Advertising and Marketing

You might be asking, what’s the importance of press releases? After all, you advertise your business and spend good money to get the word out about the invaluable services you are providing your customers. You might be thinking that you have no need for press releases or the media; you’re not in the business of making news, but of making money.

Well, you might be surprised to discover that there’s a simple answer to why press releases for your business are so important. Most people never think about it, they are more concerned with creating a successful company, but once they do, and follow through, in just a short period of time — weeks or just a few months — they may begin to see a major change in the way the media, and most importantly, their clients, see them.

Advertising and publicity are two completely separate tools that businesses often confuse with each other. While advertising is used to keep your company, products, and/or services in the mind of the public, publicity that is presented in the form of a news-worthy story is usually viewed in a more trusted and positive light by the general public.

Surprisingly, it’s estimated that 70 percent of “news” comes from sources outside of the traditional media sources. In other words, a good amount of the stories that are being printed in your local paper are coming from people just like yourself who have taken the time to approach the media. Most “news” arrives on a paper’s editorial desk in the form of press releases. These press releases are then picked up, reported on and delivered to the public as “news”.

Surprised? Don’t be. There is a new Web-based service that can help. PublicityParadise.com is in the business of making your life easier while connecting your company directly to the media to help you sell more products and services. PublicityParadise.com works to create long-lasting, personal relationships with people within your company and people in the media, such as reporters, editors and columnists. No only do we craft press releases for your company — which can be nothing more than advertising but with a news hook and makes them more appetizing to the media - but the information we put in the press release is truly newsworthy - something the public would want, need or care to know about. Otherwise, your press release will be filed in the circular (read: trash) file and never reach its intended audience.

To ensure that your press release is newsworthy, you will need to remain objective. This may be difficult since you the one dealing with your own company every day where all developments there are considered important and newsworthy. However, step back and write your press release as if you were a third party, such as PublicityParadise.com, looking in at your organization. Would they find the information you are presenting newsworthy? Is it something that you would want to read about, something that you would care about, something that you could learn from? Why?

But remember, you have to try not to get discouraged if your press release is not picked up immediately, or if it takes several releases and attempts until you finally get the coverage you want. Nobody is perfect, even the professionals at a firm like PublicityParadise.com gets every release turned into a news story and we do this all the time. It may take a lot of persistence to make the news, but sending press releases regularly — monthly or even weekly — will increase the chances of your press release being picked up. And once it is, you’ll begin to see a direct correlation between your press release being picked up by the media and an increase in sales after your story has been printed.

The media, more so than advertisements alone, with help to validate your company, and create a sense of trust between you and the readers of the newspaper. Essentially, since you took the time to have a press release created and sent, you’ve take the first step in creating a profitable, quality and trusted public image.

For more on that, simply click on www.PublicityParadise.com.

Scott Rupp has more than 10 years of experience working in the media as a reporter and editor and as the directing of public relations and marketing for several companies in the United States. Based in Las Vegas, NV, PublicityParadise.com helps to fuel businesses growth by working with the media to spread the word about products and services.

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Tags: getting into print, Marketing, media coverage, PR, press releases, public relations

As we look at building our online businesses, many of us acknowledge, early-on, that we don’t know it all. Those who don’t, are almost certain to fail because they often attempt to apply techniques that simply don’t work online - to their online businesses. The quickest way to online success is to model those who are already successful at what you want to do. It’ s that simple.

Of all of the chores involved in building your business, marketing is usually the most critical. Poor marketing is also the reason so many businesses fail. You need to learn to properly market your business or hire someone else to do it for you. I’ll give you a few recommended resources to help jumpstart your education in a minute.

A second extremely important skill that goes hand-in-hand with marketing is generating publicity. You can have the greatest product in the world, but if no one knows about it, it may as well not exist. If no one knows about you, then you won’t make any sales!

Let’s look at generating publicity first…

Publicity can take many forms, and they often overlaps what many would define as marketing. For today, I want you to focus on the most effective, and often cheapest, publicity. In fact, this great publicity is often free. What we’re talking about here is publicity generated by getting the media and others talking about you and your business. We’re talking about the publicity typically generated through tools such as press releases and doing media interviews.

Why is the above type of publicity so powerful? It’s so powerful because people believe what others say about you MORE than they believe what you say about yourself. So when you can get magazines, newspapers, television and radio personalities, and even online ezines talking about you, those hearing this buzz believe it more and are therefore more likely to go check you out.

A second reason this type of publicity is so powerful is because you can literally generate millions of dollars in free publicity if you know what you are doing. You may not be able to afford a full-page ad in a major magazine or newspaper. However, let the right person know about your story and that same publication will be all to happy to tell the world about you… and give them your website url and/or your toll-free phone number.

Learning to get media attention is not hard. To make it even easier, I’ve arranged for my friend, Annie Jennings, who runs a top PR agency, to help you a little. Her site is at: http://www.anniejenningspr.com/teleseminars.htm

I gave you the above url because it is the page where she tells you of upcoming teleseminars she’s hosting on various promotion and sales-related topics. These teleseminars are all free.

While at Annie’s site, sign up for other goodies she offers including courses in generating press releases, creating a platform, getting on top radio shows, etc. She’ll give you all types of freebies like audiotapes and coffee cups. When I first met her, and she sent me an intro package, it felt like Christmas

So we’ll let Annie turn you into a “media darling.” Then you can focus on learning marketing. This is where most online business people should probably spend 80% of their time - not on all of the busywork that you can get someone else to do. The highest and best use of your time is probably in marketing your business, not making webpage updates, writing or even creating products. You can get freelancers to do this for you very inexpensively at places like Elance.com

Marketing is nothing more than communicating the benefits of your products or services effectively to your ideal customer. It all hinges upon effective communications, and your communications can be greatly improved if you understand how and why we interact the way we do with each other. To get a firm grasp on that topic I recommend that you read the book, “Influence, The Psychology of Persuassion,” by Dr. Robert Cialdini.

