Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

Printing Services for Small Businesses

If you are looking for catalog printing, business cards printing or poster printing, it is always advisable to have a printing company to handle your printing services. However, sometimes you will be confused as to what type of printing you are going to apply for a specific project. If you want to come up with the best decision, take the most of your time to get enough information and research . . .

Real Estate Marketing Flyers; 24/7 Marketing

The real estate marketing flyer box is a "24 hours a day agent", and is standard equipment among high producing real estate agents. And what do you suppose you do with them? Stuff them with real estate marketing flyers, of course! And as you may know, real state marketing flyers are the bread and butter of the real estate indusrtry. A good, informative real estate marketing flyer has enough. . .

Have the "Big Guys" Taken over Podcasting?

Recently, BBC announced: "More than 134 million hours of BBC Radio have been consumed via the Internet this year - the equivalent to 15,345 years of continuous listening." IBM runs a regular Podcast: "IBM and the Future of..." It logged 40,000 downloads during its first three months. A quick search at iTunes shows the top Podcasts are dominated by the likes of Fox, Discovery Channel, TSN, ABC, . . .

10 Killer Ways To Multiply Your Sales

1. When you make your first sale, follow-up with the customer. You could follow-up with a "thank you" email and include an advertisement for other products you sell. You could follow-up every few months. 2. You could upsell to your customers. When they're at your order page, tell them about a few extra related products you have for sale. They could just add it to their original order. 3. Tell y. . .

8 Secrets To Conquering The Internet

While some marketers struggle for years to earn enough money to pay the bills, others zoom to the top, their sites exploding with traffic and their in-boxes flooded with order and payment statements. Why? How do these marketers differ from the rest? Are they smarter? Braver? Do they invest more wisely or have more money to invest? Do they know the right people?No. In fact, there's only one. . .

This Is Your Year To Be BOLD!

WOW!! Can you believe it is 2006?Doesn't it seem like yesterday that we were drinking champagne bringing in the new century??6 years have gone by since then. What have YOU filled them with?This Is Going To Be Your Felt-Marker Year!You've seen them - those fabulous huge felt markers that little kids love coloring with. They leave a BOLD mark!One thing this Sales Diva knows - that unless you plan. . .

Affiliate Marketing: Know The Can-Spam Act

The amount of false information available about e-mail marketing on the net is staggering. If you are advertising your affiliate program through e-mail campaigns, make sure you know what your responsibilities are.The lawless days of spam e-mail are over, at least for U.S.A. based advertisers. The CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act) sets . . .

Why order Catalogs from Printing Companies?

If your target is to provide your customer’s demand for sufficient information, catalog printing is the best option. Catalogs provide detailed information for your products and you will be able to stimulate orders from the customers immediately. With the selection of sizes, catalog printing services can offer you the popular 8-1/2 X 11 sizes of catalogs or the 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 sizes. With the clev. . .

Nine No-no's of a Direct Mail Letter

It began as another meeting with a potential client. She started writing eight years ago for the company and today holds three administrative positions as well as being the chief copywriter and editor.I displayed some writing samples and she loved them.Then I got a chance to look at a direct mail campaign they were sending to their database. It consisted of sample post cards, invitation cards, . . .

How To Sky-Rocket Your Profits By 267% With One Simple Se...

If you have even a passing interest in the topic of boosting your profits, then you should take a look at the following information. This enlightening article presents some of the latest news on the subject of boost your profits. Don't think it's possible to jump sales by 267% with one sentence? I'll show you how I did it and you can implement the same strategy in less than 5 minutes on your si. . .

Five Reasons Trade Show Exhibits are Popular

Why are companies joining the trade show bandwagon? One of the major reasons for the continuing trade show popularity is the personal contact opportunity to observe innovations in business products and services. In an era of impersonal electronic communication, trade shows offer face- to- face meetings that are critical for companies to compete in an ever-changing marketplace.The size of the t. . .

How to keep your Customers for a quarter of a Century

Add Value in Everything You do.A few days ago as I was reading an E-Book on effective Internet Marketing I remembered an incident that had a profound impact on my life. The incident took place shortly after I had completed my studies and left college. One of my best friends and his wife came to visit my wife and myself at our home. At the time we had a five year old son. After chatting for a w. . .

What You Must Avoid Doing, If You Want To Keep Your Prosp...

