So often small business owners will design their own advertising and some do an exemplary job, but then some don’t and it is a shame really. As a former advertising representative for an Aviation Trade Journal in my younger years, well let’s just say I am pretty aware of the costs of all sorts of advertising, whether it be print, radio, TV, billboards, bus stop benches or even the Bus itself with one of those new shrink rap signs; boy those are cool and they better be as the cost alone is about $18,000 just to put it on the bus.

It is great to see your ad the top of page 3 of the local newspaper, as you know that will certainly generate some interest. But are you delivering the right message to all your thousands of potential customers out there?

Is that message consistent with other advertising? If you are not delivering the right message and it is not consistent you might be actually diluting your brand name, turning off your preferred future customers and cutting into the Return on Investment for that advertising. Don’t waste money.

When designing an add take a look at it and think to your self, does it grab you in under 2-3 seconds. You should be able to tell right away. Then does it tell the right story; that is to say does it deliver the proper message? Consider all this in 2006.

A pen is much more than a writing instrument. Even an individual who relies on a computer to do most of his writing work, needs a pen for simple everyday situations, such as signing a check or autograph. Few are the people who leave the house without a pen tucked in the pocket or in their schoolbag, handbag or briefcase. The pen is an almost indispensable and universal tool.

Smart businessmen have realized that giving away pens as a promotional tool is an economical and effective way to build brand awareness. A pen engraved with a company logo creates instant recall, and it can safely be said that a person will use that pen at least once a day. Chances are that others will also use the pen during the day, increasing the visibility of the logo multifold.

Smaller businesses that do not have substantial advertising and promotion budgets are finding logo pens an ideal way to not only create brand awareness, but also to motivate staff or thank customers. Handing out logo pens is like putting hundreds of miniature billboards into motion – and at a very small percentage of the cost.

Some companies send out promotional pens along with direct mailers, and studies have shown that response rates have increased substantially as a result. The reasoning seems to be that a person is more likely to open a bulky package than a regular letter that he can easily detect as direct mail, and more often than not, toss into the bin. Finding an unexpected gift in the package, they will go on to use it, even if only for a while.

Several reputed companies in the U.S. have been successfully engraving corporate logos on pens for decades. They undertake orders for as few as 50 pens to as many as thousands, and often charge affordable wholesale rates. An incredible range of pens is available in the market and customers can choose the one that fits their budget best.

Advertising is a competitive field; there is no question about it. Having been in this industry for over twenty years, I have seen many changes: some good, some bad but the core basics of the business remain constant. What used to take weeks to accomplish fifteen years ago virtually takes days but the flip side of that is that in order to do that, you have to stay up with technology and constantly learn. I often laugh with colleagues that one day my head will truly explode with all the information it is being fed.

The reward, however, is the final product and glory for each client. The bottom line in advertising always was and still is one thing: the client.

Within the industry I am known as a ‘relationship’ builder – I like to network and combine talents and see people soar. In my career, I have been extremely fortunate to have been given many chances way before I was ready simply because someone believed in me. The most valuable education I have ever received had been through the jobs I acquired early in my career receiving the guidance of some of the most talented Art Directors in New York.

One disturbing change I see today within my industry is the lack of teamwork that was rampant twenty years ago. Today, it is everyone for themselves, which unfortunately, is short-term thinking. Years ago, people did whatever it took to achieve a deadline and everyone on board was a dedicated pro. Today, the pro’s are few and far between and dedication has a price which, unfortunately, usually is not worth the price.

Although I have a talented and competent staff, I like to give ‘new talent’ a chance and perhaps create new opportunities for them. Last year, I had put together a very simple website for myself and asked a young man I knew if he would code it for me. The understanding was that if he did a good job within a reasonable amount of time, I would consider hiring him for ongoing work. That seemed fair especially since he had so little on his resume.

Since this is my business, I was fully aware that the website should have taken a few days to do but I was experimenting with new talent so I let it go it’s course.

The results were interesting and something I have experienced often in the recent years. This young man actually took two months to complete a very simple project without ever returning one phone call to me. The final invoice given to me was astronomical -- not worth the work and I was charged for work that he never did. Instead of breaking things down, he literally charged me for two months of nothing -- including his sleep time…. Needless to say, I have no use for this gentleman to ever join my advertising agency and I doubt he will go far.

