Offline Promotions For Your Home Business

Offline Promotions For Your Home Business

by: Dirk Wagner

Promoting your home business is obviously one of the most important aspects in terms of becoming successful. The internet is full of opportunities where you can advertise your business. But, what about offline advertising?

Offline advertising is often one of the most overlooked ways of advertising for internet based home businesses. Let’s examine some ways you can use offline promotions to better advertise your home business.

Create Flyers

This is a great way to get the family involved in your home business! Using your computer, you can create attractive looking flyers that you can get your kids or spouse to help you hand out at the local mall, post on billboards at the shopping market or place on car windshields in parking lots. You just have to be creative. This is a very inexpensive form of advertising for your home business, and can be fun when you get the family involved.

Business Cards

This is a relatively cheap way of promoting your home business. You can find companies that can make your custom business cards for you, for very little money. Some companies I have dealt with will give as many as 250 free (excluding shipping charges), the only draw backs are they use the back of your cards to put there own business logo and usually the selection is limited compared to paid or premium business cards. Still a very good way to promote. You can leave your business cards around for people to find, leave a stack by payphones, in restaurants, in mailings to your customers. You can even save more money creating your own business cards with your home computer.

Bumper stickers/TShirts

Another very inexpensive way to promote your home business offline is by making up bumper stickers and/or tshirts. This is a great way to get the word out about your product and/or service. Just give them away to everyone that wants one.

Calendars

These are great to give away as free gifts to potential customers. Other promotional items may include coffee mugs, key chains, magnets, pens, etc.

Sponsorship

Sponsor a youth athletic team, or give away free prizes at a golf tournament. Every organization is looking for sponsorship of some sort, create a plan of what you are willing to do to sponsor a organization.

Media

Using the media is a great way to promote. If you can afford it, doing a radio or television spot can bring in a ton of potential clients to your product and/or service. Classified ads in your daily newspaper is also a great way to promote your business. You may also consider sending out a press release to the editor of your newspaper about your home business.

Direct Mail

You can purchase or rent mailing lists to send out promotional material about your product and/or service.

Networking

Unless you never leave the house, networking within your community is a great way to let other’s know about your business. You can join in community groups, chamber of commerce, kids school functions etc.

Word of Mouth

Still one of the best ways to let it be known that you have your own business. Talk about your business and website as often as you can. Encourage other family members and clients to do the same.

There are many ways to advertise your home business both online and off. For best results you really should be using both forms to advertising.

Copyright 2004 Dirk Wagner

About The Author

Dirk Wagner is CEO and owner of http://team4success.biz and the free, easy to install #1 home business toolbar with automated updates. A website dedicated to helping the homebased business entrepreneur start and succeed with tthere very own homebased business.

This article was posted on March 20, 2004

by Dirk Wagner

3 Simple But Powerful OffLine Advertising Strateg

3 Simple But Powerful OffLine Advertising Strategies

by: Al Martinovic

There are several ways to advertise and get the word out about your business online and the best of them include free search engines, pay per click search engines, writing articles, utilizing press releases, doing joint ventures/ad coops, and posting to message boards and forums related to your target market.
But one advertising method thatกs neglected by most online marketers is offline advertising.
There are several low/no cost ways to advertise offline and I want to share 3 of them with you.
1) Business Cards
If you are serious about your business you must have business cards. They are cheap and are a great way to attract potential prospects or customers. Simply hand them out to people who you feel may be interested in your business.
Also, whenever I visit a restaraunt, bar, or club, Iกll leave my business cards in all of the bathroom stalls. (Just make sure nobody is in there of course… lol!)
And don’t laugh at this! It really works. When I visit the bathroom an hour or two later, Iกll find that all of my business cards are gone and Iกll have a fresh new set of sales the very next day.
You can get free professional looking business cards at VistaPrint.com, all you have to pay is shipping and handling:
http://www.vistaprint.com
2) Flyers
With todayกs technology, flyers are very easy to make. You can simply design a flyer online and just print it out and make copies. Then you can post them in area businesses where you feel your potential customers may hang out. (Just make sure you ask permission from the business owner.)
Or simply hand out your flyers to people you meet on the street. Many bars and clubs don’t have a problem with posting flyers in their establishments either, especially if you are a patron.
And don’t forget about supermarkets! Many have bulletin boards, at least here in New Jersey where I live, and you can post your flyer there. There are hundreds of people walking into supermarkets everyday and they are in a buying mentality. Take advantage of it and post your flyers often.
Hereกs a site that lets you create and print flyers or brochures online for free:
http://www.mybrochuremaker.com/
3) Automobile Advertising
What… ? Yes you read that right! Your car is not only a driving vehicle but a great advertising vehicle as well. You can stick magnetic signs or plates on your car with your company name and/or domain name for all to see.
Your business can be exposed to hundreds, if not thousands of people everyday whether your car is parked, you are driving, or even when you are stuck in traffic. Itกs fairly inexpensive and a great way to กdriveก home your message.
Here are a couple of sites to check out for this very sort of thing:
http://www.iditplates.net
http://www.magneticsigns.com
Those are just a few of the ways to advertise offline. Iกm sure you can come up with other clever ways as well.
Youกve got a brain… use it!

