4 ways to engage your audience visually

Studies reveal that prospects are more likely to engage with brands that post pictures or any other visual content online. Here are 4 ways that help you to engage your audience visually.

1. Images – create custom images that are creative & appealing. Make sure they convey your message and reflect your brand.
2. Videos & Animations – People love watching videos and your marketing videos can really go viral if it has the right ingredients in it.  
3. Infographics – People get bored to read data in tables & charts. Infographics has changed this boredom by offering data in a creative, interesting and visually appealing manner.
4. Presentations – The best way to share knowledge with creativity.

Source: eGrabber Newsletter

How Good Are You at The Great Game of Marketing? Part 1

Power Tips from Give to Get Marketing

1. The Purpose of My Advertising -- Ads, Flyers, Letters, Etc. -- Should Be to Sell My Product or Service

Absolutely not true! Trying to sell your product or service in your advertising is like walking up to a stranger and saying, 'Will you marry me?'

If people don't know, like and trust you, they won't buy from you.

The real purpose of your advertising is to attract prospects -- people who have an interest in what you are selling -- to your business.

Your selling efforts are then directed specifically to those people who have the most interest in buying what you are offering.

2. Everyone is a Prospect for My Product or Service

Not true. If you try to get everyone's attention, you'll get no one's attention. Not everyone is going to be interested in what you are offering.

The more specifically you target your marketing efforts towards people who already have a genuine interest in what you are offering, the more attention and results you will get.

3. Marketing is About Tricking, Convincing, or Manipulating People into Buying My Product or Service

If you believe this, you won't be in business for long.

There's a name for people who do that -- they're called con-artists and snake-oil salesmen.

Marketing is about helping people get what they want. If they don't want what you are offering, move on and find someone who does -- or change what you are offering so that they do want it.

4. The Purpose of My Marketing Efforts Should Be to Create Awareness of My Business in the Marketplace

Big money-wasting myth!

You've probably heard it before from various media reps; 'You need to keep running your ads over and over again to gain marketplace recognition and awareness.'

Don't believe it. While Coca Cola, The Gap, and Disney can afford to spend millions of dollars to create mass market awareness and keep their names uppermost in the minds of the people in their marketplace, a small business can't.

Unless you have at least $100,000 to $200,000 a year to spend on awareness marketing in your local market, forget it. Mass awareness marketing is a game for the big guys, not for a small business.

Remember, the goal of media reps is to have you run your ads over and over and over again -- that's how they make their commissions. The concept of awareness marketing fits in very well with their goal, but not with yours.

You should be using what is called direct response marketing -- marketing that produces an immediate and direct response.


5. I Don't Need a Headline on My Marketing Pieces

False.

You need a headline on every marketing vehicle you use. That includes ads, flyers, letters, post cards, Web pages, e-mails, etc. Your headline for an in-person presentation, a telemarketing call, etc. would be your opening statement.

Your headline should attract your very best prospects and should tell them in an instant what you have for them.

Thank about how you read a newspaper. How do you decide which articles to read? By the headlines, of course.

Your headline will determine if your prospects will stop to read the rest of your message. If it doesn't grab your prospects and promise them something they want, they won't read the rest of your marketing piece. They're just too busy to waste their time trying to figure out if you have something of interest to them.

Eliminate your headlines, or use a bad one, and you have just wasted 90% of your marketing investment.

What is the BIGGEST mistake made in marketing?

Source melissadata.com

Following Up On Customers, by Jeffrey Dobkin

What is the BIGGEST mistake made in marketing? This mistake is made by 99% of the companies marketing products or services… The biggest mistake in marketing - and not just direct marketing, but any marketing - is made by people who spend a lot of time, energy, and money on an ad or an inquiry-generation program. When they receive the highly qualified lead it brings in, they send a brochure and a letter. At best, they call about a week later. When a sale is not immediate, they hang up, and they never call back or send another letter. They assume their campaign failed. What a mistake. A single letter and brochure is not a campaign. A campaign is not a single effort of anything - why do you think they call it a campaign? A campaign is a sustained effort over time…. The biggest mistake made in marketing is not contacting a well-qualified buyer, who has expressed an interest in your product or service after the first mailing, a second time with harder-hitting additional marketing material or letters.

