Welcome to Michael's Article Collection

Creating Your Own Product: Testing Your Market And Finish...

Now that you know what you want to write about, the next step in the process is to gauge the amount of interest there is in your upcoming product.You can also do a quick search on The Dowser (download the free version at http://www.keywordempire.com/keywordempire.exe) to see what types of searches folks are doing with regards to the subject you have chosen to write about. Simply type in the key. . .

Why Hire an Advertising/Marketing Consultant?

As a business owner, you have the option of taking several different approaches to handling your Marketing and Advertising. You may choose to handle the responsibility yourself, with the idea that no one understands your business quite the way you do.. You may also consider hiring a full time marketing manager or even assigning the tasks, as they arise, to someone already working within your or. . .

Become a Wedding Planner

Creating your own business in this day and age is more important than ever. The trick is to find a niche market and tap into it on the way up. It is no secret that the wedding industry is huge. There are somewhere around 2.5 million weddings every year in the United States Alone! So…. About $40 billion is spent on weddings every year in the U.S. Some believe that number is low! The # then rises. . .

Catapult Your Business—How to Get Customers to Chase You ...

I was thinking about the statement:“The Small Business Administration tells us that 80% of all small businesses will not make it more than 2 years, and by 5 years 90% will have gone out of business. If that is the case, then why does every business out there try to be like the others? Most copy everything right down to the way everyone else in the same industry lays out their office.The reasons. . .

Qualifying vs. Closing the Sale

The Art of effective question asking (qualifying) determines the effectiveness and the success of the "close".EXAMPLE: Let's assume you're a candy sales rep. You sell both chocolate and non-chocolate candy. I'm your potential customer. You know nothing about me but you're trying to sell me chocolate candy. You proceed to tell me how great the candy tastes, how exquisite the texture is, how incr. . .

Is Email Marketing Still An Effective Option For Network ...

With email filters, blockers, and simply tons of unsolicited email, is email marketing still a viable option to build and grow your network marketing business? The answer to this question, in my opinion is "Yes, but."Let's deal with the "Yes" first, then we'll deal with the "But." I remember about 5 or 6 years ago putting about 400 leads into my autoresponder and enrolling about 8 - 10 people a. . .

Why Do You Need To Be In The SERPS?

Why does your business need to be in the Search Engine Results Pages (SERPS)?Search Engine Optimization and Search Engine Marketing both have the same goal, which is to help visitors find your website. Ten years ago there was probably nobody searching online for your product or service. Five years ago, there may have been a couple of dozen people looking for it in any given week or month. To. . .

Any PR Is Good PR

Press releases are one of the most cost-effective ways to get promotion for your online business. Many entrepreneurs ignore this type of promotion because they don't know how to write a press release. It's important to promote your online business with press releases because of the media all over the internet. The following is a list of some common press release writing tips:- your press releas. . .

Marketing with RSS and Blogging Technologies

The Rise of RSS and the Blog in Marketing Factors such as newer restrictions placed on email marketing, failed email marketing campaigns, including ISP blocking which included over 40% of email being marked as unread, trashed or returned, have motivated internet marketing experts to devise newer ways of getting their message across. Some of these techniques known as RSS and Blogging promise to . . .

Massage Marketing Made Easy : Marketing Plan for Therapis...

Marketing is actually very simple. It involves telling people what you do….over and over and over. The key to successfully marketing your massage therapy business is consistency.So, first, let’s take a look at the difference between marketing a service and marketing a product. Products are tangible…. you can touch and feel and see them before you buy. However, when a prospective client is consi. . .

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth?: Powerful Lessons In Mark...

In the following 'special report,' I will reveal some very powerful marketing strategies and psychological motivators that can easily help you make more profits from your business, no matter what business you're in.Be sure to read it thoroughly, and take notes as needed so that you can take maximum advantage of the information being covered.Here's how it all began…One day, I noticed an interest. . .

Money Making Real Estate Marketing Ideas

Real estate marketing is a lot simpler than most Realtors make it out to be. Some equate expensive products and services with quality. However, effective real estate marketing does not have to be expensive, complicated, or sophisticated. Sometimes, plain, simple, direct and to the point makes lasting impressions that result in increased business opportunities and more income. One of the most ef. . .

How To Generate FREE Publicity For Your Product, Service,...

One of the most misunderstood and most underutilized promotional tools available to small businesses is FREE PUBLICITY.Every business, no matter how large or small, can effectively use free publicity to enhance its image, increase sales and profits, generate sales leads, expand distribution, and promote customer goodwill. All of these benefits can be gained for nothing more than a small investm. . .

