Wednesday, March 2, 2011

How To Make A Great First Impression With Ad Copy + Landing Pages

Of course everything old is new again... copy sells
  1. Differentiation of the business, the how and why
  2. Promotion of a product or offer or a way of doing business
  3. Location and hours of the business or service


How To Make A Great First Impression With Ad Copy + Landing Pages

Sunday, February 20, 2011

5 Powerful Mind Success Strategies

5 Powerful Mind Success Strategies



Building a business is a fantastic and challenging experience.  You can wake up exhilarated to begin your day and go to bed feeling overwhelmed and frustrated.  The key to success is to maintain a positive, yes you can do it, mindset.

Easier said than done, right?  Here are 5 keys to help you create and sustain a positive mindset so you attain the success you desire.

1. Surround yourself with successful and positive people.  The influence people have over our own personal energy is amazing.  Moods and attitudes are so easily spread – think about how much of a difference a simple smile from a stranger can make for your day and then magnify it 1000 times to demonstrate the power of positive and successful friends, family and associates.  When you have people around you who inspire you, believe in you and want you to succeed, there's no room for doubts and even when they creep up, they're quickly swept away. 

2. Create a mantra or an affirmation.  Repeating positive affirmations has been shown to get people through tough times and to actually help them truly believe what they're saying.

For example, "I am building a powerful and profitable business."  Many of the most esteemed business professionals have used the same affirmation strategy to attain their success.  To find the right affirmations for you, consider writing a quick list of your doubts, insecurities and complaints.  These can then be quickly turned into affirmations.

For example, if you write that you're always feeling disorganized then your affirmation would be, "I am organized and in control."  Repeat your affirmations several times a day and feel the power of positive thinking.

3. Capture negative thoughts.  We all have negative thoughts from time to time, however, negative thoughts and emotions can derail us and prevent us from achieving all we desire.  Of course catching those negative thoughts takes practice and persistence.  When you find yourself thinking negative thoughts or having negative emotions, find a trigger to turn them around.  The affirmations mentioned above are a great way to turn the negative into the positive.  You can also find quick pick me ups like a favorite song, a walk outside in the fresh air, or some exercise to help improve your mood.

4. Set goals/intentions and then be willing to let it go.  The law of attraction says that we attract what we focus on the most.  However, desperation, needing your business to be a success, sends mixed messages and a lot of negativity into the universe.  Set your goals and intentions and then let them go.  A certain amount of faith in yourself and in the power of attraction is necessary.  Give it a try.

5. Be grateful.  Gratitude is perhaps the single most powerful and positive tool for success.  When you're grateful for all of the wonderful things and people in your life the challenges you face seem significantly less important and are more easily dealt with.

Consider keeping a gratitude journal and make a practice of entering into it daily.  That way, when you're facing challenges a quick peek at all the amazing things in your life will make you feel as if you can tackle anything.   Additionally, an attitude of gratitude helps you maintain a positive perspective and to face challenges as opportunities rather than obstacles.

Success is within your reach and with the right attitude you can accomplish anything you set your sights on.  Embrace these five powerful mind success strategies and you'll build a better business and live a happier, more satisfying life.

Saturday, January 22, 2011

Findability, SEO, And The Searcher Experience

... How the process does not end with just being found, what goes in to being chosen
Reliability, Credibility, Convenience, Special features and services, your current branding and market share...

Findability, SEO, And The Searcher Experience: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Saturday, January 15, 2011

Integrating Creative and directional Media, step one?

Both Creative and Directional advertising are important to the successful marketing and sales effort of any business or organization. Generally, with creative (TV, Radio,Newspaper, Billboard) you are "creating" the need by selling yourself. You need to have a strong, compelling, time-sensitive offer, and persuade customers to buy now rather than later or not at all. With directional (Search Engine Marketing,Internet Yellow Pages, print and online directories, Pay-per-click, Pay-per-action, direct response) you are "directing" an existing need by helping customers buy. You need to be found, then chosen.
I am firmly convinced that step one to any successful marketing platform is a strong directional advertising foundation. Before you need to worry about persuading or enticing a prospect to buy, you absolutely need to be able to allow prospects who are ready to buy right now...buy from you now. You need to be found, then chosen. You get found by where you are, you get chosen by what you say. The great part is that the very info you use to describe yourself (your uniqueness, what you do, how you do it and even why you do it) will automatically direct prospects who value and appreciate your approach, who "get you" to respond. It will probably also screen out those who don't think like you, but that's OK. You don't need everyone. The prospects who respond because they appreciate what you do and how you do it will spend more money, more often and be more enjoyable to work with over their lifetime value as a customer. They will also become more then just referral points, they will be advocates for you and your business.
Once you have that rock-solid foundation of directing ready-to-buy customers, THEN any creative advertising will be more efficient because the prospects whom you can't incentivize to act now, will hopefully at least, now have your name in their brain. When they have a need, your directional advertising can help convert them into customers
Here's a list I found regarding creative advertising and the number of times and advertisement is seen by a prospect:
1. The first time a man looks at an advertisement, he does not see it.
2. The second time, he does not notice it.
3. The third time, he is conscious of its existence.
4. The fourth time, he faintly remembers having seen it before.
5. The fifth time, he reads it.
6. The sixth time, he turns up his nose at it.
7. The seventh time, he reads it through and says, “Oh brother!”
8. The eighth time, he says, “Here’s that confounded thing again!”
9. The ninth time, he wonders if it amounts to anything.
10. The tenth time, he asks his neighbor if he has tried it.
11. The eleventh time, he wonders how the advertiser makes it pay.
12. The twelfth time, he thinks it must be a good thing.
13. The thirteenth time, he thinks perhaps it might be worth something.
14. The fourteenth time, he remembers wanting such a thing a long time.
15. The fifteenth time, he is tantalized because he cannot afford to buy it.
16. The sixteenth time, he thinks he will buy it some day.
17. The seventeenth time, he makes a memorandum to buy it.
18. The eighteenth time, he swears at his poverty.
19. The nineteenth time, he counts his money carefully.
20. The twentieth time he sees the ad, he buys what it is offering.
Thomas Smith, London, l885

Yes, from 1885! Creative works and can work BIG, especially with a good directional foundation