing Strategies and Advertising # 49

Advertisement by the People In Need organization. Gets the point across that people can easily live off of what we waste money on.

Best Marketing Strategies and Advertising # 50

Nike ad ofcourse! Simple but effective.

These photos are of bags advertising for some kind of stuff that helps you stop biting your nails. It's a very creative and effective idea to get people's attention. I think I'll go buy some:)

72 Creative Advertising and Marketing Ideas, See the Rest

Ads 1 - 10 Ads 11 - 20 Ads 21 - 30 Ads 31 - 40 Ads 41 - 50 Ads 51 - 60 Ads 61 - 72

Additional Ads Not Part of this Archive

72 Best Funny Ads, Print Ads and Famous Ads | Ads 31 thru 40

2008-05-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Funny Ads, Print Ads and Famous Ads # 31

Advertisement for headlights telling people how much brighter they are then traditional headlights. "They are so bright that if you get to close, they burn holes in things."

Funny Ads, Print Ads and Famous Ads # 32

Mcdonalds advertisement. The straw of the drink is the post of the signs.

Funny Ads, Print Ads and Famous Ads # 33

Mergers and acquisitions, in depth coverage in the "Financial Times."

Funny Ads, Print Ads and Famous Ads # 34

3M is so confident about there security glass that they put money inside a bus stop booth. I wonder if it's actual money or not... The site I found it on, said it was, but I kinda doubt it. But regardless of what it is, it's a very creative advertisement.

Funny Ads, Print Ads and Famous Ads # 35

Mr. Clean advertisement.

Funny Ads, Print Ads and Famous Ads # 36

Skirt in a mirror you can "try on."

Funny Ads, Print Ads and Famous Ads # 37

Jeep advertisement. "You'll never have to ask for directions again."

Funny Ads, Print Ads and Famous Ads # 38

Land Cruisers are at the top of the food chain.

Funny Ads, Print Ads and Famous Ads # 39

Life is to short of the wrong kind of job. Don't get stuck making coffee in a vending machine! Advertisement for some job search help company.

Funny Ads, Print Ads and Famous Ads # 40

Still looking for weapons of mass destruction? Not Smart. Advertisement for the Smart car.

72 Best Funny Ads, Print Ads, and Famous Ads, See the Rest

Ads 1 - 10 Ads 11 - 20 Ads 21 - 30 Ads 31 - 40 Ads 41 - 50 Ads 51 - 60 Ads 61 - 72

72 Top Advertisements : Magazine, Print & Funny | Ads 21 thru 30

2008-05-30T12:15:00.001-07:00

Top Advertisements : Magazine, Print & Funny # 21

Top Advertisements : Magazine, Print & Funny # 22

Hate dropped calls? Advertisement by Cingular that really send the message that they have the fewest dropped calls. Hmm... maybe I should switch to Cingular. I have so many dropped calls with my service, it's not even funny. I wont mention which service it is, but I'll say this there advertisements promoting the idea that if you use their service you save time, don't reflect the service of the company at all.

Top Advertisements : Magazine, Print & Funny # 23

This is hard to see, but it says something like, "Helping you help your self." I think it's for an insurance company or something like that.

Top Advertisements : Magazine, Print & Funny # 24

Hungry for music? by Sony. Pretty cool advertisement. Certianly a top advertisement.

Top Advertisements : Magazine, Print & Funny # 25

This is an advertisement that the Indian government is using to get people to think about the millions of orphans that are getting "Pushed aside." It might be kinda hard to tell, but there is a photo of a child asking for money on the glass doors and then when people walk through they are "pushing the child aside." I think it's a pretty clever idea. Top advertisement idea!

Top Advertisements : Magazine, Print & Funny # 26

For english language school. "Life has no subtitles." Lol, good advertisement. It makes you take a second look so that you think about the advertisement message, which helps ensure that the advertisements messages gets encoded by the viewer.

Top Advertisements : Magazine, Print & Funny # 27

Top Advertisements : Magazine, Print & Funny # 28

New York City never stops. Wake Up. Folgers. It's hard to tell if this is an actual drain cover in new york or if it's a magazine ad. Its a top advertisement thats for sure.

Top Advertisements : Magazine, Print & Funny # 29

Free air guitar, take one. By a rock radio station. Maybe they are all gone, it's hard to tell:) Pretty funny advertisement idea.

Top Advertisements : Magazine, Print & Funny # 30

How fruit got juiced for your slurpy! Certianly a top advertisement because of it's uniqueness.

Ads 1 - 10 Ads 11 - 20 Ads 21 - 30 Ads 31 - 40 Ads 41 - 50 Ads 51 - 60 Ads 61 - 72

Additional Ads Not Part of this Archive

72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements | Ads 11 thru 20

2008-05-30T11:59:00.000-07:00

Print Advertisements # 11

Creative Dettrol Hand Sanitizer advertisement. Everybody needs it. Great print advertisement.

Print Advertisements # 12

DHL Advertisement promoting the message that DHL is always the right way. Not really a print advertisement, more like a billbaord advertisement. Actually a lot of the ads of this particular page aren't print advertisements. But they are good advertisements. If you want just print ads, go through the rest of 72 ads. Not all of them are print advertisements, but a lot of them are.

Print Advertisements # 13

Great advertisement that is really catchy. It's kinda hard to see in this photo, but the advertisement is for dog food and the dogs are "chasing the bus" for it.

Print Advertisements # 14

This one is another great advertisement that is kinda hard to see. The cautions signs say something to the effect of "Caution: drooling for the burger pictured may cause wet floors."

Print Advertisements # 15

Durcell, Power that is beyond the ordinary advertisement.

Print Advertisements # 16

Crash testing save human lives!

Print Advertisements # 17

Not sure what brand this is for, but its an advertisement for a drink of some sort. I think it's really catchy the way it portrays the ingredients "coming together."

Print Advertisements # 18

A watch compay decided to utilize the handholders in buses to advertise their product. The message on the handholders is "Try it here, the Big Pilots Watch."

Print Advertisements # 19

Promoting the importance of proper labeling of food's contents, because when you eat it, it's too late.

Print Advertisements # 20

Oops, a repeat... Ok 71 of the top advertisements around.

72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements, See the Rest

Ads 1 - 10 Ads 11 - 20 Ads 21 - 30 Ads 31 - 40 Ads 41 - 50 Ads 51 - 60 Ads 61 - 72

Additional Ads Not Part of this Archive

Print Ad Archive : Ads 73 thru 79
12 Old Advertisements and Vintage Ads for Coke
Target Weekly Ad and/or Other Target Ads

72 Most Funny Advertisements | Ads 1 thru 10

2008-05-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

Funny Advertisements # 1

Funny Advertisements # 2

Very creative advertisement by cannon. The bus wheel is the lens. Talk about cutting through the clutter!

