Lessons Learned From Retargeting Customers

Just because a customer goes searching on a specific website doesn't mean they can't be "approached" again at a later date with the same product. This concept of online marketing is referred to as retargeting or remarketing.

You've probably experienced this as a casual internet surfer without even realizing that you've been retargeted. If you go to a site like Amazon and search for T-shirts a banner ad from Amazon for that product could pop up on another website you visit later in the day.

With the use of tracking cookies, advertisers can follow you around multiple websites and target specific advertisements.

And guess what? It works.

Retargeting customers has been known to drive conversion rates up by 70%. Here are the best ways to create a retargeting campaign.

Pick the right platform.

As you approach retargeting, you'll have two options with regard to the type of programming platform you can utilize. A managed platform will have you partnering up with a retargeting provider that will help you set up your campaign using specific metrics. The self-service platform gives you more control over the targeting of audience segmentation and customer tracking.  The provider can walk you through the process. A few examples of the kinds of online retargeting providers to look at are Google Adwords, ReTargeter, AdRoll and FetchBack.

Pick the right campaign settings.

Once you settled on which provider will be helping you launch your retargeting effort, you'll need to determine your targeting parameters. In other words, how will you find the customers you're looking for?
For instance, will you be selling your product overseas? Many retargeting vendors offer default settings to advertise to international consumers. If that's not a market you're ready for, make sure they "click off" that option. The same goes for setting up the specific time and day when you run your retargeting ads. If you're a site like Amazon then you're a 24/7 business.

However, if you have a sales forces that needs to deal with customers during specific hours than those are the hours when your retargeting should be running. There are other factors like cookie duration and offer rotation which need to be taken into account. Once again, your provider should be able to walk you through these factors.

Pick the right segmented audience profile.

Retargeting lets you get specific with your customer base. For instance, you might sell products to men and women but they aren't necessarily the same products. You want to be able to segment your audience profile so the right ads reach the right customer. It might help you divide your website into those specific areas of interest that will appeal to various demographics.

Pick the right tests.

The strength of a successful retargeting campaign will be based on which ads work. You need to test your campaigns for optimal results. You should test variables such as ad headline, ad copy, background colors, images and calls to action. Using analytic testing will help you find out which is the most effective approach to your retargeting. 

Top 3 Affiliate Niches For the Home Entrepreneur

Affiliate marketing enables website owners to profit from advertising other products and services on their own website. Users visit the website, click through on an affiliate ad and subsequently make a purchase can provide the website owners with a percentage of that sale or a commission for the affiliate based on click throughs.

Finding a profitable niche market is important to becoming successful in online marketing for the entrepreneur at home.  Choosing the right niche will determine what kinds of affiliate products you will be offering and the type of website that you will be creating.  When picking a desirable niche that will work for you, consider the following:

How strong is the competition?  You don’t want to play against high-trafficked websites as you won’t be able to keep up especially if your marketing budget is non-existent. 

Can you make good money?  If your profit margins are less than 30% per sale, don’t bother selling the product. Remember, affiliate marketing should be treated like a business, so make a business plan to determine if your ROI is worth the time.

Can you stand out and be unique? With the thousands of websites out there, you have to be unique to stand out. Either through great content or unique services, make sure that that your prospect remembers you positively.

It also can help to be passionate about the niche you choose, especially when you’re just starting out.  It’s usually harder to stay motivated when you don’t care much about a topic, so being interested in what you’re selling can help to earn you more money.

Here are some of the top affiliate niches for you to develop as an online entrepreneur.

Personal Finances

Everyone wants to make money or save money. Your niche business can tap into those desires. You will be showing others how they can save money or start a business. In doing so, you should strive to present honest and valuable information – from interviews to researched articles.   

When it come to saving money, there are many topics you can tap into including reducing debt, finding the right car loan, budget planning or retirement savings. If you can focus on any one of those single areas with helpful product you'll be ahead of the game. As an affiliate business, you can offer products such as eBooks or newsletters. There is certainly an abundant array of those products to choose from in the financial niche market.

