BJM Free Press

It use to be that traveling was affordable and fun. That’s no longer so now that gas is near four dollars per gallon, and over four dollars per gallon in some places. Then when you consider how the dollar is growing weak it’s not a suprise that prices have gone up in the hotel and travel industries, regardless of the official inflation number says. However, business must go on and fortunately there are a many new technologies to help us do business without the expense of travel, like video conferencing.

I and definitely not advocating personal contact isn’t important. Sharing a meal, playing a game of golf, and actually shaking hands are still great ways to build a relationship and close the deal. But that has become a very costly way of doing business. Today there are many ways to stay in touch and connected while actually saving time and not spending a fortune.

It’s just a matter of choosing the best productivity tools for you and avoiding the pit falls. That’s all.

Cell phones, for example, allow you to stay in touch virtually anywhere on the planet, but productivity goes down the drain if you allow yourself to become a slave to them (think of the Crackberry BlackBuried Blackberry addiction of some of your colleagues).

Email is still a terrific way to communicate. However, if you don’t manage you contacts well you may end up spend a lot of time sorting through spam or you’ll risk losing an important message from the spam filter.

Instant messaging (i.e., texting) is great for quick answers and resolving issues. Just don’t let the conversation drag on, or get caught up texting with friends who have a lot of time to waste.

Video Conferencing

Video conferencing using a service like Skype can have the warmth of personal contact and the efficiency of electronic communication. The interplay between you and the people on the other side of the connection is immediate. A video conference can be run on computer anywhere there is a connection.

A video conference ran well provides the same benefits of a face-to-face meeting but much more cost effectively. The current technology allows you to make presentations, provide a seminar (webinar), or have a one-on-one with electronic documents or multimedia, while seeing and interfacing with the other person (people) in real time.

Resources:

• Video Conferencing

10 Classic Tips for Article Marketing

1 – Advertise to your target Market. The better you are at matching your articles to your target market, the more response you will get.

2 – Track your ads.Don’t just guess which ads are working and which are not. Use some sort of ad tracking to determine which articles are bringing you customers.

3 – Put your ad in multiple issues. For better response and take advantage of publishers discounts for bulk advertising.

4 – Spend a lot of time on your headline. Effective headlines get your readers attention and targets your audience. An great headline will encourage your reader to finish the article which will lead to more traffic and sales.

5 – Just create interest, don’t try to sell from your ad. Write in a way to create interest in the product or service you are offering so your reader will want to visit your site. Have a powerful sales page convert your readers to prospects or customers for you. Also, make it easy for your site visitors to subscribe to you newsletter for easy follow up and conversion.

6 – Avoid using all caps in your headlines. It will seem like YOUR ARE YELLING AT YOUR READER, it also looks amateurish.

7 – Always include a call to action. Wrap up every article or ad with a call to action telling the reader what to do, such as visit your web site or subscribe to your newsletter.

8 – Avoid being cute and funny. You can’t count on cute and funny to increase site visits or sales, though it may put your reader in a good mood.

9 – Make a free offer. Give your reader an incentive to visit your site like a free eBook, or free trial.

10 – Review the archives, or subscribe to the article sites and e-zines you are interested in advertising with. This will allow you to see how many ads are in each issue, the content of the publication, and it will give you an idea about what the publication’s readership is interested in by reviewing the ads and articles.

Resources:

• Article Marketing
• Bum Marketing
• Copy Writing

There are many advertising methods to get youself or your business noticed online. They include SEO for search engines, pay per click (PPC) advertising, advertising co-ops and joint ventures, posting forums and boards that cater to your target market, press releases, and article writing.

Off-line advertising and marketing is ignored by many online marketers. However, there are many ways to advertise off-line that is free or costs very little. I want to let you know about three of them.

1 – Business Cards

Business cards are a requirement for anyone who is serious about their business. They’re a superb method of getting the attention of prospects and keeping the attention of customers. Just hand them out to anyone you think will benefit from what you’re offering. Additionally, leave a card behind whenever you visit a club, bar, or restaurant. There is one salesman who says putting one in each bathroom stall generates leads.

If you are just starting out in business you might consider printing your own business cards at home.

2 – Brochures and Flyers

You can easily create brochures and flyers with today’s desktop publishing and computer technology. Simply post flyers (with permission, of course) at businesses and other location where you think your potential customers will see them. Or hand out brochures to the people you meet throughout your day.

A lot of bars and restaurants will let you post a flyer in their places as well.

Grocery stores too. Many have cork boards near the front door for just this purpose. With hundreds of people walking by every day.

3 – Advertising With You Car

Yes, that’s right! Your car is a great vehicle for advertising. Place magnetic signs on the sides of your car with you company name and web address on it. It’s like a big business card on the side of your car.

In this way you and your business will be exposed to a large number of people whether you’re driving, parked, or stuck in traffic. These magnetic signs aren’t very expensive either. Check with a local sign maker to learn the cost.