About The Author

Al Martinovic runs a successful กnicheก business at http://www.ineedsmokes.com and publishes a popular internet marketing newsletter at http://www.milleniummarketers.com

This article was posted on May 28, 2004

by Al Martinovic

The Top Ten Rules of Effective Networking

The Top Ten Rules of Effective Networking

by: M.E. Callan

Many of us are discouraged by the networking events that we go to. We feel swamped by people just looking to get money from us, and we rarely feel as though the event was worth our time.

Yet networking should be one of the best ways to bring in new business. The key is learning to network correctly.

Even those of us who enjoy networking should remember the following tried and true rules of effective networking.

1. Give, then Get.

If you approach a networking meeting with a ขwhat’s in it for me?ข attitude, you will be just like all those sharks that have kept you away from networking to begin with. Go to a networking event looking for opportunities to help others. When you give this way, your ขgetข is always bigger.

2. Please, No Fishing.

Don’t be that person who offers a cold, limp fish as a handshake instead of a firm grip. Loosen it up just a little for shaking a woman’s hand, but never go soft. Otherwise, the people you meet will remember you not for all the great things you had to offer, but for your weak handshake.

3. Direct Eye Contact.

Don’t ever stare at someone, but always make sure to meet his or her gaze. A person who continuously averts his will be seen as someone with something to hide.

4. Dress Professionally.

The old adage about making a first impression is still true. As a rule of thumb, dress one step above what you think everyone else will be wearing. It can never hurt you to look as good as the next best dressed person in the room.

5. Have a 30 Second Commercial.

Have you ever met someone at a networking event, talked to them about their business the whole night, and left without knowing what in the world they do? It happens all the time. Remember to state clearly what it is that you do and who are looking to work with.

6. Write on Business Cards.

As you meet people, write information about them down on their business cards. It’s virtually impossible to remember all those little details about the people you meet, and no one will mind if you are so interested in what they have to say that you are taking the time to write it down.

7. Create a Cataloguing System.

As soon as you get back to your office, file your new business cards in an accessible way. I recommend that clients staple business cards to 3×5 cards and then write down all of the pertinent information you can. Include on the 3×5 the name of the person, where and when you met her, what she looks like, and what you talked about. Next time you see her, she will be very impressed that you remembered so many details.

8. Nice Meeting You Cards.

It is never a bad idea to send a new contact a quick card that says ขnice meeting you.ข Include your business card as well in case they have misplaced the one you gave them at the networking event.

9. Follow Up!

This step is crucial. If you have told a contact that you would help them in any way, be sure to follow up immediately. Do this consistently, and you will be seen as a man of his word. Don’t follow up on your promises, and you will be seen as unreliable and untruthful.

10. LISTEN.

The number one rule of networking is to listen. In fact, you should only be speaking about 30% of the time. We all love to talk about ourselves, and if you give your contacts the chance to do that they will think quite highly of you without even realizing why.

Following these rules of effective networking should not only make your experiences more enjoyable, but will help you bring in new business leads time and time again.

