Online Advertising for Dummies

Whether you are checking your email, shopping on a website or just searching for information, online ads are everywhere! A new marketing landscape, the Internet offers a new and cheaper advertising space, as compared to traditional spaces like print, television, radio and outdoor advertising. It's a revolution of sorts and small and home business owners are making the most of it.

For a home based start up, online advertising is a potent tool that can maximize visibility, drive traffic to the company's website, up the sales and build a solid brand in the process. Going to an expensive advertising agency to run your campaign would most definitely burn a hole in your pocket. The good news is you don't have to do that. Just remember the twin mantras of focus on what you want and a strong dose of imagination; and you'll be on your way.

Take the guesswork out of online advertising

Online advertising is not a function of elaborate guesswork and a myriad of hits and misses. Like the traditional offline version, online advertising must also follow some basic rules. Know what you want your advertising to do, where to get it and what to do with it once you have it. Here are some guidelines to get you started.
http://www.marketingprofs.com/preview.asp?file=/2/honabach1.asp

  • Define your advertising objective: Shut the door, switch off the lights, take a deep breath and think why you need to advertise. Clearly define the goals you want your advertising program to achieve. Is it generating new leads, increasing the number of hits on your website, making your company visible in the market place or to increase on/off -line sales? Each goal will have a different advertising path. You can only expect your program to maximize returns, if you know for sure what you want your advertising to do.

  • Decide "where" you want to be seen: It makes a difference to be seen in the right places. Like in offline advertising, the placement of your ad is very crucial to success. Advertising (Co-advertising for higher benefits) on websites that are most relevant to your line of business would be the best place. Also consider top Search Engines, Online Yellow pages, Service Provider directories and large sites or networks. Explore trade ?specific websites for a more focused audience.

  • Tailor the message for your target audience: when you want the caveman to listen, beat your chest! Craft your message to appeal to the target audience. Your message for a visitor on a trade forum's website would be different from what you say to the guy clicking on your ad on a home business site. The trick here is to align your message to the mindset of your audience. Equally important is that the message should convey the promotional goals your advertising desires to accomplish. So if you are selling ice to an Eskimo shopping in an Internet mall, don't forget to mention the discount on your season sale!

  • Be Creative: In a marketplace teeming with new ads you can easily get clobbered on the head with run-of-the-mill ad copy. Your most valuable asset in this crowd is your creativity, which will make your ad stand out. Be creative not only in the copy, but also in the placement of the advertisement. An online contact lens clinic pulls hundreds of people every day to take an eye test with a simple ad. The small 1" X 2" banner says, " Think You Don't Need an Eye Test?" in the same format as you see on the reading sheet in an optometrist's clinic, with alphabets running vertically in a decreasing order. This is a classic example of a simple but creative idea getting the desired results.

    Add more depth to your advertisement by using rich media like HTML, DHTML, Java and layered ads. Use animated messages doubled with pull down menus for better use of space and for expanding possibilities of response.

  • Choose the advertising medium well: They say, "Well Begun is Half Done". If you are going to spend a sizeable amount of money on creating and placing ads, they should do more than just wiggle and pop. To maximize response, choose the advertising medium carefully. You have several choices like banner ads, contextual advertising, ezine advertising etc. Research and read on various formats and the factors for each one's success. Then decide on what format works best for your campaign. Once you have decided on the format, it is equally important to choose the vendor. If you have decided on banner advertising, research and list the websites that would give you the maximum exposure to the right kind of audience. Check out the option of using advertising networks and the pay-per-click options as well. http://a1portal.com/

    Once your campaign has been set in motion, take care to monitor response and be ready to change or completely redo your copy and the advertising vehicles you use. Keep a track of the ROI (Return on Investment) for every advertising purchase that you make. This way you can figure out which forms of advertising are working for you and which ones aren't.

    All online advertising is aimed at inducing "action". Every online ad that you see is built to make you act: 'Register for a free newsletter', 'buy now and save dollars', 'get a quote on your requirements'?the list goes on. The thing to remember here is that once the prospect has been pushed into an action, there should be real value for him at the other end of the pop- up. Unless you can fulfill the promise your brand is making, your online ad has been wasted.

    A well-planned and well-executed advertising campaign can fuel the growth of your home business tremendously. Use online advertising following some simple guidelines and see how it impacts your sales, visibility and brand building, all at the same time.

