151 Quick Ideas for Advertising on a Shoestring

By Jean Joachim

Effective advertising can crush your competition and make your company soar. But for most small businesses, understanding advertising is like learning Chinese—difficult at best. Most entrepreneurs don't know what makes a good headline, how to buy printing, or what media to use. And for businesses with limited budgets, advertising "specialists" cost too much. So who can you turn to for help?

Try 151 Quick Ideas for Advertising on a Shoestring. This invaluable book will give your advertising the lift it needs, at a lower cost. Inside you will learn how to find good customers inexpensively and use superior relationship marketing to keep them buying your products. You'll get ideas in all aspects of advertising, from databases and direct mail to Internet and e-mail. See where you can cut corners, and how to get cheap and even free advertising.

Put forth in plain language, these ideas are simple to understand and easy to apply. Just one of these tried and tested tips could save your business thousands and thousands of dollars! Ideas such as:

• Use testimonials in ads. They are credible advocates for your product or service.
• Put a preprinted insert in the newspaper. It's cost efficient and can be used for other marketing.
• Try national cable TV. It is cheaper than local broadcast.
• Run insert cards with magazine ads. They can increase response four to six times.
• Trade your products or services with radio stations for air time, instead of buying it.
• Get a website. It is a global store that is open 24/7, and the consumer expects you will have one.

Jean Joachim discovered these secrets and short-cuts from sharp production directors, great sales reps, and savvy marketers who used advertising to build successful businesses. Now these money-saving tips are yours in 151 Quick Ideas for Advertising on a Shoestring.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Career Press
• Release date: Jan 21, 2008
• ISBN: 9781601639202

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title Page

Copyright Page

Dedication

Acknowledgments

How to Use This Book

Introduction

Chapter 1. Find New Products for Current Customers

Chapter 2. Stick to a Budget

Chapter 3. Consultants on Commission?

Chapter 4. Opportunity Budget

Chapter 5. Define Your Unique Selling Proposition

Chapter 6. Be the Best You Can Be

Chapter 7. Big Ideas Mean Big Business

Chapter 8. Increase Payment Options

Chapter 9. Exchange With Noncompetitive Businesses

Chapter 10. Donate

Chapter 11. Give a Break to Nonprofits

Chapter 12. Establish the Lifetime Value of Your Customers

Chapter 13. Make Lemonade From Lemons

Chapter 14. Build Your Business Carefully

Chapter 15. Mail Catalogs to Online Buyers

Chapter 16. Your Cover Is More Than a Pretty Picture

Chapter 17. Create a Co-Op Bulletin Board

Chapter 18. Use Strong Selling Words for Success

Chapter 19. Let Testimonials Sell for You

Chapter 20. The Problem/Solution Formula

Chapter 21. Never Forget the P.S.

Chapter 22. The Multi-Purpose Brochure

Chapter 23. Find Fresh Talent

Chapter 24. Standard Formats Save Money

Chapter 25. Copy Do’s and Don’ts

Chapter 26. Keep It Personal

Chapter 27. Design Do’s and Don’ts

Chapter 28. Make Your Banner Ads Rock

Chapter 29. Turn Your Customer List Into a Database

Chapter 30. Enhance Your Customer List

Chapter 31. Contests Grow Lists

Chapter 32. Test New Offers in Every Mailing

Chapter 33. List Exchanges Save Money

Chapter 34. 80/20 Rule

Chapter 35. Follow Postal Requirements

Chapter 36. Negotiate List Prices

Chapter 37. Promote Customers Often

Chapter 38. More List Negotiation

Chapter 39. Create Multi-Buyers

Chapter 40. Rent Lists Carefully

Chapter 41. To Pay or Not to Pay…Postage

Chapter 42. Duplicate Names Are Multi-Buyers

Chapter 43. Direct Mail for Lead Generation?

Chapter 44. Save Money on National Cable

Chapter 45. Soap Operas Aren’t Responsive

Chapter 46. Infomercials Are Expensive

Chapter 47. Best Programming for DRTV Success

Chapter 48. What Are the Best Times to Run DRTV Advertising?

