Craigslist can prove to be an excellent avenue for business promotion. Whether an individual has a small business which they operate on a part time basis or a thriving business which has become a time consuming endeavor, Craigslist can help the business to increase in profits and popularity. The two main components to successfully promoting a business on Craigslist include reaching the target audience and running a marketing campaign which will appeal to this target audience. This article will discuss these two components in greater detail to help the reader realize how Craigslist can be used to grow a business.

Reaching Your Target Audience on Craigslist Promoting a business on Craigslist doesn’t have to be a difficult process. However, it is not necessarily automatically easier than promoting offline either. Promoting your business through Craigslist does have some similarities to the process of promoting your business offline. The main similarity is that the business promoter musts do their research to find out who is included in their target audience.

Even the most well thought out and innovative marketing campaign will falter if it is not reaching the intended audience. This is why it is so important for those who are trying to promote their business on Craigslist to be sure they categorize their advertisement correctly to ensure their intended audience will receive the intended message. The majority of posts on Craigslist are available free of charge with the exception of job listings in New York City, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay area as well as brokered housing listings in New York City. Therefore small business owners can take advantage of the free posting on Craigslist to reach their target audience in a number of different locations.

Consider an example of a company offering moving services in Portland, Oregon. A small moving company that is relatively new might want to take advantage of the free advertising available on Craigslist. To have the best opportunity to reach the target audience the company should place a services offered posting under the labor and moving category for the counties in which the services are offered. Placing the post this way makes it far more likely to reach an audience of those who are planning a move in the desired county than it would if the same exact advertisement was placed as a job advertisement under the category of government jobs in a county in New Hampshire.

Besides being free for most postings, Craigslist offers additional benefits. The most significant benefit is a large audience. Craigslist receives over 4 billion page views per month. With such a large audience it makes it possible for those who post on Craigslist to reach a large audience. However, as previously mentioned, care should be taken when placing the post to categorize the advertisement correctly to ensure the advertisement is reaching the target audience.

Effectively Marketing on Craigslist Marketing effectively on Craigslist is not very different from marketing effectively in other forms of print media. One of the most important elements of an effective marketing campaign on Craigslist is professionally written copy that appeals directly to the target audience. Hiring a freelance writer skilled in writing sales copy is an excellent idea in this situation. The business owner might be quite knowledgeable about their business but they do not likely have the skills necessary to convey the purpose of the business while also effectively convincing those who read the posting to perform a specific action. The specific action may include visiting a website and making a purchase, requesting additional information about the products or services or performing some other desired action such as visiting a traditional store or place of business.

The other component to marketing effectively, as previously mentioned, is placing the advertisement in the correct section of Craigslist. Categorizing the advertisement correctly is important but it is also important to place the advertisement in the right physical location. Products and services which are only offered in a limited area such as a particular city or county should be advertised in these exact locations. However, those who offer products via a website might consider placing their advertisement in all of the location to which they are willing to ship their products.

About the Author

To learn about lawn repair and lawn replacement, visit the Lawn Problems website.

1. You could end your ad copy by telling people what will happen if they buy your product. Use your most powerful benefit as the example.

2. You could end your ad copy by telling people what will happen if they don’t buy your product. Use a problem that they won’t be able to solve without it.

3. You could end your ad copy with a question they will always say yes too. They then will be used to saying yes when you ask them to order.

4. You could end your ad copy with a short review of your whole ad. Repeat all the major benefits and features they will receive.

5. You could end your ad copy with a deadline. Tell them it’s a limited time offer and they need to order by a specific date.

6. You could end your ad copy with a powerful guarantee. Give them a lifetime or triple your money back guarantee.

7. You could end your ad copy with a testimonial. Use one or two of your customers’ testimonials that is believable and includes specific results.

8. You could end your ad copy with a free bonus. When you give them a free bonus it increases the product’s perceived value.

9. You could end your ad copy with a discounted price. Just list your regular price and then offer a discounted price off the order right now.