Yesterday while doing a sales copy review -- a problem keptcoming up repeatedly, and it's one I see very often. Theproblem is...Wasted Words.A lot of times when you're writing copy, since you know "themore you tell, the more you sell" you feel sort of"compelled" to go into every little detail about yourself...the reasons why you invented your product... and thereasons why all the other products. . .

The Power of Storytelling

Even before primitive societies put chisel to stone and began writing, one group held a special place in these communities because of their communication skills: storytellers.By weaving compelling narratives, storytellers preserved communal history, entertained their fellows, and delivered motivation when it was needed. Over time, their words moved armies and inspired achievement.Today, storyte. . .

How to Plan your Catalogs

If you want your catalogs to be published, you need to know the right person to handle all the printing services. You need to be prepared with all the decisions and options that you are planning.First, you need to identify the personnel who can do the job. If you have multiple jobs, you can decide to divide the task and distribute the certain task to a printing company or to personnel in charge. . .

Shopping For Custom Trade Show Displays

The main benefit of custom trade show displays is that they create a polished, professional image for your company. From a design standpoint it is important to note that there are no hard and fast rules to designing custom trade show displays. The main goal is to draw customers into your selling environment and to do that you need to create a trade show exhibit that is both visually pleasing an. . .

3 Reasons You Should Attend Seminars

If you have never gone to an online marketing seminar, you're missing out.I know what you're thinking..."Seminars are expensive."That's true. They are. Some of 'em cost over $5,000. Even the lower-priced parties are around $2,000."It's a pain in the butt to attend."Again, that's fair. In order to go, you have to get on a plane and fly somewhere. And you have to take time from your work and fami. . .

Six Ways to Attract a Crowd at a Trade Show

Tom Hanks, Justin Timberlake, and Hall of Fame NFL quarterback Steve Young were among the many celebrities participating in the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in early January 2006. The show floor was 28 football field’s worth of space with 2,500 trade show exhibitors vying for attention in 1.6 billion square feet of convention exhibits.More and more trade show exhibitors are fin. . .

7 Ways to Drive Laser-Targeted Traffic To Your Website

An affiliate marketer may have all the things needed for him to be able to succeed in a business such as affiliate marketing. He may have the necessary drive, diligence and perseverance to be able to understand how the system works. He may have all the tools necessary in maintaining the business, including a really unique and interesting website which could earn him a fortune if only the whole . . .

Stuck With A Generic Business Card?

Then it is time to add some spice to it. Business cards are the most popular marketing tool for any business, big or small. But their familiarity can oftentimes result to it being overlooked or under-utilized when advertising strategies are implemented.Here are some ways on making some “make-overs”:Use your mind to “pinch” the existing card. Add a sticker, write your name or a discount offer o. . .

Give Your Niche Business A Kick-Start With Resell Rights

If you don't have a niche product of your own and you don't have the experience, time or inclination to develop one, Resell Rights is great way to give your niche business a kick-start. Here's why...When you buy the resell rights to a niche product you're buying a ready-made business, usually complete with a tried and tested sales letter, graphics and in some cases other marketing materials. Al. . .

7 Sizzling Ways To Boost Your Profits

1. Use upsells.For instance, at your point of sale you could offer a discount on a related product and have your visitors check a box to add it their order.A good shopping cart will make this easy for you, and you'll be able to add to your bottom line by increasing the size of your orders.2. Break up your price into smaller "easier to digest" units.For example, if your product sells for 28.99 a. . .

A Must In Professional Looking Brochures

A professional looking brochure invites many customers to your business. But a poor quality one invites criticism and ridicule. Which would you rather have?Your brochure has the opportunity at representing your interests to the public. That is why it is so important to have them made into something that not only attracts much attention but also something that will make you proud. What to do. Wh. . .

The WWW Of Affiliate Marketing

Introduction:I was just reading in an E-book about the amazing concept of Affiliate Marketing and decided I needed to get this info out to as many people as possible.We will take a short look at these three topics, the Who – What – Why, of Affiliate Marketing in reverse order.The Why of Affiliate Marketing:Whether it is extra income or full time income, one of the main reasons why, of course, i. . .

Use Catalogs to Increase your Sales

When a customer goes for a little shopping, they first look for the price of a certain product. Therefore, as a business owner, you need to present your products in a different way, which is interesting and captivating. It should be very informative that your customer will not have to call you for some incomplete details. If they like a certain product, it will not take them too long to reach y. . .