Technology has created new rules within my industry that has opened up a ‘Wild-West’ mindset: basically anything goes because the average client has absolutely no idea what is involved to make their project happen nor should they. Although I do not expect my clients to know how to do what my agency does, I do work very closely with each client educating them of the process and what is available for them within their budget. Every job is different and I am a firm believer in building as you go and expand as a business creates revenue. Oftentimes, clients do not think past a design or logo and run out of money during the most vital part of the process: the marketing. Let’s face it; what good is a highly expensive design or a ten thousand dollar book cover if there is no money left within the budget to market that product?

Well, the unfortunate truth is that many players within my industry (who basically are my competition) really don’t care and the irony is is that their success rate is not very high.

Another interesting situation followed only a few weeks ago. Recently, I have added videos to my services to market books and products. My thought process was that if the movie industry can create movie trailers to entice the public, why not do the same for an upcoming book? The success has been enormous for the authors I work with and we have a ball putting an authors book ‘to the big screen’,

A California IT firm wanted to merge with my agency and asked to view my most recent book promo video, Seduced by Fear. What I didn’t expect was that he retouched my work and the final result looked similar to the old Japanese movies where the lip sinking did not match – the spoken words within my video were going much faster that the mouths were moving. Even more disturbing was that I was charged $5,000.00 for tampering with my work. What was that all about? Well, it doesn’t matter because there was no merge nor was any check written.

My concern is and always has been with each client. Too many innocent people are getting taken advantage of by ‘professionals’ who are really amateurs trying to ‘play with the big boys’ and make a quick buck. When clients comes to me for work, I insist that they do their ‘homework’ before committing to any contract and check my references as well as ‘interview’ a few other Agencies. With the onset of the Internet, businesses can seem much more successful or larger than they actually are and it is easy to get fooled and… ripped off.

The benevolence within me will always continue to seek out new talent. Optimistically speaking, once in a while, I am happy to say, I really do get lucky. In order to be successful, integrity must be combined with talent and it saddens me that so little is found today. On my more dramatic days, I sort of like to think of myself as ‘the Elliot Ness’ of advertising – weeding out those who do bad business to protect the public. After all, without clients how can Advertising be successful?


About The Author
Judi Lake's design mechanism for today's authors is state of the art and tech savvy. She has taken communication and design to an unprecedented level of promotional possibilities. And, like all technology, this is only the beginning. Her full-circle agency creates the synergy for the author's "heartbeat" never before available. From logos, websites, branding and package design she continues to work closely with authors who know the book's message deserves wide exposure.

Classified advertising is a form of advertising which is particularly common in newspapers and other periodicals. A free ads paper is a newspaper containing only classified ads, usually grouped into an extensive set of categories. Classified advertising is usually textually based and can consist of as little as the type of item being sold, (i.e., "Clothing") and a telephone number to call for more information ("call 2*******").

It can also have much more detail, such as name to contact, address to contact or visit, a detailed description of the product or products ("Mobile, model no , usage of the mobile). There are generally no pictures or other graphics within the advertisement, although sometimes a logo may be used. Classified advertising is called such because it is generally grouped within the publication under headings classifying the product or service being offered (headings such as To Buy, To Sell, Automobiles, On Rent etc.) and is grouped entirely in a distinct section of the periodical, which makes it distinct from display advertising, which often contains graphics or other art work and which is more typically distributed throughout a publication adjacent to editorial content. A hybrid of the two forms — classified display advertising — may often be found, in which categorized advertisements with larger amounts of graphical detail can be found among the text listings of a classified advertising section in a publication. Business opportunities often use classifieds to sell their services. Classified ads are also among the tools used by many companies in recruitment for available job opportunities.

In recent years the term "classified advertising" or "classified ads" has expanded from merely the sense of print advertisements in periodicals to include similar types of advertising on computer services, radio, and even television, particularly cable television but occasionally broadcast television as well, typically very early in the morning hours.