10. You could end your ad copy with a free sample or trial of your product. If your ad didn’t attract them to buy, maybe a free sample or trial would.

About the Author

William Street is the owner of http://www.MyMoneyMiracleShop.com and reviews popular home business ideas and opportunities. William’s most popular home business recommendation is the Plug-In Profit Site at: http://www.WorkfromHomeMoneyMiracle.com where you can get your own money-making website setup in 24 hours!

1. You don’t make people feel safe when they order. Remind people that they are ordering through a secure server. Tell them you won’t sell their e-mail address and all their information will be kept confidential.

2. You don’t make your ad copy attractive. Your ad lists features instead of benefits. The headline does not attract at your target audience. You don’t list any testimonials or guarantees included in your ad.

3. You don’t remind people to come back and visit. People usually don’t purchase the first time they visit. The more times they visit your site, the greater the chance they will buy. The most effective way is to give them a free subscription to your e-zine.

4. You don’t let people know anything about your business. They will feel more comfortable if they know who they are buying from. Publish a section called “About Us” on your web site. Include your business history, profile of employees, contact information etc.

5. You don’t give people as many ordering options as possible. Accept credit cards, checks, money orders, and other forms of electronic payments. Take orders by phone, e-mail, web site, fax, mail, etc.

6. You don’t make your web site look professional. You want to have your own domain name. Your web site should be easy to navigate through. The graphics should be related to the theme of your web site.

7. You don’t let people read your ad before they get your freebie. When you use free stuff to lure people to your web site include it below your ad copy or on another web page. If you list the freebie above your ad they may never look to see what you’re selling.

8. You don’t attract the target audience that would buy your product or service. A simple way to do this is to survey your existing customers to see what attracted them to buy. This information will help you improve your target marketing and advertising.

9. You don’t test and improve your ad copy. There are many people who write an ad copy and never change it. You have to continually test and improve your ad copy to get the highest possible response rate.

10. You don’t give people any urgency to buy now. Many people are interested in your product but they put off buying it till later and eventually forget about it. Entice them to buy now with a freebie or discount and include a deadline date when the offer ends.

About the Author: ———————————————————— Stone Evans, The Home Biz Guy has helped thousands of people in over 200 countries around the world start and run a successful home business. Discover 3 easy steps to start your own home business and subscribe to The Home Biz Guy’s Free Home Business Secrets Mini-Course at: http://www.GracelandWorldwide.com ————————————————————

Quote of the Day:

“A dose of adversity is often as needful as a dose of medicine.” — American proverb

Sincerely

William Street

About the Author

About the Author:

William Street is the owner of http://www.MyMoneyMiracleShop.com and reviews popular home business ideas and opportunities. William’s most popular home business recommendation is the Plug-In Profit Site at: http://www.WorkfromHomeMoneyMiracle.com where you can get your own money-making website setup in 24 hours!

As a business owner or anyone who works with customers, your main goal is to get customer loyalty. You want those customers to keep coming back for more. While many different places are creating cards that gives those who have them incentives to practice this, many of these places have forgotten the old fashioned things that creates this. What are some of those things?

One of those things is just how you interact with customers. Customers want to be heard. They want to know that they have your attention. They want to be able to have a wide variety of ways to get a hold of the people that they are wishing to speak to. Opening that line of communication will ensure that they have what they need to be a customer of yours.

The next thing that will give you this is by taking the time to work with customers and making it seem as though you really want to work with them. All too often people swear off companies because they feel that the person that was helping them if anyone at all helped them was rude to them. Things like answering the phone and not telling a person that you have to take that call or even not greeting them can make it seem as though you don’t want to help them or that you take them seriously.

Something else that will ensure that your customers will keep coming back is that you take into consideration what they are feeling. There are times when they might have thought the price was something else. They might have thought that coupon wasn’t expired. Sometimes, in order to keep clients you have to meet them half way.

