1

Archive for Marketing

bikram | October 1, 2011
No comments

Why Online Advertising is Picking Up Fast?

Have you ever thought why online advertising is becoming so popular with each passing day, why marketers are considering online advertising over traditional forms of advertising? These days why the media planners are considering online advertising as a major chunk of their media planning proposals and why companies are ready to make online advertising a major part of their budget? Here are some reasons explaining why online advertising is spreading allover so fast.

Cluttered traditional media

The major reasons for growing popularity of online advertising is too cluttered scenario of traditional media like – television advertising, radio advertising, outdoor advertising, press advertising. Advertising in traditional media has become extremely cluttered and has created a saturated market for the same. People avoid advertising in traditional media these days. When there is commercial break on television, people change the television channel immediately. Half of the advertising texts are unread, not remembered. Such activities ensure failure of a brand. Being cluttered and saturated traditional media is failing to penetrate through its target audience. As a result, people seek something new. Since, everyone is Internet savvy these days, online medium has opened a new gate of opportunity altogether for the marketers.

So much variety

Online advertising offers a huge range of variety. Traditional media doesn’t offer much variety in terms of types of advertising. A newspaper advertisement may have different sizes and location of advertisements only. Television advertisement may have different types based on duration and narrative. But online advertising offers altogether a vast array of advertising categories. Online advertising has wide range of variety like – interstitial advertisements; static banner advertisement, interactive banner advertisements, pop-up advertisements, viral advertisements and many other varieties.

Instant action

Online advertisements are blessed with immediate action facility. In other forms of advertising you can’t measure exactly how many audiences responded to it and decided to purchase. But in online advertising you can check the relation between advertising and immediate sales. Since most of your banner advertisements or pop up advertisements will provide call to action buttons like ‘Buy now’, ‘Get it now’ you will have a direct relation with sales. People not only click on these buttons and land into the homepage of the brand and buy, but also send queries and perform other desired actions. As a result, you can immediately measure how many people responded to your online advertising and decided to purchase.

Longer life

Unlike television and radio advertisements, which are gone forever once missed out; in online advertising you can refer to the advertising again and again for comparatively longer time. If you missed out the interstitial advertisement that appeared before the yahoo homepage showed up, you may reopen the site and see it again. You may do the same to see an interesting interactive banner advertisement. So, you have repeated viewing option.

Undoubtedly, online advertising is picking up with full vigor.

 

Category: Marketing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
bikram | September 30, 2011
No comments

Why Should You Choose Online Advertising?

Online advertising is buzzing the digital world with enthusiasm and pride. Traditional marketers who were initially frowning at online advertising have at last realized the potent importance of online advertising and have incorporated the same in their advertising practices. Online advertising has at last won its due prestige and respect. A major chunk of marketers have even shifted to online advertising from traditional advertising patterns and have considered a major budget of their media planning to online advertising. Here are some reasons telling why online advertising should be in your priority list.

You just can’t avoid it    

Traditional media of advertising like television or radio advertising can be easily avoided by the audience. In between television programs whenever commercials are aired lot of people change television channel and prefer to watch something else during the commercial breaks. While listening to a good talk show on radio, if radio advertisements intervene people change stations and listen to something else in the meanwhile. But, in online advertising there is no scope of avoiding, ignoring or escaping. When you open a site, you may face an interstitial advertisement first, which can be extremely entertaining and catchy. Then after few seconds the actual site may show up. In some cases you may ‘skip’ the advertising. But still you get to see a part of the advertisement, and you can’t avoid it. Otherwise whenever you open a popular website, several pop up advertisements may appear. Generally these advertisements are seen for dating sites, insurance providers, matrimonial sites, home loan providers. Pop up advertisements at least succeed in sending across the desired message within seconds even if you choose to close them once they appear. You can’t even avoid the interactive online banner advertisements. Some of them are very innovative and attention grabbing. You just can’t avoid them.

Variety is the flavor

Variety is an integral part of online advertising. Television or radio advertising may not offer a wide range of variety apart from nature of advertisements and duration. But online advertising offers a wide range of varieties like – online banner advertisements, viral advertisements, pop up advertisements, interstitial advertisements and many other types. There are many more types. As a result you just can’t avoid its impact. Online advertisements will surely draw your attention.

