This is an interesting guest article written by Susan Gunelius on the “5 Deadly Marketing Mistakes.”

In my book, Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps, I teach small and mid-size business owners who can’t afford to hire professional copywriters how to write effective copy that will bring the results from their marketing efforts that they want and need. However, just as there are steps you must take to write great copy, there are also mistakes you can make that can destroy your marketing messages and reduce your ROI to a fraction of what it could have been. Whatever you do, don’t believe the five myths described below.

1. Consumers care about me and my business.

No, they don’t. They care about what’s in it for them if they pull out their wallets and hand over their hard-earned money to buy your product or service. They don’t care that you’ve been a member of the local Chamber of Commerce for 20 years, and they don’t care how cute your kids are (so leave them out of your commercials, please). Consumers care about having their needs and wants fulfilled. The goal of copywriting is to convince consumers that the product or service you’re selling will meet their needs and desires, even if you have to create perceived needs and desires for them. In other words, your copy must focus on the benefits consumers will receive if they buy your product or service. It’s great that your business has operated from the same location for 10 years, but for the most part, consumers only truly care about what your business can do for them and how your business can make their lives easier or better. Those are the messages your copy should focus on in order to drive results.

2. I can use the same copy everywhere.

No, you shouldn’t. Your copy should change depending on the medium where you’re using it. For example, if you’re writing copy for an outdoor billboard that consumers are likely to have only seconds to view while driving 65 miles per hour on a busy highway during rush hour, your message must be short and to the point with no room for confusion. However, if you’re writing copy for a direct-mail piece that will be sent to customers who have requested to receive information about your business, your copy should be far more detailed with messages that explain, answer questions, and create a sense of urgency to boost response rates.

3. I can use the same copy for everyone.

No, that’s not a good idea. Different audiences will respond to different messages depending on their demographics, behaviors, experiences and so on. For example, if you’re writing copy for a direct-mail piece that will be sent to prior customers, your messages should be very different from those that would appear in a mailing to prospects. One audience is already very familiar with your products and services, while the other has no prior experience to draw from. Clearly, the messages to both audiences must be different to achieve the maximum response rates possible.

4. I need to sound smart in my copy.

Not always. The language and tone of your copy should speak directly to the people who are likely to see it. For example, if you’re writing copy for teenagers, your copy should be quite different from copy targeted at senior citizens. Consider McDonald’s, which goes so far as to change references to its brand name depending on the audience. Turn on MTV and you’re sure to see a McDonald’s commercial referencing the fast food chain as “Mickey D’s”. It’s also important to omit jargon unless your copy is intended for an audience that will understand and expect it. For example, a business-to-business ad might be an appropriate place for jargon. Again, it always depends on the target audience that you ultimately want to respond to your marketing message.

5. It’s easy to write copy.

Never. Writing marketing copy is like no other form of writing. It defies many of the rules you may have learned in English class, and it relies more on subtle persuasion, psychology, creativity and an understanding of your specific business and consumers than any other type of writing. Not all writers are good copywriters, and not all copywriters are good writers. If you decide to write your own copy, study the craft prior to putting pen to paper. And if you decide to hire a copywriter to help you, remember that not all copywriters are the same. Only invest in a copywriter who has experience and takes the time to understand your business and your customers.

About the author: Susan Gunelius is president and CEO of KeySplash Creative Inc., a full service marketing communications provider and branding consultancy, and owner of WomenOnBusiness.com, one of the leading blog communities for business women. Susan is a marketing, branding, social media and copywriting expert with nearly 20 years of experience in the field. Her clients include small and large businesses around the globe. She is the author of several marketing, branding and social media books, including Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps published by Entrepreneur Press.
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Most new entrepreneurs are challenged with the idea of how to market for a successful business. Getting the word out about your business is essential and marketing your product/service is key.

First and foremost, you want to make sure you know who your market is by doing the following:

1. Who is your market?
- Decide who your main customers are. Find out their likes/dislikes, age, demographic, how much money they make, interests, etc. The better you become familiar with their profile, the better your marketing becomes a success.

2. What kinds of media do your main customers use?
- Different medias have different target audiences. Each media segment such as radio, newspaper, magazine and even TV try to interest a specific population. Try and match your main customers with the kinds of media they use. Effective media can be anything that conveys your message. Flyers delivered door-to-door could be the best way to let prospects know about you. There are many online cost efficient ways to market your business as well.