Another thing is that you think before you speak. The tone you use and the words you use can be seen as offensive to customers. You want to approach them with a smile and a warm greeting. This makes them feel as though hey I’m welcome here. That is something that makes a person feel very nice. How could you pass this up.

There are other things as well. One of those other things is that you work with deadlines. If you set a date or tell them that something will be done by a certain date, then you keep your word. All too often now days, people don’t pay any attention to this. When you tell a customer something like this you are basically making a promise or a contract in one way or another. They trust your word and therefore, they expect it to be done.

Last of all, when it comes to good customer service, you should make sure that you own up to things. If you make a mistake, fix it. If they can’t find what they are looking for, try making it up to them. Go that extra mile. When you do, it might give you a happy customer.

These are all things that you can do to make sure that customers keep coming back. It’s the things like this that keep customers thinking that they do come first like a customer should. So, if you aren’t practicing these, then you might have so many loyal fans. It’s time to get back to what really matters.

About the Author

We have Canada’s foremost retail marketing program. With our loyalty cards we have proven customer loyalty with wonderful rewards.

I don’t often see hitchhikers these days and my mother will be happy to hear I don’t make a practice of picking them up. But, I did take notice of one as I made my way onto the entrance ramp to the interstate one day.

I noticed, because the hitchhiker was so far off the road that I did a double take to determine why this person was even standing there – their thumb was barely distinguishable and their gaze was downward as if hoping no one would notice them.

I’m sure like me, at times you’ve marketed your products and services like that hitchhiker – making it difficult for the people you want to connect with to notice you. I know you and I don’t do this purposely.

Think for a minute about the way you market. Are you sticking your thumb up so that it’s obvious what your business is about, or sheepishly standing to the side, as if you’re afraid someone might actually want to know how your products or services would benefit them?

Visualize the kid in the classroom who positively knows the answer to the teacher’s question sticking their hand as high in the air as possible to get the teacher’s attention. There’s no ignoring this kid – they’re cute, and so persistent – that’s the same reaction you want folks to have when you market your business. Ok, maybe not the cute part…

If you were hiring you as an outside consultant to your business, what would you tell the owner about their marketing? Are you speaking directly to me, the potential client, as if I’m an important person to your business? Are you pushing features at me in used car salesman style, or do you speak to me in a way that tells me you know what keeps me up at night?

Check the language in your marketing pieces. What is the ratio of You to We? Is it all about what “we” do or is it you focused?

Here are three things you can do to have an immediate impact on speaking your potential client’s language and getting noticed.

1. Review your marketing messages to make sure there is higher ratio of you focus than we focus.

2. Put yourself in the shoes (or slippers) of your potential clients to understand what keeps them up at night. Include this language in your marketing message. You want the audience to react with “That’s me! They’re speaking directly to me. They understand my needs.”

3. The cute little kid trying to get the teacher’s attention? It was persistence! I know you know what your marketing message is. You’ve lived it, you developed it, you wrote the words. But, your audience hasn’t had that same luxury. You want to express it again and again as if it were the first time, write it as if it were fresh information over and over. For your audience, it is the first time, it is fresh.

About the Author

Cheryl E. Cook, author of Small Business BIG RESULTS, publishes an ezine, “Small Business BIG Results,” conducts workshops, and speaks on topics related to small business success and growth. Get your free ebook, “50 Ways to Increase Cashflow” at www.smallbizbigresults.com .

One of the big problems I see in advertising today, particularly on the Internet, is the believability factor. When I see an advertisement, email, or sales letter that sounds too good to be true, I instantly ignore it. There is so much snake oil being sold in the world today, especially on the Internet, that when I see big claims made for anything, I ignore them as being junk.

For example, today I received an email with the subject line saying, “How to double your business.” My instant response was, “yeah sure, BS” and I hit the delete key. Then I received another email with the subject line saying, “FREE CHEAT SHEET: My 10 Most Important Business Insights This Decade.” My response was, “yeah right, if you are such a business genius, why are you sending out spam emails like this instead of having a cover story done on you in the Wall Street Journal?” Delete.