Online advertising has proved its magic and is innovating new strategies with every passing day.

 

 

Category: Marketing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
bikram | September 25, 2011
No comments

Tips for Promoting a Clothing Brand on Facebook

Facebook is a great medium of promotion, for drawing attention towards a brand, increase its fans and followers, get talked about and shared, and finally to pull up the sales figure. Clothes reflect fashion and fashion always attracts people, especially the youngsters. Youngsters being active on Facebook, it is a wonderful medium to reach them and promote a brand. Here are few tips for promoting a clothing brand on Facebook.

Make a fan page first

To get started with Facebook, first you need to make a fan page of your brand and invite friends and all to ‘like’ it. Remember, you need to develop a good profile on Facebook with adequate information. People would love to see clothes more than reading about your brand or seeing it commercials and logo and brand endorser. So start creating albums displaying your collection. You may create different albums for different styles of clothes like – one piece dresses, shorts skirts, hot pants, tube tops and the like. You need to be very active in this fan page. Keep posting new status messages every now and then. But don’t overdo it.

Ask people to tag themselves

Whenever you launch a new collection of clothes post its pictures on Facebook. Suppose you have 8 sets of images in a particular segment, now ask fans to tag their own names on clothes they like. This way you will not only come to know about preferences of people and estimate demand, but also accentuate demand for your clothes and expect sales. People will soon start asking about availability of the same. Make sure you answer back all queries.

Special discount to fans

Once people know about you, some of them may not follow you thinking they can follow your website instead to stay updated. To lure your prospects to become your fan and stay loyal, you may offer special privileges to Facebook fans only. You may offer discount on purchase or free gift with purchase offer. This way people will not only follow you, but also utilize discount codes to buy clothes and will end up buying quite frequently. What more can you ask for?

Run contests about your brand

To generate more brand awareness and brand preference run interesting contests on Facebook and it should be related to your brand only. As for example you may ask, ‘Can you recall which year did we launch our brand?’ or you may simply ask ‘Who was our last brand endorser?’ People will answer such questions with full vigor. In reward you may give away small gifts hampers or special discount coupons.

Let your brand do wonders on Facebook.

 

 

Category: Marketing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
bikram | September 25, 2011
No comments

How to Utilize Forum Marketing?

Forum marketing can be a great tool to promote your business. Forums are great places where people converse personally, look forward to others’ inputs and value them. People seek advices, replies and expert help. Thus talking in a forum can actually push your brand much ahead of others.

Here is a guideline for forum marketing.

Relevant forum

It is very important that you find a forum which is relevant and worth of your time and effort. Find the right community for your business. Do your bit of research before finding out relevant forum. Approach people who match with your target market besides talking to your employees, suppliers. Find out which forum they are frequent to. Utilize forum hub sites to narrow your search and shortlist 5-10 forums worth of your time and effort. Always settle for forums which are popular, long established and very active with members nothing less than 1000 and 10,000 posts. A forum is considered to be active when it receives at least 15 posts every day. You should avoid forums full of spam messages.

Do it fast

Do not delay in creating an account once you have decided the forum. Old members are always looked upto with more respect and credibility. New users often face skepticism. New users are often even barred from posting for few days after registration. Early entrant always has an edge over others.

Always read forum guidelines

Reading forum user agreement and posting guidelines is absolutely a must for its members. Read the rules and guidelines carefully before registering. People often skip guidelines and click yes even without reading. You may miss out very important rules and land into grave problem. Do not miss out important issues like if users are allowed to place links in their posts, if users are allowed to promote their businesses or not, if users are allowed to post commercial messages in their signatures or contact other users for commercial purposes. Besides these also enquire what restrictions are placed on new users or what special privileges are given to its veteran users.

Create a detailed profile

Creating a detailed credible profile is very important. Do not take it casually. Apart from choosing an apt username and creating an avatar you need to write detailed description of your skills, expertise and experiences. Some personal inputs will make your profile appear more human and less of a robot. Small details like hometown, favorite sports team, or favorite television show can make your profile appear more credible. Provide your contact detail so that other s can contact you to know more about your business.

Get started today with forum marketing.