Chapter 49. Reduce DRTV Budget for Busy Retail Seasons

Chapter 50. Run Heavily in Best Seasons

Chapter 51. Run-of-Station Is Cheapest

Chapter 52. DRTV Is Best for Demonstrations

Chapter 53. Ask for the Order

Chapter 54. No DRTV Time Available

Chapter 55. Broad Rotations Get the Best Clearance

Chapter 56. Consumer E-mail

Chapter 57. Business-to-Business E-mail

Chapter 58. Never Send an E-mail Without an Offer

Chapter 59. Getting E-mail Read

Chapter 60. E-mail Is Free

Chapter 61. E-mail Response Is Fast

Chapter 62. E-mail Electronic Gift Cards

Chapter 63. E-mail Mistakes to Avoid

Chapter 64. Foolproof Fulfillment

Chapter 65. Increase Your Customers’ Lifetime Value

Chapter 66. Use Direct Marketing

Chapter 67. Establish Your Seasonality

Chapter 68. Integrate Your Marketing, Maintain Your Image

Chapter 69. Create Separate Pages for Internet Ads

Chapter 70. Holiday Advertising on the Net

Chapter 71. Magazine Remnants Save Money

Chapter 72. Use of Color in Magazine Ads

Chapter 73. Small Space Ad Units Make a Difference

Chapter 74. Insert Cards Increase Response

Chapter 75. Are Special Issues Right for You?

Chapter 76. Time Your Ads for Maximum Impact

Chapter 77. Use Magazines to Create a Leadership Program

Chapter 78. Split Testing in Magazines

Chapter 79. TV Guide Is Great for Testing

Chapter 80. How to Project Early

Chapter 81. Bingo Cards

Chapter 82. Select the Right Media for Your Business

Chapter 83. Create a Take-One Exchange

Chapter 84. Make Money With Package Inserts

Chapter 85. Evaluate Media Using CPM

Chapter 86. Always Negotiate Rates

Chapter 87. Use Your Best Media First

Chapter 88. Standby Space Can Save You a Bundle

Chapter 89. Timing Newspaper Ads Is Key

Chapter 90. Know What Days to Run Newspaper Ads

Chapter 91. Target by Newspaper Section

Chapter 92. Target by Newspaper Columns

Chapter 93. Should You Use Color in Newspapers Ads?

Chapter 94. Newspaper Frequency Discounts Save Money

Chapter 95. Pre-Printed Inserts in Newspapers

Chapter 96. Coupon Booklets Have Low Rates

Chapter 97. Larger Newspapers Offer More Options

Chapter 98. What Ad Sizes Are Best?

Chapter 99. Design Is Paramount in Small-Space Ads?

