Why Has Online Advertising Become So Popular? ISSUE 28 - 2/27/12

Online advertising has taken the world by storm over the last decade. Technology is becoming more efficient, more affordable, and more interesting than in previous decades. I always like to put your thoughts in the mind of the consumer, so imagine this for just a moment:

You wake up in the morning, do a light stretch to get your blood flowing, and immediately look down at your phone to see if the little light is blinking, "You've Got a Message. You've Got a Message. You've Got a Message." You unlock your iPhone and click on Facebook to see who sent you the messages while you were sleeping. Then you notice there are other alerts waiting for you to look at - the daily news, your horoscope, your sports scores, the weather, etc. etc.

After your daily jog, you grab a cup of coffee and sit down at the kitchen table with your iPad in hand. You check your email and there's a funny YouTube video in your inbox from your son's baseball coach with footage from the game the night before. Your son hit his first home run. Too bad you weren't there but at least you didn't miss it entirely.

Now you're at work. You walk in the office door and after getting your second cup of coffee, you sit down in front of the computer to get caught up on your daily emails from corporate. Within about 10 minutes, you get bored and decide to catch up on the running for the election. What's a little CNN going to hurt, right? Before you realize it, it's lunch time. You've been surfing the web for three hours.

The day isn't even half way over and you've already been in front of some type of Internet device for almost 4 hours. Does this sound familiar? I have good news, you aren't alone. The bad news is, you're not alone. You may not even realize it, but you have just been exposed to about 200 advertisements and the day isn't even halfway over. In fact, the average American is exposed to about 5 gigabytes of information a day. If you're a consumer, you're on information overload. If you're a business owner, you have a lot of work in front of you.

ONLINE: NOT JUST ANOTHER MEDIA - A WHOLE 'PARALLEL UNIVERSE'

More and more people are spending more and more time in front of the computer. Since the economy has been on the fritz for quite some time now, people are staying in much more and going out much less. This leaves you with such a great opportunity to reach more eyeballs and spend less money than ever before. You just have to learn how to be creative if you want your messages to stand out from all the rest of the people just like you.

Offline media such as TV, Print, Radio, and anything Outdoors is extremely expensive and can only be maximized by those companies with the resources to invest in this medium. One of the main reasons is that these channels primarily focus on awareness and consideration and come with a hefty price tag. You aren't going to be effective in a world where consumers are able to dodge these messages because of technology. A perfect example for this is TIVO/DVR. You can record all your favorite shows and fast-forward through the commercials. In the world of business, this is a nightmare. In the world of being a consumer, it's a blessing.

Take a moment to study the following information. It's designed to help you understand what stages of the buying cycle your efforts are focused on in the eyes of the consumer:

Offline Media

• Awareness and Consideration
  • TV, Print, Radio, Outdoor
• Consideration and Trial
  • In-store
• Repurchase/Loyalty
  • Direct Mail



Online Media

• Awareness and Consideration
  • Image Ads
  • Video Ads
• Awareness, Consideration, Trial
  • Gadget Ads
• Consideration, Trial, Repurchase/Loyalty
  • Website
• Repurchase/Loyalty
  • Email
• Awareness, Consideration, Trial, Repurchase/Loyalty
  • Google Search

NOW THAT YOU KNOW WHY, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ATTACK?

Before you run and start advertising online, make sure to follow the guidelines we set forth for you. Wasting your money and time is probably the last thing you want to do so let's make sure you do everything right the first time. Think about and answer the following questions before you get started:

What is the Marketing Objective of your campaign?

• Brand Awareness?
• Direct Sales and Acquisition?
• Developing New Markets?

Consider

• The product costs involved
• The ability to effectively target and measure an audience
• The popularity with consumers
• Ability to target customers at home or abroad in an efficient manner

We have recently partnered up with Google to sell their products and services. For all new customers, we are currently able to offer you $100 of FREE Google Advertising dollars. If you would like to learn more, please email us at info@suitedmarketing.com.

