This tactic of the game was hard for me to master and at first I failed many times. I carried my business cards only in my briefcase, because I thought they were only used in business. Wrong! I missed quite a few opportunities to toot my horn because of that misconception. Not only did I miss the opportunity, but when it did arise, I looked like an amateur. Here’s what happen on one of those occasions.

One day while standing in a bank line waiting to make a deposit – by the way, it was the merchant bank line; a nicely dressed gentleman noticed I had several checks from different companies. He asked about my occupation. I cheerfully explained my business and qualifications. He stated that he was impressed and promptly asked for my business card. Oops! I didn’t have one in my possession. I had to meekly admit that I did not have one with me. He now realized I was new to the game and in a teaching tone, he suggested I should carry them in my wallet. He went on to explain, that I should never be without one. I was too embarrassed to ask for his business card and was elated when the teller said “next.”

New to the game, I truly didn’t think people would just ask you for a business card. When I related this incident to my boyfriend Tim, he chimed in.

“Why wait for people to ask? Don’t be a secret agent; leave them for people to find.” He continued, “When you leave a tip on the lunch table, leave your business card.

“What?” I questioned, “I don’t think a waitress or buss boy would use my services."

"You don’t know that." he calmly continued, "Besides they may know of someone who needs your services. Standing in lines or elevators are the best places to sell yourself," with that he winked and said, "you’ve got a captive audience."

### Gina Novelle (copyright 12-2004)

Gina Novelle is a published free lance writer. Her company sponsors the web site http://www.thirdpocket.com, a support site for the self-employed. Her book, “Business Secrets Men Don’t Tell Women” reveals how women and men view self-employment differently and will be available in 2005. She currently offers her services as an Ezine Writer to optimize search engine ratings. gina@exclusivemarkets.net

I recently saw an ad taped to my mailbox, mind you, my mailbox is shared by many residents of my area. The postal real estate is typically reserved for flyers of lost dogs, cats, small children, etc. This time, however, the ad was soliciting a service which, I feel, requires a personal connection. The ad simply stated: “Affordable, Quality, Licensed, Day Care. Call XXX-XXXX”

While I do not have children yet, I can only assume a responsible parent would look at this impersonal solicitation for their young children and laugh. Would you consider trusting this nameless, faceless, credit-less, organization with your children? Maybe some days this would be appealing, but realistically?

I started thinking about credibility and what an important role it plays in today’s business economy. I looked in the yellow pages for a landscaping company – six pages vying for my dollar, yet all of them lacked personality. Not one said, “We are a credible company you have heard of.”

Granted, building a brand name takes longer than a day or a dollar. Not one person on my mailing list has the Microsoft arsenal of marketers, nor do they have the brand recognition worldwide. But thousands of “small businesses” (a term I hate) have incredible local recognition. Think Blue Sky Landscaping (for you Western Washington folks), what about Dillanos Coffee? They are based right here in Sumner. Ever heard of Pink Coconut? Headquartered in Puyallup.

What do you do to make your company say, “I am someone you can trust.”? How do your customers get to be your customers? Obviously word of mouth is a powerful marketing tool – but you can’t buy that. If you could, we would all be millionaires and word of mouth would not have the same credibility. What about new customers?

For some, leaving an anonymous flyer on a mailbox will work. For daycare? For in-home services? No.

Write back and let me know what you do to bring creditability to your company. In my next article, I will share some of your thoughts – think about it, instant (creditable, free) publicity.

Jacob Madison is an internet marketing professional specializing in high-return growth and advanced marketing tactics. Find out more about him at http://www.jacobmadison.com

Research would indicate that consumers don’t know what they’re thinking. According to an article written by Jack Shimell (2002) for Quirk’s Marketing Research Review, Consumers make their decisions and react to advertising based more on unconscious emotional processes than on conscious rational processes.

There appears to be an interplay between the conscious and the unconscious with the unconscious being the driving force, when it comes to reactions to advertising and purchase decision making.