Many marketers seem to think that for their advertising to get a person’s attention, they have to make huge claims about their product/service being the best thing since the invention of the automobile and that it will change the world. The problem with that type of marketing is, NOBODY BELIEVES YOU! People are becoming so desensitized to big claims that they ignore them.

So, as a marketer what do you do? How do you mark your marketing and advertising more believable? Well, first of all, stop saying what you have is the best the world has ever seen. It’s not. And even if it was, people would not believe you. Every company says what they are selling is the best, so there is no believability any more. It is just corporate hype and goes in one ear and out the other.

The second thing you can do is tone it down a bit. Saying you can increase a company’s manufacturing output by 6% over 10 months is far more believable than saying you will increase a company’s manufacturing output by 50% in a week. The first claim sounds like it could possibly be true. The second claim sounds too good to be true, so it will in all likelihood be ignored. Do not use whole numbers. An increase in profits of 6.2% sounds far more believable than 10%, 15% or 20%.

Another marketing tactic you can use is to include testimonials where your customers state how your product or service helped them. For example, “I bought the XYZ Widget from ABC Company and now my zipzopadoodler is not breaking down anymore and it is producing 3.8% more zibblyboos each month. Thank you ABC Company for making a great product I can rely on. Joe Doe, COO, Zibblyboo, Inc.” And finally, use brief case studies that prove quantitatively how your product or service has helped a customer. It does not have to be long; 3-4 paragraphs is fine. The key is that your case study is believable and not over-hyped so your prospects can put themselves in the shoes of your clients and say, “I have that same problem and it sounds like this product/service is exactly what I need.”

About the Author

Peter Geisheker is the CEO of The Geisheker Group Marketing Firm. Peter develops and implements strategic marketing programs for businesses of all sizes with a specialty in law firm marketing. For a no-obligation quote, contact The Geisheker Group marketing firm today. www.geisheker.com (920) 471-1638.

To make your trade show booth a success involves a number of different key components but first you must understand what the term trade show actually means. Basically, it is an exhibit or business gathering organized by a variety of different companies that allow them to showcase as well as demonstrate a new product line or idea. It will also give these companies an opportunity to meet their clients as well as learn new trades and business information.

These shows are generally not open to the public and usually only company representatives, fellow members of the trade, and the press are allowed entrance. One of the advantages to this is that it cuts down on the time it takes businesses to meet new potential customers. However, the one main disadvantage is that customers and other potential prospects pay little attention to the sometimes hundreds of exhibitors and their products. This is mainly due to the variety of different distractions and the busy atmosphere.

You can make great use of your displays by directing your customers to your main display area. These displays are a way of giving the customers a better understanding or appreciation of the products and services that the various companies are offering. Usually the exhibitors are only allowed to place their items in their own booth area so make sure your booth is in a strategic area of the show.

Your booth is one of the most important components to your overall success. This is because it is aimed toward enhancing the product or service that you are offering as well as the marketing experience for the show visitor. It will also offer you valuable face to face contact between you and your potential customer.

A lot of companies prefer to rent their trade show booth rather than go through the major expense of having to purchase one. This will also save them money in the end because they will not have to spend money on hauling the booth to and from the show as well as storing the booth.

You will find that these shows are a lot of hard work and time consuming. Because of this you need to be sure that you are taking the time to plan ahead to be sure that your show is successful. This is mainly due to the fact that it will provide you with a great opportunity to build relationships and hopefully, lucrative business deals.

Finally, be sure that your booth stands out from the rest with bold graphics and eye catching bright colors. Give your potential customers a reason to want to stop by your booth. Also provide them with plenty of giveaways that have all of your business contact information printed on them.