Funny Advertisements # 3

This is an advertisement for Cemex, fast drying concrete. Really gets the point across!

Funny Advertisements # 4

Cola Wars! Dead Coke with Pepsi onlookers. Pepsi does some of the best creative advertisements out there. Some time I need to just have a series of Pepsi ads.

Funny Advertisements # 5

Concept Volt plug in advertisement. Great idea!

Funny Advertisements # 6

It's kinda hard to see this one, but it's promoting the zero emission hyrbrid Honda.

Funny Advertisements # 7

This an advertisement by Apple making fun of Microsoft's tagline "Where do you want to go tomorrow?"

Funny Advertisements # 8

Funny Advertisements # 9

Because vegetables are scary ad.

Funny Advertisements # 10

72 Most Funny Advertisements, See the Rest

Ads 1 - 10 Ads 11 - 20 Ads 21 - 30 Ads 31 - 40 Ads 41 - 50 Ads 51 - 60 Ads 61 - 72

Hope you liked the best and most funny print advertisements from around the world

Additional Ads Not Part of this Archive

Print Ad Archive : Ads 73 thru 79
12 Old Advertisements and Vintage Ads for Coke
Target Weekly Ad and/or Other Target Ads

How To Blog & Create Blog Traffic | 9 Ideas to Increase Blog Traffic

2008-05-28T11:14:00.000-07:00

How to Blog: 9 Tips on Increasing Blog Traffic

Below are 9 tips on increasing your Blogger (yeah, the one by Google) blog traffic. There are a lot of other things you can do, but this is a good start. Some of these work for other types of blogs as well, but is mainly focused on Blogger blogs.

How to Blog: Putting Adsense On Your Blog

1.) Don't put any Adsense on your site for awhile, and if you have any on yours now, get rid of it. Google doesn't like un-established sites that have a lot of ads. Google trys to keep it's search customers happy and trys not to include stuff that it thinks is spam. Wait until you have several hundred hits per day before you add advertising. Also, if you put a lot of ads on before you build credibility with your readers, you are apt to scare them away. Don't be greedy, just wait.

How to Blog: Adsense & Clicking Your Own Ads

If you do have Adsense on your site, NEVER CLICK ON YOUR OWN ADS! Google will ban your forever!

How to Blog: Write Original Content| Don't Copy and Paste Old Content

2.) Write ORIGINAL content frequently. By original I mean in you own words. NEVER copy and paste large sections of content from other sites. DONT use the E-Zine Articles (the have articles that people can use without copyright restrictions)! Believe it or not Google scours the web for content that might be the same and doesn't index (include in search results) most of the stuff that has a copy out there. This is not always true, but for a new website, you don't want to be doing that.

How to Blog: Target Your Content

3.) Target your content to what people are searching for. One of the best ways to establish a begining website is by specifically writing articles about the specific word phrase people frequently search for, but there isn't a lot content on.

How to Blog: Free Search Engine Keyword Tool

Go to this address: http://freekeywords.wordtracker.com/keyword-suggestion-tool.html?seed=christian&adult_filter=remove_offensive&suggest=Hit+Me

Bookmark that page. If a keyword is not already in the keyword box, type in "christian." The top 100 (daily) searches relating to this keyword will show up. It will look something like this (only small section of it included):

60,003 searches (top 100 only)
Searches Keyword
60,003 total searches
3066 christian bible group icebreakers
2938 free christian powerpoint backgrounds
2361 christian song lyrics
2107 christian newswire
1709 christian lyrics
1653 christian
1565 christian music lyrics
1533 christian music
1325 christian backgrounds
1241 christian easter crafts
1190 christian e cards for free
1166 christian interpretation of dreams

How to Blog: How to Target Traffic and Keywords and Phrases

Go through through the list and search for each phrase in the google search engine. I always target Google because it get's 70 percent of search traffic. A lot of the other search engines are stupid and take a long time, but they will eventually start indexing stuff. Don't worry about trying to optimize for them though. When you search for the word phrase put quotes around it, like this "christian interpretation of dreams." When the results show up, check how many results there are. If the number is pretty low (preferably below 50, but a lot of times below a couple hundred works too), that is a good phrase to target. It is even better when the keyword phrase doesn't appear or appears only a few times in the title of each of the search results. Write a post about that topic, and very important, use that keyword phrase as the title of your blog entry (blogger makes the title of your entry the title tag for the page. The title tag is what shows up as the title in the search results and if you look in the bar at the top of your browser, it will be up there to).

How to Blog on Blogger: Keep Your Blog Title SHort

4.) Keep the title of you blog short. Blogger makes this title part of the title tag too. The titles in search results are about this long:

-----------------------------------------------------------

If your blog title is about this long*,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------,

the title of your blog entry wont have much space to show the keyword phrases you should be using in your title. For example, the name of my blog is Joe's AdBlog. It's a pretty short blog name and the blog entry title still has enough space to show up in the searches.

*These sizes may look different depending on your browser and if your computer has the fonts that I'm using.

How to Blog: How to Add a Blogger/Blogspot Sitemap to Google and other Search Engines

5.) Add a sitemap of your website to Google. Do this by going to www.google.com/webmasters/tools. Type in the address of your website in the add site box, and hit the add site button. Somewhere on the next page, it will say verify site. Click that. Once on the page, select the option for embedding code. COpy the code and paste it into the html code right after the "head" tag (it shouldn't be to far down). You can access the html code by hitting the "Layout" button on your dashboard and then hitting the "Edit HTML" button. Once this is done, go back to the Webmasters Tools window. Click the "Sitemaps" button. Click "Add Sitemap." Click the down arrow. Select "General Web Sitemap." Enter rss.xml and add. When that is done, add another one. The name of the next one is atom.xml.

How to Blog: Using Google Webmasters Tools

6.) Come back frequently and check the stats that google provides in the webmasters tools area. I don't have time to explain them.

How to Blog: Add Site to Google Analytics and Verify

7.) Add your site and verify in a similar manner in Google Analytics (search for it). Play around with different stuff and there and learn what it's for.

How to Blog: Adding Inlinks, Increasing PageRank, Using Digg and Blog Directories

8.) This is important. Add inlinks to your site. Inlinks are links from other sites that are pointing to yours. Google has a very complex system that uses these inlinks and other things to determine what your sites PageRank will be. Inlinks have a huge factor in increasing your site's PageRank. Comment on forums, do link exchanges, yahoo answers, and more. Add your content to Digg.com, del.icio.us and others. Go to my site, www.advertisingadvice.blogspot.com. Scroll down until you see the Top Blog buttons and all those other ones. Click through them and add your site to those directories. I don't have time to explain more, but remember this, add links, add links, and add links. Try to add them from sites that have a high page rank. DONT add them to spam sites and stuff like that, you'll get google wanting to block your site as being spam.