Self-Help Topics

This niche can cover a broad spectrum of topics. You should try to focus on one popular area such as organization, self-improvement, relationships or motivation for success. Within those areas you'll be able to utilize the material offered for sale by many reputable life coaches or self-help gurus who have already achieved a level of success and notoriety.

Added into the variety of written information, you could also offer podcasts and videos as part of a complete program of self-help. There are even live webinars where you can direct visitors towards. Everything you offer spins back to the idea of you making money for the click throughs. When you can pull a visitor to your self-help site and get them to buy a book about online dating tips or attend a webinar about finding success then you'll be making money.

Weight Loss

People are always trying to lose weight or getting in shape. And for many people, the quicker they lose weight, the better it is for them. Which is why losing weight is such a profitable niche for a lot of affiliates, as everyone is always looking for a quick fix. You can create a quick website that promotes eBooks on dieting, supplementation, gaining muscle or even sports performance.

The advantages of affiliate marketing are many, where you can generate passive income that will pay out over time without having to hold any products. 

...And if your niche is small business - check out the CorporationCentre.ca Afffiliate Program!

Does Facebook Advertising Work?

One billion plus.

That's how many current Facebook users there are. More than likely, by the time you read this article there will be millions who have signed up for this social network.

Even if you were to get a response rate of a fraction of a single percent point, your advertising would still be reaching a lot of potential customers.

There are other reasons why Facebook advertising is a good investment. Consider these advantages:

·         Targeted Demographics

Effective advertising comes down to targeting your demographics. Facebook advertising allows you to get very specific in terms of your potential customer base. Not only can you focus on gender and age groups but also on the many "likes" that a Facebook user can tap into. If you're selling hockey jerseys then you'll want to get your ad in front of any fan of the game. Facebook can help position you to those demographics. 

·         Going Local

Not only can Facebook help you focus on demographic groups but also on geographic locations. Everyone who signs onto Facebook has the ability to "mark their spot." This affords local businesses the chance to reach out to those customers who are spending directly in their community.

·         Effective Marketing Spending

As you prepare your Facebook advertising campaign you'll be able to project just how many users will see the ad. This is important for the kind of pay per click ads that Facebook excels at. You'll be able to scale your budget to fit the potential reach of your ad. That will make your marketing dollars have a stronger ROI.

·         The Viral Effect

Whenever a Facebook user "likes" your company page, that "like" will show up on their news feed which in turn is posted on the news feed of all their friends. This can have a snowball effect of spreading your message even further as hundreds of more users are exposed to your ad.

·         Custom Branding Choices

The Facebook ad allows you to use powerful images that can draw attention to your post. Because of the ease of accessibility, you can change up those images and find which ones work best for your campaign.

The bottom line is that a billion potential viewers are logging onto Facebook on a fairly consistent basis. In terms of online marketing, this is really the greatest reach of any site out there.

As with any type of advertising campaign there is no guarantee of success.

However, with Facebook advertising you can start small with a targeted campaign, test its effectiveness and roll out a wider reaching strategy.

Definitely worth exploring.

Marketing to Kids in Canada: Things to Watch Out For

Many parents think that when it comes to television advertising aimed at children it’s like the “Wild West” where anything goes. In actuality, there are some very strict guidelines to follow with regard to marketing to kids in Canada. The first consideration is to classify what is meant by children’s advertising. These would be commercials that are packaged before, during or right after any type of children’s programming. In this case, “children” are defined as anyone under the age of 12.

The Canadian Association of Broadcasters established a Broadcast Code for Advertising to Children in 1971. The following are a list of the highlights of this code that the advertisements must adhere to. A commercial for children should:

·         Use age-appropriate language that is accessible to the target audience. 

·         Refrain from any type of content that could inspire children to harm themselves such as wild stunts.