You’ll never be the same after you’ve read and digest this book. If you’re like me you’ll find yourself reading it over and over! You can find this book at online bookstores.

Another solid book on marketing is Jay Abraham’s “Mr. X” book. This 376 page book distills several decades of the marketing know-how of Jay Abraham. The full title of the book is “Money-Making Secrets of Marketing Genius Jay Abraham And Other Marketing Wizards - A No-Nonsense Guide To Great Wealth and a Personal Fortune.” This book is so good that you could devote six month just to studying the one book, and you’d understand more about marketing than 95% of your competitors.

This book is marketed by the Abraham Marketing Group, but Internet marketers working with the group run specials from time to time. Just watch your email for one of these specials.

A course that I recommend that isn’t just on marketing but on developing the proper mindset is by Dr. Robert Anthony. It’s called “Know How To Be Rich.” In order to run a really successful business, you need to properly train your mind. Many people actually need to give themselves permission to be successful. Dr. Anthony’s course was a big “A-ha” for me and many of my clients. You can find it at: http://TheInternetLifestyle.com

You’ll notice that none of the resources just recommended were specifically Internet-marketing-only resources. That’s because internet marketing is just an offshoot of marketing, and most of the principles are the same. Most Internet marketers who are struggling, don’t have a good grasp of the over-riding basic marketing principles. That’s what the above resources will provide.

Two Internet marketing resources I will recommend are a private membership site I’ve set up, and a course on how to generate website traffic. You can find my site at: http://TheRealSecrets.com The webpage does a great job of explaining why you need to be a member

Without website traffic, your website basically has the same results as a billboard on a highway that no one travels. It produces no results because no one sees it. So you do need to learn how to generate traffic. For that I recommend the very indepth, crash course offered by John Reese’s Traffic Secrets. I’ve personally gone through the 13 CD’s and DVD ROM’s, and 3 manuals - TWICE.

You can check out this course at: http://TrafficSecretsByJohnReese.com
It’s a little expensive, but well worth it if you USE what he teaches. If you aren’t going to use it, then you should save your money.

If you work your way through the above resources you’ll be well on your way to building a massively successful online business. None of these resources are something you give a quick glance and then the magic happens. They all require effort. Put in the effort now and you’ll have a very solid foundation upon which to build your Internet marketing business. By understand basic marketing, and then how the internet differs, you’ll possess some very powerful, rarely mastered knowledge.

Copyright 2004 Willie Crawford

Willie Crawford is a corporate president, published author, seminar speaker and host, tele-seminar speaker and host, retired military officer, karate black belt, network marketing trainer, and life-time student of marketing. He shows people how to actually generate substantial income on-line using very simple SYSTEMS. An example of such a system can be studied and duplicated at: http://ProfitMagician.com

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Tags: Direct Marketing, internet marketing, Marketing

Learning how to convert visitors to your web site into
buyers, is the single most important factor affecting the
success of your online business. If you don’t have paying
customers, your business will fail.

FACT: “50% of Visitors are LOST because visitors can’t

easily find content” - Gartner Group

FACT: “40% of Repeat Visitors are LOST from negative

experience” - Zona Research

FACT: “85% of Visitors ABANDON a new site due to

poor design” - cPulse

FACT: 70% of people who are ready, willing and able to

buy online - don’t complete the sale.

Just imagine, if you can improve your web site’s conversion
rate, you have the potential to increase your sales by over
233%. And you can do it without spending any more on
advertising, or bringing any more traffic to your site.

Knowing how to increase your site’s conversion of visitors
into buyers can skyrocket your sales with the same exact
amount of traffic you have now.

So how do you convert more of the visitors to your site into
buyers? One of the most important ways to increase your
site’s conversion rate is to improve your site’s copy.

The purpose of the copy on your web site is to explain to a
visitor how your product will fulfill their wants and
desires. Notice I said “wants and desires”, not “needs”.

It’s important to realize that people primarily buy based on
what they want, not what they need. The first step in
improving your web site’s copy is to understand the wants
and desires of your customers.

Next, make sure your copy is focusing on providing solutions
to problems that are important to your customers. Review
your copy and be sure it mainly talks about the benefits the
customer will get by buying your product, and not about your
product’ s features.

A feature is what your product does. A benefit is want your
product does FOR your customer. You customer is only
interested in what your product is going to do to make their
life better.

Be sure that your copy focuses on your customer instead of
on you and your company. Your site’s copy should talk about
“you” and “your”, instead of “me”, “my” and “our”. Your
customer is interested in themself, not you or your company.

Your sales copy needs to:

1) Grab the visitor’s attention with a powerful headline

2) Draw the reader’s interest by creating a connection

between their problem or desire and your solution

3) Peak their Desire by making an emotionally

compelling & believable case for your product

4) Motivate the reader to take action and fulfill their

wants by their purchasing your product or service.

Online or offline, conversion is the key to business
success. Your copy is your site’s salesperson. On the
Web, improving your copy is the first step to doubling your
sales without spending another dime on advertising.

(c) Mark Jarmel - All Rights reserved

===============================================
Mark Jarmel & the Editors of Trafficology.com co-authored
the eBook: “How to Flood Your Website With Targeted Traffic”
Learn scientifically PROVEN methods to TRIPLE your profits
FR’EE at: http://www.4-targeted-web-site-traffic.com

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Tags: targeteted web site traffic free increase increased more internet online better lead sales generatio