There is also a distinct personality / temperament factor involved in consumer thinking and behavior. People with moderate extrovert traits tend to react more positively to advertising, while introverts and people with few extrovert traits would appear to be very difficult to affect through advertising.

Part of this may reside in the fact that introverts tend to be energized by solitary activities that are less affected by outside factors while extroverts tend to be energized by outside influences such as social status, social engagement, peer relations, and social value of products or services.

The introvert tends to be more affected by internal factors that can be analyzed and processed at their leisure. They operate based on facts, information, and internal beliefs and attitudes.

The above discussion is why you must develop a demographic profile of your ideal customer. From this profile you can develop advertising and a marketing campaign that feeds the unconscious of the consumer.

Based on the research presented in Shimell’s (2002) article, marketers and advertisers would be smart to incorporate elements that target both the conscious and unconscious processing of targeted consumers.

Unconscious elements would be music (the research in the article indicated that music was an very important factor in positive reaction to advertising), color, graphics, and movement. Conscious elements would be text, voice-over, overt product offers, and interactive elements such as redeemable coupons.

Different segments, audiences, and occupations tend toward predictable personality and temperament qualities which can guide targeted marketing and advertising. Take the time to know and understand your ideal customer and adapt your advertising to their personalities and unconscious processes. In your marketing campaign it’s smart to have a combination of conscious and unconscious elements that tie into different media channels and your consumer’s personalities.

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Darrin F. Coe, MA holds a master’s degree in psychology and operates “The Center For Understanding Consumer Thinking” at http://www.consumer-thinking.com

Contact him for consulting at darrinfcoe@consumer-thinking.com or 719-275-5907 after 5:00 PM MST
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It’s been said that the antidote to liking/loving is not hating, but indifference. So, when an ad makes you angry or disgusted or evokes any other strong emotion, it has done it’s job. That is what advertising is supposed to do! Isn’t it?

There is an advertisement currently running on T.V. that makes me so disgusted that I spent quite a few minutes last night discussing it with my sister,

The ad is for a well known brand of toothpaste that is being recommended for people with sensitive teeth. Nothing wrong so far. There are plenty of people with sensitive teeth and I have no personal knowledge of the truthfullness of the claims made by the manufacturer.

My objection is to the presentation of this product. There is a beautiful women, dressed only in camisole and under wear parading around as she touts the benefits of using this product. There is nothing wrong with that either. But what is the connection? Do you have to be beautiful, female and barely dressed to benefit from this toothpaste?

I am sure the manufacturer would not want to limit his market to that niche only. What a waste of his advertising money? It is getting harder and harder to get your message noticed, with so many other products vying for the same market shares that you’re after.

Why get that consumer’s attention, only to then turn them off or away, with an inappropriate advertisement.

So, I like this ad because it certainly demonstrates that advertising gets you noticed and talked about.

It is up to you. however, to target your market appropriately and benefit from your hard won exposure.

P.S. By the way my sister hates the ad, too!

Advertising is like beauty, you must strike an almost perfect balance to achieve and maintain the desired results/effect. Yvonne invites you to visit her website at: http://www.herbalhealthyskin.com for your free beauty balancing tips !

My mother used to tell me ..To always tell the truth. Of course, I kind of thought ..That all the rest would, too. The items that I ordered ..From fast-talking radio ads Led me to believe that ..Perhaps I had been had. The lesson to be learned is ..That ads should make you wary. One claim you can be sure of ..Is to trust in no truth fairies.

Did you ever buy something advertised on TV or in a magazine and was disappointed with the quality or the performance of the product? While it is impossible to change the way some companies advertise their products, here are a few clues that will warn you away from being cheated.

Over-the-counter medications are prime examples of the old carnival pitch. If words like ’sometimes’, helpful’, bigger’, or ‘more effective’ are used, then you know that without a comparative study and the percentages to go with them, these modifiers serve only to put a positive spin on the product. When a medication is helpful, does that mean one per cent of the time or ninety percent of the time? How often is sometimes and bigger than what? Products touted as ‘amazing’ or ‘fantastic’ get your adrenaline going, but don’t let it get to your wallet. Personal recommendations are purely anecdotal and have nothing to do with a comparative blind study. Adjectives like ‘incomparable’, ‘incredible’ and ‘unbelievable’ often mean exactly what they say.

