Twitter for Latinos

Twitteros.net  is the new “Twitter” for Latinos or perhaps for any of you smart, savvy marketers that know that the Hispanic market consists of 40 million people in the US and Latinos are pumping $800 billion dollars a year into the US economy!  Twitteros is the brainchild of Matt Reyes, stop by, take a look and join now!

http://www.twitteros.ning.com

Visit Twitteros.net

Millionaire Hot Tip!

Today’s Millionaire  Hot Tip! will put a little pizzazz into your sales copy.

Here are some great sales boosters you can use for your online sales letters or for your offline direct marketing campaign, because I just know you’re doing both….right? 

Have you ever been to a web site and seen those cute little post it notes or dollar bills with messages on them?  Those are just a few of  the 100+ unblockable popups you  can use on your web site provided by http://www.adimpact.com

Another great sales booster in your online and offline marketing messages are those crazy red scribbles and arrows
and “messages” saying “look at me and buy me now”.  These can be found by the hundreds at http://www.copydoodles.com

Both of these little tools have been proven to increase sales conversions.  Go take a look and see for yourself.

Millionaire Hot Tip!

Millionaire Hot Tip!

You’ve got to be famous!

In order to build a Millionaire Business we want the world to know all about you and what you do.

So how do we get the word out you ask?

Ask Peter Shankman.

Peter set up a cool little service that gives you the incredible opportunity to grab your 15 minutes
of fame that could lead to your fortune.

You get to Help A Reporter Out! Reporters and journalists want to know about you but they don’t
know where you’re at. So this gives you the opportunity to contact them directly.

They tell you exactly what they’re looking for and if you’re a match, contact them and you too could be
featured in a national magazine, newspaper, radio show or even on television!

You can’t buy this type of publicity!

Sign up now and help those overworked, deadline driven reporters out ASAP!

Go to: http://www.helpareporter.com

Time to get famous!

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The Basics of Marketing a Business

What is Marketing?

General Definition
In plain and simple terms, marketing activities and strategies result in making products available that satisfy customers while making profits for the companies that offer those products. That’s it in a nutshell!
Marketing produces a “win-win” because:
·    Customers have a product that meets their needs, and
·    Healthy profits are achieved for the company. (These profits allow the company to continue to do business in order to meet the needs of future customers.)
Stated another way: A focus on what the customer wants is essential to successful marketing efforts. This customer-orientation must also be balanced with the company’s objective of maintaining a profitable volume of sales in order for the company to continue to do business. Marketing is a creative, ever-changing orchestration of all the activities needed to accomplish both of these objectives.
How Are The Customer And Business Objectives Met?
The American Marketing Association’s definition of marketing is:
The process of planning and executing the conception, pricing, promotion and distribution of ideas, goods, and services to create exchanges that satisfy individual and organizational objectives.
You see in the above definition that the process of marketing begins with discovering what product customers want to buy. Providing the features and quality customers want is a critical first step in marketing. You’ll be facing an uphill battle if you provide something you want to produce and then try to convince someone to buy it.
The marketing process then continues with setting a price letting potential customers know about your product, and making it available to them.
What Activities Are Included In Marketing?
Marketing activities are numerous and varied because they basically include everything needed to get a product off the drawing board and into the hands of the customer. One look at our Marketing Mall Directory shows that the broad field of marketing includes activities such as designing the product so it will be desirable to customers (using tools such as marketing research and pricing); promoting the product so people will know about it (using tools such as public relations, advertising, marketing communications); and exchanging it with the customer (through sales and distribution.)
It is important to note that the field of marketing includes sales, but it also includes many functions besides sales. Many people mistakenly think that marketing and sales are the same-they are not.
How Does Marketing Fit into the Company?
Another way to describe marketing activities is to consider the big picture of how they fit in with the other business functions.
·    Through marketing efforts, decisions are made and strategies are implemented concerning:
o    what products (goods, services or ideas) are to be offered
o    to whom (the target market), and
o    how (how to inform potential customers of the offering, how to make the transaction, etc.)
·    Products are created through production efforts.
·    Capital and operating funds are managed and tracked in the accounting-finance area.
·    The focus of the human resources area is employees and the policies concerning them.
Oftentimes, a marketing approach relies upon the coordination of several business areas to be successful. For example,
·    The product might need some tweeking by the person who produces the product to respond to customer complaints.
·    The person who handles human resource issues might be asked to develop compensation plans that reward sales people who build significant relationships that have tremendous potential but are slow to close.
·    Special payment plans might need to be implemented by the accounting staff to accommodate a variety of customer needs.
As a result, marketing usually crosses more departmental boundaries than other business functions do out of necessity. So, marketing requires the orchestration of everyone who plays a part in the common goal of pleasing the customer. For a small business owner who has no employees, this means that she needs to mentally tear down the walls between varied business functions and think holistically when it comes to marketing strategies.
In Summary
These are the fundamentals of a true marketing mindset:
·    Producing what the customer wants should be the focus of business operations and planning.
·    Creating profitable sales volume, not just sales volume, is a necessary goal.
·    Coordinating between marketing activities and all other functions within a business that affect marketing efforts.