How to Blog: Remarkable Content, Articles, Photos, Videos, and More

9.) If you want a lot of readers, you want to get people to talk about your stuff. So make your articles REMARKABLE. Remarkable stuff gets remarked about (or talked about). Average isn't good enough. Everybody does average. Make your information and content OUTSTANDING!

How to Blog: These 9 tips Should give you a good start. Read my SEO pages for more info on getting traffic from search engines

Just some quick tips to get your blogger site started. There's a lot of other things, but if you can learn how to do the above well, you'll have a good start.

Marketing Video about remarkable marketing

2008-05-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Below is a great video on marketing. Seth Godin talks about making your innovation or new product and/or marketing message something that is remarkable. Something that is remarkable is something that people will remark about. Again, as I've said in previous posts, the best way to get your message out is through word of mouth communication.

Need real marketing or design? Visit my website (www.josephkolb.info) or e-mail me (joe@josephkolb.info).

Sample Email Marketing Ideas or Plans | Part 2

2008-05-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

This entry is continued from the my pevious entry on e-mail marketing. Read that one first.

Email Marketing Idea: XYZ K9 Health Meter E-newsletter

My suggestion would be to have a monthly e-mail newsletter with various dog health tips, tricks and news updates. This e-mail would be called the K9 Health Meter and would be for current customers. If there is a low percentage of people who are opening your current e-mail campaign messages, then there is some has probably been some “spoiling of the commons.” To curtail increased aversion, a prudent decision would be to first send out the newsletter in print format, and then make the transition to an e-mail format once there has been adequate time for an adoption process to take place. Just a sample of what you could do with email marketing.

Email Marketing Idea: XYZ K9 Health Meter – Breeders Edition

The second form of e-mail advertising that could be implemented is similar to the K9 Health Meter for current customers and will have similar content to it, but the information will be modified to target breeders. The breeder’s e-mail addresses could be gathered from InfoDog.com’s National Breeders Directory. A rough estimate of the numbers of e-mail addresses within this directory is between 5,000 and 10,000. This presents a huge potential in terms of sales volumes. Breeders are more likely to invest in high quality dog food and are more educated on dog health. Also, they usually have more dogs than most consumers, which, of course, could lead to even greater sales volumes.

Just a sample email marketing idea that could be used. What you do depends on what your company does, but there are concepts that can be drawn from these ideas that will help your email marketing campaign.

Care has to be taken when sending the e-mails because the breeders haven’t chosen to get the e-mail updates and it is possible that they aren’t aware of the XYZ brand name. Therefore, it will be essential to keep any sales solicitations to a minimum or to nothing and to keep messages as non-invasive as possible. The logo, positioning statement, and contact information will be in a banner at the top. After some adoption has taken place, then products can be features in a column on the left side of the e-mail. Adoption would be measured by analysis data indicating an increase in readership. The website and blog URL will be featured with “More information and articles.”

Topics would include breeding health information and topics that relate to your products. An example of a topic would be one discussing why a specific ingredient is beneficial to a canine’s health. Another example topic would be one discussing why typical dog food choices are harmful, such as “Rice Kills Dogs.”

Email Marketing Ideas: Happy Dog Photo Contest

My next plan for the use of e-mail marketing would be to have a dog photo contest called the “Happy Dog Photo Contest.” An e-mail will be sent out to current customers announcing this contest and would encourage consumers to reply to the e-mail with a photo of their dog looking “happy.” The winner of the contest will receive a prize consisting of several of the XYZ products, a dog cancer treatment book, and $500. The photos that are sent in will be posted on the XYZ website and each photo will have a feature that allows people to vote for each one. Besides the announcement e-mail, the contest will also be promoted with banner ads on websites such as www.ihasahotdog.com/. This is discussed in further detail under the banner ads section of the IMC plan.

By using the concept of a dog’s happiness with the XYZ brand name, their will be an association created between the two. Once this association has taken place, the idea that XYZ products promote their pet’s happiness will become part of the XYZ brand image (the particular thoughts or feelings that a consumer has about a brand). This is an example of marketers call the brand image creative style. Advertising and promotions that use this type of style attempt to develop an image or identity for a brand by drawing meaning from various concepts, ideas, or symbols and then transferring those meanings to the brand’s image. The concept of happiness was chosen because, generally speaking, a happy dog would be considered a healthy dog.

Once there has been enough time to receive e-mails (2-3 weeks) with photos attached, the photos will be sorted and the best 20-50 (depending on your website resources, the number could include all the photos sent in) will be posted on the website. Another e-mail will be sent out telling your customers that voting has opened. They will also be encouraged to send a link of their dog photo to their friends, so that they can help vote for their photo. When the friends vote, they will be exposed to the XYZ brand and products. This will encourage word-of-mouth communication, which is by far the most effective form of marketing.

On the website pages that contain the contest photos, there will be product listed in a column along the side of each page. There will also be messages between the photos, such as “XYZ– We care about your pet’s happiness and health”

These are just sample email marketing ideas. Come up with ideas on your own that will serve your company's needs. Remember to apply the various concepts cover in this article on email marketing ideas and my article about email marketing.

Email Marketing Campaign Solutions

2008-05-12T12:14:00.000-07:00

Email Marketing Campaign Solutions: Substitute for Postal Mail?

E-mail was once thought of as a substitute for postal mail and telemarketing. Email marketers believed it would be one of the most effective forms of advertising because marketing messages could be easily directed at meeting specific needs of specific people. Email marketers were also attracted to the fact that the cost of sending an e-mail marketing message ranges from nothing to nearly nothing. Because of these two factors, companies started sending out large numbers of e-mail marketing messages. This lead to what is known as the “spoiling of the commons.” Also known as the “tragedy of the commons,” this term refers to the excessive and damaging use of what effectively amounts to a free resource. Marketing communications expert, Terence Shimp, once said the following when explaining this term:

Email Marketing Campaign Solutions: Spoiling of the Commons

“Common grazing land for cattle represents the classic case of spoiling the commons. Imagine a situation where a large field is available for all farmers in a community to feed their cattle. All is well as long as not too many animals graze the field and the grass can naturally replace itself at a rate faster than it is consumed. But if there are too many cattle grazing the field, the grass can’t recover rapidly enough and in the long term the field may become bare – certainly unable to support the number of cattle grazing it. In short, the commons have been spoiled.”