    Also see: http://www.web-source.net/internet_advertising.htm

    ==========================================< /p>

    Wanna Learn the Secret of Creating Passive Income Online
    From a man who made $3,244,842.32 from the Internet in Only 27
    months? => http://www.the1andonly.biz

    Presented by:
    Perfect Home Based Business Opportunities


    AddThis Social Bookmark Button

    ____________________

    Advertisement: Honest Riches - Click Here!

    Advertisement: Lost AdWords - Click Here!

    Advertisement: Get $1 Million A Month In Google Pay-Per-Click Ads Free! - Click Here!

    Advertisement: Who Loves Money? - Click Here!

    Advertisement: SEO Elite, the GrandDaddy of SEO Software - Click Here!

    In The News:


    Best Syndication

    A-1 Internet Design - Keeping Pace with the Global Internet marketing
    Best Syndication, CA - 7 hours ago
    Their web programming services are wide ranging; A-1 Internet Design professional expertise also extends to providing Internet marketing and search engine ...

    Norwegian Cruise Line Selects Omniture to Provide a More ...
    CNNMoney.com - 12 hours ago
    Omniture Genesis integrates complementary third-party online marketing technologies with Omniture products. Omniture Genesis gives online marketers the ...
    Norwegian Cruise Line Selects Omniture to Provide a More ... International Business Times
    all 10 news articles

    Hotelier’s 2009 Top Ten Internet Marketing Resolutions | By Max ...
    Hospitality Net (press release) - Jan 6, 2009
    Here at HeBS we firmly believe that a comprehensive, ROI-centric Internet marketing strategy is the hotelier's perfect "survival tool" in the current ...
    Hotel Revenue Management Meets the Recession | By Neil Salerno ... Hospitality Net
    all 3 news articles

    Best Syndication

    E-mail Marketing Tips for Small Business
    Search Engine Watch - Jan 6, 2009
    E-mail marketing isn't necessarily a function of search. Online marketing is about making money any way you can. Any well-rounded Internet marketing ...
    Internet Marketing Tips and Predictions for 2009 Promotion World (press release)
    all 3 news articles

    Article Marketing 101
    A Pakistan News, Pakistan - 1 hour ago
    Justin Harrison is a leading Internet Marketing consultant responsible for the Internet Marketing strategies behind some of the biggest online brands ...

    Coremetrics Reports Mixed eCommerce Signals in December
    MSNBC - 1 hour ago
    These findings are based on data from Coremetrics Benchmark(TM), the industry's only peer-level benchmarking solution that measures online marketing results ...

    Internet Music Marketing 2009 Combining Traditional and Web 2.0
    USPRwire (press release), UK - 2 hours ago
    Internet Music Marketing ebooks and videos for the 2009 and beyond music artist. Trent Partridge author of the new book "Internet Marketing for Music Artist ...

    IndiaBook Indian SEO Company Launches Search Marketing Outsourcing ...
    PowerHomeBiz.com (press release) - 10 hours ago
    January 7, 2009 ( PowerHomeBiz ) - India -- India SEO a Professional Internet marketing Firm located in Chandigarh, northern part of India, since 1999 has ...

    New Class Helps Small Business Owners Utilize Social Networking ...
    PitchEngine (press release), WY - 6 hours ago
    As the President of the Internet marketing and strategy firm, Vision Business Concepts Inc, Lori has created successful techniques that help her clients ...

    Mixer alert! Learn about Internet marketing
    The Desert Sun, CA - Jan 6, 2009
    An Internet marketing expert is scheduled to speak at this month's Women Leaders Forum of the Coachella Valley Desert Women Entrepreneurs Mixer. ...
    internet marketing - Google News
  • Your Ad Here

    Games at Buy.com

    Holiday Home Store at Buy.com

    Ten Tried And Tested Viral Marketing Campaigns

    Believe it or not, viral marketing did not originate from the web. Named after microscopic organisms that reproduce at a very fast rate, viral marketing traces its... Read More

    Building Consumer Confidence Builds Sales

    Many small online business owners have yet to understand the sheer power that comes from building consumer confidence. They struggle with sales month after month, but still,... Read More

    Dos and Donts for the Internet Marketing Newbie (Part 2)