Making a successful trade show does not have to be all hard work. If you take the time to plan ahead, you will be able to stand back and build relationships with your clients, one at a time. Be sure that you follow all the advice and you will have a great show each and every time.

About the Author

Whether you are looking for a banner stand or a roll up stand, our specialty in trade show display will satisfy your needs for marketing and print services. We offer a wide range of top quality products that will enrich the appearance of all trade show displays.

I met with some clients today about helping them build and market their beauty salon. Their business has been around for almost a year and they still don’t have the traffic they would like. They have done an unbelievable amount of word-of-mouth advertising by handing out coupons and flyers. These people are fantastic! They have even partnered up with the local restaurants and other businesses to trade for advertising space on their billboard. Even though the economy is tough, they are going to continue to fight and be tougher than both the economy and their competition.

Although your business may be a little different than this client, all the principles of the VIP program will be the same across the board.

I met Roxana, Mrs. Roxy Herself, at the local wireless store. She was handing out her flyers and I instantly thought about helping her market her business. About a week later, I ran into her again and I greeted her with excitement. It was as if we had known each other for years.

I then quickly made it a point to ensure we would be able to talk again. I took a coupon and went to get a haircut. As soon as I walked in the door of her salon I began smelling opportunity in the air. With my background, experience, knowledge, and education, I knew I could help them turn their business into a thriving business.

During our discussion tonight we came up with many great ideas, which I will be implementing shortly, but first we decided to develop a VIP program for their customers. This is a great way to focus their efforts on the easiest and very best way to earn business, repeat customers and referrals.

They already worked twice as hard as their competition to earn the business, now it’s time to help them keep the business!

I told them we are going to create a VIP program not only to get those hard-earned referrals and repeat customers, but also to grab their customer’s information so they can build loads of value for their customers. I told them they to be value-driven so their customers will come back time and time again.

I learned many of the techniques I’m mentioning here from Jeffrey Gitomer. Visit our Library for more of his techniques and other resources.

Their customer’s information is like Gold simply because they will be able to keep in constant contact with them. They will be able to send them “value” letters, not necessarily “sales” letters. They will build a loyal customer base and have no choice but to expand their business.

They have a great niche. They just haven’t capitalized on it yet.

HOW TO IMPLEMENT A VIP PROGRAM IN YOUR BUSINESS

Now that we decided to implement a VIP Program, we have to determine what information is the most valuable and necessary. Below is a list of all the information you want to get from all your customers so that we can learn about them, their interests, their family, and what’s important to them. This will allow you to send “Value-Oriented” letters, postcards, flyers, emails, etc. as well as to give a personal touch and remind you about each customer before assisting them.

1) Name

2) Address

3) Phone Number

4) Email Address

5) Birth Date

6) Children’s Names and Birth Dates (optional)

7) Anniversary (optional)

Pets’ Names (optional)

9) Hobbies/Interests/Career/School (optional)

Obviously, the more information you obtain from your customers, the more ammunition you will have in your back pocket. People really like to be welcomed, recognized, and remembered when they go somewhere, especially somewhere they frequent. This makes them feel important and it’s your job as a business owner to ensure this.

If have haven’t already, purchase customer tracking software to do this for you. An example can be found at: http://www.novosolutions.com/customer-tracking-software/. Please visit the website to learn about how this software can help make your life easier and assist you in building your business.

If your customers don’t feel comfortable giving out their personal information, explain to them the importance and how it will benefit them. Say something along the lines of, “Mr. Customer, I understand this is a little out of the ordinary but you are very important to me as a customer, and I would like to get to know all my customers’ needs, wants, and interests, including yours, so you will have the very best experience each and every time you come to our store. Plus, we have great promotions and discounts for all our VIP members including, but not limited to, a discount on all our products, FREE Birthday haircuts for you and your family, coupons delivered to your house, and more!”

Make them feel like a million bucks. They will get a very warm feeling inside and will never go anywhere else again! I assure you most people will gladly sign up because everyone wants to get free stuff.