·         Collect only the minimal amount of personal information for a contest that would allow a child to participate in that activity.

·         Restrict the advertiser from dealing with anyone other than the parent or guardian of a child who wins a contest.

·         Require that a child must get their parent or guardian’s permission before handing over any type of personal information.

·         Refrain from using any of the personal information gathered in a contest to advertise products that aren’t age appropriate for children under 12.

·         Refrain from collecting any date from the children about their family’s financial status.

·         Keep third parties out of the equation when it comes to this personal information.

Self Regulation

For the most part, companies are permitted to self regulate their advertising practices. However, when it comes to children’s advertising those ads must be submitted to the CAB for approval before going on the air. Even with those approvals, parents still retain the right to complain about a company’s advertising practices. These complaints would be submitted to the Canadian Code of Advertising Standards. On the average the ASC receives about 1,200 complaints a year for general advertising but only received one complaint for a child-directed commercial. This is an indication that companies who do advertise for children take that role very seriously.

Factual Presentation

In terms of the actual presentation of a product, advertisers must adhere to certain factual considerations such as:

·         Any representation of a product cannot exaggerate its function in terms of speed, color, durability etc.

·         The size of the actual product needs to be established.

·         The words “new” or “introducing” can only be used in context with that ad for up to a year.

Finally, marketing to children can’t involve direct pressure to purchase or use a product. They also can’t encourage kids to tell their parents to “Buy me this!” The general rule of thumb to apply would be what would you want your kids to see in a commercial?

How To Get Good Reviews

 

Everybody is a critic. It’s amazing how much we all rely on reviews and not just professionally written pieces but the “word of mouth” from our friends. How many times have you been turned off from a movie because your friend said it wasn’t good? Thanks to the internet we have even more opportunities to share our reviews. Giant ecommerce site Amazon was first to allow customers to post their own reviews good, bad or indifferent. Now every business that sells a product has gotten into the act with this very effective and low cost method of online marketing. While it is true that administrators of sites can edit or delete reviews it might be better to be honest with your customers. The hope is that the majority of reviews will be positive.

How can you get great reviews for your product? Try these helpful tips:

Write Them Yourself

This is nothing dishonest about this. You’re selling a product you believe in why shouldn’t you share your opinion? You also have direct access to your own circle of friends and family who can help your business a great deal by writing reviews and posting them. Don’t think for a minute that other businesses aren’t doing this because they all do!

Offer Rewards for Reviews

While it’s true that every customer will have an opinion about your product, that doesn’t mean every customer will be motivated to write and post a review. Why not provide them with a little added incentive? You can offer them a discount coupon or a free product for every review they post. Just ask them to send you the link for verification. This can be an ongoing online marketing campaign to help spread the good word of your company. You might also want to encourage them about disclosing the incentive. There’s nothing wrong with a review that says, “I got a coupon to write this but I would have written it anyway!”

Make It Easy For Your Customers

If you’re an ecommerce business then a lot of your customer interactions could be through emails. You can add a signature to every email that is sent out asking for a review and inserting a link where they can post it. For instance, it always helps to have reviews on your site but if you know you can get a good posting from a customer send them over to Yelp or one of the other review sites. When you provide them with the link you’ll not only make it easy for them but also introduce them to a site which could be beneficial for their own use. It’s win/win all around.

Share Your Reviews

Once the word gets out there is nothing stopping you from sharing those positive reviews on your own site. You can copy and paste reviews from Amazon or Yelp onto your own testimonial section of your website. Don’t have a testimonial section? Get one!

Working with CAN-SPAM and the Canadian Privacy Act

The CAN-SPAM Act in the US was created over eight years ago in response to the increasing amount of email spam that people were receiving in their inboxes. However, in spite of the efforts of the government and lawmakers to make it easily understood for everyone, there still is confusion over what exactly does the CAN-SPAM Act does or doesn’t do. 