 

Category: Marketing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
bikram | September 24, 2011
No comments

How to Promote a Public Service Commercial on Internet?

We all know public service advertisements are made targeting the mass, for the sole purpose of mass awareness regarding a cause. Are you just concentrating in traditional forms of media and missing out a big chunk of target people who are mostly on Internet? Well, public service causes like – mass literacy, abandoning racial discrimination, treating old people with care and respect, planting more and more trees, having safe sex, saving water – are some of the issues which can be handled wonderfully and bring about more responses when promoted online. Here are some online promotional tips for public service advertising.

Facebook Advertisements

Facebook advertisements offer high rate of clicks. Advertisements appearing next to Facebook profile page are truly catchy. They have small attention grabbing images and text, which generates lot of curiosity among the visitors. You can write a crispy advertisement. Facebook advertisements will specifically reach your defined target group of audience. Instead of talking about a cause directly, you may take a nice creative approach and convey the desired message. As for example, to encourage people to give up the racial discrimination you may make an advertisement saying – ‘Black is classy and white is elegant. When both are favorites why make a difference when they color the skin?’ See how impactful yet subtle it is. That’s the power of advertising. And Facebook is great medium to reach people.

Viral advertisements

Humorous viral advertisements truly spread like virus. You may conceptualize and create funny viral videos while conveying the desired message in a funny manner with a learning outcome towards its end. You may pick up any social cause and play with the same.

Advertise in the right place

When you are talking to the mass make sure you talk to them through a relevant medium. Your target audience may buy Nike shoes online as well, but seeing your advertisement while shopping won’t do much impact on the audience. Rather he may ignore you since buying will be priority. Buy online advertisement space only in related sites. You may buy space in a popular daily or magazine or television news channel’s official website; where people browse through the content quite often, spend much time and leisurely look around. Your impactful advertisement or video there on the website will draw attention and get easily noticed. You may buy advertisement space in some NGO’s website.

Video directories

An audio-visual always helps to build emotional connect and send the message across. Make sure you post your audio-visual commercial in all leading online video directories like – Youtube, Metcafe and the like. Soon people will start viewing, liking, commenting and sharing with friends and families. It’s a great tool to get seen and shared.

Now what? Just get started! Let people know the cause, believe in it and practice it.

 

Category: Marketing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
bikram | September 18, 2011
No comments

Online Marketing Ideas for a Magazine

Media has always been in the centre of attention – shaping, enhancing, and controlling opinion. Magazines have been general, political, business magazines, travel magazine, beauty and health magazine, fitness magazine, educational magazine and of many other kinds. Magazines have not only nurtured human preferences and interests, but also shaped new thoughts, opinions and beliefs. But promoting a magazine online can altogether fetch a new class of prospective readers. If you have not tried it yet here are some tips for online promotion of magazine.

Advertise in your magazine’s niche related websites

It is always wise to advertise in your magazine’s niche related website. Suppose you have a travel related magazine, you may advertise in all leading travel portals and blogs. Finding niche is very important. Or you may simply buy advertisement space in a leading generic website which has a ‘travel’ tab under it. This way you will get visible to your exact target audience.

Each issue needs to be promoted

Each issue needs to be promoted, talked about, get seen and heard, shared and liked to build up the excitement. Cover page of next upcoming issue needs to be showcased everywhere – in your official site, in newsletters, blogs, forums you participate or advertisements or Facebook fan page. Talk about the core theme or central topic of the upcoming issue, display cover page and some alluring pictures which will be part of the magazine. It will be a nice way of drawing people.

Newsletters are must

Often people may not notice advertisements, so newsletter comes handy in such situation. Those who have already registered in your website, send out fortnightly or monthly newsletter to them in advance of its release to ensure people get to know about it, talk about it and wait for the issue to reach them.  Develop a nice newsletter by a graphic designer talking about the central theme and all attractions to be included in the magazine.

Special discounts to online fans

If you are not on Facebook, Twitter you are missing out a large chunk of people. Create a fan page of your magazine on Facebook and start promoting it. Frequent updates with status messages, polls, images, contests, questions, tips, videos can actually arrest many eyeballs. Whosoever ‘like’s your Facebook fan page or follows you on Twitter may be entitled to 10% discount on purchase of your magazine. Such information spreads really fast on web and you will soon witness growing fan numbers.

