Tag Archives: advertising

Diary of a Cat Care B&B: My Bulletin Board

I’ve picked up a new responsibility at the cats only boarding facility — I am now in charge of the monthly bulletin board. The job comes with a large (and I mean overflowing) box of assorted cat calendars, cat pictures from catalogues and magazines, a rainbow of colored paper, and more. I offered to take on the bulletin board a few weeks ago, so I’ve had a chance to plan a bit. One thing I wanted to focus on was educational materials. There are lots of things we do at the boarding facility that our clients might not understand — … Continue reading →

The Headline is the Most Important Part of an Ad

If you are on a limited budget and designing your own ads or working on your own marketing and advertising for your web site, marketing materials, etc.—it helps to know a few basic things about advertising. Even if you are able to afford to pay a professional to design your ads, you will still want to guide and direct them and be able to offer suggestions for what you want to say and how you want to say it. One important thing to remember is that the headline for your ad is the most important line. The headline has to … Continue reading →

Keeping Unwanted “Squatter” Advertising Off Your Web Site (And Other Places)

We are in such a digital/internet age that what I call “guerrilla” advertising is rampant. I recently read an article about “shopdropping”– a term retailers have given to the act of dropping, inserting, and leaving unwanted items on shelves and in products. Individuals leave business cards, flyers, religious or political propaganda, differently wrapped products, etc. in stores. Meanwhile, for those who have web sites with blogs or places where individuals can make comments, many find unwanted promotional posts and “plugs” for other products and services. How can a home business owner stay on top of such “leaches” trying to drum … Continue reading →

Getting Your Business Listed in Directories

In addition to web links and trading advertising, there are other ways that you can get your business name out there into the world without spending an arm and a leg. Instead of going for a big ad that might be out of your small business budget, consider trying to get your business listed in various directories. While there are some directories (like the telephone book, for example) that do charge for listing your business information, but there are also many publications and web sites that do not. Spending some time investigating the various publications available in your industry or … Continue reading →

Ways to Use Inserts to Promote Your Business

In addition to “traditional” advertising like print ads, radio and television—many small businesses turn to “inserts” as a way of promoting their products and services. Inserts are not just those colored sheets of paper in the daily newspaper, you might be surprised how many different ways you can use the “insert” idea to promote your business. Yes, inserts are those colored flyers that slip into your daily newspaper, and they can be incredibly successful and cost effective. But, there are many other opportunities for flyers and inserts including: conference and workshop registration packets, direct mail, collaborative marketing with other companies, … Continue reading →

The Downsides to Having a Personal Blog

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We just finished covering the great part about blogging for yourself, but there are also some really big downsides, such as: *There is no guaranteed income from it. In the first month of my personal blog, I made $0.02 from the ad income. When I told people I was “putting my two cents in” apparently I meant that literally. 😛 And since that ad revenue was coming from Google AdSense ads, and you have to reach a payout of $100 before you can receive a check for the money, that meant that at a rate of $0.02 per month, I … Continue reading →

5 Terrific Advertising Tips for Your Garage Sale

Advertising your garage sale, can be costly, and if you don’t know the proper way to go about it, can be very ineffective. In order to get the best advertising, reach the most people, and have a successful sale, there are some tips that might help. 1. Use Bulletin Boards for free advertising. Many grocery stores, church offices, schools and community centers have bulletin boards, that you are able to post an ad on. If they have a form you must use, be sure to grab one, or find out the rules and regulations to posting an ad on the … Continue reading →

Don’t Forget About Word of Mouth

I happened to be part of a conversation planning a little party for a colleague. Someone mentioned that we should get a cake from a very popular and specific local bakery. I suddenly remembered that I had been there only a couple days before and had the most fabulous, fresh peach mango champagne cake. I gave an instant testimonial and we were on the phone ordering the cake for our little celebration. Word-of-mouth marketing at work! Known in some circles as “Buzz” (this is a more recent term), word-of-mouth marketing has been a staple of small businesses for centuries! There … Continue reading →

Every Business Has a “Voice”

You have no doubt heard the term before “finding your voice”—it is often used to describe writers, performers, actors, and other artists who need to evolve into an individual with a unique approach and a unique “voice” for sharing their art form. But, this terminology works very well for understanding the evolution of a business as well. Each business has to find its own unique approach, connect with the market in a special way, and define itself in a special way that will set it apart from the competitors. While you may have ambivalent feelings about your home business—it might … Continue reading →

Brand New to Advertising?

If you have never had any reason to understand advertising and marketing before—and now with your home business, you need to be able to make some decisions about how to promote your business—getting started can be overwhelming. How do you know where to turn and what sort of advertising is best suited for your business and market? First of all, keep in mind that there are several different types of advertising and they have the ability to reach different markets: print, web, public (bus signs and billboards), television, radio, events and conferences, and direct mail. Within these overarching categories, there … Continue reading →