Chapter 100. Keep Creativity Fresh

Chapter 101. Hire a Newspaper-Savvy Creative Team

Chapter 102. Offer Testing: A Way of Life

Chapter 103. The All-Important Guarantee

Chapter 104. Keep Your Product the Star

Chapter 105. Try Newsletters—They’re Inexpensive

Chapter 106. Video Offers Work on TV

Chapter 107. Sweepstakes and Contests

Chapter 108. Installment Offers Boost Response

Chapter 109. Tailor Offers to Suit Customers

Chapter 110. Add a Sticker for Last Minute Offers

Chapter 111. Free Shipping—Always a Winning Offer

Chapter 112. Send an Offer in an E-mail That Is Guaranteed to Be Read

Chapter 113. Work With Printer’s Format

Chapter 114. Saving Paper Saves Money

Chapter 115. Gang Up Printing and Save Big Money

Chapter 116. Save Money by Folding Instead of Cutting

Chapter 117. Samples Make Sales

Chapter 118. Be Your Own Premium

Chapter 119. Cross-Promotion Saves Money

Chapter 120. Ride-Alongs Reduce Postage Pinch

Chapter 121. Back Local Contests and Giveaways

Chapter 122. Not Great for Direct Response

Chapter 123. A.M./P.M. Drives for Awareness

Chapter 124. Barter Time to Save Money

Chapter 125. Vanity Phone Numbers: The Way to Go

Chapter 126. Top-Notch Customer Service Increases Lifetime Value

Chapter 127. Loyalty Cards Pay Off

Chapter 128. Good Communication Creates Loyalty

Chapter 129. Use Research to Reduce Mistakes

Chapter 130. Run Contests in Your Store

Chapter 131. Use Technology to Drive Store Traffic

Chapter 132. Use Your Store Window to Showcase Offers

Chapter 133. In-Store Pick-Up Increases Sales

Chapter 134. In-Store Events for Online Customers

Chapter 135. Upselling on the Telephone Increases Profit

Chapter 136. Voice Messaging Creates Sales

Chapter 137. Keep Landing Pages Uncluttered

Chapter 138. Websites: Necessities, Not Luxuries

Chapter 139. Test Offers on Your Website

Chapter 140. Create Your Own Bulletin Board

Chapter 141. Keep Your Website Fresh

Chapter 142. Too Flashy With Flash

Chapter 143. Easy Site Navigation Is the Goal

Chapter 144. Use Pop-Ups to Upsell on Your Website

Chapter 145. Run Ads for Google

Chapter 146. Advertise With Google

Chapter 147. Analyze Your Web Stats

Chapter 148. Web Success—Trial and Error

Chapter 149. Make Your Web Content Strong

Chapter 150. Keep It Branded and Service-Oriented

Chapter 151. Create Web Stickiness to Create Success

About the Author

151

Quick Ideas

for

Advertising on a

Shoestring

Jean Joachim

9781564149824_001_0003_001

Copyright © 2008 by Jean Joachim

All rights reserved under the Pan-American and International Copyright Conventions. This book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system now known or hereafter invented, without written permission from the publisher, The Career Press.

151 Quick Ideas for Advertising on a Shoestring

Edited by Gina Talucci

Typeset by Michael Fitzgibbon

Cover design by Jeff Piasky

Printed in the U.S.A. by Book-mart Press

To order this title, please call toll-free 1-800-CAREER-1 (NJ and Canada: 201-848-0310) to order using VISA or MasterCard, or for further information on books from Career Press.

9781564149824_001_0004_002

The Career Press, Inc., 3 Tice Road, PO Box 687,

Franklin Lakes, NJ 07417

www.careerpress.com

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Joachim, Jean C.

151 quick ideas for advertising on a shoestring / by Jean Joachim.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN-13: 978-1-56414-982-4

ISBN-10: 1-56414-982-X

eISBN : 9781601639202

1. Advertising —Management. 2. Advertising—Costs. 3. Advertising— Evaluation. I.Title. II. Title: One hundred fifty-one quick ideas for advertising on a shoestring. III. Title: Advertising on a shoestring.

HF5823.J65 2008

659.1--dc22

2007031655

Dedication

To Diana Finegold

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank the following for their understanding and support: Larry Joachim; David Joachim; Steve Joachim; Deirdre Wyeth; Regina Ryan; Dr. Steven Shapiro; Professor Sally Shapiro; Professor David Arentsen; my editor, Gina Talucci; and all my clients, past, present, and future.

How to Use This Book

Every quick idea in this book is tried and true. They come from years of trial and error, from many different companies, and from people with years of experience. These ideas are offered to help your advertising programs, to make your business more profitable, and to help you work smarter, not harder.

The book has ideas to help reduce your costs and boost your profitability from many different angles. It includes general advertising, direct marketing, marketing, promotion, and even word-of-mouth ideas.

Read the whole book and flag ideas that pertain to what you are doing now, what you plan to do, or what you think you should do; use different colored flags for each category.

Sort your ideas and discuss the ones that pertain to what you are currently doing with your staff. Implement what is feasible and hold the others for later in your development. Make lists of the ideas that you plan to use down the road; color code them and circulate them among your staff for feedback.

Every three months, reread the book, flagging more new ideas. You may find new directions for your advertising that are right for your business as you continue to grow and change.

Introduction

If you are reading this book, you are either currently running an advertising campaign or contemplating running one. Or maybe your advertising campaign isn’t producing results; perhaps you feel that the best deals go only to the biggest advertisers. Is it possible that the idea of running a successful advertising campaign is just a little overwhelming?

If you’re an entrepreneur, then you’re probably an ace at what you do, but not the most knowledgeable about advertising. This book won’t teach you all the basics, but like a good tip sheet, it will help you bet on more winners than losers.

Advertising is necessary to keep your business top-of-mind with your customers. Without advertising, it’s difficult to keep ahead of the