About The Author

M.E. Callan is principal of Commonwealth Marketing, a firm that specializes in marketing for professional services. Recognized as an expert in the industry, Callan has been published nationwide and has been the featured speaker at national seminars. Find out more at Commonwealth Marketing.

[email protected]

This article was posted on June 12, 2003

by M.E. Callan

What Business Card Are You In Need Of?

What Business Card Are You In Need Of?

by: Maricon Williams

Have you been in a situation where you are sure that you are in dire need of a business card but then you are perplexed and unable to decide what kind must be chosen? Well, if you’re in that situation, you are on the same boat as thousands of individuals all over the globe.

It is a given fact that black and white has an aura of elegance and formality. Nevertheless, in the eyes of the majority it can be perceived as dull and boring. Adding colors to it can make it stand out from the rest. The business card’s appearance is very significant since at the onset it should grab the attention of the holder, otherwise it will not be read and the personality of the business or company will not be extended.

Full color business cards create an ambiance of ingenuity and creativity. It can emphasize, beautify, modernify and boost the design of the business cards. You can even incorporate it into the background to effect an outstanding workofart.

In today’s modern environment, color as a catalyst to a successful design and craft, is just a mouse click away. You can order it online through your trusted online printing company. They are offering it with fast turnaround. So you can have it delivered swiftly.

Full color printing is somewhat similar to inkjet printing. In this kind of printing, all the inks are simultaneously printed on the paper. Therefore, in a matter of one run, cards are already printed – no hassles just precision!

Nowadays, full color printing is becoming more and more affordable. It can turn your business cards sharper, jazzier and bubbly. If in case you have a colored graphic or logo, the least costly remedy is to have it full color printed.

In selecting the right business card look for you, you should bear in mind that it must project the business or the profession. If you are a lawyer, an elegant and formal business card is the right for you. You can add in glitz of gold and black inks. It is noteworthy that lawyers and other professions use cards to give information and not to solicit business. This is the bare minimum difference of using cards for profession and business.

To sum it up, you may have price as your most influential decisive factor, however, you must think first of the image and the resultant output before deciding on the matter. If you decide on this drastically, without weighing the possible outcomes, you might end up losing your hard earned resources.

About The Author

Maricon Williams

I love reading. Give me a book and Iกll finish it in one sitting. Reading is the chance to be transported to a different world and so is writing. Iกm more enthusiastic about writing however, since you can relay your ideas to someone else. I can only imagine that feeling when I hear a complete stranger talking about my ideas which read on an article somewhere. To relay my message to as many people is the same as touching people with music. Only mineกs less harmonic. I try to make up for it with the color I bring with words. And most of the time, it’s more than enough.

For suggestions, inquiries and additional information about full color printing services, logon to http://www.fullcolorprintingcompany.com

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 11

by Maricon Williams

Do Not Business Cards

Do Not Business Cards

by: Florie Lyn Masarate

This is assuming you already know what to do with business cards. There have been tips already focusing on what to do with business cards to make them look professional even if the owners are not. To make them appear interesting to make people not throw them away the minute they are put in their hands.

This is about what not to do with business cards.

Do not print prints smaller than an ant. You may have the good fortune of having a great sight but others are not that fortunate. Take those into consideration and give them something they can read.

Do not choose colors that clash with each other. Think back into your school days and you will realize that in one way or another, you have been taught about the color wheel and about what colors partners with which.

Do not use someone else’s business card. Handwriting your information on someone’s business card is amateurish and makes you look too cheap or poor not to afford one for your own. Once is acceptable but certainly not twice.

Do not print out wrong information. Whether typographically or innocently, there is no excuse for sending out misleading and otherwise wrong information about you. Checking them out before printing is an easy task compared to having to print and pay over again.

Do not print your business card large format style. Your card may look unique this way but it would not fit in the filing system that people have. Do not think that they would make their filers bigger just to keep your card. Stick to the standard size.

Do not print important information on the inside or at the back of a folded business card. People may want to contact you instantly and they want done with just a quick glance at your card. Business card is not a game of hide and seek. It is more like seek and seek.