Six Benefits Of An Email Automatic Responder

Source: Article Dashboard

1. Create Automatic Communication Channels

Imagine how hands-off your business can become if you create an automatic communication channel with all your visitors and leads. This can continue twenty four hours a day, without you lifting as much as a finger. Simply make sure that you have a few messages or newsletters ready, and the service does the rest for you. You can concentrate on all the other facets of your business, or go on holiday for that matter. This is super-delegating! Your family will love your for it, as it gives you more time with them.

2. Gather Data Day-Long

An email automatic responder service is on call 24/7, ready to compile lists of prospects. As your leads give their permission for this gathering of details, it is a win-win situation. You are slowly building an absolutely targeted prospect list that will give you exponential growth in your virtual real estate's value.

3. Counting The Clicks

With every discount or special offer, you can include a link in the message. This enables the email automatic responder service to track the clicks. You can therefore keep a close eye on your stats, without becoming involved in the process. You will be able to form a picture of what is effective, and what should be skipped next time. The accuracy with which you can keep track of the results will help you to have your finger firmly on the pulse of your business.

4. Market Without Making A Move

As soon as you have set up a series of messages or newsletters, the service takes over. The messages are dispatched at regular intervals without your input. All those follow-ups can be used for marketing, even though you are out of the equation. You have no tracking and no paper work. The autoresponder marketing machine kicks into action, bringing in new leads and transforming them into loyal clientele. Best of all, you can make sure that each client is addressed personally. This doesn't have to be mass-mailing.

5. Natty Newsletters

This is your chance to put on your designing hat and play editor. The service has facilities you can use to come up with tempting looking material. Your clients won't be able to resist the deals and will have to take a peek at what you offer. Every lead in the database will receive his or her special message at a specified date. Imagine what a time-saver this professional service can be.

6. Energize Existing Lists

Even if you have your own, existing list of leads, this is no problem. Your new system will easily and seamlessly incorporate these prospects into your new list. If you want to give a section of the leads list special treatment, your wish is their command. The email automatic responder service will send out what you want, when you want it, to whom you want.

To read the full article, click here

Persuasive Article Writing That Will Rapidly Boost Your Business

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_A._Abrahams

Asking customers or potential clients to do something has never been any easier. Because of a small technique known as article writing, now business can covertly ask customers to make purchases, join sites and spend their money on their products without any face to face contact. Article writing makes this process very easy and can actually help persuade a visitor into a large purchase if written correctly. There are many tips and tricks to article writing and every business should have a good plan in place.

Articles written for a website can greatly differ and should be full of information that consumers are looking for. These articles do no good if they are not well written and on topic for the site and the products that they sell. Taking the time to devise a good article writing campaign can help readers understand about the site, those running it and the specifics about products offered. There are even ways to help build a call to action so that the reader's feels compelled to take action. This call to action should be clearly stated in the process, because the goal is to help the reader understand what is expected from them.

Article writing can also be implemented to help build a light and fun sense for the consumer or reader. In many cases this is an important step and can help the reader feel more at ease with the site and their buying decision. Article writing can actually help the visitor develop a relationship with the business much faster than a non-contact site.

Are you really interested in driving massive traffic to your website? Here's the answer:

Secrets Of Article Marketing - Download your free ebook now.

Would you like to know more about the magical marketing techniques that have helped me to quit my day job? I have just completed my new ebook.

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Mark Abrahams is a full time internet marketer who has helped others to earn a living online.

3 Steps to Improve Your Web Site Marketing

Source: cashofthetitans.blogspot.com

1. Offer Solutions to Attract Visitors

Use the site description that appears in your search engine listing or the copy in your Google Adword ads to motivate people to visit your site. The most effective way to do this is to describe the problem your products or services solve.

2. Give Site Visitors A Reason to Contact You

Getting people to your site is the first step, but it doesn't count for much if you aren’t able to convert site visitors into qualified leads. Give your site visitors a reason to contact you (and give you their contact information). Giving something away works for almost every type of business and can work for you, too.