Get started. Shout, share, get liked on the web to witness rising sale of your magazine.

Category: Marketing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
bikram | September 10, 2011
No comments

How to Promote Your Upcoming Novel on the Internet?

Book promotion is a traditional practice done by writers and publishers with tools like press conference, inauguration of book at a popular book store, giving away few free copies to fans along with the author’s signature. But, isn’t it done by all? Haven’t people got bored of it, and count it as just another way of seeking eyeballs? Especially when the target group of readers is very much on Internet, can you afford to miss out several opportunities? Are you wondering how to promote your upcoming novel on the Internet and push up sales? Here are some marketing ideas for you.

A website

Building a website is the first stepping stone towards communicating with the prospective buyers. If you are already an established author with numbers of books published and you have a website of your own, registered by your name; all you have to do is include name of upcoming novel and release date under the news section of your website. But if it is your maiden effort and you wish to have an exclusive website dedicated to the novel, where you may discuss about its story or background and invite comments, you can buy web space dedicated to the book. If title of your book is ‘The unwanted Child’ you may buy web space under the name of www.theunwantedchild.com as per the availability. It’s first stepping stone towards your online marketing.

Online selling is important

Don’t sit back and relax assuming all leading bookstores will sell your novel. Many people wish to buy online at their own convenience rather than going to stores and browse through the shelves. Sell your novel through your website and through leading ecommerce sites like amazon.com, ebay.com and the like. It is important to make your novel available on the Internet.

Display critic comments and testimonials

People often go by recommendations and reviews. Before releasing novel for the public, call a press conference, distribute free copies to the media to spread words about your novel. You may also invite veteran writers, critics, publishers to talk about your novel. You may display some testimonials and reviews about the novel in your website and in every online promotional activity.

A Facebook fan page

These days since everyone is on Facebook, it is important for your novel to get heard, seen, shared, and liked on the Facebook. Create a fan page for your novel and start putting interesting messages. You will be soon flooded with ‘like’s. Start communicating interesting facts, lines, and contests about your upcoming novel. You may ask interesting questions to the fans and give free copies to the good answers. There are plenty of things to do and invite more likes.

It’s just the beginning. There are more ideas to come up.

Category: Marketing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
bikram | September 9, 2011
No comments

Place of Social Media in a Marketing Plan

Websites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, etc., do not live on the fringes, not any more. They are very much part of main line, in fact, for many people these websites are what there is to the Internet. Everyone is noticing this trend, but are marketers taking notice of it? Are they considering social media worth their effort to include it in the marketing mix?

This is a question that has kept marketers, researchers, and business commentators busy. They have been fighting on this issue for many months without any resolution. But to put an end to all the cantankerous discussions, MarketngSherpa, one of the world’s leading internet research firm, has asked 3,300 marketers for their views on the topic. The result for which is given below in the image.

The study found that only 26% organizations integrate social media with other online and offline marketing technique. If we combine another 8%, who said that they do extensively integrated, but only with online media, then the percentage for this acceptance will rise to 34%, which is not a very healthy figure, seeing the rise of popularity of the medium. (See image, for rest of the data).

Is this good for the business?

This is the very first thing that comes to mind when we hear such data, and we tend to give an off-the-cuff remark in either yes or no. The answer could be right, but it does not tell why.

In this case, the answer is negative because in our time, it is bad for a business to leave social media out of the marketing mix. Still, a good number of companies are not taking it seriously. This is akin to living a large amount of money on the table. If the success of companies present on Facebook is any indicator of the efficacy of social media then it is safe to say that in our time, people on social sites get influenced more by recommendations on these websites (Likes, tweets, diggs, etc.) then are influenced by mass media advertisement.

Ideally, I would like to see everyone joining the social media party, but if not so, at least this marketing communication tool should be visited by every marketer. A dipstick trial project is must before not deciding to integrate it in the marketing mix.

Category: Marketing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
bikram | September 3, 2011
No comments

How to Promote a Plant Nursery on Web?