What Makes Your Online Ads Persuasive?

The first impression that the people get from your ad decides if they click or skip. This shows that writing really persuasive ads is not easy. Writing irrestisible internet ads needs some skills. You can acquire these skills, if you follow some rules.Simplify your messageFocus on your customers need! What are they looking for? What is special on your website for your customers? Write a simple . . .

Subliminal Persuasion

Subliminal persuasion? It is simply influencing people at a level below their conscious recognition. Many people don't even realize they are being influenced by a smile, making even that a subliminal technique. Here are two more subtle methods.Subliminal Persuasion Using InflectionIt is easy to assume that a sentence like "I can't promise you that price." has only one meaning. In reality, thoug. . .

How To Make Affiliate Sales In 15 Minutes

If you are one of the 98.6% of affiliate members that never make one cent from affiliate sales or make small $5.00, $10.00 commissions, then this article is for you. Even if you are making nice checks, this will interest you. You really can start to make affiliate sales in 15 minutes with Google Adwords. Your ads will start appearing with 15 minutes for the keywords you have selected. If this h. . .

Competitor Analysis - How Writing Rubbish Can Give You An...

The Gobbledygook Competitor Analysis TipWhen typing c*ap can tell you a lot about your competition…One of the great things about Adwords is it allows you to test so many different things ever so quickly. It is a very useful tool but if it were likened to a sword - it would be double-edged.What do I mean by this?It's very simple - your advert - when it is displayed - is in the public domain and . . .

Effective or Irritating: The Use of Pop Windows in Intern...

A few years ago, pop-up windows were all the rage in Internet marketing. It seemed that every time one opened a web page they would be bombarded with offers for this or that. It had gotten to the point where surfing the Internet was almost like playing a video game; when the ads would pop-up one would try and close them out before another one came. This is precisely why we have seen the decline. . .

Top 10 Rules for Small Business Success

1. TargetYou are not all things to all people. Decide on your niche--narrow your focus and broaden your appeal.2. Be DifferentIf your competitors are doing it, don't. Stand out from an overcrowded marketplace where so much of the advertising and products look the same.3. Build a TeamDon't hire an employee to fill a position. Employ a person to be part of a team to build your business.4. Be Fast. . .

Why Mobile SMS Text Marketing not Email Marketing?

Why Mobile SMS Text Marketing not Email Marketing?With over 1.8 billion mobile connections globally, mobile marketing has now become an extremely effective tool to marketers for promoting their brands in multiple ways. With increasing population of mobile phones and decreasing usage costs, SMS (text message) is becoming a compelling proposition for direct marketers who till now relied on emails. . .

Write Right

The rich and colorful descriptors flowing from your deft digits on a seasoned keyboard will tantalize and transform your rapt audience. What?! That line may be too flowery but does show how important it is to write advertising copy that demands to be noticed.There are two considerations in creating compelling copy. You don't have much time to get noticed and the words have to be exactly right. . . .

Media Training 101 -- The Secrets Of Writing A Good Press...

Does the thought of trying to get publicity for your business seem like something that you can't do yourself, and would have to hire a professional for? Do you think that writing a press release is totally outside your ability to do? Does the thought of talking to the media about your business make your mouth go dry and your stomach clench? If so, take heart, because you're about to learn how y. . .

Marketing a New or Small Business on a Budget

There are almost as many opinions and views on marketing as there are companies to market. The big names and multinationals will have an extraordinary amount of funding set aside in which to convey their marketing message to the masses. The process will involve an inordinate amount of people, multiple marketing agencies, countless ‘creativity’ meetings and thousands of work-hours. From televisi. . .

12 Reasons Why You Need A Blog

"Why Should I Blog? I Simply Don't Get It"This post on a popular discussion forum set me thinking - and I came up with 12 reasons you should blog.Read them and get started on your blog. Or better still, go get your blog up and running and THEN come back and read this :) #1 - You Do Not Need To Know HTMLOne of the biggest hurdles many hopeful website creators face is they don't know to design a . . .

Fax Broadcast Services Get Your Message to Millions

If your company is one of those innovative businesses that has taken advantage of new fax broadcasting technologies to get your message out, you’ve probably come to realize that the fax broadcasting services industry is ever-changing and new developments are coming out all the time. It’s pretty much a full-time job just to manage a fax broadcast database of any size, not to mention keeping the . . .

