Advertising Basics for Beginners

So many of us who have decided to do business online have no background in marketing or advertising. It can be so frustrating without any kind of guide.

Here is a list of some textbook rules regarding marketing and advertising in general. These are important points that we should all keep in mind when promoting our offers:

1. People don't like ads until they see something they want or need.

2. Headlines should always illustrate the best, specific benefits of one's offer. Cryptic headlines might be fun, but they simply can't compare (in terms of results) to an honest headline that spells out your offer.

3. Tell your prospects exactly what you want them to do. Don't assume that they know what the next step is. Whether you want them to click through to your web site or send you an email for more information, be sure to let them know and don't forget to provide the link or address.

4. Every ad you place is an opportunity to rate your copy. A mediocre ad won't get many responses, but a great ad can clicks almost anywhere. Don't waste your time placing ineffective ads, always check your results.

5. Networking with others is a good way to make sales, but nothing beats good ad copy.

6. Networking is not about making lots of instant sales. It's about getting to know people and letting them know what you have to offer. When they have a need for your product, they will look you up.

Writing effective ad copy takes practice. Don't get discouraged if your first attempts don't yield a lot of results. Continue to work with it and test it until you find that words that speak to your perfect customers and make them click.

Cathy Wagner, online business expert and owner of http://www.onestopinternetbusiness.com, will help you reach your online business goals faster with hands-on marketing guidance and support, personalized for you own unique business. You can save hundreds of dollars and countless hours of frustration by avoiding common mistakes and pitfalls.

In The News:


Google News
Updated : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 14:06:59 GMT

Federal Highway Fund About to Run Out of Money - New York Times


ABC News
Federal Highway Fund About to Run Out of Money
New York Times - 18 hours ago
By DAVID STOUT WASHINGTON - An important account in the federal Highway Trust Fund will run out of money this month, which could hamper completion of road and bridge construction projects across the country, Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters said ...
Highway Trust Fund Is Nearly Out of Gas Washington Post
Bush reverses course, backs road fund bailout Houston Chronicle
Seattle Times - Detroit Free Press - Arizona Republic - The Oregonian - OregonLive.com
all 479 news articles

Publ.Date : Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:04:00 GMT

SanDisk Shares Soar on Samsung Interest - BusinessWeek


Siliconrepublic.com
SanDisk Shares Soar on Samsung Interest
BusinessWeek - 11 hours ago
by Arik Hesseldahl Battered by a year of flagging prices for flash-memory chips and by an inability to get traction in sales of digital media devices, SanDisk (SNDK) may soon get scooped up by South Korean electronics giant Samsung Group.
Samsung Weighs Buying SanDisk New York Times
SanDisk Shares Surge as Samsung Considers Acquisition (Update3) Bloomberg
Forbes - Financial Times - San Jose Mercury News - InternetNews.com
all 385 news articles

Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 02:28:25 GMT

Machinists Go on Strike Against Boeing - New York Times


BBC News
Machinists Go on Strike Against Boeing
New York Times - 38 minutes ago
By MICHELINE MAYNARD The union that represents machinists struck the Boeing Company early Saturday, crippling its aircraft production in the United States and potentially delaying the development of an important new plane, the Dreamliner.
Contract talks fail; machinists strike Boeing Co. The Associated Press
Boeing machinists walk off the job as talks fail Reuters
Bloomberg - Washington Post - Monsters and Critics.com - guardian.co.uk
all 2,421 news articles

Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:28:42 GMT

Ready, set, go! Real race gets underway - Minneapolis Star Tribune


Times Online
Ready, set, go! Real race gets underway
Minneapolis Star Tribune - 49 minutes ago
By NEWS SERVICES, Washington Post McCain has turned this election into a soap opera about Sarah Palin and her family. Is this what we need to be talking about during these … read more critical times when people are losing their jobs, their homes, ...
Palin intrigues Chinese public Financial Times
Annette John-Hall: Pit bull of a hockey mom leading war on diversity Philadelphia Inquirer
Seattle Post Intelligencer - Telegraph.co.uk - Bloomington Pantagraph - Wall Street Journal
all 785 news articles

Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:17:06 GMT

'True Blood': Undead On Arrival - Washington Post


Boston Globe
'True Blood': Undead On Arrival
Washington Post - 10 hours ago
By Tom Shales You need a very good excuse to dig up the subject of vampires yet again, and filmmaker Alan Ball seems to have one. His "True Blood" is an audacious, outrageous, playfully grisly comic drama (or dramatic comedy) in which vampirism is ...
Vampire tale deserves chance to suck us in Columbus Dispatch
'Blood' lacks that dramatic HBO bite San Diego Union Tribune
E! Online - The Plain Dealer - cleveland.com - eFluxMedia - Hartford Courant
all 185 news articles

Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 03:49:55 GMT

Seinfeld ads only part of Microsoft push - United Press International


Scientific American
Seinfeld ads only part of Microsoft push
United Press International - 1 hour ago
REDMOND, Wash., Sept. 6 (UPI) -- Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) says it's banking on a new US marketing campaign to fix the image problems of its Vista Windows operating system and connect with customers.
Windows Vista: The OS About Nothing InformationWeek
Microsoft Works to Perfect Windows Vista New York Times
eFluxMedia - Macworld - CNET News - CRN
all 476 news articles

Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 13:01:13 GMT

Electronic Arts spawns Spore -- which may be a benevolent god - Los Angeles Times


Los Angeles Times
Electronic Arts spawns Spore -- which may be a benevolent god
Los Angeles Times - 7 hours ago
Spore is one of the most-talked-about video games in years, and it was masterminded by Will Wright, the same game developer who was behind the blockbuster Sims franchise.
Spore reviewed Total Gaming
EA's 'Spore' Set For Earthwide Launch InformationWeek
CRN - Macworld - Washington Post - BusinessWeek
all 209 news articles

Publ.Date : Sat, 06 Sep 2008 07:01:47 GMT

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