Email Marketing Campaign Solutions: Annoyance with Email Marketing Messages

Similarly with e-mail advertising (or marketing), too many people have sent email marketing messages and too many of those email marketing messages are spam email marketing messages. This has led to a greater and greater annoyance with email marketing messages that are spam, and with messages that are perceived as such. The key to unspoiling the e-mail advertising (or marketing) commons is by first and foremost receiving recipient’s permission to send them e-mail marketing messages and e-mail advertisements. A second important means of reversing negative feelings towards e-mail marketing messages is to send e-mail marketing messages that will interest people. Few people like to be advertised to, so the key to a successful e-mail marketing campaign is to design it to be as non-invasive as possible. People don’t want to read a three page e-mail marketing message about how they should buy a product. It may work for some people for awhile, but not for many people and not for long.

Email Marketing Campaign Solutions: Provide Valuable Information

For example, if you are company trying to sell dog health products, instead of trying to sell one of the XYZ dog health products by writing an e-mail marketing message that attempts to convince the consumer to make a purchase directly after reading the e-mail marketing message, it would be far better to provide valuable information to the consumer about dog health. This would provide something to the consumer that the consumer wants to know and would encourage a positive brand image of the XYZ brand. No direct mention has to be made about making a purchase. The e-mail marketing message would have the XYZ logo and limited information about the brand, such as the positioning statement.

Email Marketing Campaign Solutions: Sample Email Marketing Ideas

My next post on email marketing has some sample email marketing campaign ideas that could be used with the XYZ dog health company mentioned above.

Hope you enjoyed this article on email marketing campaigns and ideas

Internet Marketing Strategy - Website Strategies

2008-04-29T10:46:00.000-07:00

In the below video, Tim Berry, MD, talks about the importance of having an internet marketing strategy. I’m going to type out what he says for those of you who have slow internet connections.

Internet Marketing Strategy: Important Concept to Grasp

Having a marketing strategy is one of the most important concepts that you need to grasp before you begin your online marketing career or before you begin online marketing for whatever business you have, including network marketing. The concept that we’re going to cover is the difference between strategy versus tactics. And I want to tell you, it took me several years to really grasp this. It was actually several years before I first about the difference and once I found out about it, it changed my career online forever because it became more efficient and more effective in everything I was doing. The reason most businesses fail online – especially online – is that the business owner doesn’t know the difference between a business strategy and a tactic.

Internet Marketing Strategy: Business Strategy VS Tactic

We’re going to talk about those differences so that you can understand the importance of developing a good strategy. Number one, it’s going to save you a lot of money. It’s going to save you a lot of time, which is the most important thing. A good strategy allows small businesses – especially home businesses – to more effectively utilize their limited resources. I mean let’s face it, we’re not billion dollar companies. We don’t have unlimited supply of experts out there that we can go to for help. So we’ve got to have a good solid foundation before we start implementing various tactics and tools. And finally, developing a good strategy forces you to think more about your purpose and commit to a solid game plan. And that’s the key. I think sometimes we get swept away in this online marketing world with all these fancy new tools and the new software out, and we forget about our main purpose and our objective about what we are trying to accomplish.

Internet Marketing Strategy: Keeps you focused

So as long as you have that marketing strategy lined out it’s going to keep you from veering off course and getting distracted. Having an Internet marketing strategy is going to allow you to decide which tactics are congruent with your overall plan so that you can utilize them to achieve whatever results or whatever goals you want to achieve. Having just a handful of tactics without that strategy will almost certainly lead to failure. Plus it’s a big waste of time as I already mentioned. I call it pinball marketing. When you start working online you are going to start getting e-mails from different experts and e-mails about the experts that they are endorsing. You are going to get to see all these great tools and the more you research them you are going to realize that you need some other tools and other tactics and other e-books and information products. And before you know it, you are jumping all over the place. You spent a fortune. You haven’t done one single thing that’s congruent with your overall business plan. And like I said it ends up being a big waste of money. You get a lot of doubt, you get depressed, and you give up. I mean you can really kill your business just by getting swept away in all that. So, having that strategy lined out first and understanding your purpose is critical before you start implementing any tactics.

Internet Marketing Strategy: Short Term and Long Term

The difference between strategy and tactics is number one, strategy is a longer term plan, whereas tactics are shorter term actions that utilize tools, tactics, resources and services. I say that strategy requires commitment, whereas tactics require testing, tracking and tweaking. They require a little more day to day work, whereas the strategy is your commitment over the long hall. Over a period of time. Perhaps a year. Strategy is your roadmap for your overall plan. Whereas, a tactic is a vehicle for the trip. So those are just some analogies that I like to use.

Internet Marketing Strategy: Very Important

I heard a great marketer, Steven Pierce, once say, “An acorn does not necessarily equal an oak tree. It’s certainly necessary, but it’s not sufficient. There are a lot of other things that go into it, including sunlight, rain, soil, minerals and different things.” But, unfortunately, in the online marketing world, most marketers think acorns. They are looking for acorns to keep planting acorns and thinking that they will have some miracle result. But they need to be thinking the oak tree. They’ve got to think the whole tree, and that’s the business strategy. So I hope that makes a little more sense to you now. You need to be aware of this and you need to develop a strategy ASAP or you are going to be wasting money and time every single day from here on out. When I work with students and businesses, I will not work with people who do not have that strategy. And that goes for all types of marketing. I hope this has been helpful and I hope it makes a lot of sense. Go make that plan!

Hope you enjoyed the Internet Marketing Strategy / Website Strategies blog entry and video. Feel Free to comment

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Nonverbal Communications - Body Motion - Smell - Paralanguage - Touching - Classifications

2008-04-24T21:14:00.000-07:00

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION
Let’s further examine probably the most important way we communicate. It’s not writing, it’s not speaking, but it’s nonverbal communication. Some believe that as much as 85 percent of our communicating is done nonverbally. What is nonverbal communication? The best way to describe it is to list the classifications of nonverbal communication.

NONVERBAL COMMUNICATION CLASSIFICATIONS

Body Motion — Using your body to communicate. Examples would be shrugging your shoulders, crossing your arms, kicking the dirt, and pounding your fist on a desk. This is typically what we think of when we talk about nonverbal communication.

Proxemic — The use of space. Whether someone stands close to you or not and whether you want him/her to stand close to you or not sends a message. We value our personal space—and if someone we don’t want near us stands near us—it sends a message of intimidation.

Olfaction — Smell. If someone uses too much perfume or cologne, it sends a “notice me” message. If someone’s odor is unpleasant, it implies that his or her physical hygiene is not good.

Paralanguage — This includes sounds, but not words—for example, yawning, laughing, and crying. Also, it includes voice inflection. You can give the same words different meanings by bringing your voice up or down in pitch, softer or louder, etc.

Touching — When someone touches us it sends a message—either we like it or not, we feel comfortable with it or not, etc.

Artifacts — These are physical factors like the clothing we wear, the color of our hair, how tall we are, etc.

One of the most important times that a person should be aware of nonverbal communication is in a job interview. As much as we might think, “I’m not removing my nose ring for the interview, employers should accept me for who I am.” Dream on!!!