Infomercials touting the benefits of their own herbal concoction are safe in the fact that these dried plants and effusions will in no way harm anyone. Every mysterious ill that people worry about will find their way in this special concoction. The free bottle is usually followed by interminable payments that resist removal..

Skin products are rampant with false claims and mythical properties. In science class, we learned that the human skin is practically impervious to anything you put on it except for some acids or strong alkali. A simple softening hand lotion is all you’ll ever need and then only in unusual circumstances. Hair shampoo is another catch-all for superlatives. A bar of hand soap in soft water will wash your hair fifty times for eighty cents and do a great job.

I once ordered three ‘Multi-fruit trees’ from a magazine ad. The picture showed apples , pears, cherries and peaches growing from the same tree! I paid my $5.95 and received three dried out sticks wrapped in sphagnum moss. Not even Darwin himself could resurrect these specimens. Other similar items found their place in the attic, like FM transmitters (Fool your friends with your voice on the radio!), instant breast enhancers, fifteen watt bulbs that last forever, and an all-purpose stain remover that supposedly helps remove (almost) any stain.

So don’t be taken in by the seemingly wonderful qualities of ‘bargain’ products. Rely on scientific studies, consumer reports and trial and error. If that doesn’t work, ask your mother.

Retired portrait photographer. Any comments?

We are bombarded with thousands of marketing messages daily…on television and the radio, on the internet, in magazines and newspapers, on billboards and other signs, and even at the bottoms and on the backs of receipts. The world is, indeed, a very noisy place. And in order to get heard, we need our marketing messages to be clear and concise.

A vague message is one that isn’t easily understood – it doesn’t speak to a potential customer or client. To be successful in business, our messages must clearly target a specific audience, explaining to them the features and benefits of our product or service. We need to get the public involved and interested enough to want to have further conversations with us. Only then do we have the entrée for beginning to develop a relationship with them, the first step in the selling process.

How can we ensure that our messages are all that they can be?

1. Define your target market. One of the best ways to create a clear output is to start with clear inputs. When it comes to anything you do for your business, you need to be very clear on your target market. Who do you want to reach with your marketing efforts? Define them as clearly as possible. Are they male or female? What are their ages, their occupations, and their lifestyles? Why would they want to do business with you? The more clear you are about who you want to work with, the more clear you will be when crafting your marketing messages.

2. Market narrowly, but deliver broadly. Your marketing message should be carefully focused to cater specifically to the needs and wants of your target market. One might think you’d be passing up opportunities for more customers or clients. The reality is that more people will be attracted to you if you position yourself as a specialist rather than a generalist. Folks associate a higher degree of expertise with a specialist, and, more than likely, you’ll be able to charge premium prices to reflect this marketing position. Once you’ve gotten their attention you can market many things to them (delivery broadly).

3. Talk about the customer, not yourself. Your marketing message should speak to the prospect, their particular needs and wants. What problems can you solve for the customer? Make a list of the top 10 problems that you solve for others. These should be the substance and focus of every conversation that you have. Avoid talking about yourself. People are interested in what you can do for them – sometimes even more than the specifics of the product or service that you offer. Your prospects needs and your solutions should be the focus of all of your marketing materials.

4. Explain the benefits. Not only should you explain the benefits of your product or service, but you should be able to explain the benefits of working with you. Features are defined as the distinctive characteristics of a product’s use or design. A benefit, on the other hand, is how the feature will add value to the prospect’s life. Carefully define your features and benefits. At the same time, what are the benefits of working with you? Do you provide 24-hour turnaround? Do you return emails and phone calls promptly? Do you offer a free introductory consultation? Do you provide additional value to your customers – extra reports, information or discounts on future purchases? People buy benefits, not features. What’s in it for them? Let them know!