Easy Article Marketing Tips

Article marketing is an easy way to increase traffic, establish you as an expert, gain more publicity and make more sales.  Writing and distributing short articles of 250-700 words is a cost effective method of marketing your web site.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when marketing with articles.

Write quality articles.  Don’t write articles just to build incoming links to your web site.  While this is a great reason to write and distribute articles, you want your article to really work for you.  By writing quality articles you will get incoming links, but more importantly you’ll have other business owners place your articles on their web sites.  This means more incoming links and traffic coming to your site leading to increased sales.  If you want to build trust with your target market focus on creating quality content.

If you focus on writing content rich articles your article may get published by a large offline or online publication, establishing you the author as the expert.  Writing articles is a great way to establish credibility, quality content is vital to your success.  Mediocre articles won’t get you the same results.  So if you’re going to spend the time writing and distributing articles, make your articles work for you.

Become the expert, when writing you must see yourself as the expert.  You chose this field and it’s your job to communicate your knowledge and expertise with your clients.  Let your expertise show in your writing, soon your target market will view you as the “expert” in your field.

At the end of your article make sure to include a resource box.  This is the area where you get to promote yourself.  The resource box is for lead generating, not selling.  Make your resource box simple; include your name, business information and links to your web site.
Many people make the mistake of writing a mundane author bio.  Don’t waste this valuable space at the end of your articles.  You want to give the reader a compelling reason to click over to your web site.

Write a benefit oriented resource box.  Concentrate on the benefit to the reader at all times.  Create a sense of intrigue and have one simple call to action that will draw the reader to your web site.  If you have several web sites, chose the one that is most relevant to the content in your article.

Now that your content rich article is complete with a compelling resource box, submit your article to the article directories and you’ve established another stream of traffic coming to your web site.

Choosing Keywords for Your Website

Choosing Keywords for Your Website How to choose the right keywords for your website Choosing the right keywords for your website is important for a few reasons, but the main reason is traffic.  Without the right keywords, people may never find your website even if it has the exact information they’re looking for.

Keywords play a part in the way your website is ranked on search engines so you’ll want to make sure you’re using the right keywords to get your rankings up and bring visitors to your website.

Here are a few tips to consider when choosing the right keywords for your site.
1.)Using a tool  will help you determine which keywords people are actually searching for and how much competition you may have for certain keyword phrases.  A great tool (and lots of great advice) is available on Aaron Wall’s site SEO Book
2.)Just because a term is searched frequently doesn’t mean you should always focus on that keyword.  If you have a lot of competition for a really popular keyword phrase, the likelihood of you making it to the top of the ranks in the search engines drops dramatically.  Think about who you’re competing with and try to search for a better, less searched phrase to help zero in on your market. Include variations of your keyword phrases in more than one way on your website.
3.)Don’t overdo it by “stuffing” your site with your keywords.  People are looking for quality content and if you have an article on your website that has keyword phrases in every other sentence they won’t continue to read your articles and they probably won’t return to your site. These are just some basic tips to get you started.

Copywriting Made Easy

Copywriting is the one skill that all online business owners should master.  As an online marketer you communicate with words, if those words aren’t conveying your message to your customer your business won’t succeed.

Here are a few copywriting tips to help you get started.

Who is your target market?  Good copywriters know exactly who they are writing for before they start writing.  Their copy is written to speak directly to ONE person and they keep that one person in mind at all times.  If you try to reach too many people with your message you’ll end up missing your target altogether and not reaching anyone at all.  Before you start writing your copy, take the time to define the ONE person that makes up your target market.

Construct a riveting headline.  Use intriguing headlines throughout your copy to guide the reader.  Your main headline should be in bold, large letters to grab the reader’s attention.  It’s often the headline that will make or break your copy.  Use a benefit focused headline which explains in powerful detail how you will solve the customer’s problem.  Use sub-headlines throughout the text to keep the reader intrigued so they will keep reading.

Don’t use big words in your copy.  Online writing is different than the writing you did in English class.  Forget all the rules your teacher taught you, online writing is casual, it needs to convey emotion and has a clear purpose.  When you write copy, write in a conversational style as if you’re sitting there talking with the person, stay away from big words or you’ll risk losing your prospects.