There are acceptable nonverbal workplace practices related to such things as how you dress, how you sit in a chair, how you wear your hair, the words you use, your attitude, etc. We shouldn’t kid ourselves into thinking that workplaces accept every kind of nonverbal message. For example, many businesses have guidelines about visible tattoos. I am aware of a bank that will not allow any employee who has an exposed tattoo to deal directly with customers. You might think, “Oh, come on,” but companies are allowed to set up nonverbal guidelines that are appropriate for the workplace.

WRITING & GRAMMER RULE ARTICLES
Comma, Semicolons, Colons
Quotation Marks
Abbreviations & Titles
Using "I" or "Me" and the Use of "Self" Pronouns
Double Adjectives
Transcribing Numbers
Separate and Joint Ownership
"Who" Versus "Whom"
How to use commas
Persuasive Writing

Persuasive Communication Strategy
Communicating Bad News
Communicating Bad News / TIps and Tricks
Communicating with People with Disabilities
Cross Cultural Communications
Types of Communication and Characteristics
Nonverbal Communications

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Types of Communication and Characteristics / Spoken / Written / Nonverbal / Aural

2008-04-21T09:06:00.000-07:00

TYPES OF COMMUNICATION

Listed below are the four types of communication and their characteristics:

Spoken communication — using the spoken word to communicate

It’s fast
It’s temporary (unless recorded)
It uses inflection (people can tell how you feel by the tone of your voice!)

Written communication — communicating in written form

It’s time consuming
It’s permanent (that’s why contracts are put in writing)
It loses the advantages of inflection (although you can use punctuation marks—they just aren’t as effective in relaying tone as voice inflection)

Nonverbal communication — communicating through methods such as body motion, physical appearance, etc. (we will discuss nonverbal communication in more detail in just a minute)

Most important way in which we communicate
Oftentimes done unconsciously
Has geographic and cultural overtones (in some countries, it’s appropriate to shake hands when meeting someone for the first time, in other countries you simply bow, etc.)

Aural communication — listening

The ability to listen, not just hear. Hearing is purely physiological. Listening is the ability to interpret what you hear

It is important not just to emphasize what is communicated, but the form that the communication takes.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Pop-ups, Interstitials, Superstitials, and Video Ads

2008-04-17T15:02:00.000-07:00

All of these type ads are usually alot more dynamic then banner and display ads. These ads can use motion, sound, and sights. Generally, people consider these types of advertising annoying and try to avoid them when possible.

Pop-ups are advertisements that load in a seperate window while the page a user selected is being displayed. Some pop-ups have timers on them that allow them to "pop-up" after the page has been shown for a certain amount of time. While pop-ups are very attention getting, they are also very annoying. Researchers have found that the annoyance level towards pop-ups is 8 times greater than the annoyance level towards television advertisements. If a website has a considerable number of pop-ups, users tend to look elsewere for information. Alot of people are installing pop-up blockers that block most of the pop-ups from being displayed. This is just another negative aspect of this type of advertising. I would consider looking into other forms of advertising before resorting to the use of pop-ups.

Interstitials are advertisements that appear between two the content of two web pages. This type of advertisement isn't as annoying as pop-ups because the ads tend to run in between the loading of the two pages. A good aspect of interstitials, for the advertiser, is that the ads can't be stopped as easily as pop-ups can be. With pop-ups, you can just hit the exit button, but if you want to see the content after an interstitial, you have to wait for the entire ad to play.

Superstitials are animated ads that play on top of the content of a web page. Sometimes yahoo has these on their home page. On Yahoo, these ads usually are set to go away pretty quickly, but on other sites they can remain for quite some time.

Online video ads being used more and more frequently. Google has been trying with some success to launch a video ad program as part of there adsense and adwords programs. Alot of the online news and video websites have short video commercials that are played at some point in the video content. This type of advertising is relativly new and can be expected to improve in the future.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Display or Banner Internet Advertisements / Ads - Click Through Rates and More

2008-04-14T11:58:00.000-07:00

The most popular format for Internet advertising is display or banner ads. These ads can be a variety of shapes and sizes. Before you create an advertisement be sure to check the specifications that the website or advertising service has for this type of advertisements. Banner advertisements can be static or interactive. Most people reading this have probably seen the banner ads on the social networking website, myspace, that have interactivity. They encourage increased click through rates by having an interactive game in the advertisement.

Generally, click through rates for this advertising format are very low (usually less than .03 percent). This means that most of the banner advertisements that a consumer is exposed to on a website get ignored and don't get clicked. Even though most banner ads aren't clicked by a consumer, there is still the benefit of enhancing brand awareness.

There are a variety of ways of getting you ad to get more attention and break through the clutter. Make sure you ads are in higher spots on the web page and that most of the ad shows above the bottom of the browser window. Try viewing the website in 800 x 600 resolution and find spots on the site that are good for advertising and above the bottom of the browser.

Make sure that your ads are well designed and that any photos in the advertisement aren't pixelated. Nothing scare potential customers away more then having shoddy looking ads. Keep them clean and professional. Don't try to cram to much into the ad. This is especially important with web advertisements because the image can never be as sharp as it is in print. Think of an advertising message and try to convey that with as little information as possible.

Research that has been done on click through rates reveals that brands that are familiar to a target market have a higher click through rate than other less familiar brands. The research has also shown that CTR (click through rates) for familiar brands decrease as the number of exposures (a.k.a., ad impressions) increases. The opposite is true about less known brands. Understanding this can help marketers plan the exposure rates for each advertisement campaign. This does not imply that well know brands don't benefit from banner advertising. Even though consumers might not click on the ads, it can create top of mind awareness of the brand.

Make sure if you are picking your own websites to advertise on that you pick websites that aren't overly cluttered with advertisements. Choose a website that has relatively few advertisements. Even if they are more expensive, they are still better. Some website have some many advertisements that a consumer starts to ignore all the advertisements.

Change the size and shapes of you advertisements. Don't use the same format for all your advertisements. Research has shown that large ads are considerably more effective than the traditional full banner (468px by 60px) ad size. Try some of these other sizes that have been created as standardized sizes by the Internet Advertising Bureau: Skyscraper (120x600), Wide Skyscraper (160x600), Rectangle (180x150), Medium Rectangle (300x250), Large Rectangle (336x280), Vertical Rectangle (240x400), and the Square Pop-Up (250x250).

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Key Internet Features / Individualization and Interactivity

2008-04-04T20:31:00.000-07:00

This is an excerpt from the book Advertising and Promotion by Terence A. Shimp. If you want to have a thorough understanding of advertising and promotion you should get the book.