In addition to obtaining your customer’s information, you must spend a minute before assisting each of them to review the information from previous sessions. You must also spend a minute after to document the current experience and customer’s preferences for future reference. This will give you something to talk about and you will already have an idea of their needs and wants.

There are too many people for you to remember everyone’s needs, wants, preferences, every time. Don’t even try. Just spend the extra minute. It will save you loads of time and will be worth the investment. I promise.

If you live in the Salt Lake City, UT area, please visit Roxy’s Beauty Salon. It’s a great atmosphere and they do an amazing job! They most certainly have the quality you would want as well as the ability to make you feel welcome and like part of the family.

Shane Russell

President, CloakA Communications

Article Source: EzineArticles.com/?expert=Clayton_C._Butler

The price of your product or service should be a reflection of its value. Most consumers intrinsically believe in the “you-get-what-you-pay-for” philosophy. So what’s the right price for your offering?

I don’t have a magic formula for setting price, but I will share with you a key to determining the right price: value.

What is Value?

Value is the inherent desirability of your product or service to your customers. It is reflected in your brand. The greater the perceived value of your brand, the higher the price you can and should charge.

Take chocolate, for example. Bulk chocolate is cheap. It’s not the tastiest treat, but if a customer is making a buying decision based on price, its good value. A good mid-range chocolate such as Nestle or Hershey’s will be a bit more costly, but customers will value the established reliability of the mid-range chocolate brand and will be prepared to pay the price. At the high end of the price scale there are chocolates that sell for more than $1000 per kilo. And yes, customers are willing to pay the price. Why? Because they want a chocolate of the finest quality, guaranteed to tantalise their taste-buds and melt in their mouths. The price of these chocolates makes a bold promise, and to these customers the value of that promise supports the price.

Is your Business offering Bulk or Prestige?

When you set your prices, you need to consider your value to customers. Low prices may equal bulk sales, but they reflect low quality. That’s OK if that’s what your customers want and that’s how you want to position yourself. High prices equal high quality, and if that’s your position you need to make sure your customers know the value you provide with the price. If you clearly communicate your benefits and target the market that values those benefits, your customers will be more than willing to pay your price.

The Painful Pitfall of Pricing too Low

Some businesses, especially in these difficult economic times, are tempted to discount their prices or set their prices too low. The motivation behind this decision is usually fear rather than overall brand or business strategy.
My friend, a plumber, fell into this trap. He intentionally set his price at $40 per hour when his competition was charging between $50-$150. He was a new plumber so he was scared he wouldn’t get any business if he charged what the others did. He advertised, and then he waited. And he waited. But he didn’t get any calls. Eventually he asked his mentor, another plumber who charged $120 an hour and had a booming business, what he was doing wrong. It turns out that people are scared of hiring plumbers who charge less than the going rate because they equate price with value or quality and they’re usually right. The mentor was often called in to fix problems that cheaper plumbers had left behind. My friend the plumber increased his rate to $90 and quickly grew a profitable business.

Low prices send a message of low value. That can be damaging to your business image and brand.

What’s the Right Price?

To set the right price you need to consider 2 things:
1. your positioning strategy: bulk, midrange or prestige
2. your customers’ perception of value

Clearly communicate your value and set your price to reflect it. Don’t be fooled into thinking you need to compete on price when it is just as viable and often more profitable to compete on value.

About the Author/Author Bio

Deborah Jackson helps coaches, consultants, trainers, accountants, service professionals and small biz owners understand how positioning, brand and other key marketing strategies contribute to their success. She helps her clients identify and communicate their brand value to ensure they attract great clients, charge premium prices and enjoy profitable returns. To receive her gift, a special report on ’5 Simple Marketing Strategies you can use to Attract More Clients, Make More Money and Have More Fun’ visit www.jaxon.com.au plus you’ll also receive a complimentary subscription to her marketing tips and resources ezine.