"You focus on what you do best. We focus on your success!"
Stay tuned for more on how to get your website on Google and online advertising. In this series, we will be talking about why online advertising has become so popular; the different stages of the buying cycle, and how you can capitalize on each; why Google advertising is so important; how you can tap into Google's search network; and much, much more! We're really excited to share this information with you and hope you get a wealth of knowledge and value from our posts.

Levinson, Jay Conrad
Guerrilla Marketing, 4th edition: Easy and Inexpensive Strategies for Making Big Profits from Your SmallBusiness - Kindle	Guerrilla Social Media Marketing: 100+ Weapons to Grow Your Online Influence, Attract Customers, and Drive Profits - Kindle	Guerrilla Marketing on the Internet: The Definitive Guide from the Father of Guerrilla Marketing - Kindle

Why Is Google Advertising So Important? ISSUE 27 - 2/23/12

Advertising on the web is by far the most cost effective and efficient method of advertising, especially for a small business owner.  No more is advertising based solely on the amount of dollars in your pocket, but instead, relevance to what people are looking for.  Small business owners usually have little extra money to waste and therefore, must target their potential customers in a very streamlined fashion.  Large companies are able to afford traditional forms of advertising where their messages are broadcast to the masses.

ONLINE IS MASS MARKET

Technology has created a very impersonal world, which is why today, the small business owner rules.  Building relationships and connecting with people on a personal level has become more important in the business world than ever before.

Put yourself in the shoes of a consumer for a moment.  How many times have you been frustrated when you have called a company only to get the automated system?  You have probably hung up as soon as you heard the system and either moved on to the next or just said, "Forget it" and hung up the phone altogether.  Do you want your customers reacting in a similar fashion or do you want your customers to rant and rave about you to everyone they know?  I'm going to assume you are going to choose the latter.

Since 77% of North American households are on the Internet and 228 million people are online in North America alone, it's time to begin focusing your efforts on the methods that not only will give you the best Return on Investment, but will also make your efforts much more efficient.

IMPORTANCE OF GOOGLE ADVERTISING

Consider how people are using the Internet -- people go online to learn and discover new things, people go online to connect with other people, people go online to research the latest products and promotions, people go online to buy things, people go online to solve problems, etc. etc.

Having said that, searching drives results and captures interest.  When a person does a Google search and receives results, they are taken to another website on the Google Display Network (GDP).  In other words, Google only shows the results of pages that are connected to them.  After the person goes to a page on the GDP, they will almost always return to Google to further refine their search.

Each and every time this person goes back and forth, they are seeing paid ads posted by advertisers.  Advertising on the Google network means your ads will appear on Google properties with a wide and relevant reach.

Google is comprised of all types of companies in every industry with a few major players listed below.

Google Search Partners who also use Google Search technology

• Tesco, AOL, Virgin, Ask, BT, NTLWorld

Google Content Partners

• TimesOnline, NTL:, Daily Mail, Virgin

As previously mentioned, you don't have to be a big company to advertise on Google.  First and foremost, you must educate yourself and secondly, you must get started.  The more time that goes by, the more opportunities that are passing you by.  

We have recently partnered up with Google to sell their products and services.  For all new customers, we are currently running a promotion for $100 of FREE Google Advertising dollars.  If you would like to learn more, please email us at info@suitedmarketing.com.  As our motto goes, "You focus on what you do best. We focus on your success!"

Stay tuned for more on how to get your website on Google and online advertising.  In the coming blog posts, we will be talking about why online advertising has become so popular; the different stages of the buying cycle, and how you can capitalize on each; why Google advertising is so important; how you can tap into Google's search network; and much, much more!  We're really excited to share this information with you and hope you get a wealth of knowledge and value from our posts.

