Marketing continues to be a mystery . . . to those who create it and to those who sponsor it. Often, the ad that generates record-breaking volume for a retail store one month is repeated the following month and bombs. A campaign designed by the best Madison Avenue ad agency may elicit a mediocre response. The same item sells like [...]

The bottom line of all advertising efforts is an obvious one: to attract customers and bolster sales. But often small business advertising is wasted on a shotgun approach that doesn’t focus on the company’s best prospects those who are ready, willing and able to purchase the product or service. In an attempt to reach “everybody,” these advertisers either miss their [...]

Ask most small business owners the best way to improve sales of their products or services, and you will probably hear a wide range of responses: “Reduce the prices,” “Increase your advertising,” “Improve service” and so on. One unlikely reply would be “Conduct some marketing research.” While marketing research has been a driving force in large companies for years, small [...]

Every online marketer who has a web site is always looking for ways to increase traffic to their web site. There are many ways to do this, however, one of the most powerful ways is to offer a Free Contest! Why? Because it’s human nature to want something for free. Web site contests have been around as long as the [...]

One of the main problems within the “inner circle” of the mail order business is that everyone is selling everyone else’s products. Pages crammed full with commission dealerships is turning a good thing out of hand. It’s been said over and over again, but newcomers to the industry should realize that they need to develop their own products and services. [...]

The opportunities for getting free advertising for your product or services are limited only by your own imagination and energies. There are so many proven ways of promoting your objectives without cost that it literally boggles the mind just to think of listing them. One way is to write an article relative to your particular expertise and submit it to [...]

Regardless of what you’re trying to sell, you really can’t sell it without “talking” with your prospective buyer. An in attempting to sell anything by mail, the sales letter you send out is when and how you talk to your prospect. All winning sales letters “talk” to the prospect by creating an image in the mind of the reader. They [...]

Billions of dollars aimed at helping businesses stretch their advertising budgets are going unclaimed each year because many owners don’t know about co-op advertising, recent industry studies have revealed. A relatively unknown form of advertising, co-op is a cost-sharing arrangement in which manufacturers and suppliers provide financial assistance for customers’ advertising programs. It can often make the difference in whether [...]

Experts say that the average sale takes about seven contacts before it’s closed. If you are contacting your sales leads only once (i.e. by mail, phone, or e-mail), you are wasting your hard earned marketing dollars. Think about following up several times with your sales leads before moving on.

Every successful company uses some sort of promotion to influence certain audiences – usually customers or prospects – by informing or persuading them. Reasons for promoting a business include: increasing visibility; adding credibility to you or your company; enhancing or improving your image; and bringing in new business. The following cost-effective, easy-to-execute ideas have the power to increase sales in [...]