3. Use an affordable Media on a consistent basis.
- The key to effective marketing is consistency. Market your business again and again. Marketers use the Rule of Seven. Prospective customers must see or hear your message seven times before they consider buying. Choose a less expensive media type that you can afford to use week after week. Your marketing efforts will succeed.

4. Sell your main benefit of your products/services.
- How will your product improve your customer’s life? Ask your customers from their own perspective. Does your products/services save them time? Make them happier? Your marketing should focus this most important benefit as clearly and directly as possible. Customers enjoy buying benefits. Marketing the features of your products/services with these benefits connected, will bring in customers and your business will succeed.

5. Finally, don’t miss out on FREE publicity.
- Consider sending out a press release to your local newspaper. Is there something about your business that will interest and/or benefit other people? Promote your business online. There are many social networking sites and forums that you can join for a low cost or even for FREE and announce your business expertise.

Keep these essential 5 marketing tips for a successful business in mind. They are the single most important reasons why some marketing fail while other marketing bring loads of new customers and profits.

Best of luck with your business endeavors!

Copyright © 2000-2009. All Rights Reserved.
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Sonia Colon is writer/publisher of My Fashion E-Mall Blog & The Biz Buzz of a Latina Mom Blog! Writing & sharing powerful business articles & successful Internet marketing tips on starting & maintaining a lucrative work-at-home business is a passion. Sonia is also an Independent Sales Representative for Avon!
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What’s stopping you from making money on the Internet?

Is it lack of time? Lack of money to invest? No product to sell?

In MANY conversations with my subscribers over the years, these have turned out to be the “big three” deal breakers — so you’re definitely not alone there.

Which is why I wanted to bring this to your attention:

The experts over at the Internet Marketing Center have recently developed a simple five-step system you can use to eliminate ANY of the challenges you’ve been facing…

… so you can start earning the money you deserve.

When you follow these five simple steps, you’ll finally be able to start making profits online, even if you have:

>> NO products (The IMC experts show you what to sell, then help you source it)

>> NO upfront investment (don’t pay a cent until you’re earning money)

>> NO time (start today, and be earning you first profits in 24 hours)

And here’s the real kicker: You won’t even need a website!

Sounds like something that would come in handy right about now, right?

You can learn the 5-steps by visiting:

http://www.marketingtips.com/5-step-profits/t/771270

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Let’s reframe the role of e-mail in your business. Consider e-mail to be a medium to get information from one place to another, not as an end in itself. It is a “pass-through,” in much the same way as the role of the telephone is to give and receive information.

How many emails are in your inbox right now? Opened? Unopened? Waiting for something? When someone asks you if you have received their email, will you bend the truth to ‘cover’ for yourself because you won’t know? Are you scrolling through pages of inbox looking for something but can’t find it? If you are average, you have 36 hours of work awaiting you – just to clear your inbox. Almost one entire week! You have email overwhelm!

Some reasons for email overwhelm:

• People you work with needlessly carbon copy everyone on everything.
• Or everyone ‘replies to all’, or adds on to long email threads. This forces you to sift through much ‘non-information’ or redundant information before you actually can identify the content of the email.
• Subscribing to too many newsletters and auto feeds. What goes out must come back. Are you sending too many emails?
• You might be addicted to email. Do you take your handheld electronic email device into the bedroom?
• Checking emails while on vacation or during non-business hours?

Other reasons are those you can directly control. What exactly does ‘checking’ email mean to you? Usually that is a big time waster. If you live in your email inbox and manage your to do’s based on what arrives in your inbox each day, then you are controlled by email. Being reactive is a loss of control of your day. You may feel like you are accomplishing much, however, you have confused being busy with accomplishment and getting things done. Another reason your inbox can become unmanageable is that you have an “I’ll take care of this later attitude” (later never gets here). You must make a decision about each email that you open; if not, it becomes clutter. Electronic clutter is expensive because it takes up storage space on your company’s server. Processing speed is slowed, and precious, expensive memory is wasted.

To be sure we are on the same page, I’ve included a couple of definitions here. Process: a series of actions, changes or functions that bring about an end result. Decide: To conclude, settle. Your time and attention are finite. Demands on your time and attention are infinite. Each time you say yes to something, it means you are consciously or unconsciously saying ‘no’ to something else. Much of what we receive in email is informational, much is not. “Checking email” is a waste of time. It does not involve deciding or processing. When you spend time ‘checking e-mail’, you are NOT spending time processing – hence not being efficient. So the best way to get control is to adopt a mindset which commits you to processing your email daily.

