If you’re a small to medium scale business owner, then you’d know very well how hard finances were the past couple of years, thanks to the worldwide economic downturn. The fact that you’re still in business clearly means you did something right, though it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park. Nevertheless, what matters is that it’s business as usual for you. However, if you’re still having problems, then it may be time to rethink that marketing budget and cut down on advertising expenses.

You may be half-hearted at this thought because your business badly needs exposure. Well, your advertising strategies can be reanalyzed and redesigned to fit your dwindling budget. You don’t need a huge advertising allowance. You’re not Yahoo or e-Bay that can spend $70-$80 million on a big ad campaigns. Even Google was not too keen on using up that much money on advertising, having spent only $11 million on ads.

You see, TV advertising is like throwing money away. A 30-seconder averagely costs about $350,000. Aside from airing fees paid to TV or cable networks, you also need a production budget. Hire an advertising agency to do this and there are more fees to think about. And since you can’t have your TV commercial air only once, you need to multiply the cost to how many times in a day for several months your commercial will be aired. So, how much? Quite a lot and you’re not even guaranteed ROI.

Now let’s take a look at billboards. Billboard advertising costs about $700-$2,500 a month. And since you need to rent about 10, do the math and it’s basically just like TV advertising. Again, you’re not even sure if you reach your target market and guarantee sales. Sure it feels awesome seeing your brand name advertised along the freeway, but it’s still pricey. Also, the amount of information you can place on a billboard ad is very limited, unlike in TV or newspaper.

So what are some low cost advertising solutions that are big on recall and savings?

1. Internet / Company Website. The Internet is slowly moving up the advertising ladder. This year, expected revenue for TV ads is worth $59.4 billion, while for the internet, it’s $26 billion. That’s pretty close considering that the internet is a much relatively newer medium than TV.
2. Press Releases and Articles. Here, you can either go for the traditional print media or the internet. However, if you want longer article life and wider readership, then go for online articles and press releases.
3. Promotional giveaways. They last longer, can reach your target market, are very useful, and really affordable. Promo giveaways are traditional yet quite effective. For as low as $0.25 per piece, you can have your brand advertised. And since people just love free stuff, your promo items will be used and kept by the consumers, unlike the flyers which people easily throw away. Ordering promo giveaways is also very easy unlike shooting a TV commercial or designing an ad layout for a billboard. Just preorder online, submit a quality logo, and that’s it. No fuss, no hassle.

Advertising should help your business, not hurt it. An effective marketing strategy doesn’t need to cost that much. All you need is a little bit of ingenuity and resourcefulness.

Great Summer Promotional Giveaways

It’s summer!  Flocks of people are heading out to the beaches, parks, and picnic grounds. And while most people are busy enjoying the hot summer sun, it’s time for you to get your business out there and hand out some promotional giveaways. Here are some great summer promotional giveaways.

• Fans. Fans are one of the cheapest yet most effective summer giveaways. Since fans can be used by almost anyone, you can be sure that your advertisement reaches as many people as possible.
• Sunglasses. Many people are wearing shades during summertime, so take advantage of this fact. Entice them with sunglasses as giveaways. Rubberized sunglasses are a great choice for those hitting the beach or pool scenes.
• Beach mats. People love everything that’s free, especially huge things. And since beach mats are big, you’re sure that your brand name will be very readable and effectively marketed.
• Folding chairs. People want comfort and convenience, even when outdoors. So while the beach is mostly sand and sea, folding chairs as summer promo giveaways are sure to be used by many.
• Drink and can coolers. Any summer getaway won’t be complete without drinks. And it would be great if those drinks could stay ice cold for longer periods of time under the sun. Drink and can coolers imprinted with your business name would do the trick.
• Bottle openers. How can people enjoy their cold bottled drinks without anything to open them? Well, that’s what bottle openers are for. And with your company name or logo imprinted on it, they’d be awesome summer giveaways.
• Kites. Kites are great for the young and young at heart. Hitting the beach gives kite enthusiasts the chance to let their kites fly high in the bright summer sky.  It’s also the perfect chance for you to do some very affordable yet effective marketing strategy.

Nowadays, most companies use promotional items to advertise and sell their products and services. This is definitely the best way to attract many consumers. There are lots of benefits in using promotional products for your business. Considering this, there are some points you need to know.