Do not print on thin materials. Just shows how cheap you are by using the cheapest paper there is. Besides, they will not be able to withhold the environmental factors to which they are exposed to. A drop of rain would melt them easily.

Do not chew bubble gum while giving out your business cards. Your cards may appear all the appearance of a professional company or business, but not you. The moment they chance upon your card in the future, they would remember you looking smug as a street bystander.

For comments and inquiries about the article visit http://www.uprinting.com

About The Author

Florie Lyn Masarate got the flair for reading and writing when she got her first subscription of the school newsletter in kindergarten. She had her first article published on that same newsletter in the third grade.

This article was posted on September 11

by Florie Lyn Masarate

Using Business and Greeting Cards Effectively

Using Business and Greeting Cards Effectively

by: Jay Conners

Business cards and greeting cards almost go hand in hand when being used for marketing and business purposes. With a few exceptions. One is bigger than the other, and needs a postage stamp in order to get to it’s desired location, as opposed to the business card which is handed directly to a person or dropped into a fish bowl in the hopes of winning an office party.

Here are a few tips on how to use the business card and greeting card as a sales and marketing tool.

The Business Card

This tip is not just about what you can do with your business cards, it’s about what you can do with other peoples business cards once you receive them.

A business card is normally exchanged before, during, or after a conversation you have with a person. The next time someone hands you a business card, try to remember something positive about the conversation you had, perhaps something personal the person might have said.

Than write it down on the business card so the next time you call them or see them, you can bring it up again.

I once had a business relationship with a person who is now a friend of mine. We met at a business card exchange, as we stood talking over our coffee and donuts, I mentioned how I loved boston creme donuts. Without my knowing, he wrote that down on the business card I gave him, and every time he and I got together, he made sure to bring along boston creme donuts. It wasn’t until later that he told me his secret.

People are impressed with things you remember about them, it makes them feel that the conversation the two of you had was important to you, and it will give you credibility.

This is a great way to strengthen your business relationships in order to obtain referrals.

The Greeting Card

In this day and age of the internet, we seem to have lost the personal touch we once had with one another.

Most of this personal touch has been replaced with emails, ecards, fax machines, and cell phones.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m all for progress.

That being said, don’t ever underestimate the power of a hand written note or card, it speaks volumes and means a lot to people.

Have you ever heard of someone deleting a Hallmark?

Keep a Rolodex or tickler file handy of all your customers upcoming birthdays, anniversary’s, and special occasions. Send them a card with a handwritten message on the inside, they will love the fact that you remembered them at a time that is important to them.

The same goes for holidays, and don’t forget Arbor day.

When you send the card leave the business card out, don’t give the impression that this is a sales call, at times like these it is important for your customer to understand that they are not just a statistic in your data base.

Also, keep your eye’s and ear’s open just incase your customer looses a loved one or a pet. Send them a sympathy card. They will appreciate the fact that you have compassion.

The business card and greeting card are two effective ways to build and strengthen the relationships you have with your customers, which will ultimately result in more business for you.

About The Author

Jay Conners has more than fifteen years of experience in the banking and Mortgage Industry. He is the owner of http://www.jconners.com, a mortgage resource site, he is also the owner of http://www.callprospect.com, a mortgage lead company.

[email protected]

This article was posted on September 05

by Jay Conners

Affordable Advertising for Your Home Business

Affordable Advertising for Your Home Business

by: Terri Seymour

Marketing and advertising a home business takes a lot of time, commitment and work. Those who say all you need to do is put up a website and watch the cash come in couldn’t be further from the truth!

We need to do as many things and try as many ways as we can to get our name out there and establish our business and reputation, whether it be online, offline or both! This takes imagination, and perseverance! Below are affordable and fairly easy ways you can begin to build your home business.

1. Word of Mouth talk to as many people as you can about your business. Bring it into the conversation at every opportunity. By doing this, you could be starting a domino effect. Some of the people you talk to mention it to others and so on & so on. Your business has to become a part of you and your daily life.