Assuming you answered the initial question in this article with a number greater than 50, here is a good way to regain control. To clear your inbox, make a folder and date it today. Take the contents of your inbox and transfer it to the folder. The positive psychological impact of having an empty inbox is very empowering. Feel the weight of the world lift. (Or do you feel panicky because you are afraid you might have just lost an important communication from an important client? Not to worry-you will sort through the folder you just made according to a planned schedule.) Schedule ten minutes each day to review the old emails and decide on an action. Remember- you must process email to near zero. Six months later, any emails remaining in this folder are most likely stale and non relevant. Declare email bankruptcy and delete them all.

Featured Author: Alita Marlowe Bluford. www.efficiencyconsultants.com
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You can have the best little business ever with wonderful potential, but if you can’t market it, you don’t have a business at all.

Learn how to market yourself, because you are your business. Don’t confuse the terms “marketing,” “advertising,” and “promotion.” These terms carry a different tune every time.

Marketing means informing your potential clients about your products or service, and finding ways to establish and keep a customer base. Your target market is the specific group of people that consume your product or utilize your service.

Advertising refers to the various media used to convey your message. Printed advertisement, radio air time, television commercials and the Internet are all part of advertising that convey your business message to the public.

Promotion refers to the various methods by which you convey your message to customers. When you communicate with the public, you’re promoting your business. Many people will join business associations, or set up displays in malls and craft shows for promotional purposes.

Many people feel lost and uncomfortable with marketing and promotion. However, the longer you research your market, your product and your competition, the more comfortable you will become in marketing and promoting your products and or service. It takes time to learn what works for your business. You will constantly need to effectively find new methods because the old methods will stop working.

Be the very best you can be by working on your personal skills, and successful marketing and promotion will ultimately follow. Best of luck!

Sonia Yvette Colon is writer/publisher of http://www.myfashionemallblog.net, http://thebizbuzzofalatinamom.blogspot.com and your Avon representative at www.youravon.com/scolon1142
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If you’re like most people I know, you have trouble managing your email.

Maybe you can’t keep up with the dozens or hundreds of messages (yes, some people get hundreds) you receive each day. Perhaps you’re fed up with all those silly forwards from your uncle or coworker, or frustrated by the series of 12 back-and-forth emails it takes to set up a meeting or get a basic question answered by your IT department (we don’t have that problem here at Monster, of course).

And what should you do with the email requests from your boss that you’re not quite ready, willing or able to act on? Should you keep them in your inbox so that you don’t forget them but then run the risk of cluttering said inbox with too many actionable messages? Or should you move them to a special “to-do” folder as part of your quest to achieve a state of Inbox Zero each day — and then forget about them because they’re not staring you down in your main inbox?

Then there’s also the tricky question of where to store that message from Jack in accounting once you’ve completed the associated actionable item. Should it go in the “Jack” folder? The “accounting” folder? The “January 2008 folder”? Maybe you’d like to delete the message forever, too, but what if the legal team needs it three years from now?

What a conundrum, huh?

Sorting, saving and retrieving email just requires far too much time and effort for most of us (myself included) to get right, and as a result, we’re woefully inefficient in using a tool that is meant to make our lives – and jobs – easier.

Too Many Folders? Stick to 3

But there just might be a refreshingly simple solution to the email management problem. I learned about it last night while listening to a podcast about organizing our digital lives. Lifehacker editor Gina Trapani put forth this suggestion: Use just three folders.

1. Follow-up, for those messages that still require action from us

2. Hold, for emails that require action from someone else

3. Archive, for everything else

And that’s it! When you read a new message for the first time, you either respond and act on it right away or you move the message to one of these three folders. And if you need to find a message later, you can rely on the power of your email system’s search engine rather than your own memory.

What do you think? Would this system work for you, or do you have a better suggestion?

~ Courtesy of AdminSecret
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This is an interesting article by Ethan Bull on “What’s the Key to Online Social Media?”

The key is to mind your manners!

We ALL participate in online social media in our world today… and if you think you’re one of the people who DOESN’T, I’ve got news for you: Just reading this blog is participating in the world of online social media.

See, our blog has a comments section where back and forth communication of ideas and positions about any of our posts can take place — granted, we don’t get a ton of comments but we do get some — and that interaction is social. Inside our member’s area on our private forum, these conversations and interactions are very robust and we’re all learning a lot from them. Forums — private or open — are another form of online social media.