In every aspect of business, cost is one of the most important things to look at. Using corporate gifts in advertising your business will help boost your business dramatically because gifts like these are extremely cost-effective. Giving away mouse pads, key chains, pens, etc. with your company name and contact info on it, provides an exceptionally effective advertisement. Consumers can easily recognize your company from these items and they are considerably affordable.

Television commercials run depending on the contract you signed with the network company. Instead of choosing television commercial to advertise your products and services, spend your money on unlimited advertising like imprinted giveaways. There is a big probability that your consumers, their friends and families will require your service in the future, and now that they have your info, they know how to reach you.

Everyone like gifts, it means something to consumers. Promotional products allow every company to have a connection with their consumers in an incredible way. At trade fairs, if you choose to have giveaways, visitors will check out your booth and you will have the opportunity to have short sales talk to these potential clients.

There are numbers of promotional products to choose from, therefore choose what best describes your company and your products to achieve your ideal sales.

Our doctors are a very important part of our lives, with their awesome lifesaving skills and superhuman patience. Obstetrician-gynecologists, or OB-GYNs, specialize in women’s health and make sure childbearing and birth go as smoothly and safely as they possibly can. And in turn, we show our appreciation by giving back to them. So how exactly do you figure out the best gifts for OB-GYNs?

As with any other gift, it’s easier to figure out what to give someone if you know the person well enough. Does your doctor like to read or watch movies? Prefer tea or coffee? Once you have a basic idea of their preferences, it’ll narrow down your gift ideas and help you find the right one sooner.

Care and comfort are two things we easily associate with these doctors, and these would also be nice themes for gift ideas.

If your doctor is female, she might enjoy a DIY spa kit or an aromatherapy kit in a particular scent she loves, or even special bath oils and soaps if she’s into that kind of thing. You can consider a custom-made robe or a one-of-a-kind travel pillow. The idea is to make your doc feel pampered and relaxed.

Speaking of downtime, you could also tap into what they enjoy doing in their free time. Locate that book your doctor has been trying to find for years, or give them a special set of hobby tools (maybe for carpentry or crafts), something they’d enjoy in their free time.

* And of course, with the way OB-GYNs conduct business (mainly through word-of-mouth, recommendations by their happy patients), they also need to find creative ways to promote their practice. If you know an OB-GYN on the lookout for business promotional items, you can have them check out our OB-GYN gift ideas page.

A human being comes across several occasions in his life. Out of a plethora, the most special and memorable is marriage. This very occasion brings on its shoulder another beautiful event known as anniversary that marks the successful journey of a couple after getting united on the day of their marriage. Now, this joyous occasion is beautified when the couples express their love to each other by exchanging presents. So, if you are looking for anniversary gifts for your beloved or others, you can always take the online help.

Women are crazy for diamonds. Therefore, a diamond pendent or a set of earrings can certainly be a brilliant idea for your better half. If you are planning something more creative, you can get ideas from diverse websites available. Arranging a dinner party on a cruise, or a candle-light dinner at a well-known restaurant is certainly one of the gorgeous anniversary gifts. Photo frames can also be a nice option in the list of anniversary presents. There are plenty of anniversary photo frames that come in nice colors and latest styles. If you are presenting a picture frame, make sure you personalize it along with a message expressing your love for her.

If it’s your parents this time, order online a bouquet of nice carnations and make them feel happy and special. Getting tickets for your uncle for a nice movie can serve a bit of refreshment for him. For your grandparents, you can plan for a tour to their favorite sightseeing locations where they have always craved to visit. One of the best anniversary gifts for your closest buddy would be an expensive trendy watch. He can flaunt with it in front of his colleagues with pleasure. If you wish, you can go with the idea of traditional anniversary gifts.

How To be Remembered at Tradeshows

Tradeshow are full of vendors all competing for attention of the people walking the floor. You have very little time as the people pass your booth to grab their interest and explain your business or service. Making your business stand out and be remembered is crucial to make the tradeshow successful. How well you were represented can and will make a tremendous difference later on when decisions are being made on which companies people want for their businesses needs.

