If you've been on the internet for any length of time, you've probably seen thousands of ebooks, courses, and other types of tutorials on just about any topic that you can imagine.
The problem with a lot of these courses and ebooks businesses are giving away are junk. They don't contain any real information. Many are nothing more than blatant sales pitches.
Although it may seem like a waste of time to create a course when this technique seems to be so overused, have you ever considered that this could be a way to sell more of your products and services?
Although the market seems to be flooded with courses, ebooks, and tutorials, there's alway room for this material provided it's high quality.
What is key is creating a course or ebook, or some other type of tutorial is to offer some real choice information nuggets your readers don't know.
Although you can create a course, ebook, or tutorial out of others' articles, this isn't really a good idea unless you can find really valuable, and useful, content.
If you decide to go this route, you'll need to do some research. There are plenty of top notch article directories where you can find articles to create your course:
Ezine Articles - http://www.ezinearticles.com
Go Articles - http://www.goarticles.com
Both of these article directories are general article directories and contain plenty of articles on just about any topic.
If you can't find enough quality articles to create your course, then you may want to consider more specialized article directories.
You can find find article directories here:
Directory of Article Directories - http://www.directoryofarticledirectories.com/ - Although this is a fairly new directory, you'll find quite a few niche article directories on a lot of different topics.
When selecting your articles, you should select at least seven. It takes an average of seven contacts with your reader to make the sale.
Send them out over a period of at least 30 days or more. One or two emails per week is plenty. Don't bombard your reader with email. Include a short note to your reader, and make sure that you mention your product or service. Be subtle about it. No one likes to be sold.
The other alternative is to write your own course. Personally, this is a better choice because your content is original. You have an opportunity to give your reader a few choice nuggets they won't know, and it's an opportunity for you to really show your potential customers what you really know.
Tie these nuggets to your products and services and show what your products and services can do for your readers, and you have a winner.
When you're ready to take your course to the next level, you need to publish it for wider distribution. Sites like Learno, http://www.learno.com, can help you publish your course, as well as turn your course into a real book for publication. This will allow you to leverage your work and share your knowledge and expertise more quickly.
By leveraging your work, you'll brand yourself as an expert more quickly. Potential customers who are interested in your offers will seek you out. This will save you time and money on your internet marketing efforts. by driving targeted visitors to your site.
Although using courses, ebooks, and tutorials to promote your products and services has been overused, if you create quality content and offer your visitor something useful, you'll increase your chance of making the sale.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/
It was the famous publicist PJ Barnum who said in 1855 "I do not care what people say about me but get my name right".
In today's international marketplace, getting names right is vital.
Marketers and brand managers are becoming more and more concerned that their newly created name will be inappropriate in their target markets.
We've all seen middle aged marketing executives embarrass themselves when trying to appear trendy to the youth market but things get even worse when attacking overseas markets.
What many people don't realize is that innocuous English product names often do not travel well. So called, 'bad' names, names which embarrass, offend or are just plain unsuitable, are profligate.
Bad products names, bad brand names and even bad company titles, are continuously spawned and the headlong drive towards globalization has given unwelcome publicity to all of them. There are many instances of where things have gone awry, most of them too rude to mention in this article.
It's not just names which need careful attention, straplines can go just as wrong. Take for example, Electrolux, the Swedish white goods company, who used the strapline "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux" to great effect when promoting a vacuum cleaner across Europe. Unfortunately, when they used the same line for the US launch they became a laughing stock as 'sucks' means something is 'very bad' in America.
Bad translations on apparel can also convey the wrong message. Take the slogan "I saw the potato", instead of the correct Spanish translation of "I saw the Pope," used on promotional T-Shirts for the Pope's visit to Miami.
The cost of such a damaging event cannot easily be counted. The very fact that a product might have to be hurriedly withdrawn, or quickly re-badged can have a catastrophic effect on the image, position and value of the brand and, of course its owner.
How can one put a value on that? The cost can be enormous, with the repercussions leaving careers in tatters. It seems almost ridiculous to many outside the marketing business that there are still organisations that undertake no due diligence and take a chance on it being 'alright on the night'.
Most sensible people take out insurance to cover them for almost every event and occasion, yet when instances of such obvious potential devastation occur, it is always too late to do anything about it.
Traditional remedies such as expecting your advertising agency to provide such a service is, with some exceptions, a waste of time. It's like asking your dentist to give you a diagnosis in respect of a pain in your toe.
