Marketing Ideas From a Leather Clad Vampire Hottie

I have to tell you... there are worse ways to spend a Saturday night than sitting down with a bottle of wine and a bowl of ice-cream and watching a skin-tight-leather-clad Kate Beckinsale dealing death and destruction.

I'm talking, of course, about Underworld 4, the latest film in the Underworld saga. I haven't had the pleasure of seeing 2 and 3 yet, but that didn't make the plot any harder to follow... although "plot" is probably a fairly optimistic way of putting things.

Why?

Because they're all pretty much the same: hot Vampire Chick slays numerous bad-guys and werewolves in various ingenious, inventive and improbable ways, and ends up in a humungous fight scene at the end where she invariably triumphs.

High art, it ain't.

But who cares?

After all, it's entertaining and it doesn't exactly take lot of effort to work out what's going on -- it's Kate Beckinsale in skintight leather.

Need I say more?

But here's a question: how many films like this can Hollywood make before everyone gets bored and stops watching them?

The answer is...

... as many as they please.

Because the public never tires of them and never is going to, because it taps deeply into our human psyche. Like I said: it's Kate Beckinsale in skintight leather.

So... what does this have to do with marketing your business?

Oh, just about everything, that's all.

Because a lot of my clients come to me and ask me to help then write new ads, web-pages and sales letters.

And I ask them why.

The answer?

Because they're bored of them and want something new.

Wrong answer.

It's perfectly valid to be testing new material against existing ads to see if you can improve response; but it's folly to take something that's working and replace it in toto, just because you are bored with it.

The only time to do that is when it's stopped working and is no longer making you money. And since your market will get bored long after you do, you ought to forget about how you feel about your marketing pieces and see what the numbers are telling you (because the numbers cannot lie).

To put it another way... writing your ads to please your own tastes is like Hollywood making a film to please the critics rather than the people who make the whole thing worthwhile: the cinema goers.

So rather than changing things around because you're bored of them, focus instead on putting your existing material in front of more people.

That'll pay you back big time.

Look... marketing success really does not have to be a struggle.

But it can be, if you don't know the easy way to do it. Jon McCulloch is perhaps Europe's top direct response marketing expert (and he's definitely the most irreverent and Non-PC one you'll ever meet).

So if you're feeling brave and you're not easily offended, then feel free to help yourself to his regular marketing tips by email, and a whole heap of free marketing goodies besides.

But be warned: these tips are NOT for shrinking violets or the faint hearted.

They're waiting for you here: http://www.jonmcculloch.com/free-email-tips

Restaurants Can Increase SEO With Keywords

Customers search millions of things a day on many different search engines. In order to take advantage of these searches, restaurants can use keywords and phrases to increase their SEO ratings and learn more about what their customers are really searching for.

The big mistake that restaurants do at the beginning of creating their keyword campaign is not using the proper keywords to attract people to their sites. To avoid this, SEOmoz has come up with a few things in their "Beginners Guide to SEO" that restaurants should do to insure that their keywords and phrases will be effective.

They should first ask does the keyword match the content that their site offers. It is important that the people that will be directed to the site by the keyword will be able to find the information that they are looking for. It is also important that the customers who visit the site will turn their search into a purchase from the site. If the keyword does not have this potential, it should not be used.

Doing research on the keyword or keywords that a restaurant is planning on doing is critical in order to see how beneficial it will be to the restaurant. They can do this by searching for the term on the major search engines and see if it appears in their search results. Also, they can use Google AdWords to do a sample run of the keyword. All that they have to do is pick exact match and direct all the traffic from the keyword search to their webpage. Then they can track how many impressions and the conversion rate of their keyword.

The last thing to do is evaluate how well the keywords and phrases did. A restaurant should see how valuable a customer is who used the keyword to get to their site. They can do this by looking at the number of people who visited the site and then how many were actually converted to profit. If this number is reasonable, then the keyword was successful, but if it was not up to par then the restaurant should rethink their keyword strategy and try again.

Something that restaurants looking to increase their SEO rating should know is what is called the long tail of keyword demand. What most businesses do is pick the popular keywords that get them a lot of clicks. What they don't know is that all of these clicks only make up about 30% of the total clicks. The remaining searches, about 70%, is called the long tail of search. These are keywords that are only searched a few times and sometimes only once. This is important because restaurants can fill their pages with these long tail words and get a larger number or people visiting their page.

Restaurants are seeing satisfying results from search marketing when they implement it correctly. It can help increase profits and build awareness of a new business. In the end, restaurants should take SEO very seriously and apply it to their business in order to see the benefits their counterparts are already enjoying.

Why a Business Card Is Still Relevant in a Digital World

Everywhere you look, experts are saying that businesses have to focus on a web presence. Websites, social media profiles and search engine optimization have become industry buzzwords. Traditional networking methods may not seem relevant in the face of all this, but having a good business card is still just as important as it's always been.

Recognizable Format

Everyone recognizes a business card. The size and shape of this simple networking tool is standard for every business, and people of all ages are familiar with the format. This is important to keep in mind, especially if your company's products and services appeal to a varied customer base. You may be able to entice young consumers to check out your mobile site or Facebook page, but other potential customers might not be so tech-savvy. Having a business card lets you instantly connect with interested parties of any age, regardless of how familiar they are with the latest technology.

Quick Reference

A good business card puts all of your company's information in one place. The physical address of your office or store, land line and cell phone numbers, your e-mail address, social media profile links and more can all be included on one simple paper rectangle. Customers can see all of this information at a glance without having to touch their computers or Smartphones.

Fast Networking

Even if you have the most amazing, user-friendly website ever designed, it won't get you anywhere at a business meeting or trade show. You can't hand a digital page to potential customers. But business cards can be exchanged in a matter of seconds and referred back to just as quickly. Your card also makes a statement about your business. A concise, well-designed card tells potential customers that you care about details and organization, two important points which can put you ahead of the competition.

Doorway to Digital

Since the Internet isn't about to go away, you do want to have a digital presence. You can use your business card as a doorway to whatever Internet-based setup works best for your business. Including your website address and social media information on your business card gives people instant access to every aspect of your company's web presence. Interested customers can go to your website for an in-depth look at your products and services, while existing customers can "Like" you on Facebook or follow you on Twitter for up-to-date developments and real-time interactions.

Though many traditional business transaction and marketing methods have gone digital, it's still important to have a physical business card. A well-designed card gives you a quick way to connect with customers and clients while leaving a lasting impression that will make them want to come to you when they need your products or services.

If you're simply looking to refresh your cards, Snap business card printing professionals will work with your existing branding to create an eye-catching design that leaves a lasting impression.