Top Goals

• -Break The Ice
• -Pitch Your product or Service
• -Peek their interest
• -Make Your Brand Stand Out
• -Get Contact Info…

For the full article and practical ideas visit our website PromosLogos

]]> http://www.promoslogos.com/weblog/tradeshows-exhibit/feed/ 0 http://www.promoslogos.com/weblog/bendeez/ http://www.promoslogos.com/weblog/bendeez/#comments Thu, 19 May 2011 14:22:19 +0000 debbie http://www.promoslogos.com/weblog/?p=591

Getting gifts is always fun. But honestly most people are too stressed out for the fun of gift-getting to last forever.  Now there is a grand way of getting around those wrinkle-causing , gift-forgetting little worries that never seem to end.  Studies show that minor distractions actually improve our overall focus. We all do this without even realizing it. How often do you find yourself tapping your foot absentmindedly or biting your lip in deep concentration?

Now imagine for a second that you could actually give someone the gift of foot tapping or nail biting with your name all over it! Would that person EVER forget you? Would you ever forget someone who gave you the power  to concentrate more deeply  while being more relaxed and at the same time throwing in some productive fun? News Alert: BENDEEZ! Bendeez from PromosLogos is a remarkable product that will literally give you, your clients and friends the gift of mindless stress relief while actually imprinting your name in their minds. Giving someone a gift that they will constantly use is one of the few surefire ways to make your gift stick. Bendeez is the kind of product that is impossible not to be constantly used. So instead of pens with bite marks (or should we say stress marks) and incessant foot tapping around your home or office you should start getting used to a colorful Bendeez environment. An environment that will be eternally grateful to you for drastically reducing its stress levels and highly elevating their fun levels. shop now

The term “Mother’s Day” may seem simple and sweet, but you have to realize that it actually means “that special day to commemorate the sheer awesomeness of your mom for giving you life and putting up with everything you do”. In fact, the ‘mother’ of Mother’s Day Anna Jarvis emphasized this when she trademarked the name. She was so specific about the placement of the apostrophe (writing it as Mother’s Day instead of Mothers’ Day) to make it singular possessive, not plural — so each child and family would honor their own mothers, and not collectively commemorating all mothers on the planet. This makes Mother’s Day a very personal affair.

So how do you find the perfect Mother’s Day gift, then? Here are three steps to consider in figuring out what to get mom for her special day:

• Know your timeframe. If you intend to get the perfect gift, you need to make time to look for it. Make sure you have enough time to search for a gift, probably two weeks to a month, depending on the scale and type of gift you have in mind. A video or a scrapbook, as well as unique, personalized things like custom imprinted gift items take a bit of time to make. You could choose to do something much simpler, like write a heartfelt letter, but even that needs to be given enough time and attention. Leaving things to the last minute usually results to just grabbing a cute greeting card and some flowers that happen to be on sale on the day, which doesn’t quite say “I love you” as much as a well-thought out present. Whether it’s a small, simple something or a big, beautiful bash, you need to have just the right amount of time to get the right gift.
• Know your budget. Before you thinking of what to get, you should know what exactly you could afford. This may narrow down your gift options, but determining your budget would help you focus on the things that are available to you with that amount of money. This step works hand in hand with the first one, because it helps determine just how much time you’d need should you have to raise a certain amount for a Mother’s Day present (you’ll have to add this to your timeframe, too).
• Know your mom. Of course, the only way to make sure that a gift is perfect is to know its intended recipient. Just like the way your mom knows just what you want and need, you should know what things she would absolutely love. You can actually classify the kind of gift you could give your mom:

• • Practical – These are the things she could most definitely use. Is she a culinary specialist (maybe you could get her a nifty custom imprinted spatula), a do-it-yourself diva, or a homemaker extraordinaire? No matter what kind of mom you have, she’ll always need something useful for everyday life. You could also consider things she enjoys in her free time and then figure out an item she might need.

• • Whimsical – Is there something she’s always wanted, something she’s always dreamed of having? It could be a hard-to-find item that would complete a collection, or it could even be something that brings back a lot of wonderful memories. Make your mom’s wish come true by hunting down a special gift!

• • Indulgent – Being a mom is a full-time job, no matter how old her children are. Give your mom a well-deserved break — pamper her, make her feel relaxed and refreshed. Give her a day at the spa (or have a DIY spa day at home with therapeutic and bath products), or maybe you could take her on a quick weekend getaway. Cook her favorite food, or get her her favorite songs and movies. The key to an indulgent gift is to make your mom feel like the queen she truly is.

Mother’s Day only comes once a year, so you better make your gift count. But no matter what you give your mom on the second Sunday of May, it’ll be extra special when it comes from the heart.