5. Know your products and services. There is a lot to know when it comes to your products and services. The more articulate you are in explaining their features and benefits, the higher your chances of closing a sale. For each product or service you offer, make sure you can clearly articulate the features, the benefits, and the specific client need that is addressed. Word this information in language that prospects can clearly understand – that relates to who they are as a target market. Drafting a simple one-page summary of these details can help you to get clear on what matters most.

6. Keep it simple. The best messages are those that are simply said. People understand simple. The more complex the explanation, the higher the risk you run that you’ll “lose them along the way.” Again, refer back to the one page summary of your client needs, as well as product or service features and benefits. Provide information that is easy to understand. Don’t give more information until the client asks for the information. Always let the prospect guide the conversation.

7. Use a tagline. A tagline is a slogan or phrase that conveys something about a feature or benefit of something you offer. For example, the tagline for Chase Manhattan bank is “The Right Relationship is Everything”. This slogan clearly communicates that one of the features of working with them is relationship – not just any relationship – but the right relationship. Another example of a tagline is Alicia Smith: The DISC Ninja. The DISC Ninja implies skill, precision, and performance. What type of tagline can best describe you and your business?

8. Consult your R & D team. To create on-target marketing messages, run them by your friends, family, and colleagues before you release them to the world. Creating your own R & D team is a great way to experiment or to try out your ideas in a low-risk environment. Probably one of the best things to do is to get feedback from your current customers. They can tell you first hand what works and why. Never pass up an opportunity to get feedback, as it will help you to fine-tune your marketing message.

9. Provide clear and clean information. It should go without saying that you should provide clear, easy-to-understand information. This applies to everything from your business card to your website. Make sure you include your complete contact information on everything, including your email signature. Provide FAQ or Frequently Asked Question sections in brochures, on your website or on other marketing materials. Make sure that you make it as easy as possible for people to contact you and to do business with you. If they need to search for how to contact you, they may very well search someone else out. Along with the times and days you do business, include your business, cellular, and fax numbers, as well as your website and email addresses. Include instructions on how to return or receive a refund on an item. Clear and concise is the name of the game.

10. Understand the customer. Prospects, and even your current customers, are focused on one thing and one thing only; what’s in it for them. For the most part, they aren’t really interested in you or your product or service. They are interested in benefits. How can you solve their pain? How can you resolve their issues? If you keep this in mind, this will help you to create marketing messages that are focused and really hit their mark.

© Copyright 2004 by Alicia Smith

Alicia Smith, a Coach and Trainer whose specialty is helping people Make Money Now. This article is derived from just one of the 26 lessons contained in her audio program, Marketing Marathon Blunders From A – Z. To learn more about that course and her other products and services, please visit http://www.90DayMarketingMarathon.com or http://www.AliciaSmith.com. You can also email her at alicia@aliciasmith.com

Use This Quick 3-Question Evaluation Process, So You Can Be Sure Your Message Will Sell!

EVALUATION #1: "Well, I Would Hope So!" When you make a claim, don’t think about it in terms of words coming out of your mouth. Think of it in terms of words entering your prospects ears. Then you’ll realize how ridiculous some claims actually sound.

Whenever you make a claim, ask yourself if the prospect will immediately echo this response: "Well, I would hope so!" For instance, an insurance agency faxed me the following reason to choose them over their competitors: "We will be there for you when you have a claim." Well I would hope so! You’re an insurance agency! Isn’t that what you do?

Statements like this have as much meaning as the haircutter telling you that your hair will be shorter after it’s cut, or as the gas station attendant telling you that you’ll have more gas after your tank is filled. Always, always, always ask this important evaluation question whenever you make any claim. Avoid pointless claims and it will improve your effectiveness by 500% immediately.

EVALUATION #2: "Who Else Can Say That?" Pay close attention to this one. The question is not who else can do what you do. The question is who else can say what you say. And, the answer to that is "just about anybody and everybody". We consulted with an auto repair facility that was, by FAR, the most awesome business of its kind in their area of influence. They put competitors out of business every year and monopolized their marketplace in the process. Small problem: Even though no other business could even come close to performing at their level, their yellow page ad looked virtually identical to all of their cheesy competitors.