Be persuasive.  Sure you love your product or service, but you’re biased.  Your customers want to hear from other unbiased people that have used your product.  Include customer testimonials.  Include the person’s full name, city, state and web site URL if available.  Include a picture if possible, the more information your testimonial includes the more persuasive and believable it will be.

It’s not about you!  Effective copywriting is concerned about the needs of the customer.  The writer doesn’t matter.  Of course you’ll need to add a little personal information about yourself to gain trust, but even then it’s all about what you can do for them.  Read through your copy, if it contains a lot of “I’s”, it’s time for a re-write.  Go back and change the “I’s” to “You’s”.  Your writing should always be about the customer.

Don’t forget to have a call to action.  You must guide your visitors and tell them what you expect them to do.  If you want them to click over and purchase a product, then say so.  Write the call to action in a clear way that promotes all the benefits of your product or service.

The Basics of Writing a Press Release

Want to get your company media coverage in publications, on the radio or even on television.  Write a press release.  A press release is to announce something newsworthy about your company.  Some examples are your grand opening, promotion of a key employee, launch of a new product, record setting sales or a special event.

Editors, journalists and reporters get hundreds of press releases each day, so you need to make yours stand out.  Make it easy for the recipients to read so they don’t have to “search” for the details.  Also make sure the press release is relevant for the audience of the publication or broadcast you’re sending it to.

To get the best results send your information on a white letterhead with the information typed and double spaced.  Include the following information:

The contact person’s name, title, company name, business address, and phone number in the right upper hand corner.

Below the contact information put an interesting headline, 5-7 words long in bold face type.

Below the headline put the dateline; include the city and the date of your press release.

Then start the body of your copy, do not embellish or hype the information.  Cover the basics: who, what, where, when, why and how in the first paragraph. The body of the text should develop your message.  Limit the text to one or two pages.  Pay close attention to grammar and spelling.  When writing your text keep the following in mind, what will the product or service do for the consumer and how does it stand out from the competition.
Use bullet points to highlight key points in your announcement.

Include a quote that supports the importance of your message.

At the end of the press release include a recap restating your products specifications, and highlight the product release date.

Follow up is crucial, wait four or five days after you’ve sent the information and then follow up with a phone call.  Remember to be persistent, but be polite.

The effort you put into your press release will pay off.  Plan carefully.  Good Luck!

Creating a Brand for Your Home Based Business

The Importance of Branding
One of the truths of modern business is that there is almost nothing that your competitors can’t duplicate in a matter of weeks or months. If you have a great idea, you can be certain that somebody will copy it before long. And not only will they follow your lead, but they may also be able to do a better job or sell the product or service at a lower price. The question then becomes, “What competitive edge do I have to offer that cannot be copied by anyone else?” The answer? Your brand.
Creating a strong brand identity will build mind share — one of the strongest competitive advantages imaginable. As a result, customers will think of your business first when they think of your product category. For example, when you think of tissues, more likely than not, you think of the Kleenex brand. And when you’re looking for tape to wrap a present, Scotch is the brand that springs to mind. Likewise, when your child wants a hamburger, he will often say he wants to go to McDonald’s. The reason behind these strong brand-product associations is that these companies have built rock solid brand identities.
A brand is the one thing that you can own that nobody can take away from you.  Everything else, they can steal. They can steal your trade secrets. Eventually, your patents will expire. Your physical plant will wear out. Technology will change. But your brand can go on and live. It creates a lasting value above and beyond all the other elements of your business.
That value is often called brand equity, or the worth of the brand. Brand equity, unlike other abstract marketing notions, can be quantified.
The importance and value of branding becomes apparent when an entrepreneur wants to sell his or her company or take it to Wall Street for a public offering or other infusion of capital. It is often the brand that a business owner has to sell in such cases.
When Should You Brand?
Because of the competitive nature of business today, nearly all industries can benefit from a branded product. All of the traditionally brand-conscious industries, including fashion, restaurants and consumer goods, are being forced to continue to brand heavily — perhaps even more strategically than they ever have in the past. Financial services, which were one of the last frontiers, are even beginning to see the importance of branding by tagging banking packages and even mutual funds with catchy names.
A brand cannot be all things to all people. By definition, no one brand is going to appeal to all customers. On the contrary, branding is based on the concept of singularity — targeting individuals in a personal manner— and therefore precludes the concept of universal appeal.