The US CAN-SPAM Act was created to stem the flow of unsolicited bulk email or spam as a form of commercial advertising, thereby trying to prevent the abuse of email addresses by shady online marketers.  Congress passed the law in 2003 after much debate, becoming effective on January 1, 2004.

In creating the law, Congress has set out basic guidelines for email marketers to follow:

1.       Email marketers should not mislead recipients as to the source or content an email

2.       People should be allowed to decline or unsubscribe from any email message from any source.

However, the CAN-SPAM Act does not restrict any business from sending an unsolicited email to another company for business purposes. However, it does mention that if a person wants to opt-out of receiving emails from a particular company, the business must comply.  Other guidelines are:

·         Any unsolicited messages must not have misleading subject headings.

·         All emails must have an unsubscribe or opt-out link that is valid for 30 days after the email is sent. If the receiver wants to opt-out, you have 10 days to comply with that demand.

·         All ads must be identified as commercial advertisements in the email.

·         Every advertising email that you send out, must have a physical mailing address clearly marked in the email.

·         You cannot sell or share email addresses of people who have unsubscribed from your list.

In Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) governs email marketing practices in the country.  Enacted in 2004, the PIPEDA is different from the CAN-SPAM act in that it governs how personal information is distributed and managed online.  In brief, it states that:

·         Emails marketers must obtain permission from the recipient when collecting their personal information and must be kept secure once collected. 

·         Any data collected cannot be shared or sold to another party without express permission of the recipient.

·         A double-opt in signup method is required for Canadian residents. 

·         You are liable for any data collected and stored. If there is a data breach, you will be at risk for any damages occurred. 

·         Like the CAN-SPAM act, you must have an unsubscribe link in your email clearly indicated. 

For the typical B2B marketer, these regulations were not meant to be present a challenge. The purpose of both the CAN-SPAM and PIPEDA was to protect the consumer from any scams or phishing attacks that are commonly found in B2C campaigns.  As long as marketers observe the regulations set out by both countries, there should be no problem in sending out emails.

Where is Facebook Heading? What the Experts Are Saying

If you happen to be one of the lucky workers who started out at Facebook and were paid in company stock then congratulations! You are about to become a multimillionaire. That's because Facebook is going public. With the initial IPO, estimates are that Facebook could pull in a whopping $5 billion when the company stocks are put up for sale later this year. This is a business move that has many tongues wagging over the prospect of what lies ahead for Facebook and online marketing. Considering that Facebook currently has over 845 million registered users it's no wonder that they are thought to be the social media giant that is here to stay.

The Value of Facebook

As part of the IPO, Facebook had to open up the books and reveal exactly what has been going on "behind the curtain." What the financial records have shown is that of vast array of businesses, both large and small, are pouring increasing amounts of advertising money into Facebook to promote their goods and services. These advertisements can be targeted to specific demographics allowing for a more direct return on investment in terms of pay per click advertising.

Jos White, who is the cofounder of Notion Capital, recently discussed with Forbes online the value of Facebook as it heads into the future. “Valuation is all based on future growth and potential. The bulls will tell you that they will do more than $8 billion this year and continue 100% growth for some years to come, which is phenomenal for company of this size,” he commented. “The argument is that Facebook will be the advertising platform of the 21st century because of the size of its user base, the level of engagement and also the far reaching nature of the platform across its website and applications.”

The Reach of Facebook

Not only was the announcement of Facebook's IPO good for that company and its shareholders but it also provided a boost to the various other social networking sites and their stocks. This would indicate that when it comes to online marketing tapping into a social media network is crucial for many companies.

CEO and cofounder of Somo, Nick Hynes, also commented to Forbes online about Facebook's market potential. “Facebook has market dominance; it has reach, velocity and gorilla status. It seems to be unstoppable in terms of user acquisition,” Hynes said in the interview. "While country-specific social networks have been enduring in some areas, Facebook has overtaken market leaders in Poland, Germany and the Netherlands, to name just a few, and will soon be the most widely used network in Brazil."