Like most forms of printed media, the classified ad has found its way to the Internet. Printed classified ads are typically just a few column lines in length, and they often filled with abbreviations to save space and money. Internet classified ads do not typically use per-line pricing models, so they tend to be longer. They are also more readily searchable unlike their offline brethren, and tend to be local classifieds with a great sense of urgency because of their daily structure. Because of their self-policing nature and low cost structures, some companies offer free online classified ads such as direct2people.com.

Companies have begun to offer search across thousands of classifieds that appear in various media in India and South Asia. Some companies focus mainly on urban centers, while others blanket all areas by using zip codes. Direct2people.com was one of the first online classified sites, and is currently one of the largest. Direct2people.com is a free classified advertising website based in India for posting ads with a large description and up to 4 pictures. There are a number of agencies throughout the world that have made a business out of the classified advertising industry.

As the online classified advertising sector develops, there is an increasing emphasis toward specialization. Like search engines, classified websites are often vertical in nature with sites providing advertising platforms for niche markets of buyers of sellers.

It’s strictly a matter of semantics. Notice the difference between “a” and “your.” It makes all the difference in the world. Let me explain. But first a word about my background.

I was a Yellow Page consultant for almost 25 years. During my tenure, I advised various businesses on planning their programs. It involved recommending headings, sizes, directories, layouts, headlines, and other elements that could ultimately spell success or failure. These people relied on my judgment because I was the expert, They were busy running a business and delegated their insurance, accounting, legal issues, and advertising to the professionals in the appropriate fields. And why not? How could any one owner wear that many hats and do them all well? So we offered our expertise for the betterment of the company.

Ah, but which company? What do I mean, you ask? I mean where was my true allegiance? To the client or my publisher? Who paid the bills? A case could be made for either one. The people that were my clients had ads in the book. Those ads produced for me a sizable commission, so I owed them a lot. But the Yellow Page publisher that hired me wrote the weekly pay check. They also provided my car allowance, health and dental benefits, 401K, pension, and work space. Whew! How to decide? Well it’s pretty simple. Without them, I wouldn’t be consulting to those clients.

Therefore the answer is more cut and dry. I first am employed by the directory company. They give me the accounts to manage and quotas to fill. They also provide certain products that I must introduce each year and promote to my customers, whether they need them or not. So, when I go out to visit with John Jones of JJ’s Appliance Repair, I am doing so at the behalf of my bosses. Sure, I want them to place lots of ads and get lots of calls, but I also have another agenda. I have to persuade them that they need the latest and great item that the publisher wants to push that week, regardless of whether or not my customer actually needs it.

Does the typical Yellow Page advertiser understand this relationship? Some do and some don’t. Most hope that I am truly looking out for their best interests, and I am, the majority of the time. But, on other occasions, I have an ulterior motive that is set in motion by an unseen force: that of my real boss. It’s a fact of life for many other media consultants but not always obvious to the clients affected. Is it a bad system that puts the requirements of the publisher before the advertiser? I’d be lying if I said no. I always tried to do the right thing but often times I was guided toward an end result that didn’t place the emphasis on customer service. I realized that the publisher had the right to put certain demands upon me and I had to pass them on to my accounts. It’s just a fact of business life in commission sales.

In summary, how should a business person treat their media consultant, be it Yellow Pages or otherwise? Well, they can remember this article and attempt to divine the real reason for the sales call. When the representative brings up a slew of new products, they can politely decline, or ask that the current program be settled first. Once that is handled, then the secondary reason for the visit can commence. After all, the poor consultant has been given a mission by their employer and they have to accomplish certain tasks to keep their jobs. If it requires you listen to a sales pitch, then listen and decide for yourself. But keep in mind that a consult is not necessarily your consultant, they are a consultant. And then you will be better able to deal with this appointment and all future meetings.

In advertising on the radio for auto services it is important to paint a picture in the listener's mind and therefore it is important to describe events, objects and paint scenarios so that they can understand what they should be seeing in their minds when they listen to the radio. It sounds difficult but it isn't really and they say a picture is worth how many words, well quite a few. Another important thing for radio advertising for auto services is to use a little humor. Why you ask?

Well when people consider spending money on their car sometimes they cringe and instead of listening to your message they are busy in their minds thinking of the last time they spent thousands of dollars to get their car repaired for something that broke. That might have been a bad experience because it cost them a lot of money and we just don't want to go there. This is why a little humor will help break up such thoughts and put them in a positive state of mind.

