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Archive for December, 2009

Getting Other People To Say Your Name

No one is going to know your business exists unless YOU tell them about it render the type of service and quality to get others talking about it or pay someone else to do it. And the quickest way to do that is to invest ndash; yes invest ndash; in advertising.

But where should you advertise and how much of it should you do? How much should you spend? How often should you advertise? What form should it take?

Lots of questions. Lets look at some of the answers. And please note: Every advertising plan is unique so these answers are just possibilities ndash; suggestions ndash; and should not be construed as YOUR plan. You will need to investigate the possibilities for your product and your target market and come up with your own plan before you begin.

Where you advertise depends on your type of business and the area you want to cover. You might choose local magazines and newspapers or publications that are distributed free at local supermarkets and other retail and private outlets.

You might also consider radio spots or press releases to augment print ads. However if your business or idea could be of interest to people nationwide you might consider purchasing ads in vehicles that reach a wider market; sending press releases to newspapers and other publications throughout the US; or developing an Internet website or blog to reach clients who are hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

How much advertising you do depends on your budget. Weve already established that advertising is essential to identify you as a player in your market. You must decide how much you can afford to get your name out. Since advertising is an investment you will need to put a pencil to your finances to determine how much you can spend. Once youve established an advertising budget begin by contacting potential advertising outlets. Ask what they charge for various ad sizes. Ask about circulation numbers and deadlines for placement. Print ads will be priced by ad size circulation numbers and sometimes the location of the ad within the publication. Keep in mind that ads may cost more if they run in color.

Radio ads are generally sold as packages ndash; a certain number of ads of a certain length played in certain or various time slots for a package amount. Because their advertising rates are audience driven radio stations charge more for what is called drive time; ndash; the hours in the morning and afternoon when a lot of people are commuting to and from work. Before you commit to a radio package be sure to ask each station how many listeners they report for various times of day. Also smaller stations charge less than larger ones because they generally have smaller audiences. Research the size of the stations and the audiences they tend to attract. For example if your product is aimed at people between the ages of 15 and 24 you will want to choose stations with programming that attracts that age group.

You can also consider television advertising. However television advertising is more expensive and requires you to produce a commercial. This production will add to your upfront cost. Like radio television advertising is priced by ad length and the time of day the ads are played. In addition it is vitally important that any ad you produce looks very professional. It is tempting to think you can reach a large audience through TV but if you produce an unprofessional ad the audience will know and the result will be negative rather than positive for you.

In all cases weve talked about you will have to supply words that describe your product business or offer. Of course you wont need art for radio but you will need topnotch professional art and/or video for print or television advertising. You will incur an additional cost to produce that art ndash; either through the publication/TV station or another source.

The bottom line is getting other people to say your name in as many ways as possible to make your Brand stick and bring more business to your door!

About the writer:  Jacqueline BenjaminThomas is the copublisher of People You Need to Know a premiere business spotlight publication. She is also the coauthor of Grow Through It amp; Lead an inspirational book about getting through tough times and using the experience as a launching pad to reach the next level of leadership and success. Jacqueline invites you to visit her business website at http://www.sparkplugpeople.com and discover some of the top professionals you need to know in metro Atlanta.

Print Graphic Design Projects – Selecting Paper

Paper selection is an important element in print projects.

Selecting a paper can often be very confusing; there are numerous different types and brands of paper available today. When selecting paper be sure to keep in mind that the choice you make for your project will affect how it the printed piece is perceived. Before placing a printing order it is a good idea to request a paper sample for each paper you are considering for the project.

What Distinguishes Different Papers?

Finish: The finish of a paper is it’s surface texture. Uncoated and coated paper have different surface textures.

• Wove or Smooth A smooth uncoated surface.
• Laid A paper that is manufactured with textured lines on its surface. This finish is used mostly for business stationery elements like letterhead envelopes and business cards.
• Linen Similar to a laid finish this paper has textured lines on the surface of the sheet but they are finer and more regular than those that appear on a laid finish stock. This paper is also used frequently for business stationery.
• Laser A paper that is guaranteed to be compatible with laser printers.
• Coated A paper with a waxy finish shiny or matte.
• Uncoated A paper with an untreated surface that is dull and unreflective.
• Coated One Side C1S A cover stock that has a coating on one side and is dull on the reverse side.
• Coated Two Sides C2S A cover stock that has a coating on both sides.

Weight: The weight of a paper refers to its thickness and is measured in pounds . The higher the number the more equivalent weight a paper has the thicker/heavier the paper. *See the comparison table for more information on weights.