You might expect your translation agency to offer this service but, unless they are very experienced and have regularly handled the needs and demands of checking words worldwide, again you could be wasting your money. Proper checking involves much more than whether the word means something contentious or just risible in a foreign language.
So, what can be done to reduce the risks of things going wrong? Fortunately, there are a few simple but highly effective precautions which can be taken:
1. Remember names change with speech
There's a world of difference between the written and spoken word. Accents and dialects play havoc with the pronunciation of English words and vice versa.
Most of have had an experience of the way our own language is treated by foreigners. We sound similarly strange to foreigners when we try to speak in a language which isn't our own. Before deciding on a name, simply ask a native speaker of the target language if it sounds OK to them.
2. Avoid names that can't be pronounced easily, or at all
Although this sounds like another blatantly obvious point, it's something which many people forget completely. Many languages have an alphabet and a way of speaking which makes the reading of English words difficult or, in some extreme cases, practically impossible.
For instance, all words in Japanese end in either a vowel or the letter 'n' so it makes sense to chose a name which follows this convention. By doing this, you can be confident that your Japanese customers will be able to pronounce it without difficulty or embarrassment.
3. Avoid names that confuse
A name may meet every other criteria but due to culture, product qualities or its position in the market place, it may still confuse its intended consumer. This fault will seriously endanger product positioning and so clarity must be established.
Many years ago the then President of the USA, John F Kennedy was making a speech close to the Berlin Wall. He finished off in an effort to try to identify himself with the long-suffering inhabitants by announcing to his audience "Ich bin ein Berliner". Unfortunately, and unknown, to the President he was telling everyone that he was a doughnut; a Berliner being the popular name for a local pastry.
I am often amazed that companies spend tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars launching a product with a name which is so obviously wrong that it would have been flagged as inappropriate immediately had they undertaken proper checking.
The cost of checking is tiny compared to the damage caused by not doing so.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/
How to make your environmentalism pay!
STEP 1: Figure it out:
Every time that you drive your car you contribute to global warming. The same is true for turning on a light-unless you are purchasing energy from alternative sources.
This article will help you off-set those carbon emissions. It is not that expensive to do this, and you will be helping to pay for some of the environmental cost incurred by your company.
Discovering our carbon imprint wasn't as easy as we thought it would be. I had heard about carbon offsets opportunities for a while, and we wanted to do it, but we did not know how. Most of the information used for determining the carbon generated is geared to the consumer, not the small manufacturing business.
We found these sites particularly helpful in trying to come up with figures and just having these links might save you hours of time:
http://www.carboncounter.org/
http://www.carbonfootprint.com/
http://www.climatecrisis.net/takeaction/carboncalculator/
http://www.carbonfund.org/site/
Using these sites, our company of ten employees produces carbon emissions from these six sources. The figures are in metric tons:
1. Employee commute: 28.9 tons
2. Employee business travel: 13.44 tons
3. Shop gasses (from soldering): .11 tons
4. Company vehicles: 6.02 tons
5. Electricity: 2.43 tons
6. Natural gas: .47 tons
Our biggest impact is employee commutes and travel. Electricity is low because ninety percent of our energy comes from green sources. Compact fluorescent light bulbs are used in the plant.
The question is, once you are able to figure out your actual offset, how do you turn it into your advantage? That comes with who you choose to work with for your offset.
STEP 2: Choose your organization
You can go on line and see a number of organizations that offer different offset possibilities. From this, you can actually see what you are going to pay for your off-set.
http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/carbon_offset_wind_credits_carbon_reduction.htm
There have been some rumors in the press that question whether money donated to certain organizations for off-set are actually being used for that purpose. Research your choice well.
The company that I chose to work with is not on this list. Forest Guardians, a New Mexico based environmental organization, has been involved with tree planting programs around streams beds in New Mexico, which supports most of biodiversity. Just as I was about to choose where to off-set my carbon, the assistant director, Carol Norton, gave me a call and asked me if I wanted to work with them. I have been a supporter of theirs for many years.
Their mission is:
"To protect and restore the native wildlands and wildlife of the American Southwest through fundamental reform of public policies and practices. Our goals are to protect and restore the native biological diversity and watersheds of the American Southwest; educate and enlist citizens to support protection of the forests, rivers, deserts and grasslands of this arid region; advocate for the principles of conservation biology in plans to restore degraded ecosystems and watersheds; enforce and strengthen environmental laws; support communities in efforts to protect their land and to practice and promote sustainable use of natural resources."
Since I know the organization has integrity, I can be assured that the money will actually off set the carbon we use through tree planting. Also, I saw a greater opportunity to tap into their network.
