If one thing in marketing is certain, it is that nothing is ever certain. You may consider yourself a marketing pro, but you are deluding yourself if you think you know how consumers will respond to your advertising. You may have a pretty good guess, you may be right some of the time, but you [...]

When writing direct mail it is vital that you understand what direct mail is and how is intended to work. Direct mail is in essence a written brochure with a twist. It is a form of direct-response advertising, but unlike other printed ads it has the added goal of asking the reader to follow a [...]

One of the most fundamental rules in marketing when taking on a competitor it to always understand your strengths and your competition’s weaknesses. When hired to develop a marketing for a client that wishes to challenge a competitor(s) position in the market, I first evaluate the company’s strengths and weaknesses and look for all the [...]

Strategic marketing covers pricing, products, distribution methods, marketing communications, promotions, advertising, sales, and more. Basically everything that has to do with selling a company image or a product is marketing; from the pricing of the products to the packaging they are sold in. Even the channels that products are services are sold through is a [...]

Before writing marketing and advertising material, be certain that you truly understand the product or service that you are trying to sell. I recommend using the product in real-life before you begin to craft those creative ads and product descriptions. Learn everything that you can about the user experience and then write from the customer’s [...]

Placing an 800 number on your marketing collateral and advertisements can get you noticed by as many as 20% more people. Generally speaking, nearly twice as many people will respond to a 800 number as compared to a local number. I recommend writing your 800 number in a large font and placing it in the [...]

Never send advertising materials with multiple messages. A brochure should always maintain a clear, concise message with a specific purpose in mind. Stick to your intended purpose and save the you and the reader time. If you have many purposes, create a marketing plan or campaign to incorporate these goals over time.

If you have found a diminishing return on your investment in Yellow Page advertising, you are not alone. People all over the world are turning away from printed directories and toward online listings. Rather than spending money on phone book ads, consider putting that investment into search engine optimization and local Internet listings instead.