"Individualization and interactivity are key features of the Internet and of advertising in that medium. Individualization refers to the fact that the Internet user has control over the flow of information. This feature leads, in turn, to the ability to target advertisments and promotions that are relevant to the consumer. Interactivity, which is intertwined with individualization, allows for users to selest the information they percieve as relevant and for brand managers to build relationships with customers via two way communication. We now elaborate on the importance of the Internet's interactivity feature.

Traditional advertising media vary in the degree to which they are able to generate mental activity from consumers. Nonetheless, all these media engage the consumer in a relatively passive fashion: the consumer listens to or sees information about the advertised brand, but he or she has limited control over the amount or rate of information recieved. What you see (or hear) is what you get. There is action but no interaction. Whereas action involves a flow in one direction (from advertiser to consumer), interaction entails reciprocal behavior. This idea of reciprocity generally defines the nature of interactive media. Interactive advertising enables the user (who no longer is a "reciever" in the traditional, passive model of communications) to control the amount or rate of information that he or she wishes to acquire from a commercial message. The user can choose to devote one second or 15 minutes to a message. He or she is, for all intents and purposes, involved in a conversation with the commercial message at a subvocal level. A request for additional information occurs with the push of a button, the touch of a screen, or the click of a mouse. In all instances, the user and source of commercial information are engaged in a give and take exchange of information - communications intercourse rather than mere transmission and reception. By analogy, a North American football quarterback throws the ball, and the recievers attempt to catch it. Comparitively, in British rugby, players toss the ball back and forth as they advance downfeild - each player both passes and recieves; their relation is analogous to the give and take reciprocity that defines interactive advertising.

The Internet is undeniably a more interactive advertising medium than most. Nonetheless, it is important to note that the Internet as a medium for advertising is not homogenious; rather, there are a variety of different forms of online advertising. These range from e-mail and banner advertisements, which typically offer relativly little opportunity or desire for interaction, to ads encounted when one activly searches a product category or topic (referred to as search engine ads that appear as sponsored links when one conducts, say, a Google search), which generate more interaction."

I thought the author did a good job talking about it, so I decided I'd just quote him. Get the book.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Communicating with People with Disabilities: Disability Facts

2008-04-03T12:26:00.000-07:00

COMMUNICATING WITH PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Below is an article that discusses issues related to communicating with people who have disabilities.

Communicating with People with Disabilities

Produced by Adaptive Environment Center under contract to Barrier Free Environments, NIDRR grant#H133D10122

Please note: This material is based in part on Achieving Physical and Communication Accessibility, a publication of the National Center for Access Unlimited, and Community Access Facts, an Adaptive Environments Center publication.

Employees or customers who have disabilities will feel most comfortable at your place of business if you consider these suggestions for effective communication:

Disability Facts: General Considerations

Do not be afraid to make a mistake when meeting and communicating with someone with a disability. Try following the suggestions below. Imagine how you would react if you were in similar situations. Keep in mind that a person who has a disability is a person, and, like you, is entitled to the dignity, consideration respect, and rights you expect for yourself.

Disability Facts: How to Treat People with Disabilities

Treat adults as adults. Address people with disabilities by their first names only when extending the same familiarity to all others present. (Never patronize people by patting them on the head or shoulder.)
Relax. If you don't know what to do, allow the person who has a disability to put you at ease.

Disability Facts: Offering Assistance and How to Help

If you offer assistance and the person declines, do not insist. If it is accepted, ask how you can best help, and follow directions. Do not take over.
If someone with a disability is accompanied by another individual, address the person with a disability directly rather than speaking through the other person.

Disability Facts: "People First" Terminology

Place the person before the disability. Say "person with a disability," rather than "disabled person."

Disability Facts: How to Talk about the Disabled

Avoid referring to people by the disability they have, i.e.., "an epileptic," "blind people". A person is not a condition Rather, refer to "a person with epilepsy," or "people who are blind."

Disability Facts: Wheelchairs

People are not "bound" or "confined" to wheelchairs. They use them to increase their mobility and enhance their freedom. It is more accurate to say "wheelchair user" or "person who uses a wheelchair."

Disability Facts: Physical Disabilities

Do not make assumptions about what a person can and cannot do. A person with a physical disability is the best judge of his or her own capabilities.
Do not push a person's wheelchair or grab the arm of someone walking with difficulty, without first asking if you can be of assistance. Personal space includes a person's wheelchair, crutches, or other mobility aid.
Never move someone's crutch, walker, cane, or other mobility aid without permission.
When speaking to a person using a wheelchair for more than a few minutes, try to find a seat for yourself so the two of you are at eye level.

Disability Facts: Visual Disabilities

Identify yourself when you approach a person who is blind. If a new person approaches, introduce him or her.

It is appropriate to touch the person's arm lightly when you speak so that he or she knows you are speaking to him or her.

Face the person and speak directly to him or her. Use a normal tone of voice.
Don't leave without saying you are leaving.

If you are offering directions, be as specific as possible, and point out obstacles in the path of travel. Use clock cues ("the door is at 2 o'clock").

Alert people who are blind or visually impaired to posted information.
Never pet or otherwise distract a guide dog unless the owner has given you permission.

You may offer assistance if it seems needed, but if your offer is declined, do not insist. If your offer is accepted, ask the person how you can best help.

Disability Facts: Hearing Disabilities

Ask the person how he or she prefers to communicate.

Disability Facts: Speaking with an Interpreter

If you are speaking through an interpreter, remember that the interpreter may lag a few words behind - especially if there are names or technical terms to be finger spelled - so pause occasionally to allow him or her time to translate completely and accurately.

Disability Facts: Talks to the Person who is Deaf

Talk directly to the person who is deaf or hard of hearing, not to the interpreter. However, although it may seem awkward to you, the person who is deaf or hard of hearing will look at the interpreter and may not make eye contact with you during the conversation.

Disability Facts: Get the Attention of the Person You Are Addressing

Before you start to speak, make sure you have the attention of the person you are addressing. A wave, a light touch on the shoulder, or other visual or tactile signals are appropriate ways of getting the person's attention.
Speak in a clear, expressive manner. Do not over-enunciate or exaggerate words.
Unless you are specifically requested to do so, do not raise your voice. Speak in a normal tone; do not shout.

To facilitate speech reading, face into the light and keep your hands and other objects away from your mouth.

Disability Facts: Speech Reading

If the person is speech reading, face the person directly and maintain eye contact. Don't turn your back or walk around while talking. If you look away, the person might assume the conversation is over.

Disability Facts: Writing a Message

While you are writing a message for someone who is deaf or hard of hearing, don't talk. The person cannot read your note and your lips at the same time.

If you do not understand something that is said, ask the person to repeat it or to write it down. The goal is communication; do not pretend to understand if you do not.

Disability Facts: Sign Language

If you know any sign language, try using it. It may help you communicate, and it will at least demonstrate your interest in communicating and your willingness to try.

