After joining Jimmy D. Brown’s List and Traffic Video Newsletter, I’ve been tweaking some of the processes that I use as well as joining with other list owners to help cross promote our publications. I’ve been working on co-authoring some eCourses as well so look for those in the upcoming weeks.
One of the things that I’ve done is work on my thank you page when someone signs up for the newsletter. When I began my newsletter, I needed a page to redirect my subscribers to once they signed up. Because I was in a rush to get it set up, I redirected them to the archives page of my newsletter.
Big Mistake #1.
When I had some free time I went back and made a thank you page that simply stated, “Thank you for subscribing. Your first issue will arrive shortly.” and listed the archives.
Big Mistake #2
What I failed to realize when I set up those two pages is that I had my visitor’s attention. They were already interested in what I had to say because I convinced them to sign up for my newsletter or eCourse and I let them get away. I missed an opportunity. I missed potential profits.
When I redesigned my thank you page I included the standard “thank you” and “make sure you look for your confirmation email”. I also instructed them to make sure they added me to their safe senders list to ensure they receive my emails. But this time I included “You may also be interested in these additional free offers:” and listed a free eBook, the opportunity to sign up for a free eCourse, and information about my favorite business author – all using my affiliate links.
Guess what happened? When I checked my affiliate stats, my click through rate increased 100% in just two days. 95% of those who subscribed to my newsletter also subscribed to the free eCourse I offered. My affiliate sales for the three products I promoted have doubled.
I’ve been publishing my newsletter for five months and it makes me sick to think about how much money I’ve lost because I didn’t take the time to talk to my visitors.
Do you know what’s mind blowing? Not only did it take me 30 minutes to set up the new thank you page, it didn’t cost me a dime. I already had all the information tucked away in my personal affiliate tool kit and was just too lazy to pull it out and put it to use.
Don’t make the same mistakes. Take a look at the page you’re redirecting your new subscribers to. Are you offering targeted product recommendations? Are you keeping them with you or just letting them close that window to possibly never return? Take thirty minutes of your time and the resources you already have available to you and update your redirect page.
Your bank account will thank you.
Want to use this article in your publication? You can as long as you include the following:
Heather Jacobson doesn’t spend a fortune on marketing if she doesn’t have to. To discover how she does it and claim your 10 inexpensive marketing tips visit http://www.inexpensive-marketing-ideas.com
Permalink 4 CommentsIt’s not!
Visa announced today that it’s retiring its 20 year old tag line “every where you want to be” and will roll out the new brand during the Opening Ceremonies of the Olympics.
The credit card company wants to brand itself as the company that helps you make every day purchases. Its new tag line? “Life Takes Visa”
Bold move to change your tag line, but understandable. With fast food chains taking credit cards now, there really isn’t anywhere that any of the major credit card companies aren’t.
Until next time…
Heather
Permalink Comments10 Ways to Design Yellow Pages Ads
By Mike McDaniel
Here is some common sense advice for those “unchangeable for a whole year” Yellow Pages ads
Yellow Pages advertising is one of the mostpopular forms of advertising in the country today. Almost every home in America (96.9%) and business has at least one copy of “the book”.
Almost three out of five (58%) of all adults say they check the Yellow Pages for a phone number and/or address at least once per week, with 77% using the book monthly.
While the Yellow Pages can be excellent reference tool, they are not a red hot advertising vehicle.
Here are 10 ways to use the Yellow Pages
1 - As in all advertising, hit them with the benefits. Since people who look in the Yellow Pages are ready to buy right now, sell them on the benefits of your business or service.
2 - You don’t need thick borders or extra cost color, the Yellow Pages people offer that to everyone. Look how many are on every page.
3 - The key to a sizzling Yellow Pages ad is to sell your services in print. Its about standingout by offering the solution to their problem in a way that your competitors can’t match. The key is the headline. Put a headline on your ad that sells your benefits and assures the prospect will readyour ad. If you have a hard hitting headline that projects a strong benefit and relates to the needs of your prospect, half the work is done. Some headlines that help you do that include:
“How to xxxxx”
“6 reasons why …”
“Before you xxxxx 6 factors to consider”
The rest of your ad should expand on the benefits you’ve presented in your headline and show specific ways you’ll help your prospect fulfill their needs.
4 - Spell out our “Close” in simple terms. Because they are in there looking for a solution, tell them to Call us now on xxx xxxx” you’ll get more responses than you would if you simply listed a phone number.
5 - Advertise like you talk. Inject your personality into everything you write. No-one wants to read boring and stuffy legal-ease.
6 - Despite what many think, you do NOT have to include a comma and “Inc.” after your business name when advertising. You don’t see ads that say “Buick, Inc.”
7 - The only thing color has been proven to do in Yellow Pages advertising is increase the price you pay for the ad.