Next Up For Facebook

Beyond the appeal of connecting with family and long-lost friends, Facebook also allows its users to engage in many online activities such as games and surveys. The games have been adapted to be played as part of the community. This is taking social networking and online marketing to an entirely new level as it introduces online gaming too many users who probably would never even consider these types of activities. This is how Facebook is creating an ever expanding universe of online social outreach and powerful online marketing programs.

Do the Super Bowl Ads Work?

Since its inception, baseball has been dubbed America's favorite past time. However, Major League Baseball doesn't even come close to pulling in the kinds of audience numbers that the Super Bowl does every year. Based on the ratings the network, which has the rights to air the game, can charge exorbitant amounts of money for a 30 and 60 second spot. For Super Bowl XLVI, NBC was able to lock down prime positioning for commercials at a whopping $4 million per spot. Keep in mind that those spots sold well before the final two teams were picked for the game.

Do Super Bowl ads really work? If you consider that this year's audience topped 110 million viewers then clearly those advertising dollars were money well spent. A small business might not have that kind of revenue resources to pour into a single commercial. However, were they to create a compelling ad becomes "buzz worthy" a small business could turn into a very big business overnight.

Building a Brand

While it is hard to tie specific sales figures to a particular Super Bowl commercial, it is easy to measure improvements in a company’s brand name. A strong brand name can have consumers searching out those particular products when shopping time rolls around. In other words, no one will rush out to buy a Chevy pickup right after the Super Bowl. But something might have resonated with a potential car buyer that increases the awareness of Chevy. Because of that, when they're ready to hit the auto dealerships they might just give Chevy a look.

Advertisers want to create a positive experience about the products or companies they are producing commercials for. This is how a small business selling a product or service can gain a foothold in a competitive marketplace. One of the most effective ways of doing this is to have a commercial that is so popular that it demands increased viewings.

Going Viral

In 1984, long before social media and viral videos, Apple bought air time for one spot during the Super Bowl for their “1984” Macintosh ad, introducing the first personal computer. The ad ran only once on a major network, but has become one of the most influential commercials of all time. It actually managed to go viral through news program, even before the concept of viral was popularized!

The viral phenomenon has changed the advertising landscape greatly. By now you’ve had enough time to watch, re-watch, share and discuss the best (and worst) ads from last week’s game. Today, buying just one ad spot during the Super Bowl can translate into thousands or even millions of views on social media websites. 

With the advent of sites like YouTube and Facebook Super Bowl ad viewings have greatly increased. More folks will re-watch the Super Bowl commercials and send links to them than ever before. This means that the typical 60 second spot watch by 110 million viewers will have that number increase over time. The more someone watches a commercial the more entrenched that brand name will become. Last year's Super Bowl spot featuring a diminutive Darth Vader trying to use the force to turn on a Volkswagen Jetta was one of the most-watched commercials of all time. That was a big help to Volkswagen.

Sex and Humor Sells

A common theme that runs through many Super Bowl ads are sexy spokesmodels and lots of laughs. This brings up the issue of GoDaddy.com In 2005, Go Daddy.com aired their first Super Bowl spot featuring a sexy model in a revealing tease that encouraged viewers to head over to their website to see the rest of the commercial. This was a brilliant piece of marketing that had the viewers scrambling to get to the Internet! As a result, GoDaddy.com was able to instantly establish its brand name even though a sexy model had nothing to do with the product it was selling. Since then the GoDaddy.com commercial has become an annual favorite that viewers look forward to during the Super Bowl. They went from a small business pulling in 16% of the market share to an online giant now capturing 50% of the market share all based on that first Super Bowl commercial. They are just one of the many examples proving that Super Bowl ads do work.

