Category Archives: online advertising

Why Hiring a Ghostwriter is Beneficial to Your Marketing Strategy

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Posted by admin on June 13, 2008 – 7:27 pm
Filed under Business Goals, Copy, Copywriting, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, Small Business, online advertising, online marketing, small business marketing, web copy, website

Ghostwriting is extremely beneficial for any business. Ghostwriters will take your idea about a book, article, or blog and write a clean and thorough form of this idea on paper.

If you’re a small business owner and don’t have great writing talent or the time, a ghostwriter will credit you with his/her talent. Usually ghostwriters will record interviews with their clients and edit the material.

Ghostwriting can be beneficial for marketing your services or product if you know what you want to say but don’t know how to say it. Writer’s block happens on a daily basis and it consumes a lot of time. Ghostwriters will cut that time down, saving you the agony of thinking of a creative and thorough way to get your idea across.

Why hire a ghostwriter?

  1. You don’t have the time to write.
  2. You don’t have the skills necessary.
  3. You know what to say, but don’t know how to word it.

Ghostwriters are plentiful these days and easy to find. Save yourself the time and distress. Hire a ghostwriter to write letters, articles, material for your website, books, autobiographies, virtually anything.

 

Do you have questions about how a ghostwriter can help your business? Contact Michelle Salater Writing & Editorial to learn more.

Email and Social Media Spending Expected to Rise

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Posted by admin on June 12, 2008 – 4:24 pm
Filed under Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, Small Business, marketing trends, online advertising, online marketing, small business marketing, social networking, video marketing, website

According to a May 2008 eMarketer report, social networking and email spending is expected to increase in the next three years. The survey, conducted by Eloqua, reports that:

  • 74% of marketers surveyed plan to increase email ad spending.
  • 9 out of 10 surveyed will continue to increase their direct online ad budgets.
  • Survey respondents projected to increase social network ad spending to $2.4 billion in 2011, a significant increase from the $1.4 billion this year.

Online marketing / advertising is growing. Are you ready to take your marketing digital?

Want more marketing tips? Sign up for Your Business Marketing Solution, a free bimonthly ezine. Sign up today and recieve my free report, 5 Secrets for Creating Web Copy That Will Increase Your Sales and Double Your Profits.

Frequency Marketing Tips

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Posted by admin on June 10, 2008 – 5:44 pm
Filed under Business Goals, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, Small Business, online advertising, online marketing, small business marketing, website

Tips to keep in mind when creating a frequency-marketing program:

  • Be creative
  • Find the most effective way to bring revenue into your company while satisfying the customer
  • Survey customers on what they like and do not like about the services and products your company has to offer and work around these survey results
  • Create access to information on these programs via your website
  • Create a simple way for consumers to utilize these programs via the internet or through a quick, in-store process
Want more marketing tips? When you sign up for Your Business Marketing Solution, a free bimonthly ezine, you’ll recieve my FREE report, 5 Secrets for Creating Web Copy That Will Increase Your Sales and Double Your Profits.

 

 

Online Sales Increase in 2008

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Posted by admin on June 9, 2008 – 3:35 am
Filed under Copy, Copywriting, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, Small Business, online advertising, online marketing, web copy, website

A recent study conducted by Forrester Research Inc. estimates a 17% increase in 2008 for online sales, equaling about $204 billion. According to this same study, the three categories that are sought out most by online shoppers are apparels ($26.6 billion), computers ($23.9 billion), and autos ($19.3 billion).

As the online market continues to increase, many companies are looking to establish a web presence or expand their current web presence to stay competitive. A website is a powerful sales tool, yet establishing a strong online presence is a challenge to some businesses that are unfamiliar with how to compete and stand out among the millions of websites.

According to the study, apparel is the largest category sought out by online consumers with $26.6 billion predicted in sales. For apparel companies looking to establish an online presence, this can be even more difficult as many of them, especially the small to midsized businesses, have little or no experience selling products and promoting their businesses online.

As more shoppers turn to the web for purchasing apparel, companies are realizing that there is a definite need to make the change. Many don’t know where to begin the processes to effectively sell and market online, or how to find the balance for reaching out to current retail shoppers while appealing to an online or virtual audience. Their entire marketing plan requires tweaking in order to participate online. However, more often than not, they need the right professional help to market themselves both effectively and efficiently.