Other social media outlets are everything from YouTube to Twitter to Facebook to MySpace to Linkedin to Digg to StumbleUpon to FriendFeed to… well, you get the point. There are so many different ways for people to communicate online nowadays, I can’t image anyone being able to keep up with all of them.

But whatever platforms you decide to participate in, you should also realize that there are un-written rules to interacting and communicating on each. No one is going to spell these rules out for you and as a matter of fact, they’re not even written down anywhere… basically, it’s to mind your manners.

I find it humorous that the most important thing about online social media is to be nice … if you’re nice, most people will respond positively to you and what you have to say. Take this list of “LinkedIn Pet Peeves” that users have … most of them are about having common courtesy and being nice!

As assistants, you will continue to grow your online social presence by communicating more and more with people in your network so keep your parents voice in your head and “mind your manners” because in this new world of communication, everyone is watching.

About the Author: Ethan Bull and his wife Stephanie have over 20 years of combined Executive, Personal and Administrative assisting experience.
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This is an interesting article by Terry Brock on “Social Networking Vs. “Real Life Networking”: Which is Better?

I love Social Media and Social Networking! In my audiences where I speak, I see more and more serious business people are devoting time, money and effort to learn how to use these tools. Social Networking tools provide the ability to connect with others in ways that we never would otherwise. By using Twitter, I have connected with people that I would never have met in my normal life. I love Facebook as many “friends of friends” connect where we find common interests. I love YouTube as I’ve posted over 100 videos about various marketing topics and attract people around the world to see them.

Yet, I hear a conversation that is emerging more and more about the importance of being with real people in real places. Some say that they want a “real” contact. Hey, I understand. When it comes to Relationship Marketing, being available for paying customers and interacting with good people is always important. I personally find that I cherish more and more the quality, non-rushed times when I can be with friends around the world breaking bread, sharing a few drinks or just visiting and catching up with them.

Does this mean that we should throw away our Twitter accounts, “De-Friend” all our Facebook Friends and get rid of YouTube?

Not on your life!

I see it as not “either or, but both and.”

When you can connect with new customers at a level of interest and help them, that is great. Each of the social media tools has a unique advantage. I find that focusing on the “Top Four” - Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin and YouTube - help to provide a reasonable connection with others for core business use. Then I use my WordPress Blog to be the focal point to provide value. This strategy is working for many today. It’s working for me.

You connect with others in the real world through good old-fashioned meetings (remember those?). Participation in real-world meetings is as essential today as it ever was. We like to meet with people, see them in action, watch their reactions to various events and get to know them. Social Media is never going to replace that and it never tried to. 200 years ago people would get together face-to-face and discuss business and other aspects of life. When the printing press was developed and words could finally be communicated without the use of verbal-only communication, it made human connections better. A few years ago, email was derided as a tool that would diminish human communication. It has been used to enhance connections with people but it has to be used properly.

That is the key for marketers today. The tool is not the issue. We often like to make it about the tool. The issue is about your ability to connect with real paying customers in a value-for-value way. As you provide help to them you are able to establish, grow and nurture the relationship.

Whether in person or using the latest, greatest technology tool it is most important to connect with customers. Focus your business efforts on 1) Generating new business and 2) Keeping current customers giddy with glee because they are working with you.

Use current technology to serve customers, but don’t ever give up on live, direct connections with others. This happens through phone calls, hand-written letters (yes, they stand out in today’s world very well!) and physical face-to-face meetings. As new technologies come and go, it is the people connection that matters more than ever.

Constantly enhance your “people connecting” skills. Go to the networking meetings, seminars, conventions and other gatherings with the mind-set to help others. Contribute value first. After the meeting follow-up using the various tools of communication focusing on the preferred medium of your buyer (phone, email, Twitter, Facebook — whatever!). This combination of the human touch and leveraging technology is a sure-fire winner in any economy!

As a Relationship Marketer, you’ll be able to help others — and your own business — the more you focus on being there for other people to meet their needs. Use the tools for what they are meant to be. Focus on people and you will not only do well in business — but also in life.

~ Courtesy of Admin Secret

Ignoring Problems:
- The old adage that problems get worse with age really is true. In the beginning stages of my Internet career, there were problems such as feeling stuck to deal with a certain supplier due to time constraints. So, I decided to go on with this certain supplier but much to my dismay, the customer service they provided was weak and continued to grow worse with the passage of time. For a while, I decided to look away in hopes that it would improve. I finally woke up the guts to dismiss this supplier at the price of losing creditability with my customers.