What Goes Into a Brand?
If your product or service is new or unique, the process of branding is made easier. Since there are no pre-existing biases toward the product or service, it will be easy to manipulate customer attitudes.
More often, your product or service will have been in existence for a while and have direct competition. And if it doesn’t, it probably soon will. Therefore, products that may be roughly equivalent in terms of their features need to have a brand identity that will impact consumer choice.
Brand identity is comprised of:
·    Pricing - a component of value; higher prices may signify to consumers higher quality, and lower prices may suggest decreased value.
·    Distribution - availability; limited distribution of a product or service may imply exclusivity to discerning consumers.
·    Quality - which impacts satisfaction; obviously, higher quality will translate to more satisfied customers who come back again and again to purchase your offerings.
·    Presence - prominence in the paid and unpaid media; products or services with a high-profile market presence will lead to brand recognition and increased sales.
·    Awareness - top-of-mind awareness, residual awareness and recognition, which are directly related to presence; the higher your offering’s awareness, the better your sales results will be.
·    Reputation - enduring public opinion of brand character, which is built over time and difficult to change once established.
·    Image - perceptions of brand traits or prototypical buyers; often represented by qualities the consumer relates to. Like reputation, image is difficult to change once established.
·    Benefits - consumers may equate certain positive and negative consequences with use of your product or service; these may be warranted or unwarranted.
·    Positioning  - differentiation from the competition, which is established by a combination of all elements of the brand.
·    Preference - a predisposition to buy displayed by consumers who are establishing brand loyalty.
·    Share of market - increased market share is a direct result of a successful branding campaign.
·    Customer commitment - loyalty is built through long-term branding
What’s in a Name?
The foundation of your brand is its name. After its uniqueness wears off, it will be your brand name against the brand names of your competitors in the marketplace. So, how can you create a name that will stand the test of time?
First, it should be able to communicate on its own without a lot of advertising, It has to be easy to pronounce and have neutral to positive associations around the world, or at least in various languages. Because of the high ethnic influences here in America, you still have to have a name that crosses over many ethic and language barriers.”
Besides making sure that people from all or most ethnic backgrounds will accept your brand’s name, it should also be memorable and easy to communicate in packaging and advertising.
If possible, the name should also complement the overall core values of the company
Characteristics of the Campaign
Positioning is the art of creating a brand that can persuade and realistically demonstrate its relevance to a customer’s daily life to become his or her regular choice.
Positioning is not created by the marketer or the individual brand itself, but by how others perceive it. In fact, the brand is not created by the marketer at all, but rather by the customer. Marketers don’t create the positioning; rather, they create the strategic and tactical suggestions to encourage the customer to accept a particular positioning in his or her mind.
For instance, bread and milk are not branded items, and despite companies’ push to try and brand the two products, no company has found much success building brand equity. When customers want either one of those staple items, they usually choose what is on sale or what is available on their local grocer’s shelves. Beer and cola, on the other hand, are heavily branded product categories: Consumers have formed a relationship with and will search out their preferred brands.
To position your offering properly, you need to identify the key attributes or benefits that represent the value of your product or service. That will, in turn, create trust in your brand. As you begin to understand the relationship that your customers have with your brand, you will be able to more efficiently meet their needs, wants and desires through your brand. Positioning studies identify the audience according to their needs, expectations and wants. Those drivers then come into developing products and services that best fit those audiences’ needs and wants.
While marketers do not literally position brands, they can have a significant influence on how they are positioned. Several characteristics can work in a positioning campaign, such as:
1.    Relevance to a customer’s lifestyle - The more apparent the connection is between the brand and the prospect’s daily activities, the greater the chances are that the prospect will buy that product. Relevance, or the connection that the prospect has to the brand identity, is how customers ultimately decide which brands to buy and which they will discard.  Ask yourself: Is the identity of the brand too young for my target market? Is it too old? Is it too upscale?
2.    Promises backed by support - Benefits need to be backed with some sort of persuasive reason to believe the product’s hype. Many times, products or services have some formula or patent that is “unique” from all the other brands out there.
Ask yourself: What promises are you making about your brand? Can my products or services follow through on those promises?
3.    Message of the brand Is clear and focused - No matter how brilliant a strategy you have, you need to be clear about the message. Ask yourself: Are my messages in line with what I want to convey about my products and services? Are there messages that can be misconstrued? If so, how can I change them to be more accurate?
4.    Message of the brand Is appropriate - Have you ever seen a commercial on TV that seems to come from left field? It grabbed your attention, but told you nothing about the product or service, and it seemed inappropriate for what is being sold. The message that you send needs to be appropriate to the product or service you are trying to brand.
Ask yourself: Are my advertising messages in line with the image I’m trying to convey about my company, products and services? If not, could they be hurting, rather than helping, the brand?
5.    Product is the genuine article - Many successful companies build customer trust by claiming to be the real McCoy.  Ask yourself: In what ways are my products and services more “genuine” than my competitors’? How can I emphasize those elements to give the brand a competitive advantage?

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