Special Guest Articles

These professional articles written by industry leaders.  Adlandpro.com has a free article library you can learn from here.

The Pundits say the economy is slowly, but surely, recovering. Maybe not at the rate of the mid-90s stock boom, but recovering nonetheless.

It must be true, because ad agencies are running Help Wanted ads. So, ad budgets are getting bigger. Tsk tsk. They have been missing out. Actually, for maverick thinkers like you, that should be good news.

When the Pundits say, "Times are getting tougher," usually the first thing to get axed in business are ad and marketing budgets. This makes nearly no sense. But, to your competition, you should say, "Tighten that belt another couple of notches!"

Because that's when you go for the kill.

So-called "tough economic times" should be a boon to your marketing. It's then that your competition will pull back their advertising efforts. And you should increase yours. Your competition is purposely weakening its position. It is the perfect time to fortify yours.

Since most others are cutting back on their ad spending, media becomes more negotiable, if not altogether cheaper. Your messaging can become more visible with less clutter.

Your message also needn't be more hard sell in this type of environment. Traditional notion dictates hard sell is the way to go. But proper strategy, creatively executed, will nearly always win over a hard sell approach. Creative ads always get noticed, and often garner free publicity.

Of course, you don't want to confuse "Bad Taste" with "Creative." If you have the proper strategy, that shouldn't be much of a concern. If you are presented ad concepts that bother you on a deeper level (more than the placement and size of your logo or other such trifles), maybe it's time to address the strategy as much as the concepts.

The big payoff really comes when bad economic times rebound into good. When people have more money to spend, your business will have a higher, better mind share than the folks who chose not to advertise. Higher mind share leads to higher market share when the public starts buying again.

There's the story of a brand of peanut butter that, due to government-mandated conversion of its factory for the effort during World War II, was not even commercially available. Yet, the brand was consistently advertised. When the war was over, guess which brand had higher market share?

And it's in this atmosphere of free spending that market share is hardest to hold onto. More dollars to throw around, more choices, the market gets diluted. Why not go into that phase the leader, or the biggest gainer?

So, when your competition rolls back their ad spending, pump yours up. You stand only to benefit from the less-competitive atmosphere. Still a little unsure? Then set up a dollar cost averaging system for marketing. Spend the same amount every week, every month, every quarter. You might be surprised you get more results in "down turned" markets.

Marketing is everything. If it weren't, your company would only subsist on word of mouth and chance.~

Republishing part of or entire article, in all forms, is welcomed, as long as author bio info is printed and proper authorship credit is given. As a courtesy, please send author a complimentary copy.

About The Author
 

John Jordan is a freelance commercial writer based in Omaha, Nebraska. He publishes a free monthly e-zine focusing on branding, advertising, and marketing from his web site http://www.brandedbetter.com. Speaking with both agency and in- house experience, he knows the most valuable asset of a business is its brand.

Brand Yourself with a Better Bio
Copright 2007 by Kristie Tamsevicius

A bio is a key part of your marketing toolbox. And a well written one is worth it’s weight in gold! This seeming simple marketing blurb has the amazing power to wow the media, impress a decision maker, or showcase your expertise to any potential buyer. And, once you have written a good bio, you’ll find a million uses for it. In addition to adding one to your website, you can use in your article byline, email signature, one sheet, promotional flyers, brochures, sales letters, and more! But how you go about writing a bio? Below are some 20 tips for what to include in your bio.

1. Area of expertise

2. Title and company name

3. Media coverage you have received including television, magazine, and radio

4. Topic you you are a sought after speaker on

5. Number of people you have spoken to

6. Number of counties you have spoken in

7. Names of books you have authored

8. Credentials including notable awards or recognitions you have won

9. Clubs or organizations that you are actively involved in

10. Personal insights such as what you believe, your mission, your vision

11. Quirky fact about you such as “A former school teacher-turned-confrontation expert, Jane helps people communicate more effectively. Or an avid baseball fan, when Bill is not speaking, you’ll find him eating hot dogs and watching the Chicago Cubs with his son Dave.

12. Interests or hobbies

13. Occupation of your parents, if it’s interesting and adds to the story. Ex: The son of Vermont Turkey Farmers, Jim Smith is….

14. What your hometown is known for.

15. Interesting or substantial former careers

16. What led you to start your current business

17. What you help people to do

18. Events that shaped your life

19. Offices you have held

20. Call to action like “For a free report on “9 Ways to Build your Bottom Line” visit www.9WaystoProfit.com

About The Author
 

Speaker, Author, and Consultant, Kristie Tamsevicius is President of Branding on the Net. A sought after branding expert, Kristie turns regular business people into top experts in their field. She creates branded websites that position you as a mini celebrity so you increase sales, book more presentations, and become headline news. Claim your free report "Web Branding Secrets" by visiting www.brandingonthenet.com today.

kristie@brandingonthenet.com