Why You Must Adopt Google for Advertising Online - ISSUE 26 - 2/20/12

GOOGLE AND THE ONLINE INDUSTRY

What's the first thing you do when you want to know something?  You Google it!  This is by no accident.  Google was started in the 1990's by two college students attending Stanford with a desire to organize the information on the Internet.  In the early stages, they began by indexing all the information in the database for the school.  They knew they were on to something special but were young, in college, and with little resources.  They approached Yahoo! to purchase their ideas, but Yahoo! turned them down.  Obviously, this was a huge mistake on their part.

Learn how to build a new business the right way
Amazon.com: The Google Story: David A. Vise, Mark Malseed: Books
A little more than 15 years later, Google is in the top three Internet properties in the world and where is Yahoo!?  Sure, they're still around, but they aren't the superpower they once were because they thought they knew and had it all. They weren't open to new ideas and change. They were convinced they knew it all. How many times have you seen this happen within the last few decades? Too many to count, I presume. If you aren't already using Google in your marketing mix, hopefully you will soon. Or, you may be the next Yahoo!, Blockbuster, or Blackberry.

Where does Google fit in your media mix?

Consumers are empowered with all kinds of Internet devices - desktop computers, laptops, cell phones, tablets, tvs, dvd players, and even video game systems.  They are able to travel the world right from the comfort of their livingroom.  Going on the web in a down economy saves money, time, and costly travel.  In fact, staying in is now considered the new going out.

Marketing Concepts - Did you know?

• Google...
• is the #1 Advertising Network
• reaches over 90% of the Internet
• display partners, search partners, and Google properties combined
• has over 456 million unique visitors per month
• all Google content partners combined
• has over 2.5 billion page views per day
• all Google content partners combined
• reaches all consumers in any industry

Over the last five years the advertising industry has changed drastically with an explosive growth in online advertising.  Many companies have already adopted this new paradigm and because of this, newspaper advertising, as well as other forms of traditional advertising mediums, have been cannibalized by online media budgets.  

Stay tuned for more on how to get your website on Google and online advertising.  In the coming blog posts, we will be talking about why online advertising has become so popular; the different stages of the buying cycle, and how you can capitalize on each; why Google advertising is so important; how you can tap into Google's search network; and much, much more!  We're really excited to share this information with you and hope you get a wealth of knowledge and value from our posts.

The Google Story - Kindle

Stop Selling the Product. Start Selling the Benefit. ISSUE 25 - 2/16/12

One major mistake small business owners make is they think consumers are interested in the product they are purchasing and the person whom they are purchasing from. This is the furthest from the truth. People don't buy because they think something is the best product in the world. They buy because of what it can do for them. If you can figure out how to tie your product or service to emotion, you will learn how to sell anything and your sales will increase exponentially.

I want you to imagine yourself going to a shopping mall for a moment. You want to buy yourself some new shirts. You're making your way through the clothing stores. Every time you turn around, you see mannequins all dressed in the latest styles and fashions. Haven't you ever wondered why they're all dressed this way and haven't you been curious as to why they oftentimes don't even have faces? This is no accident. This is because there's an enormous amount of science and psychology that goes into making you want to buy these clothes.

The retailers are selling you the benefit of the product, not the product itself. They want you to imagine yourself wearing the clothes. They want you to imagine yourself feeling good. And most of all, they want you to buy, buy, buy. They don't want you to imagine someone else wearing them because then you wouldn't be inclined to make an irrational or emotional purchase. They have even given you other suggestions so that you don't just NEED a t-shirt. You also NEED an entire outfit!

SELLING YOUR PRODUCT

One of the best books I've read to date is called Why We Buy by Paco Underhill. This book goes into great depth regarding the science of buying and what inclines you to make those hasty purchases. If you really want to know how to sale your product, read this book. You will never shop the same. I promise you.

I have recently started working with a clothing company called 4HUMANITEEs. This is a small company based out of Hayward, California. When I began working with them, I could tell they really wanted to make a difference in other people's lives. In fact, their primary goal is to bring awareness to injustice from child trafficking to human inequality through clothing. I knew immediately I was going to help in every way possible to ensure their success since I am also a huge philanthropist and human rights supporter.