Disability Facts: Speech Disabilities

Talk to people with speech disabilities as you would talk to anyone else.
Be friendly; start up a conversation.

Be patient, it may take the person a while to answer.

Give the person your undivided attention.

Ask the person for help in communicating with him or her. If the person uses a communication device such as a manual or electronic communication board, ask the person how best to use it.

Speak in your regular tone of voice.

Tell the person if you do not understand what he or she is trying to say. Ask the person to repeat the message, spell it, tell you in a different way, or write it down.

To obtain information quickly, ask short questions that require brief answers or a head nod. However, try not to insult the person's intelligence with over-simplification.

Disability Facts: Cognitive Disabilities Or Mental Disabilities

Treat adults with cognitive disabilities as adults.

Disability Facts: Be Alert to Responses / Visual Forms of Communication

When speaking to someone who has a cognitive disability, try to be alert to their responses so that you can adjust your method of communication if necessary. For example, some people may benefit from simple, direct sentences or from supplementary visual forms of communication, such as gestures, diagrams, or demonstrations.
Use language that is concrete rather than abstract. Be specific, without being too simplistic. Using humor is fine, but do not interpret a lack of response as rudeness. Some people may not grasp the meaning of sarcasm or other subtleties of language.

Disability Facts: Brain Injuries

People with brain injuries may have short-term memory deficits and may repeat themselves or require information to be repeated.

Disability Facts: Auditory Perceptual Problems

People with auditory perceptual problems may need to have directions repeated, and may take notes to help them remember directions or the sequence of tasks. They may benefit from watching a task demonstrated.

Disability Facts: Perceptual Problems

People with perceptual or "sensory overload" problems may become disoriented or confused if there is too much to absorb at once. Provide information gradually and clearly. Reduce background noise if possible.

Repeat information using different wording or a different communication approach if necessary. Allow time for the information to be fully understood.

Don't pretend to understand if you do not. Ask the person to repeat what was said.
In conversation, people with mental retardation may respond slowly, so give them time. Be patient, flexible, and supportive.

Some people who have a cognitive disability may be easily distracted. Try not to interpret distraction as rudeness.

Do not expect all people to be able to read well. Some people may not read at all.

WRITING & GRAMMER RULE ARTICLES
Comma, Semicolons, Colons
Quotation Marks
Abbreviations & Titles
Using "I" or "Me" and the Use of "Self" Pronouns
Double Adjectives
Transcribing Numbers
Separate and Joint Ownership
"Who" Versus "Whom"
How to use commas
Persuasive Writing

Persuasive Communication Strategy
Communicating Bad News
Communicating Bad News / TIps and Tricks
Communicating with People with Disabilities
Cross Cultural Communications
Types of Communication and Characteristics
Nonverbal Communications

Persuasive Writing Lesson / Writing Techniques for Marketing

2008-03-31T08:51:00.000-07:00

Page 1 2 3 4

PERSUASIVE WRITING LESSON

This all leads us (READ Previous posts) to the step-by-step communication process used to either write or speak in a persuasive manner. Here it is:

1.) Persuasive Writing Tip: Get Attention

Attentionthe first thing you must do in persuasive communication is to gain the reader's or listener's attention. Give them a reason to continue to pay attention to you.

2.) Persuasive Writing Tip: Gain Interent

Interest-once you have their attention, you can't leave them there. Next you must build their interest. How does the product work? What does the product do? Which colors does the product come in? Can I see a photo of the product?

3.) Persuasive Writing Tip: Create Desire

Desire-now you have to make the “sale.” Give them some reasons they can't live without your product. It saves money. It saves time. It has beauty or status. We call these the "why buys."

4.) Persuasive Writing Tip: Get the customer/reader to take action

Action-get the customer to take action. Tell them how to order, how much it costs, the choices for payment, how long for delivery. Everything they need to know to take action.

This process is commonly called the AIDA form of persuasive communication (taking the first letter of each step).

WRITING & GRAMMER RULE ARTICLES
Comma, Semicolons, Colons
Quotation Marks
Abbreviations & Titles
Using "I" or "Me" and the Use of "Self" Pronouns
Double Adjectives
Transcribing Numbers
Separate and Joint Ownership
"Who" Versus "Whom"
How to use commas
Persuasive Writing

Persuasive Communication Strategy
Communicating Bad News
Communicating Bad News / TIps and Tricks
Communicating with People with Disabilities
Cross Cultural Communications
Types of Communication and Characteristics
Nonverbal Communications

Types of Appeals / Ethical / Emotional / Logical

2008-03-31T08:49:00.000-07:00

Page 1 2 3 4

So how do you get it across to me that I need to buy your product or hire your service? You make an appeal. This is what most advertising and marketing is based upon. Below are the three types of appeals that are normally used.

THREE TYPES OF APPEALS

Ethical Appeal
-an appeal made to someone's or something's image. This is the type of appeal used frequently in political advertisements. For example, politicians have been known to criticize their opponents to attempt to elevate themselves. Also, ethical appeals are effective when a customer writes a company and says, "I've always thought of your firm as being professional and customer oriented, but…."

Emotional Appeal
-an appeal made to an emotion. This is used in many types of advertising and marketing. Companies try to make you fearful of not having insurance or make you want to look good driving that convertible.

Logical Appeal
-an appeal made to a person’s ability to reason. This is the most effective type of appeal—but the least used. Why? Because it requires significant time to develop and can't easily be put into a 30-second commercial. The process would be to give me logical steps, "If this is so, then you must conclude this, etc."

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs / Self-Actualization / Esteem / Social / Safety / Physiological

2008-03-31T08:46:00.000-07:00

Page 1 2 3 4

MASLOW'S HIERARCHY

Self-Actualization
(highest level need—your need to be totally satisfied with your life, oftentimes associated with philanthropy)

Esteem
(your need to excel—not just be a member of a group, but to be the president. Higher education is oftentimes placed in this category)

Social
(your need to belong and affiliate with other people and groups)

Safety/Security
(your need to feel secure in your environment)

Physiological
(your need to eat, sleep, and breathe)

Maslow stated that in order to move up the hierarchical ladder, you have to basically meet the needs of the previous step. This has nothing to do with "growing up." You could be 65 years old and be fixated at the Safety/Security stage. So, we may buy insurance to satisfy a safety/security need, we may join a club to satisfy a social need, and we might go to college to satisfy an esteem need. One common theme holds—our needs are what motivate us to act (or not to act).

Persuasive Writing / Communication / Writing Rules and more

2008-03-31T08:41:00.000-07:00

Page 1 2 3 4

PERSUASIVE COMMUNICATION

It's safe to say that a good deal of the communication that occurs in the workplace can be put into two categories:

Persuasive (get people to buy your product, get people to use your service, get people to vote for you, get people to hire you)

Bad News (we're not extending you the job offer, we're not extending you the loan, we can't refund your money).