3. Convert Leads Into Paying Clients

Follow-up on a prospect's interest by giving them information that has use and value to their business. Give them reasons to trust you, more information about the problems you solve, and more examples of ways that you can help them as you've helped other clients.

Tune up your web site - or build a new one that gets you where you want to go - with these three steps you'll and attract more and more clients each month.

About the author:

The author, Charlie Cook, helps small business owners and marketing professionals attract more clients, whether you are marketing in print, in person or online. Sign up for the Free Marketing eBook, '7 Steps to get more clients and grow your business', full of practical marketing strategies you can use to increase profits at www.MarketingForSuccess.com

7 Simple Ways To Build Traffic To A New Website

Source: SiteProNews.com

Here goes 7 simple tips that you can start implementing to build traffic to your brand new website.

• Get some quick links from trusted directories
• Start blogging
• Consider Paid Search
• Use Article Marketing To Build Links
• Guest Post At Relevant Blogs
• Submit Your Site to Design Galleries
• Sponsor a Local Event or Charity

To read the full story, Visit SiteProNews.com

Can a Blog Replace Cold-Calling?

Source: education58369.blogspot.com

I had a chance to read this blog post titled "Can a Blog replace Cold-Calling?". The post highlighted few points explaining how cold-calling can be replaced with a blog. I m listing down few points from the blog post. These points explain how to leverage the blog to not only Brand self and the company but also to serve as a passive lead generation tool for new prospects.

1. Provide reliable, helpful information. The more info the more trust and credibility you will receive.

2. Provide a sign-up form for newsletter tips. This will help you gather prospect email addresses and contact info that can be used for follow up.

3. Implement Google Analytics, a free Web site traffic reporting tool that will show exactly where your visitors are coming from, what they looked at when they came to your Blog and other helpful details.

4. Implement a Sponsorship program and advertise your best customers' services.

These are just a few of the many ways that Blogs can replace cold-calling to gather information and prospect contact information. When done right the process can be automated, allowing you to spend less time as a prospecting salesperson and more time as a closer.

To read more, Visit education58369.blogspot.com

About the author:

Jason Murphy is Owner of YourEdgeOnline.com and has spent over 10 years studying and learning what it takes to become a successful Internet Business Executive. He has helped some of the most successful online retailers and most recognized household brand names learn more about eCommerce, mCommerce and technology to help them sell more each day. He has consulted for many of the Internet Retailer's Top 500

He can be reached for consulting advice and Online marketing services via his Web site: http://youredgeonline.com/

What is Your Web Lead Response Time?

Source: ReachForce.com Blog

Insidesales.com conducted a ResponseAudit to test every exhibiting company at Dreamforce, salesforce.com’s user group conference, to see how quickly they would respond to a web lead.

Here are some interesting stats from the ResponseAudit:

“39.5% of the Dreamforce Sponsors responded by phone with the average response time by phone of 44 hours, 31 minutes, and 8 seconds. Of companies that responded by phone the average phone attempts was 1.14 times. 53.2% of the Dreamforce Sponsors responded by email, with the average response time by email of 13 hours, 14 minutes, and 24 seconds. Of companies that responded email the average email attempts was 1.45.”

Over 37% of companies never responded at all.

For those that did respond, the average response time was still very slow. “Recent lead response management research from MIT shows the odds of making contact with a Web-based inquiry increases 100 times if attempted within five minutes.”

To read the full story, Visit ReachForce.com Blog

However the research fact shows the significance of Web lead Response Time and its affect on conversion.

Why businesses need Online Presence?

A recent statistic has shown that around 20 million people worldwide use the internet for shopping of various items like airline tickets, vacation homes, groceries, etc. Business marketers need to harness the Internet to create faster, cheaper and contact with their customers and prospects.

For savvy business marketers, internet marketing makes a lot of sense. By creating a website, you can show the products and services you offer. Having your own website helps you to reach your customers fast. You can set up your own affiliate programs with multiple businesses.

Marketers can sell products and services directly by creating a page about their product/service and setting up payment processors like Pay Pal and Google Checkout. Regardless of what type of product/service you market, if you want to expand your customer base, online presence is the way to go.