One thing that particularly appealed to me about Forest Guardians is that their offsets addressed entire ecosystems. Secondly, they were willing to work with me in a press release. Going green is the right thing to do, but it costs money. So if you can, work with an organization that will give you publicity. Ask for a link from their site and see if they will write something about you in their newsletter.
In this regard, it is great if you can find a local organization because they are going to be more receptive and easier to access.
STEP 3: Write a Press Release
The critical thing now is to get support from the community that shares your green values. This is a huge advantage because socially responsible jewelry, even according to leaders in our industry such as Martin Rapaport, has the opportunity to become the luxury brand. A large number of people in our country, perhaps as much as twenty percent are interested in supporting companies that are socially responsible.
You need to make these people aware that you exist because you need their support. Being socially responsible costs money.
I write a lot of press releases and I used to just write boring ones. Here is an example of what I consider a bad press release.
Then, I realized that editors see hundreds of these a day, probably, and they are looking for press releases which are interesting and even provocative.
My last press release was about how I switched to a Fair Trade supplier in Bali even though it costs more than the people I was working with in India and Thailand.
I got the attention of a senior editor of a major trade magazine who was offended by my-calling Blood Diamonds a "red herring." I wrote a long response to his protest. In the end, he really appreciated my point of view. I realize it was like playing with fire and fortunately, I was not burned. The release was picked up by JCK.
Here's my press release for my Zero Carbon. I admit, it is a little zany, and I may modify it for certain editors who I know would not be into it, but for a general release, it might just catch the attention of some people.
Also, here are some press release services that we use:
http://www.prweb.com/
http://home.businesswire.com/
http://www.i-newswire.com/
http://www.24-7pressrelease.com/
http://www.pr.com/
After you release your info to these sites, go to Google alerts and trace where it gets picked up. Simply enter your search terms in the box provided and select how often you want updates. Google will then send you emails to the email you provide, with all instances of that search term being used for the time selected.
You can then go through them, one by one and see how many found you or someone else using that term. These are great because though they can take a little time to explore, they can be troves of marketing treasure. If you go about this, please come back to this site and share information, particularly if you are able to find more about going zero carbon. We are always looking for ways to improve.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/
Furniture will always growing and developing as long as people have innovation and market demand. Indonesia is became rattan furniture exporter since 70's until now, and it is growing up every year. Many factory build to fill the world needed of rattan furniture in Cirebon. Cirebon will always the best place to get the best rattan furniture to sell to Europe, US, Australia, Africa and other Asian countries.
Rattanland as the one of largest rattan furniture exporter want to get the biggest demand in rattan furniture business and take the World Trade Market. Rattanland is aim any kind of buyers and customers, Rattanland accept the rattan furniture importer, wholesales, and also retailer shop that selling furniture in retail. Rattanland with the capability of human resources and infrastructures is having a huge respond from the customer which are coming from many countries.
With this strategy, Rattanland is getting bigger as a company. Many customer know about Rattanland just in one click from the office or home computer. It is because Rattanland website is always in the top in the search engine. It is proved with the country that Rattanland has sold the furnitures. Rattanland has sent the furnitures to Barbados, Malta, Cyprus, Netherland Antilles and many small, remote, and exotic county that you use to be go for holiday.
Rattanland is always support any kind of customer, Rattanland is accept the small retailers that only buy in one twenty feet container with mixed product, because the idea is to get all the market prospect and growing together with all the customer. Rattanland is always improve the marketing strategy and also add the new products and send it in newsletter to the customer email.
Rattanland is always hoping that customer will get everything in one place, which is in Rattanland. Rattanland is also accept the complain from customer to make the company better and still can send the furniture to the whole world. Even Rattanland sell the furniture to many customers to many countries, Rattanland is also note if the customers want their products just for the customer only with the contract to make agreement between Rattanland and the customer, so they can protect each other.
Rattanland will always wait the customer respond after Rattanland send the furnitures to their country, this respond will help Rattanland to make the better furnitures and working harder to get the best for Rattanland it self and also Rattanland's customers. So Rattanland is waiting for your critics and we will growing up together.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/
Are you tired of Ad agencies and graphic design firms taking your money with little to no return or long term affects? Have you considered hiring a real branding agency. A true branding company will provide a lot more than a traditional ad agency or graphic design firm for sure.
Let us talk about what a branding agency can do and the long term results you could receive from them. First off a real branding firm will evaluate not only your external branding and marketing efforts but also your internal efforts. You will not find that with an ad agency or graphic design firm. Internal branding is as important if not more important.
