But yet, it gets worse.

Now new mall is getting ready to open in a week. So Easy Target Mall, who obviously has been planning this new strategy for months, changes all of their billboards that are near new mall to a new series of "Hey, can you figure this out" billboards.

Because Easy Target Mall has more department stores than new mall, they decide that will be their new angle. "We're bigger, so we must be better." So what do their new billboards say? "You Need Big." Followed with visuals of big blown up pictures of various merchandise like sunglasses and a purse. This might work if mall was trying to attract local residents. They could follow it up with TV and magazines and newspaper ads so that people would eventually get it. Which is what Easy Target Mall has been doing.

BUT, they are trying to mostly attract tourists! Who will maybe only see billboard once, if they are lucky. So tourist says as they drive down I-4, "You Need Big." And all of these billboards are right outside this new BIG mall that they are looking at as they read billboard. All tourist is getting in his mind is "Big Mall." Like one we're staring right at. Yeah, let's shop there!

One of big blown up pictures on billboard looks like cigarettes cris-crossed on top of a red background (at least that's way it looks at 60 miles an hour). I thought "No way, they CAN'T be promoting buying large cigarettes at Easy Target Mall. It took me several times of really trying to stare at billboard (and not get in a wreck at same time) to finally figure out what it was. It was a blown up picture of white shoelaces on a red tennis shoe. All you see are white shoelaces. Trust me, it doesn't look like big white shoelaces.

And here's REAL fun part. The creative types for Easy Target Mall have made logo for Easy Target Mall so SMALL (not big) that you can't READ what mall it is! So you just assume it's mall you're currently staring at, new mall.

If I were new mall, I would send a great big thank you letter and fruit basket to Easy Target Mall for advertising their new mall, for FREE!

What does all of this mean? You can get a great, free education by just studying variety of TV, newspaper and magazine ads out there to learn what you shouldn't do with your advertising! It's everywhere. And, feel grateful that you aren't spending $6,000 a month for a billboard on I-4.

Easy Target Mall should have used this for their copy:

We have more stores than they do. Easy Target Mall

Just 3 miles down road

Here's a true story to help you understand what I mean. Several months ago I downloaded a trial copy of a software package called "Postmaster Express" by Online Automation. Online Automation started emailing me to see how I liked it. After trial was over, they kept emailing me...and emailing me. When I was finally in market to make a buying decision on an auto responder solution for my business and guess who came to mind? Did I buy from them? Yes. They had been in my face for months. They didn't give up...and they got sale. This is an important lesson.

Postmaster Express: http://www.post-master.net/rs/Andrea_Wilson

7. Have more than one product or service to offer so if one dries up, you don't starve.

If you have only one product or service, think of other ways to attract new customers: re-write stale sales copy, revamp your web site, get creative with your advertising.

For instance, if you're a chiropractor, be creative in your advertising. Target different segments of your market: today baby- boomers, tomorrow seniors. Or start a new fashion: "New Moms: How to Stay on Your Feet Longer and Enjoy it More."

How you accomplish each of these seven principles depends on who you are, what you already know, what information you read, what you have time and money to invest in, what appeals to you, and what your skills are.

I'm a writer. I write a newsletter, Press Releases, articles, etc., but I'm not an expert at writing sales letters. That's a different skill. While I'm learning, I can use skills I already have to market my services. Maybe it'll turn out that my particular services sell better using my methods in end and I never have to worry about sales letters.

Besides, if every web site is turned into a one-page sales letter because "that's what works," pretty soon everyone will be jaded and stop reading them. If you do something different with your web site, maybe you'll get traffic. People come to Internet to find information. That's reason sales letters on web sites are often cleverly disguised as information. The price -- even if it's free -- has to be buried way at bottom so benefits of product or service have really hooked visitor before they realize they're being sold. (There's a little sales letter advice for you.)

Don't forget to look at your own interests and skills. Maybe you love participating in forums frequented by people who'd benefit from your product. It's easy for you to chat with them and they grow to trust you. The next thing you know, they're buying from you. Do you have to learn to write Press Releases? I don't think so.

If you or I do exactly what everyone else is doing, we'll be blind sheep, using stale methods to sell stale ideas. Follow basic principles, get advice on ways to accomplish each one. Then put your own twist on them and stand out from flock.