Since the company wants to ensure they are focused on their mission, I suggested they share this mission with their followers and the rest of the world through their t-shirts. I suggested they change their focus away from the product itself and begin focusing on the fuel behind their fire - Humanity For All. Instead of the Call To Action reading "Select by Product", have it read "Support Your Favorite Cause."

Focusing on this method of selling will also illustrate to other people you are an outward focused company. People don't like doing business with selfish people nor do they trust them. Focusing outward proves you are neither. Plus, as I've stated before, "People don't like to be sold, but they love to buy." - Jeffrey Gitomer. Selling the benefit will always attract people rather than scare them away. This is a known fact.

Why You Must Create a Niche Market For Your Business to be Successful - ISSUE 24 - 2/14/12

As of 2010, Dun and Bradstreet estimated there were about 23 million small businesses in the United States. According to Kent Bernhard Jr. at Portfolio.com, since the recession started in 2007 due to the collapse of the housing market, there has been an incline of businesses in the business service sector (B2B) and a decline in customer facing businesses. The main reason for this is because consumers have cut back on their spending and retailers have struggled to survive.

The main point I am trying to make is the amount of competition for a small business owner keeps growing year-over-year. You can walk down the street and see retailers all around you, but since the majority of businesses can't be seen, it's hard to understand the enormity of competition there truly is.

To be successful, you must strive to set yourself apart from the competition from the moment you decide to venture into business for yourself. If you stop and think for a moment, there are only a limited, finite number of possible businesses for you to own, but there are approximately 300 million people in the U.S. and roughly 10% of them own businesses. These are people just like you. They eat, sleep, breath, have bills, have wants, aspirations, goals, motivation, and determination.

The very best way to set yourself apart from the rest is to create a niche market that no one else has except for you. You must think very hard about what you do better than anyone else in your field and focus your energy on that one area. As you grow and become known as the go-to company for your niche, then you can think about adding more products and/or services to your repertoire.

You are most likely the only person doing the work of many people. There was a Staples commercial on recently about Small Business Owners being the 'Jack of All Trades' I still laugh at every time I think about because it captured this situation so perfectly. Since you are doing all the work, there's no way you can do the work of 100 people so why on Earth would you offer services equivalent to 100 people? It just baffles me.

You may not have thought about this carefully, but begging for business won't get you anywhere. You have to prove you are worthy to your current and potential clients otherwise they are going to go down the street to the guy who has his act together. Always remember, people are looking for solutions to their problems, and finding your niche is by far the best way to solve problems because it allows you to repeat the same process over and over in a successful manner. Once you know without a doubt that you have mastered the skill of solving a particular problem, then and only then will you be able to move on to the next.

8 Tips for Effective Calls to Action - ISSUE 23 - 2/10/12

You've been working your tail off for months to optimize your website to get as much traffic as possible. You have done everything you were supposed to do. You set up all your analyses. You have done all your keyword research. You have been writing your blog diligently. Now that you have the traffic, what do you do next to convert them into leads?

Getting found is only half the battle. Next, you have to work extremely hard to convert your traffic into sales. The good news is that you can do it if you stay focused. The bad news is that it won't be easy. You have to always keep in mind the enormity of the Internet and the current information age we are in. Your followers and potential customers are overwhelmed by information and people trying to sell their products or services to them. The three best ways to get your website traffic to convert into sales are: Value, Value, Value! I can't say that enough!

You may not have realized this but all-too-often business owners try to sell to their prospects way too early in the buying cycle. In fact, only about 3% of your website traffic will convert into a sale. The trick is to have enough traffic to your website that the small percentage will keep you working and your business growing. One of the biggest mistakes that small business owners make is they waste too much time working in the business and don't spend enough time working on the business. In other words, you need to always focus a majority of your time on marketing and duplicating yourself. If you don't, then you won't have fresh clients to work with when you are finished with your projects. Plus, you will have a high turnover rate with your employees.