Opacity: A paper’s opacity is determined by its weight ingredients and absorbency. A paper’s opacity determines how much printing will show through on the reverse side of a sheet. Opacity is expressed in terms of it’s percentage of reflection. Complete opacity is 100 and complete transparency is 0.

Brightness: The brightness of a sheet of paper measures the percentage of a wavelength of blue light it reflects. The brightness of a piece of paper is typically expressed on a scale of 1 to 100 with 100 being the brightest. Most papers reflect 6090 of light. The brightness of a paper affects readability the perception of ink color and the contrast between light and dark hues.

Types of Paper

Offset: Also known as book or text paper offset paper can have a coated or uncoated finish. Offset paper is thinner and lightweight. It is often used for publication interior sheets brochures amp; flyers and letterheads. Common offset weights: 50 60 70 80 100. Bond: Bond or writing papers are most often used for letterhead. The most commonly recognized bond or writing stocks are:

• 20 A standard weight paper.
• 24 The preferred weight for most business papers letterheads.
• 28 Heavier paper less frequently used. Its thickness can sometimes pose problems feeding through laser printers. It is often used for outer envelopes.

Cover: Cover stocks are heavy in weight rigid and not easily folded. These papers are generally used for publication covers business cards greeting cards folders and postcards. They can have coated or uncoated finishes. Common weights for cover stocks include: 65 80 100 120 and 12pt.

Tag: Tag paper is a dense grade of paper that is strong durable and water resistant. Tag paper is typically used for hanging tags such as store tags on clothing or other products.

Index: Index paper is a stiff not too thick inexpensive paper with a smooth finish. It is often used for index cards and folders.

About the writer:  Caryl A. Clippinger is a graphic designer and a founder of Charlotte’s Web Studios L.L.C. a Virginia graphic design company. For more information about Charlotte’s Web Studios and additional graphic design tips and resources please visit http://www.CharlottesWebStudios.com.

Still Relying On Old School Recruiting Methods To Build Your Business?

While it is no secret that the Internet has kicked open the door for many successful network marketers many rely on old school recruiting techniques to build their businesses.

I have to admit that I was in the same category. I built my lists. I used my memory jogger. I passed out business cards by the dozen. And my warm market had turned ice cold.

I was getting really discouraged really fast. Why couldn’t anyone see the true potential of my latest venture?

It Takes Hard Work. Nothing In Life Is Free…

Let’s face it folks. Network Marketing is a tough road and almost 97 of Network Marketers fail.nbsp; That is a pretty bleak statistic. The sad part is that they fail due to a lack of knowledge not a lack of effort.

I worked hard at being successful at building my network marketing business but I started feeling really down because while rejection and hearing no is part of this business having my friends and family start to avoid me at all costs really made my prospecting efforts miserable. It certainly wasn’t fun know matter how awesome the compensation plan or lucrative the residual income potential.

Now don’t get me wrong. All the methods I’ve described so far do work and these particular methods have built many successful network marketing empires.

But for me I knew that I had to find a way to incorporate the internet into my prospecting efforts.

What I didn’t know when I started was that as I began to do the research and study the methods of internet pros who had built a massive amount of wealth utilizing the internet is that almost every single one of the network marketing pros I studied used a very similar method. And the method was almost too good to be true.

Yes too good to be true when you consider that virtually every single one of the success stories I read had their prospects coming to them instead of the way I had been doing it.

These network marketing pros weren’t chasing prospects trying to sell them on their opportunity. Their prospects were seeking them out and calling them to join their teams.

I decided that if I was going to get my travel business to the next level that I would do what they did follow each step they took and basically mimic their actions.

This Book Changed My Business and Changed My Life

I was fortunate enough to have one of the most successful network marketers online grant me a huge break. They gave me a book to read and as I read and implemented every step outlined within it’s pages I realized that I had been given a goldmine of information.

The secret is in the marketing.

Direct Response Marketing Over Rated or Over Looked

Direct Response Marketing is one of the most highly effective tools you could ever use to jump start your recruiting efforts and change your network marketing business for life.

Direct Response Marketing goes hand in hand with you recruiting efforts because this method directly delivers quality qualified prospects to you ready to join your business opportunity.

My recommendation is that you look for recruiting methods that encourage your prospects to make the first initial step and watch your conversions change your mind about Old School methods.

Feel free to contact me regarding some of the methods that I implemented that made me a believer in Direct Response Marketing. I’d love to pass along the book that changed my business and my life to you free.

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About the writer:nbsp;nbsp;Alecia is a professional network marketer with traverustravelagent.com who specializes in teaching others how to be successful with network marketing. If you want to get in touch with Alecia or learn more about network marketing success please visit:

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