Try This: Look at your ad and compare it to your competitors’ ads. If you can cross out your name on your ad and replace it with the name of your competitor or vice versa, and the ad is still valid, you failed the test! You failed to distinguish yourself from your competitors. You failed to differentiate your business. You look like everybody else!

EVALUATION #3: The Specificity Challenge. I could write an entire book on this subject. But, suffice it to say for sake of this newsletter, you need to quantify all of your claims. Businesses generally fail to create a compelling case to buy their product or service. Instead, they merely ask their prospects to buy without justifiable, rational reasons. Quantify your business in terms of:

1. Specifically, How Are You Different?

2. Specifically, Compared To What?

3. Specifically, Why Can You Do That?

4. Specifically, What’s Your Advantage?

If You Want To Distinguish Your Business From The Competition, Build A Case As An Attorney Would.

You need to realize that your business is on trial. You’re the attorney. And it’s a life or death sentence. Your customers and prospects are the jury. What will you say that will convince them to buy from you? What kind of specific evidence can you produce to PROVE beyond any reasonable doubt that they’d be a fool to not buy from you? Use your evidence to build and present your case.

Good luck with your marketing efforts.

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If you would like a FREE Ad Evlauation of any advertising pieces you may have, simply email to: support@mymondemand.com or fax to: (650) 649-2221. We will apply these evaluations, plus a few additional and provide you with a quantitative assessment of your ad piece(s).

About The Author: Marc Gamble, the author, teaches business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals how to acheive bigger, bottom line results from their advertising & marketing efforts without spending more time, effort, or money. Learn marketing strategies and tactics to separate yourself from your competition and become the obvious choice to do business with. To learn more about how to improve your own Marketing Efforts and Achieve Better Results, visit: http://www.MYMOnDemand.com/vpc1_mgnm
Email: mgamble@mymondemand.com

We’re surrounded by advertisements that desperately compete for our attention. Everywhere we look, we find ourselves inevitably drawn to images of scantily clad attractive men and women that are supposed to somehow inspire us to purchase products they endorse. Sure, this attention-getting strategy is popular. But, is it effective?

Sex appeal can increase the effectiveness of an ad or commercial because it attracts the customer’s attention. It’s human nature to be curious about sex. A pair of long legs on a billboard is more likely to catch (and hold) a guy’s attention than a puppy, regardless of how cute it may be. Even women are drawn to them, perhaps with the desire of having goddess-like legs.

However, misuse of sex appeal can be costly. Many campaigns deemed offensive have started brand boycotts that affect sales and damage brand reputation. Abercrombie & Fitch has been involved in several scandals, the latest from their most recent catalog entitled “XXX Wet, Hot Summer Fun.” On April 18, 2002, only a week after the catalog hit the stores, the Illinois State Senate passed a resolution condemning A&F’s advertising tactics. This resolution, backed by several nonprofit organizations, suggests citizens and shareholders boycott Abercrombie’s products and to take a stand against the company’s marketing strategies. Although sexy images in catalogs are not at all uncommon, “XXX Wet, Hot Summer Fun” featured naked boys and girls frolicking in natural settings. Not quite appropriate for an apparel catalog targeted at teenagers.

Sex in advertising has stirred controversy for many years, an advertiser must be careful when incorporating it in a campaign. Great advertisers consider not only the attention-getting power of an advertisement or commercial, but also what kind of emotional response it provokes in customers. Studies show that the attractiveness of the endorsing model provokes positive responses. Nudity and graphic erotic content, while still increasing consumer’s attention, doesn’t really generate positive feelings among viewers. In other words, advertisers must be careful to avoid the “cheap shot,” which may negatively affect a brand’s image.

To avoid that, the sexual content in advertising must be appropriate to the product category and have a proper underlying message. In 2000, Heineken launched the “It’s All About the Beer” campaign. One spot, called “The Premature Pour,” shows a beautiful seductive woman pouring Heineken into a glass. When a guy across the bar responds by pouring his own, he nervously pours too fast and spills foam all over the table and himself. The sexual content is implicit, yet direct. The sexual reference in this and other spots in the campaign worked, causing sales to rise 13% in the first two quarters of 2002. However, Steve Davis (VP of marketing in Heineken USA), claims that, “Provocative is a very good place to be, as long as we’re not inflammatory. But the spots also work for a different reason. From the tag line to the plot, they are about a desire for Heineken. Our ads make the beer the hero.”