Memorable Advertising

The great thing about Super Bowl ads is that they can be so creative and memorable that the ads can easily be associated it to the brand. The Budweiser clydesdales. The E-Trade talking babies. The Geico cavemen. Marketers know that when brands are easily associated with their commercials, they’ve made a good ad. But this isn’t always the case.  Sometimes brand association can backfire if the ad content is too good, making the brand become lost in the story line. Conversation may be spurred about the content of the ad, but can fail to create buzz around the brand itself. For instance, can anyone remember what brand the ‘Ferris Beuller’s Day Off’ ad was for? Anyone? Anyone?

There was a time, before the popularity of the internet and social media, when most people would call advertisers crazy for shelling out millions for one ad spot during the Super Bowl. But now that people have the ability to easily re-watch and share their favourite ads, it makes spending such large amounts actually seem worth it in the end for the branding, memorability and buzz that are afforded to the Super Bowl big spenders.

5 Ways Small Business Can Use Social Media

Social media is hard to avoid these days – everyone seems to have at least one account on a social media website. So when marketing your company – whether big or small – you have to go where the people are. You may think that only big name companies can be successful on websites like Facebook or Twitter, but social media is the ideal platform for small businesses running marketing campaigns on tight budgets. Here are 5 ways small businesses can use social media successfully to market their companies.

Customer Service:

Social media is all about connecting, engaging and interacting with customers and it puts customer service on a whole other level. Facebook and Twitter gives users the ability to post or tweet comments or questions directly to you, which allows for a more informal and real-time approach to helping customers. Asking for customer feedback, suggestions or comments will help to start the conversation flowing if you’re finding interaction to be one-sided. And, it’s important to respond to ALL customers, whether positive or negative. Keep the communication honest and open and your customers will appreciate the effort.

Networking:

For small businesses, networking is a great way to generate leads and find prospective customers. Social media sites liked LinkedIn make it easy for small businesses to network professionally from the comfort of their computers. Connections are made first through people you already know but from there you can find mutual connections, follow companies, join discussions, and take part in Q&As. All of this gives you a continuously expanding professional network at the tip of your fingers.

Advertising:

For small businesses that are wary of the enormous costs associated with traditional media like print, radio and television, social media gives you an inexpensive and measurable alternative. And again, because everyone is already using social media, it’s become the best place to advertise. The Facebook and LinkedIn advertising platforms are web based, easy to use, and cost effective. Your budget is up to you, you can start, stop and modify your ads at any time, and you only pay when someone clicks. On top of that, you can easily measure the results of your campaigns through metrics that allow you to analyze impressions, clicks, click through rates and spend while your campaign is running.

Inbound Links:

If you’re thinking about using social media for your business, chances are you’ve got a website already. Inbound links are links from external sites that bring traffic to your website. The more your website is linked on outside sources, the more traffic or referrals you’ll get. Plus, inbound links help increase your ranking in major search engines if the inbound links are relevant and of good quality. So posting information to your blog which links to your website, then posting to Facebook and LinkedIn, and tweeting it on Twitter can create direct clicks, shares, or re-tweets – all of which contributes to inbound traffic to your website.

Branding:

Get your name out there! I’ve said it twice and I’ll say it again – go where the people are. You might find social media intimidating (“what if no one ’Likes’ us?”) but it’s all about interacting and building relationships, no matter how many people are watching. Don’t expect major results over night and don’t try to compete with the big guys, but stay active online by posting relevant, interesting and fun information on a regular basis and eventually you will have built your own community within the larger social media framework.

Since social media is still relatively new to most people and seems to be constantly changing, it’s a good idea to keep on top of the latest trends and to pay attention to what other businesses are doing. Regular research helps to keep your business in the know when current social media platforms make significant changes or when new platforms are released. A good way to stay on top of the trends is to subscribe to RSS feeds from reliable tech news sources such as Mashable or Social Media Examiner. Tech blogs and Twitter trending topics can also give you an idea of the latest in social media development.

When it comes to social media the key is to watch what other people are doing, stay on top of what’s current and, most importantly, have fun with it!