Believe it or not sometimes 15-second commercials or 30-second commercials work much better than the longer commercials and even better is when the DJ talks about your auto services and sometimes those can be the best of all.

To do proper auto services radio advertising it pays to listen to some of the other ads on the radio first before committing and you want to make sure that your radio account executive will work with you. Therefore it might be best to meet with them at the studio after discussing the basics and the pricing package at perhaps Starbucks. Please consider all this in 2006

Not all Business Service Companies should invest in advertising to promote their companies. But I thought all businesses must advertise to stay in business? Well not all of them and let me tell you why. Once you have a secured number of customers you may not wish to advertise because you cannot take anymore work or you do not want any more work.

Take a mobile oil change business or a mobile fleet washing business as an example. One thing of note is that most of their business comes from Fleet Business Accounts and maybe they work for such Corporations as Federal Express, Cable Companies, Beer Distributors, Bus Companies or they clean cars at Park and Rides and Huge Corporations where they clean all the employees cars.

Most of these accounts they might originally get using direct sales methods. I can tell you previously we got our customers using our Bonzai and Blitz marketing teams; direct sales off ERSI ArcView and ArcData data sets and we focus in on specific target accounts to fill in openings in our schedules.

In many markets we did not do personal cars at all for for Oil Changes or Car Washes except at a few of the large Corporations we serviced, most of our business was steady fleet business. Does that mean we never advertised? No, occasionally we would do some advertising, as we had a terrible problem with finding quality labor and those with decent driver's licenses without drug history, suspended or DUI licenses.

Did you know there are some businesses who should not advertise in the Yellow Pages or if they do then they need to do so in a very limited way? It is true and surely if you are in a small or medium sized business then you know the value that Yellow Page Advertising can be. In our company, I forbid my franchisees from advertising in the yellow pages.

Why would a franchising company do that you ask? After all, franchise companies make a percentage off the sales of their franchisees and so the more money they make they more the Franchisor makes right? Yes, this is true, however we had another reason. Our reasoning was due to the fact they had to stay on customized clustered routes to stay efficient, as our franchisees were in the business of mobile truck and car washing. (Carwashguys.com).

When our franchisees advertised in the Phone Book, well those calls use to come from all over the place, due to the circulations of the phone books. And our franchisees would try to cram in additional customers across town who called in. This would cause them to go out of their way, get off scheduled routes and cause them to actually burn up more fuel, labor costs during travel and therefore they would actually make less money in the end.

Of course for our fleet truck washing services we always had Red or Bold one to three line listings in the yellow pages. You see unless you have a really good reason not to, then for I know other industry sub-sectors and businesses it makes sense. In fact, sometimes due to the costs, I think it is great to nail the lawyers for full-page ads and make them pay thru the nose (Viking Ancestry?), even though Caesar might have had a better idea for lawyers?

Let the lawyers pay for the bigger ads and find someone who can write you a really nice ad for your company, so that it pulls all year around. Perhaps you might consider all this in 2006.

Having been involved in the franchising industry I have seen a lot of well-intentioned advertisements that simply did not pull and often I would cringe when I looked at some of those ads. But it was not just our franchise company franchisees that needed help, truly it is most all small business people.

We finally instituted a plan that our franchisees had to fax us a copy of their ad 24-hours prior to sending in for publication, if they did not hear back from us in 12-hours it was automatically approved. The turn around had to be fast, as we did not want our franchisees to miss a deadline or marketing opportunity and we know people wait until the last minute. Also we wanted sales and for them to make money as that is the goal in business.

That first year we rejected about 50% of the advertising display type ads and radio blurbs. A funny thing happened by not too unpredictable. You see the franchisees would send fax in the ads on Saturday night at 10 PM hoping we would not see them and they would be automatically approved for fear we might reject them at HQ. It was obvious we needed some help here. So, we revised the advertising in our Confidential Operations Manuals.

Still we had to consider regional variation and ads do not work the same everywhere you see. So, as a small business person you might wish to consider doing it right and perhaps hiring a professional Yellow page advertising lay-out, design and strategist, indeed that is something most small businesses can use. Please consider all this in 2006.

Free has been around forever.