2. Business Cards When you are talking to all these people, be sure and give them a business card. Business cards are very important and do not cost a fortune. A good place to get business cards for only a small shipping charge is http://tinyurl.com/6t7mw. Take advantage of the backs of the business cards as well for sales, specials, catchy messages anything to help make you and your business more memorable. Business cards can be left almost anywhere and can also be sent in all your mail correspondence.

3. Prizes Contact your local radio stations, stores, etc. that have contests. There are many places online that have sweepstakes and contests as well. Offer your products/services as prizes in these contests. This is a great way of getting a lot of affordable exposure.

4. Use Testimonials Take advantage of what others say about you. Have one on your business card, flyers, etc. Use them whenever you can. Most people will put a lot of stock in what other customers say.

5. Customer Service For a lot of businesses these days, this seems to be a lost art. You need to go the extra mile for your customers and make them feel special and appreciated. This will do a lot for your business. These customers will give glowing reports of you to their friends and family.

6. Flyers Design and print flyers right from your computer. Post them on bulletin boards at grocery stores, churches, malls, post offices, banks, etc. Use brightly colored paper to get peopleกs attention. Make the message interesting enough so they want to visit your site.

7. Article Writing & Submitting This can be a very powerful method of advertising as it not only brings people to your site, it builds your reputation as someone who knows what they are talking about an this will bring trust. I believe just about anyone can sit down and write information on things they know. You do not have to be a writer nor a college graduate to write effective articles.

After you have written your first article, start submitting it all over the net. There are article groups, article banks, and publishers who accept article submissions.

http://www.workathomearticles.net/

http://www.creativehomemaking.com/submit_article.shtml

http://finance.groups.yahoo.com/group/FreeContent/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FreeReprintArticles

For more information:

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

8. Networking Groups and Boards Networking is when you come in contact with as many people you can to learn, share, promote, and form relationships with prospective customers and associates. Get to know others, learn from them, let them learn from you and get to know you. This is an excellent way of building a strong foundation for your business. Networking can also bring you a lot of referrals from your associates.

http://selfstartersweeklytips.com/forum/

http://www.bizymoms.com/discus/

http://www.williecrawford.com/cgibin/index.cgi

http://bltshw.proboards37.com/

http://www.javajane.com/forum/index.php

9. Online Mailing List Make sure you capture your visitorsก emails and mailing addresses, if possible. Start a mailing list or newsletter for your visitors. Keep them up to date on your products, services, specials, etc. You might also want to give them some useful information in your newsletter. For more info on starting a newsletter sign up for this free ecourse: [email protected]

10. Moving Billboard Turn your car into a moving billboard. Put a magnetic sign or decal on your car so you can advertise your business wherever you go. Be sure and have catalogs/business cards handy for anyone who is interested.

11. Link Exchanges Link exchanges can bring you a lot of traffic and they can improve your search engine ratings. For those of you who are not familiar with link exchanges this is when you and add a link to another site on your site and they would add a link to your site on their site, linking them together.

Choose sites that are complimentary to yours, example: if you have a site that sells pet supplies, link to sites that give info on how to care for pets, or where to get pets, etc. Email the webmaster and invite them to have a look at your site.

I hope some of these ideas help you get started with an effective advertising campaign. They have helped me tremendously!

© Terri Seymour of www.seymourproducts.com

About The Author

Terri Seymour and her husband Terry offer a nocost, nonMLM home business opportunity. More information and resources provided for your home and business at http://www.seymourproducts.com. FREE Ebooks and Ecourses available also!

[email protected]

This article was posted on February 14

by Terri Seymour

What Does Your Business Card Say?