With a declining economy, shoppers are looking for the cheapest and easiest way to buy products online, which may account for the 17% estimated increase. The increase in gas prices may also be affecting online sales because shoppers are less likely to drive longer distances to purchase the clothes they want.

As competition for the online market is increasing, companies need to find ways to efficiently market themselves. Hiring a professional copywriter, one who understands how to write web copy, is strongly encouraged, especially for the small or midsized business competing against corporate entities. These smaller companies are not only competing with local retailers in a geographical area but are also competing on a global scale.

A strong online presence not only allows companies to expand their markets beyond local consumers, but it also allows those in the geographical area to locate them easier. Having a store locator and special coupons to print and bring in benefit the consumers who are doing their research before heading out to stores. Consumers are also looking at what products are available to try on in the stores so that they don’t waste time and gas driving around town to different stores.

The Key to Your Online Success

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Posted by admin on June 7, 2008 – 4:52 pm
Filed under Copy, Copywriting, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, Small Business, online advertising, online marketing, web copy, website

Whether you are in the market for a new car, planning your next vacation, getting your dose of the daily news, or researching an expensive purchase, most likely you head to the web first.  

The web is the easiest way to get information across to the target audience of any company—and as fast and efficiently as possible. But it’s not just about having a website for your business. It’s about having the best website for your type of business.

One deciding factor in whether you are the best website out there for your specific products or services is clear, concise web copy. Your website must grab the targeted consumer’s attention, inform the consumer of your business, and present your services and products in a clear and efficient way. Nothing frustrates me more than going to a website to purchase something and not being provided with sufficient contact information, an easy navigation bar, or clearly stated benefits to purchasing with that company. This is why excellent web copy is the key to a website’s success.

More and more, consumers are turning to the internet for information and to purchase goods and services. Even airports are catering to these needs. You will not believe how many airports are on this list that offer Wi-Fi. I was in New York’s JFK airport the other day and there was no room on the Wi-Fi circle for me to sit. Think about all the people out there, like me, who enjoy surfing the web during free time—even if that means free time at the airport. 

Does your website need a makeover? Check out Michelle Salater’s professional web copy services at http://www.mlsalater.com/services-web-copy.cfm

Put your Website into Motion with Audio and Video

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Posted by admin on June 6, 2008 – 3:09 pm
Filed under Audio Marketing, Marketing, Marketing Tip, Small Business, online advertising, online marketing, video marketing

The goal of any business is to connect with the customer and gain his or her trust. Businesses want a clear message sent to the customer without any interference and accurate feedback from that customer. 

Websites are an ideal place to make this happen. Websites are also crucial in bringing you customers and retaining them. But how does a business relay a personal communication with the consumer on the web? Carefully articulated audio and video is an excellent way to enhance your existing copy.

Benefits of audio and video:

*Have the advantage of running 24/7 on a website—allowing consumers to see it whenever they wish, wherever they wish.

*Show product or service demonstrations.

*Highlight customer testimonials.

*Add the element of active customer listening as opposed to simply reading or viewing an image on a website.

*Reach people locally, nationally, and internationally.

*Can be downloaded for free—financially benefit your company.

 

Want more online marketing advice? Sign up for Your Business Marketing Solution for bimonthly marketing tips.  

 

Advertising with Social Networks

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Posted by admin on June 3, 2008 – 6:23 pm
Filed under Business Goals, Marketing, Marketing Strategy, Marketing Tip, Small Business, online advertising, online marketing, social networking

With so much competition, thinking outside the box is crucial to attracting your target market. Nearly everyone, it seems, uses the internet for research, entertainment, purchases and chatting with friends, you must ask yourself, ‘what activities do my potential customers take part in online?’ 

Take for example entertainment and communication sites. One of the biggest online frenzies internationally is social networking. Nearly everyone has an account with LinkedIn, Facebook, MySpace or YouTube, and the list goes on. Advertising with any of these social networks will gain you a great deal of attention. Simply being a registered user with one of these networks and you will reach out to potential customers. Facebook is a great way to reach a very large audience because its visitors vary in age, from high school students to 35-year-old college alumni. And advertising with Facebook is an inexpensive and easy way to reach a large audience of potential customers. Facebook provides your business with demographic data about the people visiting your ad and the site works with you to reach an even greater clientele. Facebook offers social ads, Facebook beacon, Facebook platform, insights, pages, and polls to satisfy the needs of your company. Currently, there are 70 million active users on Facebook. That’s 70 million potential customers for your business. It is also the sixth most visited site in the world.

