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

    ==========================================

    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







    Related News




    Most online marketing compliant with ASA rules - Internet Marketing News

    guardian.co.uk

    Most online marketing compliant with ASA rules
    Internet Marketing News, UK -6 hours ago
    Of the 16 internet marketing ads found to be in breach of the code, ten were from the health and beauty sector. Ad forms that were found to have 100 per ...
    Most internet marketing'sticking to the rules'Digital Response Media
    Online ads stick to ASA rules, survey of digital marketing revealsguardian.co.uk
    Digital ads conform to ad rulesBrand Republic
    all 13 news articles

    Consumers Benefit from a Frenzy of Around-the-Clock Online Shopping - MarketWatch

    Consumers Benefit from a Frenzy of Around-the-Clock Online Shopping
    MarketWatch -5 hours ago
    Additionally, Bath and Body Works added social networking to their marketing efforts by offering their first online friends and family promotion. ...

    Tendenci(R) Online Management Software Helps Housing Authority of ... - MarketWatch

    Tendenci(R) Online Management Software Helps Housing Authority of ...
    MarketWatch -13 hours ago
    Schipul is based in Houston, and provides marketing services on the Internet to more than 300 organizations from a variety of service industries in local, ...

    Internet Millionaire Launches New Personal Coaching Program - WebWire (press release)

    Internet Millionaire Launches New Personal Coaching Program
    WebWire (press release), GA -11 hours ago
    Internet millionaire Frank Bruno is launching a new internet marketing personal coaching program, aimed at passing on the experience he’s gained from his 11 ...

    Search Engine Strategies (SES) Training Provides Intensive SEO ... - MarketWatch

    Search Engine Strategies (SES) Training Provides Intensive SEO ...
    MarketWatch -20 hours ago
    They will learn why the Internet has created a unique environment that allows for rapid, inexpensive word of mouth marketing and how they can harness that ...

    Getting to Carnegie via YouTube - New York Times

    Canada.com

    Getting to Carnegie via YouTube
    New York Times, United States -6 hours ago
    And orchestras and professional musicians, poking around in the murky but fecund possibilities of the Internet, have jumped on board as a way to further ...
    Bedroom Bach? YouTube starts a cyber symphonyThe Associated Press
    Thomas signs on for YouTube symphony projectSan Francisco Chronicle
    YouTube launches its own symphony, with players auditioned via the ...San Jose Mercury News
    Bloomberg
    all 170 news articles

    Top-Ranked Realtor Ian Marshall Introduces Unique Custom Fee ... - MarketWatch

    Top-Ranked Realtor Ian Marshall Introduces Unique Custom Fee ...
    MarketWatch -14 hours ago
    An award-winning master of Internet marketing, Mr. Marshall uses proven online strategies to help clients sell and buy homes, condominiums, townhomes, ...

    Internet Business Income Opportunities - Gather.com

    Internet Business Income Opportunities
    Gather.com, MA -19 hours ago
    Other business opportunities include network marketing, cooperatives, and dealership. Online business marketing can lead to creation of wealth and no ...
    How to Start a Home Business?Gather.com
    all 2 news articles

    Online Retailers Dangle Free Shipping, Discounts - Wall Street Journal

    ABC News

    Online Retailers Dangle Free Shipping, Discounts
    Wall Street Journal -1 hour ago
    According to a survey of 100 retailer's chief marketing officers by BDO Seidman LLP, online sales for Cyber Monday are expected to increase by just 2.4% ...
    Video: Online Retailers See Monday As Black FridayAssociatedPress
    INTERNET SHOPPING: ‘Cyber Monday’ drives seasonal employmentAtlanta Journal Constitution
    • Meijer more than triples Cyber Monday traffic to online storeThe Bay City Times - MLive.com
    WCCO - San Jose Mercury News
    all 1,897 news articles

    Clearwire Completes Transaction With Sprint Nextel and $3.2 ... - MarketWatch

    KEPR 19

    Clearwire Completes Transaction With Sprint Nextel and $3.2 ...
    MarketWatch -15 hours ago
    ... portable multimedia and Internet devices, service plans and features. In addition, the company unveiled a new marketing tagline, "Let's Be Clear," that ...
    All Clear For WiMax VentureBroadcasting & Cable
    TechFlash | Clearwire says WiMax and LTE can co-exist, unveils new ...TechFlash
    WiMax Set to Take OffMotley Fool
    Seeking Alpha - Internet News (subscription)
    all 395 news articles