What Does Your Business Card Say?

by: BIG Mike McDaniel

Business cards are the most underutilized and misunderstood marketing tool in business. Many people spend the bucks for cards and don’t make an effort to get them into the hands of those who can hire them or buy from them.
Everyday people throw away stacks of undelivered business cards. Money down the dumper.
Your goal is to design and use a memorable card and get so many delivered you have to reorder. Forget about those clever articles about what to do with stacks of leftover cards.
The only time you should have cards still in the box is when something on the card becomes outdated or obsolete.
If you designed your cards as a marketing tool and planned your distribution, tossing unused cards in the trash should become the exception rather than the rule. However, if one item on your card changes the cards are obsolete and should be pitched.
Car dealers are famous for finding ways to save money on business card expense. With the revolving door turnover of salespeople, many dealers stopped ordering individual cards for new hires. They print a master card with color dealer logo and phone numbers and leave a big space in the middle for the new salespersonกs name to be penciled in. That way, when the wouldbe fast talking, glad handing flannel mouth doesn’t work out, no new cards need be printed.
A swell image: handwritten business cards.
It would be interesting to run the numbers on how much money was saved at the printers versus how much business went somewhere where the salespeople appeared more professional. With car dealer margins, one sale would buy a lot of business cards.
Worse is using a business card with a black or blue marker blotting out a line of type and a new name, address or phone number written (or typed) above the black line. Ugh!
Some people painstakingly cut itty bitty strips of computer labels printed with the new information and stick them over the old just to save a few bucks. Calculate what your time is worth and the savings turn into an expense, not to mention what the กcorrectedก card does to future business.
Dig out that stack of business cards you have been collecting for years and flip through them, you will see at least one with a correction.
If you are in any business and you venture outside your cubbyhole for any reason, you should carry business cards at all times. You should be able to กwhip one outก without digging out your wallet and digging thru pics of the kids, or plunging to the bottom of your purse past the hair spray.
Your card says a lot about you. And you say even more about you when you offer your card.
Say it in businesslike, professional style.
For more about business cards, get my article กWhat Does the BACK of Your Business Card Say?ก MailTo:[email protected]

About The Author

© 2004 BIG Mike McDaniel, Professional Speaker and Former Major Market TV News Anchor.

http://BIGIdeasGroup.com

The BIG Ideas Group helps small business grow with mastermind groups, seminars and sales training.

MailTo:[email protected]

Subscribe to กBIG Mikeกs BIG Ideasก Newsletter

MailTo:[email protected]

[email protected]

This article was posted on June 14, 2004

by BIG Mike McDaniel

Promote Me Now!

Promote Me Now!

by: Wilson Davalos

The key to having people visit your site is for them to know that your sites exist. For a potential customer to know that your site exist you have to let them know about your website. So here are a few key principles that will help you to boost your daily traffic.

Link exchanges: This is a fast way to increase your daily visitors. You should take advantage of joining one of these link exchange websites. The key to winning with this type of marketing is to pick sites that compliment your target market and vice versa. As an example if I had a local real estate market website I would want to look for services that would be of interest to my visitors, such as local movers, dentist, restaurants etc. By doing this your website will also compliment their website.

Business cards: You can use business cards as your own personal tiny billboard. Be sure to have your web address and slogan on it. I use my business cards everywhere I go. When tipping at a restaurant I always write a small thank you note on the back of my card. This serves two purposes you have given an acknowledgement of their services and you have promoted your website.

Optin email marketing: In my option the can spam regulations actually helped to make email marketing even stronger. When the news came out that this new regulations would be put in place to control unsolicited emails, many email marketers where worried. As it has turned out it has helped everyone by only sending emails to interested prospects. Find optin email marketing companies and see what they have to offer. You will be able to pick you target audience and send them html enabled emails. Most companies will give you stats on your campaigns, you will be able to see how many people actually opened and clicked on your email. This is a great tool because you can tweak your ad to see what gives you the best results.

Promotional products: Everyone wants something for free, it doesn’t matter what it is. Iกve seen people practically trample each other for a bumper sticker. I still have a little tape measurer from a local hardware store that I received years ago. You won’t have a hard time giving your promotional products away so your marketing dollars go really far with this one. Be sure to pick something that compliments your company, if you have a website dedicated to teachers than a good choice would be tote bags, rulers, or erasers. Shop around for different suppliers if you do your homework you will be able to find a company that has a good mix of products and prices.