Why a small business needs an ecommerce site

In the era before the internet, it used to be that small businesses would market their services locally through networking or word-of-mouth. Their marketing strategy was to provide great customer service, and grow organically until they could buy advertising in tv, radio or even print newspapers.

Today it may still be a good way to market, however, with the ease of creating an online presence, there is no excuse not to have your own website or an ecommerce store. It is a given that every brick and mortar retailer MUST have an ecommerce website, a social media profile on Facebook and a blog. If you don’t, it is reflected in your dwindling sales.

The internet has created so much efficiency that it has affected every aspect of your business, from:

• merchandising,

• pricing,

• marketing,

• promotions

• and even sales!

The true power of the internet is that you can automate one-on-one interactions to many people without having to lift a finger. This allows you to provide personal service to thousands of people from your location, without having to increase your staffing needs or even in some cases, technical know-how.

Some other advantages in having an ecommerce site are:

• Level the playing field between large and small businesses. With the right technology, you won’t be able to see the difference in service or performance.

• It saves you money. Keeping operating expenses down is a main factor as to why you should start an online store

• Reach more customers around the world. With a storefront in your neighbourhood that is already doing business, why would you even want to have an ecommerce website? Opening a brick and mortar store restricts you to your local area that you target. However, with an ecommerce site your market expands beyond your neighbourhood. You now have options to target any country that you want to... Done well, a business could double their profit margin just from their online business alone.

• Track everything your customer does online and on your store. The internet allows you to get a deeper understanding of your customer’s purchasing habits, all the way down to the individual client. All this data can be used to create brand loyalty, upsell more products for a higher profit margin and get into new markets.

By selling online, your company size doesn’t matter. All that matters is the shopping experience and whether the product is great! As mentioned before, ecommerce creates a level playing field where small businesses can compete effectively against the big boys.

Web 2.0: The Evolution of Advertising

Everyone is aware of the power of communication. And, perhaps one of the most influential modes of communication is none other than advertising. Similar to many other trends of the modern world, advertising has undergone considerable change in order to maintain its position of influence vis-à-vis modern society.
 

Advertising, by definition, is a sub-section of public relations (PR). PR has its origins in the early 20^th century. Edward Bernays is generally credited with coining the term and concept of PR. He viewed it as an applied social science to manage and manipulate the thinking and behaviour of the public.
 

Early television advertising concentrated on promoting products by bombarding the consumer. Fill the screen and fill the mind. However, the evolution of modern communication has given way to new methods of influencing the public. It would seem that mega-budgets of advertising creating "in your face" ads may not always be the most effective.
 

The Internet dominates our lives like no other media before it. Instant communications are a way of life. In fact, much of our communication today takes place via the Internet. Therefore, logic would dictate (applying the wisdom of Mr. Bernays) that dominating the Internet is the best way to manipulate public thinking.
 

Advertisers today have learned that their products and services must appear prominently on Internet sites. In this way, we will come to accept, almost naturally, that a certain product or service is part of our daily lives. Social networks like Facebook and Twitter serve as powerful advertising venues. In order to achieve a position of influence, advertisers have to bring their merchandise to the people and make it part of their everyday psyche. Rather than just glamour and glitter, advertising must speak to us on our modern terms so that we, in turn, can continue the chain of communication. As Bernays wrote in his book Propaganda (1928), manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is "the true ruling power of our country."

Incorporate in Canada with CorporationCentre.ca
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Beam Me Up, Captain Quirk

Advertising is a world of its own. Without a doubt, it has tremendous influence on our daily lives. Certainly, the more effective ads remain in our minds for seemingly an eternity. How many of us can remember jingles or advertisement characters from decades ago? Today, though, there appears to be a metamorphosis in advertising and a change in direction entirely.
 

