6 Essentials of a Effective Ad

Six Essentials of an Effective Ad       smallbusinessgrow.com

Many Marketing "experts" will tell you that the only effect marketing tools are found on the Internet, I disagree.  In my experience I have found that there is no silver bullet to marketing.  The best approach is a multi-faceted approach.  This includes print ad's, flyers, door hangers and business cards.  The reason these methods of marketing are ineffective to many is because they don't follow the essentials of an effective ad.  

The following is a list of Six Essentials of an Effective Ad.  Click here for FREE Download

First - Your ad must grab the attention of your target market.  Don't try to appeal to everyone, know your target market and design an Ad specifically for them.  For example; If your ideal customer is a Young Professional between the ages of 25-40, making over $75,000 per year, lives in a Condo and drives a high end sports car, make sure your Ad uses some of these images, speaks their language and appeals to their sense of style when introducing your product of service. 

Second - Your ad must show the benefits of your product or service.  How is your product or service going to better their lives?  How will your service make life easier for them?  How will your product give them the edge over their competition at the office?  For example;  If you are an auto detail company, you would explain how you will make their company vehicles grab the attention of their customers with their new shine and let them know how convenient your service will be for them.

Third - Proof of your Benefit.  This comes in the form of a brief customer testimonial. For example; "I must say I was impressed at the fast and professional service I received.  One call and my car has never looked so good, you've got my business!"

Forth - Convince the potential customer to act now!  You might use an offer with a time limit, such as, Call before Friday and get a $20 discount on our Deluxe service.  You can also limit the number of customers you can service, such as;  "My time slots are filling up, so call today if you want to be put on my route!"  These are effective ways to instill a since of urgency in the potential customer.

Fifth - Make it personal.  If you can use their name, "Hi Mike..." use it, having a picture of their city is also appealing.  Avoid using corporate jargon, as a Small Business owner part of your appeal is that you are not one of the big corporations, so just talk like you would to a friend.  For example; Instead of saying, "We have representatives standing by to take your call." You might say, "Give me a call today, I'm looking forward to talking to you."

Sixth - Give a price!  There is nothing more frustrating than to get an Ad that you are interested in and not have a price for the product or service.  Don't make your potential customers have to read the fine print, or go to another source to get a price, just post it in the Ad.  Those who are interested will appreciate not having to hunt down the price.  This is also a qualifier, it will weed out shoppers and funnel buyers to you.  This also gives you a way to attract customers with special offers and pricing discounts if they call or login fast.  For example; I'm offering a $25 discount today only, just call with the promo code below and receive the discount!

These are Six Essentials of an Effective Ad, whether you are using print advertisement, or online marketing, these tips will help your Ad be more effective and close more sales.

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Is this Deductable? Your Small Business Tax Deduction Checklist

Your Small Business Tax Deduction Checklist

 Don’t leave the office without it!

As a Small Business owner you know the confusion that we all share when it comes to taxes.  I thought you might find this blog helpful, with the federal tax code containing more than 72,000 pages and growing, trying to figuring out what you can and can not claim as a deduction can be confusing at best. With the help of Randy Myers from Business on Main, here are some tips to help you minimize your tax bill without having the IRS knocking on your door. 

What can I claim as a deduction?

Meals and Travel -  Small Businesses can deduct 100 percent of business travel expenses, things like Airline tickets, Lodging, Travel, and other such expenses.  Many don't realize however that you can only deduct 50% of meals while on a business trip.  The confusion comes because you can take a 100% deduction on meals while you are traveling to and from a business destination. There are a few exceptions to the meal rules, best to see an accountant for the fine details.

Auto expenses - If you use a vehicle for your Small Business, you can take deductions including ordinary expenses related to maintenance and up keep, however it is necessary to keep a vehicle mileage log for miles, and gas receipts. The confusion here is that you cannot count traveling from home to your place of work.  

Office at Home - If you have an office in your home, either part time or full time, you can claim a tax deduction for a percentage of you home related expenses such as a percentage of your rent or mortgage and your utility bills.  It is best to consult a CPA for the specifics.

Gifts -  If you give gifts to customers they are tax deductible, but only up to $25 per client annually, so don't get crazy with it.

Internet, phone and cable - When used for business purposes each of these are all generally tax-deductible expenses when used at your place of business. If you are using them from your home office, they will have to be pro-rated.  You can claim the percentage that involve business use.

Work Opportunity Credit - There is a range from $2,400 to $9,600, that is available for every employee your business hires that are from specific groups that the government identifies as having historically faced road blocks to employment. They include military veterans, with a disability or financial-aid criteria, ex-felons, and people who have been receiving various forms of federal financial assistance.

Benefits - Often a business owner can claim a tax deduction for some benefits provided to their employees, like group term life insurance, parking and mass transit or van-pooling services, according to Mike Scholz, a partner in the Tax and Business Services group at Wegner CPAs in Madison, Wisconsin.

Retirement packages -  Many Small Business owners never bother to create retirement plans, in doing so they give up valuable tax breaks for their companies.

I hope this checklist was helpful to you.  Thanks to Randy Myers from Business on Main for his articles input.

For more helpful information about Small Businesses and for a FREE Download go to www.smallbusinessgrow.com

Helpful article by Randy Myers from; Business on Main