Effective Offline PromotionWritten by Nowshade Kabir
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Radio advertising is a good option, if your business is aimed at certain social group like teenagers, housewives, drivers, etc. This is also a relatively inexpensive way of delivering your message to a certain community or locality. Television If products or services that you offer have mass appeal, television is an excellent media of advertising. As audience of a TV station changes depending on show aired there is a limited possibility of target marketing. The ability to use audio visual scenes helps delivering certain types of message to audience more clearly than any other media, which makes TV advertising highly effective but quite costly. Yellow pages and other directories You should definitely add your business along with your website URL to as many printed directories as you can. Industry specific directories are good advertising media for B2B businesses. Outdoor Advertising Outdoor advertising with billboards, posters, etc. are effective way of reaching out to a certain neighborhood. Since exposure rate of billboards is very high – people often take same route to work, it is a great medium to create brand recognition. Transit advertising Advertising on various transports, terminals, subway are known as transit advertising. Like billboards with this type of advertising you can target a specific route or area. This can be a very effective way to get your message to blue-collar workers, if that is your market segment. Direct Mail Excellent way of delivering you message in form of promotional letters, catalogs, flyers, circulars, coupons, etc. to your prospective customers. If you choose your mailing list correct, exposure rate and response rate can be very high. Publicity Publicity is any form of presentation of ideas, products, or services delivered by media themselves rather than as a paid advertisement. If your website carries a really new message or unique and innovative products or services, for you publicity will be definitely more effective than advertising. People, often, trust news stories and articles much more than they trust paid advertisements. Press release Newspapers, magazines, TV and Radio are main publicity conduits. Press releases are tool to get into these media. Whenever, you do something with your online business, which you think is newsworthy you should write a press release and send it off. The main idea of a press release is to grab attention from a news editor so that he writes a story on subject. That’s why follow following rules while writing a press release: - Keep it simple, clear and precise - Be accurate in facts and figures - The news highlights should be expressed in first two paragraphs - The press release should have an eye-catching headline - Tell your story from different perspective - The press release should have less than 200 words - Mention your website URL at least in two different places Business material and stationery All your business literatures, materials and stationery should have similar consistent logotype and URL address. This is an extremely effective brand creation method within group of people those, who one way or another, interact with your business. Promotional Items Give away items such as Pens, coffee mugs, key chains, coasters, calendars, sticky notes, etc. should have your company logo and web address. Apart from building brand this also work as a daily reminder for users of these items.
Nowshade Kabir is the founder, primary developer and present CEO of Rusbiz.com. A Ph. D. in Information Technology, he has wide experience in Business Consulting, International Trade and Web Marketing. Rusbiz is a Global B2B Emarketplace with solutions to start and run online business. You can contact him at mailto:nowshade[at]rusbiz.com http://ezine.rusbiz.com
| | Learn the Secrets of Print InterviewingWritten by Susan Harrow
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Hardly a pro and suffering from years of isolation, I delivered an impromptu lecture on importance of literacy in a democratic society (a surefire topic for poor guy's audience) and forgot to mention my book. When story ran, I had my first experience of being misquoted. My entire lecture was boiled down to a single remark, *If you can't read, you shouldn't be allowed to vote.* (SF Examiner Magazine, April 12, 1998). To avoid a similar fate, prepare your soundbites well. Have reporter read your quotes back to you so you can correct any inaccuracies. Realize though, that if you're not pleased with what you've said, reporter is under no obligation to let you try again. Though if you can think of something well worth quoting that sounds better they will be inclined to use clearer, sassier quote. Verifying your quotes will help reporters resist temptation to condense what you say while trying to keep spirit intact. The New York Times is one of few publications whose editorial and style and usage manual dictates that its reporters not doctor a quote. 4. Request your contact information be included. Be very clear on how you would like to be identified and contacted. Give reporter correct spelling of your name, title, business, phone number, URL and any other relevant information. Ask for what you want. Think about what will bring you maximum clients, exposure, whatever it is you desire and ask to list those things first. If it's best for your 800# or website request they be included. 5. Invite reporter to call you back with any additional questions. Once a reporter gets back to his desk he may find that he forgot something he wished he had asked-but may not want to seem unprofessional or negligent and so might prefer to leave something out rather than keep it in error. Another reporter may be one sandwich short of a picnic, or brand new and not know ropes. To cover all types of reporters ask if you may call reporter back in event that you think of something you'd like to add. This is a great way to insure accuracy and save face. And to maintain control over and shape your own story. Happy interviewing! Learn how to handle 4 most difficult types of interviewers in *Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul* (HarperCollins). Need to prepare for a meeting, promotion, presentation, job or media interview? Go to http://www.prsecrets.com Copyright (c) 2002-2005 Susan Harrow, All Rights Reserved.
Susan Harrow, CEO of PRSecrets.com and BookedOnOprah.com, is a top media coach, marketing strategist and author of *Sell Yourself Without Selling Your Soul* (HarperCollins), *The Ultimate Guide to Getting Booked on Oprah*, and *How You Can Get a 6-Figure Book Advance.* Clients include CEOs, bestselling authors and entrepreneurs who have appeared on Oprah,60 Minutes,NPR,and in TIME, USA Today,Parade, People,O,NY Times,WSJ,and Inc.
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