Why Ticket Design Matters

Ticket design is often overlooked. Event planners and organizers plan how many tickets they will need for a given event and how to distribute those tickets, but stop short of putting much thought into the ticket design itself. From a branding perspective this is a lost opportunity. Branding is, after all, managing all of the different touch points that an organization has with the public and. . .

What Is The Mysterious Niche Market?

The Niche Market is a shy creature. It hides away, watching for the opportune moment to leap into your spotlight when its name is called. Then it comes arunning. It's very friendly and loyal when you get to know it. But treat it like any other creature or call out the wrong name and it runs away again into the shadows.If you think of a supermarket as the big sell-all-market, then to seek out a . . .

No Magic, Just Business

You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.I started this article with a note from Bonnie Hersey because I want to make the point that it isn't magic that makes a network marketing business work. What makes a business work (network marketing or any business). . .

Have You Lost Your Focus?

I believe that one of the key causes of failure of online businesses in their first year is the lack of focus by the owner. There are literally so many things to do in the day that it’s hard to decide which one of the mile-long list is the best task to tackle first. Moreover, there are so many demands on our time that we’re forced to work a little on one project, move to another project and wor. . .

The Benefits Of Renting A Trade Show Display

Trade shows can be a great way to win new business, make new contacts and unveil new products to the marketplace. Exhibiting at a trade show means you are going to need to a trade show display to attract attention and showcase your company and products. The benefits of renting a trade show display, instead of purchasing one, can be numerous for small businesses or start-ups attending their firs. . .

3 Copywriting Tips - How To Edit For Mass Appeal!

Web copy that's intended to sell or generate leads needs to quickly reach out and grab attention and build rapport with a target audience. You can connect with your audience more effectively if you understand something about how people process information, and how they think. Every one of us is constantly sorting, distorting, and generalizing what we perceive, just to stay sane. As a result, di. . .

Pushy Pop-Ups Shown the Dumpster, er, the Door…

It’s an acknowledged fact that internet users, by and large, and especially those who shop online, are savvy, and becoming increasingly so with each passing day. But what is less acknowledged, mostly to the detriment of advertisers and sellers pushing their wares, is that they’re also fed-up with the petty annoyances that obstruct their direct path to the information and products they seek. Whe. . .

Bridging The Gap Between Off-Line And On-Line Advertising...

I just don’t get it. Advertisers spend millions of dollars for a 30 second or 1 minute spot in a football game yet in many cases they fail to follow through online. I mean, if you are going to spend that much money to get your product visible wouldn’t you want to back that up somehow? In this article I look at some of the shortcomings of a Super Bowl campaign and what I think advertisers should. . .

7 Ways to Drive Laser-Targeted Traffic

An affiliate marketer may have all the things needed for him to be able to succeed in a business such as affiliate marketing. He may have the necessary drive, diligence and perseverance to be able to understand how the system works. He may have all the tools necessary in maintaining the business, including a really unique and interesting website which could earn him a fortune if only the whole . . .

It's More Than Bread And Milk

If you want to write copy that makes your prospects sit up and take notice, look no further than the headlines on the magazines in the supermarket checkout rack. Odd as it may seem, there are some real similarities to the cashier’s lane and your business. The headline writers, like you, have limited time to (A) grab the potential customers’ attention, and (B) encourage them to select their offe. . .

Allow Me to Give You a Shove

February is all about relationships. This February I made good on a promise to my husband I kept putting off – a winter vacation. So, we packed a couple of swimsuits and our relationship and went to Costa Rica -no cell towers, no internet connections. While we were there, I just couldn’t stop being “me” as my husband calls it. “You’re a people pusher,” he said. People pusher? Wasn’t sure . . .

It's Evolution Baby

There are those people who come to the web with a solid business plan, a large amount of investment capitol, and a precise strategy for how they are going to leverage the internet and exploit the incredible revenue potential of the cyber-age. Then there are the rest of us.Millions of people have arrived on the www. with the notion of making their fortunes, and millions more will arrive in the n. . .

Browse The Magazine Stand For Your Niche

The most challenging question every new on-line aspiring marketer asks “What product or service should I sell over the internet?” I would suggest that a great way to start would be a visit to your local book store. Spend a few hours looking thru the magazine section where you will find hundreds of potential niche markets.Once you have selected an area of interest, look at each of the magazines . . .