These are simple ideas that you can use to generate huge amounts of traffic to your website. Now get out their and make yourself know to the world

About The Author

Wilson Davalos is the founder of http://www.laplounge.com ‘the best search on the netก

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 14

by Wilson Davalos

Your Business CardExecutive Pacifier or Marketin

Your Business CardExecutive Pacifier or Marketing Tool?

by: Al Hanzal

Do you remember when you started your business or you got a new job? The excitement you felt when you the business cards arrived to match your new business or new position? The cards became your rite of passage.

Now you realize business cards are part of every business boiler plate, one of the many adult pacifiers we all have.

This article show you how to use marketing principles to redo your business cards. You can turn your cards into a powerful marketing tool. If you want to avoid the dreaded ขThey dropped my card in the bottom of their drawer syndromeข, use the following marketing principles to redo your business cards into an effective marketing tool.

getting the attention of your prospects

showing them benefits

making it easy to contact you

giving them a specific call to action

testing your ideas

Getting your prospects attention

You need to grab the attention of your prospects. Your business cards can accomplish in a number of ways.

1. Color gets attention. Your photo gets attention. Experts still undecided on whether the added expense of color and photo’s increase prospect attention or retention.

2. You can get your prospects attention by using different forms of business cards. Today, you can print your name on anything. Pens, mouse pads, jackets, letter openers, coasters, calendars, CD versions of your business card, musical business cards are only a few of the possibilities. You limited your options only by your imagination.

With these attention getting methods, ask yourself this question, ขDo I want to be cute? Or do I want to be effective?ข If you want to be known as cute, then pick out something cutie and make that your novelty business card.

If you want to be effective, pick out something that is different but meaningful to your business. For example, a person in the furniture business has their information on a piece of wood for their business card. It relates directly to their business rather than just being cute.

3. The heart of getting the attention of your prospect must be your heading or tag line. No matter what form of business card or what color, your heading or tag line should command your central focus.

Show me the benefits!

The heart of marketing is letting the customer know what benefits they will receive from using your business. It’s not your company logo. It’s not your company’s business name that is most important to them. It’s what they will receive.

Make sure your business card in one sentence, in one phrase tells the reader the biggest benefit they will receive from your business. This is your chance. If you don’t catch their attention with the headline, you card will probably go into the drawer with all the other cards. Give them a powerful one line reason to stop, to read and to keep your card.

Make is easy to contact you

Imagine, receiving a business card without the person’s name on it. At a recent networking meeting that happened to me. I actually became embarrassed to call the company because I couldn’t remember the person’s name.

Make it easy for recipient to contact you. If you prefer email than focus on your email. If cell phone, then cell phone. Have all of the appropriate information on the card. If you are store front business, they will need your address. Rather than putting tons of information on your card, ask yourself, ขHow do I want these people to contact me?ข And then make it very easy for them to do this on your card.

Call to action

What do you want them to do? Effective marketing always tell the prospect exactly want they want them to do. ขPick up the phoneข ขGo to my website.ข Tell people on your business card what you want them to do.

Testing

Experiment with different messages and formats. Today, you can go online (Vistaprint.com) to choose from standards design cards. You can get 250 cards for $10.00. Use this as testing models until you find the right combination that works for you. Once you find something that works, text, layout and style, you can explore more expensive and better looking options.

Using your business card in a marketing process

Here are just a few creative ways you can use your redesigned card to make your marketing more effective.

Have some fun, especially if your cards are the low cost items. Send them out with every piece of mail, including your bill payments and other correspondence. You will stop people in their tract.

Give two cards at once with the simple explanation. ขI’m giving you a couple of cards. You may know someone who can use (share with them your benefit).ข Now you have the recipient thinking about making an extra step.

Print a special offering or a coupon on the back of your business card. It gives the person it another reason to keep your card visible. This is what you want.

Enclose your business card as part of the thank you notes you send. You can print thank you cards, with appropriate business information on them. The inside can be blank for your personalized thank you and also include a place for your business card. Now you are combining two marketing strategies, the thank you process and the business card.

Conclusion

You have a way of turning your executive pacifier into an effective marketing tool. This is not a high expense item. It also makes your business card more consistent with other forms of marketing, giving you greater marketing power.

If you want more detail information about how to actually craft your next business card, click here for a free report ขMy Business Cardข and I will send you an article which walks you through the business card making process.