We will look at both in the following blog entries.

WHAT MAKES US TAKE ACTION?

Ever since we were young, we've spent a good deal of our time trying to persuade people. We cried when we were hungry to get someone to feed us, we tried to persuade our parents to let us stay out late, and we tried to persuade our teacher that we didn't deserve that "F"!

So what makes people take action? Needs. We have needs and, if you can appeal to a person’s needs, you can oftentimes get them to do what you want. In the business world, this means everything from demonstrating how slick your car is, to showing how much your toothpaste brightens teeth, to getting people to sign up for your low interest credit card.

The most influential needs research was done by Maslow. The following blog entry will talk about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

WRITING & GRAMMER RULE ARTICLES
Comma, Semicolons, Colons
Quotation Marks
Abbreviations & Titles
Using "I" or "Me" and the Use of "Self" Pronouns
Double Adjectives
Transcribing Numbers
Separate and Joint Ownership
"Who" Versus "Whom"
How to use commas

Does Adsense Work?

2008-03-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

Does Google Adsense really work? That is a question that get asked often by those who are interested in it and by those who have started using it. For those of you who may not know what Google Adsense is: Adsense is an advertising service that Google provides to webmasters. It's a service that you earn money from, or at least you hope to. The way it works is that you place Adsense HTML code in your own website or blog code. This code will then be used to display ads that are related to your content. For example, if you blog is related to classic books, then the Adsense advertisements on your blog will be advertisements from companies that deal with classic books or maybe provide free classic books for users to read online.

Every time someone clicks on one of your advertisements, you recieve some revenue. How much you recieve per click is an amount that is determined by Google by a number of factors. Which include, the positioning of the ad and by how much people will be willing to pay for a keyword relating to your topic. The Adsense advertisements are created in Google's Adwords service. Advertisers target their advertisements to a series of keywords and phrases that they would like for their advertisements to show up for. For example, to advertise this website, I would bid on keywords like "advertising" and "marketing." How much I bid on the two keywords will depend on how much I'm willing to pay for the most targeted display, and how much others have bid for your keyword.

Whether or not adding these advertisements generate you income will depend on a variety of factors, all of which I won't discuss at this point(look for more future entries on the topic coming soon), but I will give a brief description of why or why not Adsense generates income.

The answer is yes, Adsense works for some people, but probably not most. By "Adsense working" I mean, generate substantial income for your efforts. It works for people who have ALOT of traffic and who haven't clicked on your own ads. NEVER click on your own ads. You can't trick google, they have a very good system that determines if people click on there own ads, and you will NOT get away with it. If they determine that you have clicked on your own ads multiple times, you will be banned from google.

Income from adsense is ALL about TRAFFIC. Traffic, traffic, traffic. I will be posting entries soon on how to generate traffic, both for your blog and for your website.

If used correctly Google Adsense can provide some decent income. Some people even make a living from this type of advertisements. This doesn't happen often, but it can be done. So to get started you should create an Adsense account and then learn how to use it. Read all you can. Read this blog and others, and then write good content. Read about making money online and about advertising your website/blog. Once you have learned all you can, start writing blog entries and update your website regularly. VERY often is the best. I will be adding more entries on this topic, so check back soon.

Below is a List of My Most Read Entries
Search Engine Optimization
Presentation Skills & Public Speaking Presentation Tips & Ideas
Sample Marketing Plan IMC Integrated Marketing Communications
72 Examples of Best Print Advertisements
Business Letter Format/ Formal Letter Writing

Joe's AdBlog

Seth Godin Linchpin Review - Are You Indispensable?

File Names and Search Engines

File naming is easy to do

Use Punctuation Marks in File Names

Little things make a difference

File names that make sense and are good for seo

Email Cover Letter and Resume Tips

Top 10 Cover Letter Writing Tips

59 SEO Ranking Factors

Top Ten Fun Recycling Project Ideas

Recommendation Report Format / Template / Outline

32 Best Outdoor Advertising Advertisements

Top 5 Online Ad Mistakes

# 2

# 3

# 4

# 5

Top 10 Title Tag SEO Mistakes

Print Ad Archive : Ads 73 thru 79

Print Ad Archive : Ads 73 thru 79

Print Ad Archive : Ad 73

Print Ad Archive : Ad 74

Print Ad Archive : Ad 75

Ad Archive : Ad 76

Print Ad Archive : Ad 77

Print Ad Archive Ads

72 Creative Advertising and Marketing Ideas, See the Rest

Additional Ads Not Part of this Archive

Top 5 Factors of Good Web Design

Optimizing Alt Tags for Search Engines

Search Engine Placement Tricks

Heading Tags and SEO

Passive Approach to Search Engine Optimization

Passive Approach of Search Engine Optimization

Purpose of Search Engine Optimization

Purpose of Search Engine Optimization Article

>Example of How Search Engine Optimization Is Used

Bad News Letter & How to Tell Someone Bad News

Bad News Letter Or In Person | BAD NEWS STRATEGY

Bad News Letter Or In Person | 1. Provide a Buffer

Bad News Letter Or In Person | Technique Used In Negotiation

Bad News Letter Or In Person | 2. Give Explanation/Provide Information

Bad News Letter Or In Person | 3. Offer the Decision (Either Stated or Implied)

Bad News Letter Or In Person | 4. Provide a Positive/Neutral Closing

Bad News Letter Or In Person | COMMUNICATING BAD NEWS

Bad News Letter Or In Person | Soften Bad News

Bad News Letter Or In Person | Don't Use Personal Pronouns

Newspaper Advertising Tips

Top 11 Presentation/Public Speaking Tips

#1 Topic & Purpose

#2 Stay on Track

# 3 Purpose

# 4 Credibility

# 5 Stimulating Emotions and Feelings

# 6 Presentations that Acknowledge & Honor

# 7 Know Your Audience

# 8 Make Your Presentation Fit Understanding of Audience

# 9 Know as Much About Your Audience As Possible

# 10 Choosing Audiovisuals

Overheads/Transparencies

Chalkboards and Flip Charts

Audio and Audiovisual Equipment

Handouts

Computer-Generated Presentations

# 11 Ethics

Keep Messages Accurate

Deception

Consistency

Confidentiality

Holding Back Information

Confront Unethical Behavior

Be Sensitive to Those Troubled by Unethical Behavior

How Are RFID Tags Used and How Do They Work?

RFID Tags Technology: What Are RFID’s?

Circuit Board Sends and Recieves Radio Wave Frequency Signals

History of RFIDs(Radio Frequency Identification Devices}

Types of RFIDs Used on Products

Active RFID Tags or chips

Passive RFID Tags (Radio Freqency Identification Devices)