Integrated social networks on the web are so intricate and virtually all connected, that by participating in one, you are bound to get a heavy traffic flow into your business site.  LinkedIn has different circles of personal connections such as “circle one,” with your very personal contacts and “circle two” with the contacts of your contacts.  If you only had one contact, you could virtually have 130 contacts in your second circle just from that one person. With social networking growing, is important for a growing business to associate with social networks and drive large amounts of traffic to your site.

Want more marketing tips? When you sign up for Your Business Marketing Solution, a free bimonthly ezine, you’ll recieve my FREE report, 5 Secrets for Creating Web Copy That Will Increase Your Sales and Double Your Profits.

Good SEO Info Video

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Posted by admin on April 11, 2008 – 3:10 am
Filed under Copy, Copywriting, Marketing, Marketing Tip, Small Business, online advertising, online marketing

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8v3UnMDC5M&hl=en]

Behold, the Power of the Press Release

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Posted by admin on April 8, 2008 – 8:27 pm
Filed under Copy, Copywriting, Marketing, Marketing Tip, Small Business, online advertising, online marketing

A few days ago, I had coffee with a super styling friend of mine who owns Charleston Style Concierge, a personal style and closet editing company. Over lattes, she raised the question of press releases. Specifically, are they effective? Do they really drive traffic to your site, bring you business?

Yes and yes. Here’s why…

Regularly publishing a press release online is an excellent way to boost your online visibility. When you post a newsworthy press release, it helps maximize your SEO efforts and drives more traffic to your website. Another benefit to submitting press releases online is that they are archived. One release will get exposure for long time.

Regularly posting press releases—or whenever you have something newsworthy—is great for publicity and direct exposure. Companies, journalists, PR agencies, and the general public opt-in to have specific types of press releases sent to them daily. How good would business be if an article spotlighting your boutique hotel appeared in a magazine or newspaper? I bet your answer is, pretty darn good.

There are numerous online press release sites, some are free while others charge. Express-Press-Release.com is free, easy to use, and requires no registration. PRWeb.com allows you to choose from 4 distribution packages. The basic package is $80.00 and the most advanced is $360.

If you want to If you aren’t regularly submitting press releases, you should consider doing so.

How’s the “No Plan” Plan Working for You?

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Posted by admin on April 6, 2008 – 12:06 am
Filed under Marketing, Marketing Tip, Small Business, online advertising, online marketing

 

You’ve probably heard a million times about the importance of a strategic marketing plan. But there’s a huge difference between knowing and doing. Marketing can be extremely costly and time consuming–and not having a plan is a surefire way to waste time and money.

 

I see it over and over…many businesses put all their energy and budget into marketing and often have very little to show for it. Why? Because they fail to have a solid marketing plan in place.

 

Here’s the bottom line: if you want to compete in the marketplace and reach potential customers, then you must plan accordingly. Here are 4 simple planning tips that will save you time, money, and energy.

 

1) Plan for Every Action

Planning for every action you take allows you to focus and make intentional decisions instead of reacting to a crisis or jumping before you think things through. Being proactive instead of reactive will help prevent future problems. Create mini plans for overall objectives. For example, maybe you have written down and planned a postcard promotion in March. Is the plan broken down into how many people you will target, demographics, and budget? It should be. The more specific the plan, the easier it will be to track the success of the promotion and the implementation. 

 

2) Create a Calendar

Creating a marketing calendar not only helps you stay on track, but it allows you to prioritize the most important actions first. The 12-month action timetable can be divided quarterly and then broken down monthly. How you choose to set it up is up to you, but the key here is to set a timeline to measure goals and activities, and mark when to incorporate new marketing activities or implement existing ones. 

3) Keep Track

Why go to all the trouble to create a plan and not have a system to measure what works and what doesn’t? Implementing a tracking system allows you to know the best way to reach your prospective customers and discover what marketing strategies work best. It will also save you money. Decisions can be made to reinvest in what works and discard what doesn’t. And you will make decisions based on factual data rather than assumptions. The more efficiently you track your marketing records, the less money and energy you will waste. 

4) Stick with It

If you commit yourself and your business to completing a plan for the year, you’ll be in a much better position than you will be without one. However, many companies fail to follow the plan and stop giving 110% midway through the year or when the tourism season hits. This is the worst thing you can do. Remember, when you aren’t actively marketing your business, you will pay in the months to come.