Internal brand building can be done in many different ways. The first thing you should consider is interviewing your employees. This is where an outside company can really help. If you select to use an outside branding agency they will be able to get honest, real answers to the questions that are posed to them. This will be a big help to your company moving forward with your marketing efforts.
Once you have interviewed your employees you will want to analyze the data and understand what is happening in your company. Do they understand your brand identity? Do they provide good customer service? Do they know what your brand promise is or your value proposition? If they do not then as a company you need to do serious work.
Start with explaining to your employees what your brand identity is and your positioning. If Volvo equals safety what do you equal? Once you have decided on that put together a plan to communicate to your employees. Some of the tactics you may want to consider are and internal newsletter, employee appreciation programs, Awards, box lunch and lunches brought in. A customer service plan of action will be high on your list.
A branding company will help you in your efforts to shape up your internal strategy. This will not be an easy task but one of the most important strategies you put in to place. It will get everyone steering the ship in the right direction. Once this is accomplished then you can consider your external marketing and advertising efforts.
So in conclusion hiring a branding agency could be the best investment you could ever make. They can help with your internal efforts as well as your external efforts. Certainly you will be moving forward in the right direction and making the right moves.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/
Developing a strong brand identity is the most important thing any company can do to develop its brand. It cannot get any simpler than that. Most organizations fail miserably at this very basic task though. Brand identity is how you want your company or products to be perceived. If you get this wrong it could lead to big time problems later in your brand image. So how does a company build its brand identity?
Start with performing some branding research. When was the last time you went out to customers, prospects and past clients and asked them what they thought of your industry? Do you really know what clients desires are? What about what they do not want? Do you know where they go first to find a company like yours? Are they going to the internet and doing searches or finding you in a trade publication?
Now you need to perform that same research internally with key employees. What do they think? How do they perceive the company? Is this in line with what you want your brand identity to be? Do you even have a clear identity? Do your employees know your brand promise? Is there a brand promise? Do you have a value proposition? Do they know what it is? If you have answered no to any of these questions you will need help!
Okay, so your research is done and you know what you want your identity to be. What do you do next? We recommend establishing a new positioning with that identity. If Volvo the automobile equals safety and Apple computer equals creativity what do you want to equal? It should be very clear and easy.
What are the next steps? Start with developing strategies and tactics that will leverage that new brand identity and positioning. They should all tie back to corporate objectives. Avoid wasting money on reactive marketing that gets you know where and wastes your marketing budget. Some of the tactics may include search engine optimization, direct mail, advertising, banner ads, e-newsletters, e-mail marketing, trade shows and much more.
It is imperative to choose the tactics that will benefit you the most. Do not waste money on advertising if you are only going to place two ads for the year. It will not work. Instead invest in tactics that will give you more bang for your buck like search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is a great way to build brand identity and increase sales.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/
Hiring a firm to help you with your branding is imperative to your company's success. Choosing the right branding agency is equally important. There are so many decisions to make and considerations so tread water lightly. Here are some things to consider when selecting a branding company.
There is one important decision you will have to make and that is developing your brand identity. It is by far the most crucial decision you will make. Your brand identity is how you want to be perceived in your market space. Any branding agency worth their salt will try and help you develop a brand identity that is targeted correctly.
If Volvo equals safety and Nike equals performance what will your company equal? This is critical. What will you stand for? What will be the soul of your company? These are then decisions your branding agency should help you with. They should recommend strategies and tactics that will help you leverage this brand identity and positioning in the marketplace.
So now you've made the decision that your brand identity will be to enrich the lives of your clients. Optimism is your new weapon and positioning. Take the Life is good brand; they are all about being optimistic and enriching people's lives. They are clearly positioned and their brand identity is set in stone. You want your brand identity to be set in stone as well.
A branding agency will help you clearly position. Using other companies like ad agencies or graphic design firms might be a bad idea. You want a firm that has no motivation to sell you any one specific tactic. Ad agencies want to sell media and graphic design firms want to redesign your logo and make pretty pictures. The most important thing to consider is the strategy to leverage your branding.
Now you need to execute the strategies and tactics necessary to leverage the new positioning. What you should do is make a wish list of tactics that will help you propel your branding. Start with a list of tactics that will not only bring your branding forward but also help to create sales. Choose the best tactics with the highest return on investment. Some of these tactics may be web design, search engine optimization, advertising, direct mail and more.
So those are some of the things to consider when selecting a branding agency. Remember your brand identity is at stake so choose wisely.
Article Source: http://www.ArticleStreet.com/