Keep the Referrals Coming

A key method of our survival in the business and retail world is referrals. Referrals are always nice, because they come from someone on the outside of your company who has enough trust and faith in you to refer someone in your direction.When we receive a referral from someone, it seems like an easy way to get a sale, but keep in mind, referrals don’t come without first building relationships w. . .

How To Avoid A Business Naming Disaster

An entrepreneur of my acquaintance, in a rush to get his new company up and running, launched his new online publishing venture with a press release and great industry fanfare. Not three days later, he received the kind of letter business owners dread: a cease-and-desist request from the lawyer for a company that said the name of the new venture infringed on their trademark. Ouch!My colleague h. . .

All You Need To Know About Press Release Writing and Dist...

(This article is an extract from the ebook "PR Power: How to Write a Killer Press Release – and make sure it gets published" by Media Relations Expert Amber McNaught. Buy the book online for only $9 (£4.99) at http://www.hotigloo.co.uk/prpower.htm)Before you even think about writing a press release, there are a few things you need to know about the media. Here’s the first - and most important -. . .

Use Photos as Part of your Marketing Arsenal

Photos should be important parts of your marketing. The photos are useful to document your offers to achieve positive acceptance of what you are displaying to function as eye catchers to bring the buyers in a general positive mood to create identification with the use of your product.In such a way photographic pictures have other functions than creative art and illustrations that aren’t photogr. . .

5 Simple And Easy Ways To Advertise Online

Advertising is everything some people say.Regardless if you have a product, a service, a hobby website or just want to share pictures of your wedding, you have to advertise somehow to get the traffic to your site or blog.But not all traffic is equal.There are services that can help you drive tons and tons of traffic to your site and it won't do you any good at all because it's not targeted traf. . .

How To Put The Profit-Producing Power of Couponing To Wor...

Coupons have proven themselves to be highly effective sales tools for every conceivable size and type of business.Because coupons "pull in the business" they have gained remarkable acceptance and popularity among astute marketing managers. A simple explanation for their acceptance by advertisers is their overwhelming acceptance and use by the consuming public. In fact, Advertising Age (the Bibl. . .

Five Tests Every Press Release Must Pass

You've heard "them" say it, haven't you? By "them" I mean the experts. The teachers. Even some people from advertising & PR agencies. They'll tell you there's only one way to do a press release "right." Single page, double spaced, 12 point type. Bull... I've been working in radio and TV full time or part time since 1972, and that means I've seen thousands of press releases. I never threw one . . .

The Clock is Ticking on Your Leads

Every day is critical when you are in the business of sales. That lead you receive today could very easily be gone tomorrow.It is very important to act on your lead the very second you get it, not an hour later, or a few days later.The second it is in one hand, the next hand should be dialing the phone.Too often leads and referrals are taken for granted, sales people assume that because someone. . .

Reciprocal Linking Guide

What are Reciprocal Links?Reciprocal links are links with other sites which are usually are related to the theme of your website. The concept is very easy to understand, you link to a site and that site links back to you. The idea behind this goes back to you scratch my back I scratch yours. Some sites have specific requirements when linking. For example some sites might have restrictions based. . .

Loyalty Cards – Tips To Consider Before Committing To One

Loyalty marketing has been around for as long as retailing – attractive stores, good service, and a quality product line all contribute to building up a loyal customer base. With the growth of larger stores, a relatively new marketing component – the loyalty card - has been added by many retail outlets. This is in an attempt to offset the lack of personal contact in the larger stores, and with . . .

Forum Perils for Customer Relationship Management

In my previous article (Using Forums To Improve Customer Relationship Management) I covered the learning/information aspect of forums, as well as how you can use forums to positively impact your lead generation efforts and customer relationship management initiatives. Unfortunately, forums can also have a dark side - in that they can seriously impact your other forms of marketing if you choose . . .

Use Forums To Improve Customer Relationship Management

Forums are great for learning, sharing of ideas, and generally masterminding with peers, but give some thought to the impact they can have on your lead generation efforts, as well as on your customer relationship management activities.Joining an active forum can significantly accelerate your rate of learning – whether you are a newbie or an experienced practitioner. For newbies - even if you me. . .

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth?: Powerful Lessons In Mark...

Could buying popcorn in a theatre be a 'conditioned' response? Could it be that people are 'trained' to believe that movies and popcorn go 'hand in hand' - and that one without the other is...."incomplete?" And, therefore, price is just not an issue at all?What a powerful place to be as a marketer, wouldn't you agree?Of course, there are some customers who fall in the above group yet still aren. . .

