Using Print Ads to Bolster Your e-Business

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By:Robert Abrom

When you are developing the marketing plan for your business, there are many factors you must take into consideration. Advertising is crucial, but needs to be done strategically in order to garner the best response for your money.

Many online businesses rely upon e-mail advertising to accomplish the majority of their marketing goals. For the most part this is an easy and inexpensive way to advertise your product or to maintain contact with existing customers.

There can be several flaws with e-mail or online marketing, the greatest one of which is ending up in the clients spam file. E-mail messages that are not very carefully worded will be jettisoned there without ever even seeing the inbox.

Using the word "free" anywhere in your message is one guaranteed way to get you there. Most e-mail servers search for certain words or phrases that identify the e-mail as spam, and "free" is one of those very words.

People nowadays are also so accustomed to receiving unsolicited e-mail advertisements that they hit the "delete" button with gleeful abandon, and many times accidentally condemn your message to the trash without ever even opening it.

Print Ads Get the Customer's Attention

In the electronic age in which we live, your customers have adjusted to receiving the majority of their "junk mail" via the Internet. With the growth of electronic advertising, many businesses have cast away their direct mail efforts.

Direct mail advertising is still very much so alive and well, though. In fact, there is a large percentage of the buying public who still prefer the more personalized feel of direct mail.

Present your printed advertisement in such a way as to grab your customer's attention. Use teaser print on the envelope or a catchy phrase on the face of the ad that will grab your prospect's eye. Pique their curiosity and give them a reason to open the envelope.

Advantages of Direct Mail

You can do many things with direct mail that you cannot do with electronic advertising. Vivid images and eye-catching graphics help grab your prospect's attention. You can include a sample of your product, or a free gift. If you sell products that are scented, such as perfume, candles, lotion, or bath products, you can include a "scratch and sniff." Printed advertising allows you to engage more of your prospect's senses, which in turn heightens their interest in your product.

Your main disadvantage with direct mail marketing is that it does cost more than e-mail or Internet marketing. You must do your homework and know your prospect, and selectively advertise by using qualified lists. You may even already have your own list of customers and potential customers, built through your website.

Direct mail marketing adds another whole dimension to your marketing efforts. It provides you with another avenue of catching their attention and garnering their interest in your product. You can engage senses that electronic marketing cannot. You can also track your marketing efforts to determine their effectiveness. Consider the advantages of printed advertising to add another dimension to your marketing efforts.

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Article keywords: Print Ads, Marketing, Internet Marketing, E-Commerce Marketing

Article Source: http://www.articles2k.com

Robert Abrom is the CEO of Abrom Research Inc., find more resources for your journey to entrepreneurship at http://abromresearch.com