In fact, you may think the word "free" in advertisements has worn out its welcome. That it's a tired word that has lost its appeal.

But you would be wrong.

The word free, along with free offers, free information, and free gifts still dominate the advertising world. The appeal of getting something for nothing is timeless, and is still effective today, when it is done correctly.

If you are going to offer something free, do not offer junk. Whatever you offer must have value. It's even better if it has high value.

You see, the world is filled with poorly structured offers, where businesses try to get away with doing things as cheap as possible. In the end, it comes back to bite them. Consumers are savvy. They're not going to respond if they see through your offer.

But if you offer value, consumers will reply by the score.

You can see this principle in action in numerous markets where the first product is offered just for the cost of shipping. For instance, I've seen one company offer to send a hardbound, gold-leaf version of Moby Dick for just the cost of shipping. It seems to do very well.

If you make an offer like this, how do you make money?

Through back-end marketing, of course. In the example I just gave, by agreeing to receive your free copy of Moby Dick, you're also agreeing to receive a new book in the series every 30 days. You must pay full retail for the books that follow, or send them back to avoid being charged.

Now, if this company were simply selling classic novels for full retail price up front, their response rate would be quite low. But by offering a high-value product for free on the front-end, they get many more people to reply than normal.

Several weeks ago I had an absolutely fascinating conversation with a newspaper advertising expert.

In our meeting, he laid out some of the best newspaper ad tips I'd ever heard. There were tips that can save anyone money and make things go a lot more smoothly when dealing with newspapers and other publications.

And one of the best secrets he told me -- which sounds really obvious, but is still a secret to most people -- is when you are looking at buying newspaper advertising, one of the things you should do is form a relationship with a representative.

In other words, deal with one person and get to know them. Let them know you and what you are doing, and try to have a real business relationship with the person. It seems such a simple concept but you would be surprised that it actually requires planning as well as good "people skills" when forming the relationship.

Ideally, this person should be a supervisor or manager of the department. But either way, that representative that you have a relationship with is going to be your best ally and will assist you in getting some great pricing. Additionally, he or she will keep you abreast of anything that may help you out such as current or upcoming specials on advertising that you may want to take advantage of.

Now, if you can't seem to get along with the first person you deal with, you should literally ask, "Who else can I work with? I want to spend some money with you. Who can I work with?" If they won't help you with that, go above their head and talk to their boss.

Really, the higher up you can go in the advertising department chain the better. They will be more likely to be able to get you better deals, or make exceptions for you. Especially if you are a good customer and are spending money with them on a regular basis.

So the bottom line is this:

If you do newspaper advertising -- or are planning to -- start trying to form good business relationships with the newspaper sales representatives of the publications you are planning to run your ads in. Keep those "people skills" in mind as you try to form relationships. Creating and maintaining a good dialogue with the other person is really the critical aspect here.

It will take a little bit of time and effort, but it will be more than worth it for you in the long run when you see the savings and advantages that result.

What an amazing process! Light, reflected off different surfaces, passes through the eye's cornea and pupil, then forms an image on the retina at the back of the eye which the brain then translates and registers as a colored object. This in turn stimulates the optical nerve system.

Colors have varying wavelengths. Reds, oranges, yellows have long wavelengths. Green is neutral. Blues through to violets have short wavelengths. The long wavelengths stimulate and energize us, the short wavelengths calm and slow down.

Walk into a predominantly red room and you will experience an increase in pulse and heart rate. Walk into a blue room and you begin to feel calm and at peace as your heart and pulse rate slow down.

Conclusion: Color does things to you - either negatively or positively depending on the circumstances you are in.

In view of this, how important that we at least gain a rudimentary understanding of what colors do to us so we can employ them to work for us. When it comes to image building and business, color can make a huge difference.

If you run a web site dealing with serious business matters, you don't want a color scheme which evokes images of leisure and youth. On the other hand, if you are marketing entertainment or leisure products, you don't want a site which produces a heavy corporate image. The color scheme should COMPLEMENT not CONTRADICT your image.

So what is the first step in making color work for you?

First, decide on the image you want to project for yourself or your business. Do you want it to be: Conservative? Trendy? Futuristic? Modern? Stable? Natural? Healthy? Inviting? Surprising? Startling?