Sex sells, yes, but only when used “in good taste.” As marketers we must think not only in getting customers’ attention for the short term, but also in building a brand reputation that will yield long-term results.

Mark Levit is managing partner of Partners & Levit Advertising and a professor of marketing at New York University. Partners & Levit’s clients include Procter & Gamble, UnitedHealth Group, and GE Commercial Finance. For more information call 212-696-1200 or visit http://www.partnerslevit.com.

It appears that most gurus if you want to call them that represent themselves as experts. In several statements that I’ve read, they refer to other marketers as making mistakes. Yet, when they make the same mistakes, they call it testing.

I read a quote one time about a child learning to walk. When the child is serious about learning to walk, falling is simply a form of learning. However, it’s not looked upon as a failure or mistake.

Another word that I’ve heard plenty of times this year is the word “secret”. Actually, that word has been overused and over abused. As anyone knows, if it’s a secret on the internet, most everyone knows about it. Secret is also known as a power word.

You can compare secrets to fishing. I know of a web site selling secrets of catching crappie at night. The secret has been around since 1947 and very few fishermen know about it. Well, if you know anything about fishing, then you can guess where I’m going with this one. More than likely it’s the difference between a fairy tale and a story from a cowboy.

Now, that you know that you haven’t been given the right secrets to success and everything you do is wrong, you may as well face the fact that someone out there is undoubtedly going to tell you more goof ball lies.

It may be time to wake up and realize that marketers that sell “marketing information” will never tell you exactly what to do in order to make money. If they did, you wouldn’t be a customer any more. Also, it amazes me that they’d want the competition.

“Saturation” is a word you should learn. There will be a point on the internet where the most unpopular word around will be considered a keyword at a price most people starting out cannot afford. I’m talking about pay per click advertisements.

At some point, you may even figure that the people selling books on google adsense and google adwords are creating an irreversible mountain of competition for themselves. It’s my opinion that the ones writing these books are slowing down on the profits and needed another avenue.

It’s been said over and over again that you need your own product, but I think you’d still be right where you are today if you did not do everything you’ve done so far. The one thing you must not do. Do not quit. This is the only sure way of failure.

You’ve learned a great deal and you may have even got burned out. You may have been scammed and ripped off. You may even be one of those unfortunate people that had their identities stolen. Just learn from it and go on. Don’t follow those footsteps.

Do not join chain letters, matrixes, money making machines, or anything where a product is not a reasonable price. Last, if it cost you money to get into a business selling for someone else, “run”. Now, only you know why you haven’t made any money. Write down everything you’ve done and figure out what you could have done different. Most of the time it comes down to not doing enough. If you still believe you can work 2 hours per day at this business starting out, then think again. Marketing is a full time job.

PS. I have no secret that you haven’t been told before. I don’t figure you’re doing anything wrong, you just haven’t figured out what you want.

Randall Stafford has been marketing on the internet seriously for the last 2 years with some success. He’s been on the internet since 1994 and dabbled with it. If you want to succeed, you don’t quit.

CPR CPA CTR… what does it all mean? What it means is dollars "out" of your pocket instead of "in" to your pocket. Advertising dollars are gaining in value, meaning the regular advertiser now gets MORE for his dollar than he did a few years back.

An advertiser used to pay for "impressions",meaning everytime his ad showed on a web page it was counted as an impression. He would buy 1000 to 100000 impressions for his ad. Ad rates depended upon the web site. Educational sites could get a higher CPM rate, (cost per thousand impressions), than a site selling laundry detergent.