Do an Internet search for the term "quirky advertising" and discover an entirely new realm. Gone are memorable characters selling products or scenes that evoke a warm, fuzzy feeling. Advertising, today, is moving in the direction of strange and weird. The norm in advertising today is quirky. Rather than extol the virtues of a product, advertisers are attempting to create strange beings, scenes, and concepts that have virtually nothing to do with the product. Rather, they hope that the consumer will easily remember the quirky advertising and associate that with the product. Of course, many a television program today is equally quirky and weird. Shouldn't the advertising complement that?
 

No, it shouldn't! Advertising, primarily on television, has become merely additional entertainment, rather than a medium for promoting sales. Entertainment for the sake of itself is perfectly legitimate but the jury is still out on whether or not these quirky ads have managed to attract consumers. Will a weird ad encourage you to purchase a product or simply tune in for the next installment of the advertisement?
 

With all the competition to produce odd and different types of advertising, it seems that connecting with the consumer – the primary goal – has been ignored. Perhaps, after the dust has settled and some of the strange creatures that inhabit the advertisements have been retired, consumerism will again be the driving force behind advertising.

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Common Mistakes of a Start Up

Most of us dream of becoming an overnight success. We have thought of the greatest business idea that will lead us to riches. It may happen. Then again, it may require good, old-fashioned hard work and dedication to make that first million. No doubt, though, that self employed entrepreneurs have that desire and drive to give it a try. By avoiding some common startup mistakes, the chances of success increase greatly.
 

It is vital to set yourself apart from others. You have to convince customers that your business is the right choice. What is your specialty that will entice business to come your way? Being the same as others in the trade won't cut it. Also, copying someone else's idea because they were successful at it won't bring you long term success.

You have to sell your service or product to the public. Don't expect a colourful flyer or flashy website to do the work. Similarly, your credentials are important for your credibility. But the bottom line is demonstrating what you can do with those credentials.
 

Did you start out with a business plan? Use this document to chart your business and don't be afraid to alter the plan as necessary. Many new businesses realize in the first few months that change is essential. Although you probably want to see your business in print, don't sink money into advertising until you've worked out the initial kinks and have settled on the long term version of your business.
 

Be sure to advertise your business where it counts. Get out and sell your service or product to the appropriate crowd. Also, don't let hecklers or criticism deter you. Setbacks happen. Don't let them overwhelm you. Marketing must be ongoing. Don't stop after a few tries. You want the public to identify you with your business. Continue the marketing and be persistent and convincing!  Motivate yourself and you'll succeed in motivating others. 

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Advertising Advice for Small Businesses

Undoubtedly, you will invest a good deal of time spreading the word about your new business. However, business requires a degree of volume. Therefore, advertising is a necessity. There are a variety of ways to advertise your new business, beyond merely speaking to people.
 

Even in this age of the Internet, many people still open the Yellow Pages when looking for a business. Of course, remember that the more visible your ad, the better your chance of being seen.
 

Newspaper ads are not just the realm of the major players. Your business will begin its path from a local market and local newspapers are the economical and effective way to attract a customer base. Don't forget to have an advertisement prepared professionally. An amateur look could harm your professional image.
 

A new business should avoid costly telemarketing. On the other hand, direct mail may serve you well as you can choose exactly which geographic audience you are seeking.
 

Do you have a supply of eye-catching business cards? Each card is a miniature advertisement. Give them out freely to whomever you meet. Also, you may want to enlarge your card and prepare a sign to stick to your car. Remember, it is hard to say that you can advertise too much.
 

Of course, budgets do factor into advertising. The size of your advertising budget will determine how much you can allow yourself.
 

Be sure to get around to trade shows. Networking at shows and conventions is a very effective way to make contacts and get known "in the business."
 

If you can afford it, local cable television advertising and radio spots may work for you. Similarly, sponsorship of local events in your community will earn you positive recognition.
 

Be creative and continually seek new and creative ways to advertise your business. It doesn't always require a large budget to market your business. Do what's best suited for your budget and be persistent.

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