It’s strictly a matter of semantics. Notice the difference between “a” and “your.” It makes all the difference in the world. Let me explain. But first a word about my background.

I was a Yellow Page consultant for almost 25 years. During my tenure, I advised various businesses on planning their programs. It involved recommending headings, sizes, directories, layouts, headlines, and other elements that could ultimately spell success or failure. These people relied on my judgment because I was the expert, They were busy running a business and delegated their insurance, accounting, legal issues, and advertising to the professionals in the appropriate fields. And why not? How could any one owner wear that many hats and do them all well? So we offered our expertise for the betterment of the company.

Ah, but which company? What do I mean, you ask? I mean where was my true allegiance? To the client or my publisher? Who paid the bills? A case could be made for either one. The people that were my clients had ads in the book. Those ads produced for me a sizable commission, so I owed them a lot. But the Yellow Page publisher that hired me wrote the weekly pay check. They also provided my car allowance, health and dental benefits, 401K, pension, and work space. Whew! How to decide? Well it’s pretty simple. Without them, I wouldn’t be consulting to those clients.

Therefore the answer is more cut and dry. I first am employed by the directory company. They give me the accounts to manage and quotas to fill. They also provide certain products that I must introduce each year and promote to my customers, whether they need them or not. So, when I go out to visit with John Jones of JJ’s Appliance Repair, I am doing so at the behalf of my bosses. Sure, I want them to place lots of ads and get lots of calls, but I also have another agenda. I have to persuade them that they need the latest and great item that the publisher wants to push that week, regardless of whether or not my customer actually needs it.

Does the typical Yellow Page advertiser understand this relationship? Some do and some don’t. Most hope that I am truly looking out for their best interests, and I am, the majority of the time. But, on other occasions, I have an ulterior motive that is set in motion by an unseen force: that of my real boss. It’s a fact of life for many other media consultants but not always obvious to the clients affected. Is it a bad system that puts the requirements of the publisher before the advertiser? I’d be lying if I said no. I always tried to do the right thing but often times I was guided toward an end result that didn’t place the emphasis on customer service. I realized that the publisher had the right to put certain demands upon me and I had to pass them on to my accounts. It’s just a fact of business life in commission sales.

In summary, how should a business person treat their media consultant, be it Yellow Pages or otherwise? Well, they can remember this article and attempt to divine the real reason for the sales call. When the representative brings up a slew of new products, they can politely decline, or ask that the current program be settled first. Once that is handled, then the secondary reason for the visit can commence. After all, the poor consultant has been given a mission by their employer and they have to accomplish certain tasks to keep their jobs. If it requires you listen to a sales pitch, then listen and decide for yourself. But keep in mind that a consult is not necessarily your consultant, they are a consultant. And then you will be better able to deal with this appointment and all future meetings.

As a small business person do you ever feel that your advertising dollar is being drown out by information overload? The advertising is usually too expensive and anyone who has ever advertised in a newspaper, unless it is a large ad (full page or double truck advertisement) has had a tough time finding their ads as they are often buried in some back section. They think to themselves how much they paid for that ad - ouch!

Indeed often enough a salesman for an advertising agency, media outlet or specialty publication will tell you it is all about impressions and repetition, yet you as a small business person are thinking to yourself; Yah and I’ll be broke by the time your G-darn ads start pulling for me, meanwhile I may as well flush my cash flow down the proverbial toilet.

You think to yourself; Well sure in theory the number of impressions make sense, but with all the information over load, SPAM, Internet, Number of TV Channels, Radio, billboards, bus stop benches, taxicab hats and newspapers, hell I’ll be lucky if anyone sees even one of my ads. If you feel this way well you are not alone by any means and advertising salesmen, many are pretty boy or blonde bumbling boneheads continue their mantra of advertising only works over time.

When you tell them that you are concerned with the drowning out of your advertising dollars, what do they do; Show you more charts? Great, but what about real tangible results, well that is what I am talking about.

To get real results sure you need to advertise, perhaps some direct mail targeted, perhaps knocking on doors, community involvement and donations to the local booster club schedule advertisement sections. Either way it will take some repetition and a lot of creativity to get the most bang for your buck, so consider all this in 2006.