How Much Is Your Popcorn Worth?: Powerful Lessons In Mark...

Additional Lessons from Popcorn MarketingI'm assuming that the movie theatres have tested their price point and figured out what the highest price is that they can charge and get away with - the highest price the market will be willing to pay.And, that's what they charge for their popcorn.I believe that's a mistake. Here's a better way of doing it:Test your price point. Find out what the highes. . .

Three Ways to Get More Referrals

When you are in the business of sales, among the many key ingredients to your success is receiving referrals from as many sources as possible.Wouldn’t it be nice if every morning you walked into your office and had a referral sitting there waiting for you on your desk?Unfortunately it doesn’t work that way, but here are few suggestions that should help steer some referrals your way.1. Referral . . .

Men Are From Mars

“Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.” John Gray penned this phrase many years ago to help men and women communicate more effectively. Since this book was written, it has been determined that both genders not only communicate differently, they also buy differently too. Learning how to effectively sell to each gender can significantly improve your sales results and increase customer loyalty.. . .

Why Didn't I Think Of That? Jaw Dropping Ad Copy Secrets

Congratulations, you've finally finished your ad copy. You've gotten feedback and it all looks good. Now do something to make your copy even better. For instance? Well... 1. Use a hand written letter on your ad copy instead of text. Write the ad on a piece of paper, scan it and publish the ad on your web page. Adding a personal touch will always increase your sales. 2. Publish a list of famous . . .

Loyalty Cards Systems – Beware, Some Should Be Avoided

Recently, I discussed a loyalty card system with a vendor who was selling quite a number of his systems to restaurants. I was shocked to discover the lack of detailed information that this vendor catered for, and the opportunities the system he provided squandered.The way their scheme works is that whenever a restaurant customer is presented with a bill, they provide their loyalty card to the w. . .

How To Get Free Publicity For Your Business

You don't have to spend thousands of dollars on advertising to build an effective campaign. In fact, you can get great publicity that will drive customers to do your door absolutely free of charge!One of the best ways to do this is to attract press coverage. You don't have to pay for advertising space to get written about in a newspaper or magazine, or on a website. All you have to do is intere. . .

Newspaper Printing Transcending Time

Newspapers have been a remarkable part of human society way back some five centuries ago. Newspapers especially in Renaissance Europe are hand written and then privately circulated among merchants since the most common topics discussed are all about wars and then economic conditions that affect society. The first ever printed newspapers appeared in Germany in 1400 in the form of pamphlets or b. . .

How To Increase The Perceived Value Of Your Goods And Ser...

Increasing the perceived value of your goods and services isone sure-fire way of making more money, right? After all,perception is reality and increasing your perceived valuelets you easily charge more money.But for some people this just isn't an easy thing to do.Many entrepreneurs get "stuck" when it comes to asking formoney, or asking for more money.Here's one way to get around this -- hopef. . .

How To Make SURE Your Prospects Stay Glued To Your Sales ...

If you want to make sure your prospects stay GLUED to yoursales copy once they start reading, then this is the mostexciting and important message you will ever read!Keeping your prospects glued to your sales copy isn't easy,but remember what I said yesterday:The sole purpose of your first paragraph is to get you toread your second paragraph. And being the smart marketeryou are, you therefore . . .

Why A Little Bit Of Marketing Does You Good, Especially A...

My grandpa, who’s a Quaker, used to disapprove of the fact that I ventured into marketing, but he’s coming round to my way of thinking, even at the grand age of 92. He is suspicious of marketing (in his mind - a term synonymous with extracting money from a gullible party, for the benefit of corporate greed) and doesn’t believe in profit, even though profit itself is not a bad thing.I bring this. . .

Dramatically Increase Your Teleseminar Value By Keeping Y...

Have you ever been on a teleseminar that just didn't keep you engaged? You know the ones I'm talking about. The presenter just goes on and on and on and on ... yada, yada, yada. And it's like you, the listener, didn't even exist.I've been on a few of these calls, but usually not for long. Unless there was something somewhere in the content that I really wanted to hear, I got off the phone. I've. . .

Symbol or Logotype?

When getting your logo designed initially, many designers will want to know what type of logo you want‹that is, do you want a logotype or do you want a symbol (graphical element), such as illustrations, icons, or other abstract design elements, in your logo. There is much written on the different types of logos, which I won’t get into here.But to clarify just a bit, a logotype is simply a logo . . .