    You are now reading Part 2 of my article the "Do's and Don'ts for the Internet Marketing Newbie". Part 1 covered the Do's and this part will... Read More

    Starting an Internet Business is not for Everyone

    Creating and building your home internet business does not need to be a daunting task. Knowing how to start an internet business will pretty much be the... Read More

    To All Internet Marketers - How To Get My Business

    More and more people are realizing that the Internet offers great potential to set up a healthy business for pennies on the dollar. This is good news... Read More

    Local Search by Internet Search Engines is as Essential to Your Business Survival as Your Telephone

    Your Enterprise Won't Survive Unless People Find ItWhether you're a one-man shop or a mid-size operation, you need to make it easy for people find you. Most... Read More

    Resources For Staying Current of IT Advancements For Online Business Owners

    The internet and associated technology changes at a relatively fast pace. For anyone working in fields that make extensive use of IT technology, it is crucial to... Read More

    A Simple 8 Step Formula For Testing Your Headlines

    I am going to let you in on a secret? The successful entrepreneurs are not successful because they know things that you don't know. They are successful... Read More

    Providing Information Will Boost Your Web Site

    I was at a meeting the other day when one member of the audience came up to chat to me after I had given my presentation. 'I... Read More

    Internet Marketing Basics

    Almost all of the articles on Internet marketing lacks coverage on all the basics and all the avenues of Internet marketing because there is just too much... Read More

    Online Advertising for Dummies

    Whether you are checking your email, shopping on a website or just searching for information, online ads are everywhere! A new marketing landscape, the Internet offers a... Read More

    Solution Catalog - Getting More Out Of Your Searches The Fast And Easy Way

    Are you Tired of being Burned by your Internet solutions? Take advantage of a solution catalog with a difference, where your needs are thoroughly researched before they... Read More

    Guru... Schmooru... So What! The Internet Gurus Unmasked

    The word "guru", in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is defined as:1. a personal religious and spiritual teacher in Hinduism 2. a teacher in matters of fundamental concern 3.... Read More

    Sins of the Internet Marketing Godfathers

    What is an Internet Marketing Godfather?Someone who I *perceive* to know more about Internet Marketing Stuff than me. Usually, my thinking tells me that if they are... Read More

    Niche Marketing: Finding JV Partners

    Joint Ventures (JVs) are one of the most powerfull techniques you can employ to get your Niche Business up and running.If they are done right Joint Ventures... Read More

    Five Simple Steps To Make Money Online This New Year

    Most people in a new year make resolutions to make more money and attempt to make money online. However it is also true that a vast majority... Read More

    The Easy Days

    The easy days are gone when you could build your website and two or three months later see it heading for the top of the searches in... Read More

    Seven Steps to Starting Your Internet Business

    There is no reason to be afraid of creating an online business. It is a very easy process if you take it one step at a time.... Read More

    Affiliate Marketing Versus Network Marketing (MLM): Income formula Revealed!

    Both affiliate marketing and network marketing pay people for referring a product or service. What then is the difference between affiliate marketing and network marketing?The difference is... Read More

    Sneak Up On Your Competition

    Dear Internet marketers: After going through a couple of months of frustration, I finally came up with ways to "sneak up" on my competition. I... Read More

    10 Things the Work at Home Online Business Owner can Do to Improve their Search Engine Rankings

    Search engine theory is great but most Web Masters Say Show me the Results. These 10 easy to follow tips are sure to boost your Page rankings... Read More

    6 Basic Principals Every Online Business Owner Should Know

    The fact that you're reading this article shows your interest in starting your very own internet business. Maybe you're already an online business owner in search of... Read More

    Increase Sales: The Secret To Using Offline Advertising To Magnify Your Online Sales

    Since the internet happened, and everybody went for the gold rush, most people have simply forgotten offline marketing.The irony of it is that now that online marketing... Read More

    Online Marketing: Math or Myth?

    The numbers are supposed to be big in online marketing, but are they significant in the online marketing of music? Clearly, we need someone with 'Net experience... Read More

    The Internet and Network Marketing

    After years of gut wrenching work and stress the home based business building process has finally been chopped down to size. The casualties from this type of... Read More

    The Rats Are Winning the Rat Race

    There was this great entrepreneur who came up with a genius idea. He went and bought eggs; lot's of eggs and paid 5 cents per egg. Then... Read More