Taos Advertising

Tuesday, Feb 07th

Last update:09:16:48 AM GMT

Headlines:

eBay Ends AdCommerce PPC Ads on eBay.com and eBay.ca

Apple's iAds Now Appearing for Users

Groupon and McClatchy Team Up on Deals at Newspaper Sites

Spending on Rich Media and Social Ads for Mobile on the Rise

Local.com Pays $5m for Local Ad Solution Provider Octane360

Strategies & Perspectives

7 Common Business Advertising Mistakes

Kevin Sinclair

7 Common Business Advertising Mistakes You've probably heard the famous saying "I know that half of the money I spend on advertising is wasted: if only I could figure out which half it is." Well, now you can. By eliminating the common mistakes many businesses make with their advertising programs, it's easy.

Here's a checklist of mistakes many companies make with their advertising:

1) Not focusing enough time and effort on their advertising

Most business owners spend far more time and effort on mundane things that don't really affect their bottom line than on advertising. This is the first huge mistake. Without effective advertising, almost all businesses will fail.

If you feel you don't have the time or desire to handle the advertising for your business, consider hiring a consultant or agency - but with caution. It's almost more difficult to find an ad agency that knows what is effective than it is to study it yourself. Many agencies are far more focused on winning awards than creating profits for their clients.

If you do feel you need to hire an agency, find one that will work on a results compensation basis vs. a straight commission for all the media they buy. This gives them an incentive to provide results and not pad the budget to justify a larger commission for the agency.

Five Words to Never Use in an Ad

Steve McKee

Five Words to Never Use in an Ad Google the term "magic advertising words" and you'll instantly get over 8 million results. But caveat emptor -- don't buy into everything you read, because your prospective buyer certainly won't.

From the time marketing began, there has never been a shortage of self-appointed experts who claim to have identified the words that will unlock your customers' wallets. In the Internet age their advice is even easier to come by. They promise that words such as "you," "guarantee," "easy," "limited-time," and the old standby, "free," will generate surefire results. If only it were that simple.

As a smart business person, you probably know that there are no such things as magic words, particularly in a culture that has been saturated with advertising. But there's something else you should know: Not only do magic advertising words not exist, several of them actually work against you. And chances are, you're using at least one of them in your advertising now.

Brace yourself. Here are five of the advertising words you should never use:

How Crappy Ads Kill Your Business

Lance Winslow

Crappy Ad Frustration Some folks say that all news is good news and therefore you would assume that these same folks think that all advertising even crappy advertising is better than no advertising.

Well those are both mistakes when it comes to building brands, communicating with customers or driving targeted sales to your company.

Crappy advertising hurts your business and it can even kill many years of hard fought brand name.

So how can crappy advertising kill your business? Well, it can confuse your customer and therefore hurt future sales that would have eventually come your way. Crappy advertising that is cluttered is also confusing and complicates the choices of consumers.

It is much better to have a simple advertisement with a simple message to the customer, than to confuse the customer with complicated choices and irrelevant information.

Truth In Advertising Law - Information Every Advertiser Should Know

Jim Hart

TRUTH IN ADVERTISING.

Below is an excerpt from our Business Kit "Advertising Works" --this is information that anybody who is advertising should know:

Any advertising is serious business. It reflects you, your business, product and/or service.

There are laws governing "truth in advertising" which are designed to prevent people from making false claims in advertising.

If you have specific questions about these laws requiring answers you are advised to consult an attorney.

If you can not afford to retain the services of an attorney then follow these simple rules of thumb:

Television Ad, Digital Printing Press or Online Banner?

Owen M

There are all sorts of media available for the businesses of the 21st century. Technology has made it all happen. It seems that everyone and everything are interconnected and can become easily linked.

And whether you are thinking of using a digital printing press, a commercial television ad or an online banner as your marketing strategies, stop and think twice to make sure you are on the right path.

Back to the Fundamentals

A print ad, a television commercial and an online banner may seem all the same “all of these may be used as marketing or advertising materials. Yet each of these possesses distinct strengths and characteristics.

Ask these questions in order for you to surmise on what important grounds you should employ these media.

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