Things have changed somewhat… Now they want to buy CPA ads, (cost per action), meaning they want to pay per "action". An "action" is not considered a click. If they place an ad on your site, it doesn’t matter if it gets 10000 impressions or 50000 impressions. It doesn’t matter if it gets 1000 clicks. They are ONLY going to pay you if someone actually clicks on the link AND buys whatever they are selling on their site. Sounds great huh?

The other great ad inventory they want to purchase is the CTR offer. This is for "click through rate". That means their ad can again show 10000 times or 50000 times. It doesn’t matter. They are only going to pay you if someone actually clicks on their ad. Another yummy prospect huh?

What is going on here? Are we so desperate for ads that we will allow someone to use our web pages to flaunt their products for free and only get paid if someone clicks their ad or acually signs up for something they are selling? What is wrong with this picture, people?

Let’s see…. I want to rent a new business building, but I have informed the landlord that even though I will be taking up their "prime space", I will only be paying partial rent on customers who actually buy something. It doesn’t matter if I have a crummy storefront, a disorganized shelving system, or an unmanageble way to navigate about the store. I am still only going to pay them for their prime spot IF I actually get a sale out of the building. Now this sounds more to my liking!

Also, I am going to be contacting some National Newspapers. I want to place an ad on their "front" page along with some other ads in the rest of the newspaper. I am going to inform the newsletter that I don’t care if they have 100,000 subscribers who will see the ad. I am only going to pay "IF" someone actually uses the ad and buys my product. Now hurry up and get my ad placed on the front page of your newspaper!

Let’s wake up ladies!

As long as you keep accepting advertising on these terms, you are going to be giving away your "prime business space" and your "front page space" to some clever marketing agent who just saw a new victim when he landed at your site.

I would LOVE to see these guys try to pull this stuff in the real world! H-E-L-L-O… This may be a virtual world, but it still takes "real" people to read your ads and real people to buy your products.

Maybe you advertisers only want to pay on a click through rate or a click per action rate because your ad might stink or it’s in a "testing" phase. In the meantime they get to be your guinea pig while you test around to see which ads got the best performance as you showed the ad millions of times but only had to pay for actual clicks on your ad. What a deal you got!

I think I’ll make up the blandest ad I can find, but make sure the words "Digital Women" are in it because I just want people to remember the name. I don’t care if they click or not because I am just after brand recognition at the moment. Then I won’t have to pay anything to the poor sap that showed my ad 500,000 times but I can still get the brand recognition that I need to succeed at my present goal, which is just making sure my "name" is seen around the world on lots of people’s web sites.

This article is not meant to sound bitter. It is meant to open your eyes to what is being handed to you like it’s something special. It’s not special and they couldn’t pass this off in a real newspaper or a real magazine or a real business development mall or shopping mall.

Stop being a victim to these guys. If they offer a CPA or CTR send them out the same door they came through. Wise up! That is your prime advertising space. Stop "giving" it away.

What are your best options if:

If you "accept" advertising, make sure you offer a flat rate for your prime space. You can offer a CPM which is a cost per thousand impressions, or you can offer a flat monthly rate based on how many impressions they can get in 30 days.

Your rates should be in line with what your site offers as content. Adres has a chart but I think it is a couple of years old. You can check out the CPM rates there. When you hit the site, look to the right for a link to "sample rates": http://adres.internet.com/adrates/article/0,1401,,00.html

Have a clear ad rates page set up. We suggest using an advertising agency to sell ads for you. They know all the ad terms and communicate better with those who buy ads. One great place we know that specializes in advertising for women is the Queen of Pizzazz. You can find that advertising agency here: http://www.thequeenofpizzazz.com

If you "buy" advertising, make sure you have a budget in place before you start looking. Also you will need to have several different ads to try at different places. If you don’t do some sort of ad tracking or some sort of program in place where you can see which of your ads did the best then you will be wasting valuable ad dollars.

Again we suggest using an ad agency that will do all that for you. The above site also offers the service of buying ad space for you. Try them out.

To sum up…

About The Author

Rebecca Game is the owner/founder of Digital-Women.com an international online community for women in business. If you are a "woman with her modem running…" come join us!

http://www.digital-women.com, mailto:marketing@digital-women.com