How To Have The Time To Do What You Want To Do

How To Have The Time To Do What You Want To DoAsk anybody if they have enough time and most will say no. Why? Because most people are slaves. Slaves to their jobs. Slaves to their employers. They are not masters of their own time. We are all conditioned to getting as good an education as possible and then looking for the best playing job that we can get and working at it sometimes for the rest . . .

Learn from the Olympics How to Organize your Events: Part...

In the first part of this series, we looked at the logistics of an event, both the logistics of fans getting to the event, and the internal logistics allowing fans to move from one item of interest to another. This time we will look at how to ensure that our event is profitable.The Olympics are a fun example of trying to put on the best show that the world has ever seen and still turning a pro. . .

How To Grow Your Business By Following Microsoft's Lead

One of the problems my consulting clients consistently askme about especially if they are in the information marketingbusiness (most of them are) has to do with "What should you beselling your customers?"Here's what Microsoft did in a similar situation:Back in June, Microsoft announced they were planning to comeup with some kind of music subscription service, to competewith Yahoo... Apple's iTu. . .

Branding, Positioning and Differentiation

Why identical twins don’t have identical first namesThough they may look the same, they’re not. Just ask their parents. Even as newborns, they could tell them apart, and as they grow up, they’re distinctions become ever more pronounced. This is why we don’t give twin babies the same first names.In the business world, this idea would seem to carry over as the foundation for a common sensical app. . .

Enlightened Communication and Network Marketing

Successful network marketing revolves around effective communication. In your business you need to demonstrate how your product can help to solve your prospect’s particular problem. You need to communicate this effectively and listen intently to what your prospect says and what they mean. This communications involves using the correct dialogue and asking the right questions at the right time. . .

Making Sales Copy Easy to Read

You want your sales letter or ad copy to be easy to read. The following elements help make copy reading easy on the eyes. And easy to understand.Reading your sales copy shouldn’t be a chore for anyone. It must be reader-friendly.So you’ll want to...A) Break Up the CopyThis means no long paragraphs. No thick blocks of text. Using short, punchy sentences.Think of how you read. You’re a busy. . .

Affiliate Marketing - The Basics

Imagine that you could earn commissions on a popular brand-name product just by placing a link on your website or in your email. That, my friends, is "Affiliate Marketing"!OK... So it's not quite that simple, but it doesn't have to be much more complicated either. Let's start with a few definitions. An advertiser, or merchant, is the company who is selling a product. An affiliate, sometimes ref. . .

The Growth Of Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing on the internet seems to be everywhere. There are so many sites that a person can sign up to receive bonuses from referring other people to the site that it seems that everyone is involved. This can lead to a lot of websites having more links to other sites than actual content, just to earn money from their affiliate marketing.However, the idea of an affiliate is not a new o. . .

The One and Only Way to Successful Net Marketing

Just the other day I was very pleasantly surprised when an old friend of mine from whom I haven’t heard since over a year called me. After the usual “how’s the weather over there?” talking I quickly found myself engaged in an excited discussion about web design. After half an hour of conversation where we were talking about a lot of technical stuff I remembered how we started this conversation . . .

What Goes Around Comes Around

I have a confession to make. I am notorious for meeting people, liking them, and then when they realize what I do and that I could help them, I end up giving away my services…for free. I have this uncontrollable urge to help people, especially when I know it’s something that I am good at and enjoy doing.Now I don’t do this all the time, but occasionally I will, and I will tell you why. It comes. . .

How To Leverage Dr. suess... Walt Disney... And Yes, Even...

If you're using direct mail, and you want to boost yourresponse, make sure you're using first class"live" stamps, as opposed to using "machine" stamped, orpre-sorted bulk rate mail.Nothing tells you "Hey, there's a sales letter inside thisenvelope." any more than a bulk rate indicia, or a piece ofmail with a bar code above your prospect's name.And I'm not sure what the Royal Mail over in the U. . .

9 Secret Ways To Boost Your Business With Teleseminars

Teleseminars are a great way to prospect, sell, stay in touch with current customers and clients, build your list, and so much more. Here are just some of the ways you can use teleseminars to boost your business!Introduce a new product or service:Product launches are one of the most common ways to use teleseminars. This is a great way to explain all about what your product can do and how it can. . .