To avoid the mistakes previously mentioned, you need to be aware that there are three stages to the buying cycle. Each stage has a different level of trust associated with it. The best analogy I heard was that you can't ask someone to marry you on the first date. You have to get to know the person and nurture the relationship. The same thing goes with selling. Oftentimes business owners jump right into the marriage and scare off all their prospects.

Three Stages of the Buying Cycle

• Early - Information Kits, How-To Guides, White papers, Case Studies
• Middle - Webinars, Return-on-Investment Calculators, Self-Assessments
• Late - In-Depth Seminars, Onsite Assessments, Demonstrations, Quotations, "Buy Now" Incentives

Now that you know not to rush into the relationship, you must focus on specific elements for your Calls to Action to be effective.

8 Tips For Effective Calls to Action

• Create Urgency
• Use Numbers
• Indicate a Specific Action
• Use Images
• Make Your Call to Action Clickable
• Use Contrasting Colors
• Pay Attention to Position
• Test, Test, Test

After you have mastered the Call to Action, you should think about what you would like your followers to do. If you don't have any eBooks to download, you can find a whole slew of them at Free-eBooks.net related to any industry. Just make sure that you are only placing about two CTAs per page. Any more than that will be over-kill.

Example of a Great Ad Using Numbers

• Hurry! Only 9 Copies Left
• Search Marketing Benchmark Report
  • 679 marketers surveyed
  • 176 charts and tables
  • Statistics on conversion, cost-per-click, and click-through rates
• SALE 50% OFF
• Learn More (Clickable Link)
• Colors used: Dark Blue (Heading and Click button), Light Blue (Background), Red (Sale Offer)

How to Write an Effective Mission Statement - ISSUE 22 - 2/2/12

Believe it or not, people are looking at your from all angles when trying to decide whether they would like to spend their hard-earned money with you or not. I've said this many times - In today's world, there is an enormous lack of trust and whether you like it or not, you have to work very hard to build the trust of your current and future clients.

A simple, yet effective tweak to your business model is found in your Mission Statement because it can tell an entire story about where you come from and where you are going.  It can also tell your prospective customers what to expect when conducting business with your company.

According to Wikipedia, a mission statement is a statement of the purpose of a company or organization. The mission statement should guide the actions of the organization, spell out its overall goal, provide a path, and guide decision-making. It provides "the framework or context within which the company's strategies are formulated." ^[1]

My Mission Statement

Following is our Business Statement/Mission Statement. It's the code of conduct we live by every day.

We are a company of honesty, trust, commitment, 

 loyalty, empathy, and compassion. 

We will always ensure every order is done quickly and accurately. 

 We can be reached at anytime to address questions and concerns. 

 Our goal is to be the best in the industry. 

 We will always strive to be the best service, client,

and outward-focusing company in the industry. 

 We will bend over backward to make certain our clients are always happy. 

Our clients will always be our number one priority.

Next, you should also look to write a personal mission statement which is based on habit 2 of 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey called "Begin with the end in mind."  In ones life, the most effective way to begin with the end in mind is to develop a mission statement; one that focuses what you want to be in terms of character and what you want to do in reference to contribution of achievements. Writing a mission statement can be the most important activity an individual can take to truly lead ones life, (Covey, Stephen).

If you haven't already, now may be the time to sit down and begin writing your Mission Statement(s).  Here's some more great resources to help you create a mission statement.

Business Mission Statement Examples & Resources

How to Write a Mission Statement.pdf - Janel M. Radtke
How to Write Your Mission Statement - Entrepreneur
How to Write a Mission Statement That Isn't Dumb - Fast Company
How to Write Nonprofit Mission Statements - About.com
How to Write a Mission Statement - wikiHow
Mission Statement Examples - MissionStatements.com
Fortune 500 Mission Statements - MissionStatements.com
Examples of Good Mission Statements - The Elements of Success