Lesson Learned:
Handle problems in a timely manner. Problems will not got away, nor will they get better on their own.

Giving up control:
I also encountered times where I’d listen to an “expert” regarding what I should do about a certain situation. However, my gut instincts told me that this persons’ suggestions were wrong. I thought, this person was an “expert” and so I turned my control over. It turned out costing me many hardships.

Lesson learned:
Be in charge no matter what! Stay in control. After all, who knows more about your business than you do? Utilize the experts, but don’t feel intimated by them if their advice doesn’t feel right. Consult your mind but also your heart!

Not understanding whom I had to please:
I had forgotten to ask myself who the “real boss” was. I had worked very hard to please the wrong people and not focus on the people who would benefit from my expertise.

Lesson learned:
Establish up front who your target market is. Cater to this market and check in frequently for their feedback on your products/services.

Not giving the customer what he/she wants:
Not only did I not listen, I didn’t bother to validate requirements to running a successful business. I thought I knew even better than the customer what they really needed. Well, the customer found someone who would give them specifically what they wanted and not what I had decided they needed.

Lesson learned:
Listen to your customer’s needs carefully. If you disagree with their solution, advised them. If the solution does not work for both involved, decide whether you can keep your integrity and their business by doing it their way. Always keeping in mind NOT to ignore the customer’s wants and needs.

Underestimating the competition:
I was so busy concentrating on my business and clearly thinking that I was on top of the game when the effort of aggressively comparing what the competition was up too fell by the wayside.

Lesson learned:
No matter how caught up on your business you become, do not forget on putting forth your best effort to find out what the competition is up too.

My hope is that the above will help you “Avoid Making These Business Mistakes” as well and that your business prospers to the fullest extent possible…Here’s to your business success!

Copyright © 2000-2009. All Rights Reserved.
Sonia Yvette Colon is writer/publisher of My Fashion E-Mall Blog & The Biz Buzz of a Latina Mom Blog!
Visit: http://www.myfashionemallblog.net for powerful business articles & successful Internet marketing tips on starting & maintaining a lucrative work-at-home business
Visit: http://thebizbuzzofalatinamom.blogspot.com business news, jobs, entertainment, recipes, shopping & much more with a Latin twist!
Visit http://scolon1142.avonrepresentative.com/ for all your beauty product needs!
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We all know that competition is an ugly word but competitors are a fact of life in business. If your business can’t compete with other businesses, don’t start it. You have to have some type of an edge.

You may have an excellent product or service, but if everyone else is selling a product or service similar to yours, just how much of the market can you expect to capture?

You will have to learn everything there is to know about your competition and understand their marketing strategies.

The best way to research your competition is to locate those you consider the largest threat to your potential business. Take the time to make a note of and acquire a feel for how your competitors deals with their customers, then answer these questions:

What appeals to you most about their website, introduction, setup etc.?

How large of an inventory do they carry?

Are their products display eye-catching?

What is their Alexa, Google, Yahoo! and AOL rankings?

Are their testimonials positive?

Are their prices in line and competitive with yours?

What do they offer that you could not?

Do they offer discounts?

Do they offer a return policy?

Do they offer any special services, such as free
delivery?

Which areas could do with some improvement and
could you improve in these areas?

Do they keep their online store up-to-date?

What means of promotion do they use (flyers,
coupons, free gifts, etc.)?

Next, create a profile of each main competitor. Know how they advertise, why their customers shop there, what areas need improving, and how successfully you can expect to compete with them.

You may also develop ideas for improving and promoting your own business. Your success will lie in assessing and understanding your competitor’s strengths and weaknesses.

Evaluate and compare your own strengths and weaknesses to stay in touch with the competition and succeed in your business.

Copyright © 2000-2009. All Rights Reserved.
Sonia Yvette Colon is writer/publisher of My Fashion E-Mall Blog & The Biz Buzz of a Latina Mom Blog!

Visit: http://www.myfashionemallblog.net for powerful business articles & successful Internet marketing tips on starting & maintaining a lucrative work-at-home business

Visit: http://thebizbuzzofalatinamom.blogspot.com business news, jobs, entertainment, recipes, shopping & much more with a Latin twist!

Visit http://scolon1142.avonrepresentative.com/ for all your beauty product needs!