8 - Avoid Bragging - Don’t boast “biggest and best”. It turns people off, even if it is true.
9 - If you have a guarantee, spell it out. A guarantee will make your credibility skyrocket
10 - Remember that every business (with a business telephone) will be in the yellow pages, free, in the listings.The Yellow Pages are generally a reference tool. Design your ad accordingly
For more about Yellow Pages, get my article “15 Tips for Better Yellow Pages Ads”
MailTo:15TipsYP@BigIdeasGroup.com
2005 BIG Mike McDaniel, All Rights Reserved
BIG Mike is a Business Consultant and Professional Speaker. His BIG Ideas Group helps business grow with promotions, special reports, mastermind groups and seminars. http://BigIdeasGroup.com
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Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mike_McDaniel
Permalink 6 CommentsI came across a GREAT article today about business cards and the importance of throwing them away and getting new ones if something changes (i.e. an email address, phone number, etc.) He talks about a book that he read that listed what to do with outdated business cards and I’ll tell you what I do with them!
I keep a stack in my visor in the car. It’s a quick place to write when I need to jot something down. I give them to my kids and they use them as appointment cards when they are pretending to run a doctor’s office. I keep them by my desk and take notes on them. I use them for mini grocery lists — you know, when you have to run to the store for a few items.
Those are just a few ideas, but take Big Mike’s advice — if they’re outdated, the cost of a new box of cards outweighs the image of old cards with corrent information handwritten on them!
On to the article….
Throw Away Your Business Cards
more about advertising from BIG Mike McDaniel
In the Northwest Airlines Terminal building at the Detroit Metropolitan Airport, a clever worker has patched the terrazzo floor. Since I am not there every day (although it seems like it the traveling I do), I don’t know the reason for the patch. But nonetheless, it is a patch. You can see it 12 gates away.
The workmanship is fine and perhaps in time it will age and blend with the floor around it some. A patch was probably the right choice, given the hundreds of thousands of square feet of floor to replace to make it all the same. So I give ‘em that. Too expensive to replace the whole floor, so patch it and make it a really good patch.
But I can’t abide by their tightwad that spends an hour carefully marking out the email address on a stack of business cards and painstakingly pencilling in the new address. Yuk!
What’s it gonna cost to buy a new box of cards? Not much, but even if it was really expensive, I venture to predict the negative impression of the “mark-out, pencil-in” change will cost more than a new box of cards in future business.
Would you opt for any medical anything in a hospital that used duck tape to hold on a broken door handle? Of course not. The fix on the cheap route doesn’t work for people in business, especially if they need to make a favorable impression. Business cards are like that. They can make, or break, the impression you and your business make.
If one itty bitty snippet of information on your card changes, the cards are obsolete and should be pitched and new ones printed, pronto. There is no excuse for keeping old cards around. I read a chapter in a book someone had written that listed 29 things to do with outdated business cards. One of them was to glue them together and give them to Gramma so she could prop up the kitchen table and get her New Testament back.
A crisp, clean, professional looking business card printed on white glossy stock, with no errors or changes is the best foot you can put forward in your business.
To learn more about how to make your business card the most powerful tool in your marketing arsenal, visit http://bigideasgroup.com/html/business_cards.html
2006 BIG Mike McDaniel, All Rights Reserved
http://BIGIdeasGroup.com
BIG Mike is a Business Consultant and Professional Speaker. His BIG Ideas Group helps business grow with promotions, special reports, mastermind groups, seminars and consulting. Subscribe to “BIG Ideas for Small Business” Newsletter
MailTo:SignUp@BigIdeasGroup.com
I thought I would come up with a “themed” post today since it was Halloween. Of course, it needed to be marketing related as well, so I Googled “Halloween Marketing” and the first URL that popped up was the Halloween Advertising Agency.
I’m a big promoter of using holidays to your advantage when marketing but I never thought there would be an agency that ONLY focused on Halloween. I guess I assumed that Halloween wasn’t that big of a deal. According to their statistics, Halloween is just as much fun for adults as it is kids and it’s becomming as popular as Christmas!
(I don’t like Halloween, for the record. It wasn’t always this way. I loved it as a kid. But somehow, now that I’m older, walking around the neighborhood in an uncomfortable costume in the cold is no longer appealing. 
)
There were also spending statistics on their site as well. I was shocked to learn that 16% (262 people out of 1690 surveyed) spent over $350 on Halloween. At our house, we have a pumpkin table cloth and place mats and a big blow up Winnie the Pooh that says Happy Halloween. Total cost — $10. (I picked them up at Target last year after Halloween was over.)
So there you have it. If you’re looking to capitalize on Halloween, head on over and visit the Halloween Advertising Agency. Talk about narrowing down your target market!
Have a safe and happy Halloween!
Until next time…
Heather
Permalink 10 Comments