Have you seen much of plant nurseries promoting and selling online? Well, you may find it a crazy idea, but it really works as the demand for plants is growing really high, but people may not always find a nursery easily in a locality or may not even have much time to go and then buy. Whereas, selling plants online could not only be a unique idea, but can also create a new wave of demand among nature lovers. Here are few tips for promoting a plant nursery on the web.

A lovely website

You need to build an excellent website, full of life that a plant can instill into your life. A dry, boring website can’t bring the essence of a plant. Rope in a good designer who can design a lovely lush, beautiful and fresh looking website making your plants appear even more appealing. Make sure your website is reliable in terms of plant viewing from close, ordering, payment coupled with helpline numbers and online chat support. People always look forward to a website which is user friendly, fast and trustworthy. Include customers’ testimonials in your website.

A little more information

Nurseries generally mention just name of a plant and do not think much about the details of the same. If you wish to be different from others and pull up sales, try a new route. Evolve as the expert in plants. Display as much information as you can about plants in your website. Not only mention name of the plants, but also about their original place, scientific names, description, care required, growth rate and all other possible information about plants. You may do extensive research and consult experts to provide accurate information. If a plant has medicinal values, talk about the same too.

Promote plants as a noble gift to a friend

You may give plants altogether a new face, a new dimension by calling it ‘noble gift’ to a friend, which you can deliver within a short notice just like cake and flower delivery services. Tell people gifting plant is like saving a life, bringing more oxygen on the earth and taking people close to the nature.  Instead of artificial gifts like flower bouquet which stays fresh only for few days, chocolates, cakes and the like; encourage people to gift plants to friends, families in both high and low time. It can be a good gift when one succeeds symbolizing ‘growth’, again it can be a genuine sympathy and hopeful gesture when gifted to a friend who is sick. Plants may bring different meanings and evolve as a genuine cause altogether, saving earth from global warming. Spread such messages in your website, in all your communications on the web, be it your newsletters or advertisements, blog or mailers.

A virtual plant in your name

To spread your brand popularity all across the web and evolve as a synonym to plants, make a ‘virtual’ plant avatar or badge of your nursery. Now publicize this virtual plant all over the Internet, on Facebook, MySpace and other social networking sites where people send virtual gift to each other. Sponsor the virtual plant with your name below it.

Get started today! Let the plants spread freshness everywhere on the web.

Category: Marketing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
bikram | September 1, 2011
No comments

4 Easy Tips for Selling Products Online

E-selling industry is growing at a lightning speed, putting traditional media of sales in sheer disgust. But this medium is also turning too cluttered day by day. People are looking forward to new ways to sell online to stay in the business, to rule the business and draw maximum sales.

Web giants

Many successful sellers have realized that there is no point in switching between different websites of auctions with no ensured fixed price in return. Sticking to fixed-price web market giants like eBay, Amazon etc makes more sense. These e-commerce giants will ensure a specific price and will not make you wait for the auction deals. Such websites have huge followers, so getting your product here is a wise decision indeed.

Get listed in classifieds

Online classifieds work miraculously, as they have loyal follower base. Craigslist is a leading online classified site with great listings. It is practically big, with its presence in more than 500 cities and over 50 countries across the world. Around 40 million people do visit Craigslist every month, resulting into more than 10 billion page views. Especially if you want to pull up sales in local market, get listed in Craigslist.

Social Networks

Social networks have a huge demand among this generation. Facebook, MySpace, Twitter have huge impact on our lives. Create a fan page for your brand, to draw as many fans and followers as you can. Now link your fan page with your website for the sales. Social networking is a great tool to spread your brand awareness, brand acceptance and brand recognition. Keep posting interesting contests, polls, status messages and offer good amount of discount to your fans and followers to keep up the popularity.

Your 24×7 online shop

Let the world buy, even when you are sleeping. Yes, set up an e-commerce site for your brand, from where people can buy your products. Sit back and enjoy the increasing sales in your website. But make sure, your website has been built by an efficient e-commerce site designer, so that there are no loopholes in terms of product viewing, product ordering and transfer of payment; else you may lose all your fans soon. People should be able to view your products with maximum zooming tools, enlarge your product from every corner, find relevant sizes and order the same instantly.

What are you waiting for? Spread your wings, adopt these simple tips and shoot up your sales by selling products online.

Category: Marketing | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
« Older Entries