Copyright Al Hanzal, 2004. All Rights Reserved

Hanzal Enterprises, Inc.

4191 Granite Court

Eagan, Minnesota 55123

6514853340

About The Author

Small business owners have been using Al Hanzalกs marketing materials to increase their profits.

[email protected]

This article was posted on April 08

by Al Hanzal

Can I Write and Print My Own Business Brochures an

Can I Write and Print My Own Business Brochures and Business Cards?

by: Jan Kovarik

If you have a computer and a printer, preferably one that can print in color, then you can make your own brochures and business cards that are very professionallooking! Be sure to use good quality paper (that is available at any office supplies store like Office Depot or Staples) for anything that you are going to hand out or send to potential customers and clients.
Writing Text for Your Brochure and Business Card
The very best thing to do is to get a few examples of business brochures and business cards, preferably from the same type of business as the business you are starting. If you can’t find any, then think about the type of customer or client you are trying to attract.
If you are starting a professional service as your athome business (such as accounting, bookkeeping, proofreading, etc.), then the text and graphics used in your brochure and business card should be minimal, crisp, easy to read, and contain only the most vital pieces of information. ขClutterข is not very professional. Pick paper colors that are monotone (one color) or that have a nice edging in a complementary color. State what services you have to offer, describe your business in professionalstyle precise terms, and make sure that your contact information (name, phone/fax/cell number, and email address) is easy to locate.
If you are going to start up something like a children’s birthday party service or another ขfunข type of business, then you definitely want to think about bright colors and graphics that grab people’s attention! Remember though, don’t ขclutterข your brochure or business card with too much information! Make sure your prospective customers can find your name, phone number, and email address easilymake them want to contact you right away!
Creating Brochures
Most brochures are either bifold (one fold, four printable sides or ขareasข) or trifold (two folds, with six printable areas). You need to decide on which format you want to use, and then shop for goodquality paper that comes prescored (or ขcreasedข) so that it folds with a sharp edge. Brochure paper is heavier than printer paper (called ขstockข or ขcard stockข).
Your computer probably has a few builtin templates for creating simple brochures. Many ขprint shopข type software programs offer a variety of templates that you can use to create more professionallooking brochures. Regardless of which you use, it should require very little effort to create your first business brochure! (I was able to use a template provided in my Hallmark Greetings! software to create a brochure that was professionallooking and had a little bit of ขpersonalityข to it!)
Follow the instructions for the template you are going to use, and write the text for your brochure as described above. If you are going to insert pictures or graphics, make sure that you are not violating any copyrights (if you are taking graphics from another source). Using the guidelines given above, make your text simple and clear and be sure that your contact information is easy to locate on the brochure.
Business Cards
Just as for the brochures, your computer will either have a few easy templates to use, or you can use any printshoptype software that has templates for business forms. Using the guidelines as given above, write the text for your business card.
I do suggest that you buy business cards that are ขlaserperforatedข so that when you separate the business cards after you print them, you will get nice sharp edges.
Flyers
If you have the type of business that you can promote by tacking up flyers, then you need nothing more than your word processing software. Flyers are generally printer paper sized, and you can be as creative as you like!
You might want to invest in cardstockweight paper for your flyers. This paper is a little heavier and will be a little more durable than printer paper.
Things to Remember When Printing Your Business Brochures and Business Cards

Keep the text simple!
Buy good quality paper!
Set your printer preferences for ขBetterข or ขBestข print quality
Print a ขtestข page first, using just plain printer paper (fold as necessary for a brochure or cut to size for a business card and make sure it ขlooksข good)
Be sure to save your brochure and business card templates so that you can easily print more or change information as needed, as your business grows

About The Author

Jan K., The Proofer is freelance proofreader and copyeditor. Visit http://www.janktheproofer.com for more information about Jan’s services; http://workathome.janktheproofer.com for work at home articles and free printables; and for work at home moms, visit Jan’s sister site http://workathome.momsbreak.com for articles, free printables, and work at home Tshirts and other fun products.
© Copyright 2004 All rights reserved.

This article was posted on July 14, 2004

by Jan Kovarik