In today’s article, we’re going to take a look at some ways to improve upon your advertising efforts. The fastest and easiest way to gain more new leads and customers is by advertising, but if your advertising doesn’t work, you will have a hard time staying in business – and this is exactly what this article will try to resolve for you.

In fact, let’s take a look at the first step to creating an ad that doesn’t fail:

1. Don’t focus on building an image

Image or brand marketing is a form of marketing that I don’t condone. Most people when they start off advertising, they think they have to run ads that same way that big corporations do. You may be thinking that these small business owners are doing the right thing by following million dollar companies, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.

The fact of the matter is that if you want to have an ad that is mega successful, you shouldn’t follow the big corporations. They have millions to blow on advertising, while you probably only have a couple grand to spare. Do you see the chasm between these 2 numbers?

Plus, most big businesses don’t turn a profit until around the 3rd time that a prospect buys from them. You should know that you can totally avoid this. Instead of using brand or image advertising, focus on direct response. Direct response is all about getting a response from your ad right away. There’s no “waiting until you get exposure” – your ad works or it doesn’t. Here’s another tip for improving your advertising efforts:

2. Have a strong headline

Your headline is the 1 crucial factor that stands in your way of making tons of money in your business. The easiest way to analyze your headline is with the “so what” test. After you have written your headline, ask yourself, “So What?” If you can have a compelling answer for this question, then you stand a good chance of making your ad work.

Another way to do a good headline test is to run your headline as a classified ad in the newspaper. If you find that your current headline is pulling responses from your ad, then that should let you know immediately that you have a winning headline. This is a cheap test, and I encourage you to use it so that you know whether or not your headline is productive.

Use these tips in your business to have the roaring success that you dream of. They’ll be more than worth it to try.

Rule #1 Avoid Credit Counseling and Debt Service companies. Any credit counseling service that charges money upfront or monthly fees to repair your credit are often misleading. If the organization is not a non-profit it is highly suggested to move on as there have been many reports of payments being taken and never dispersed to the creditors.

Rule# 2 Obtain a good lawyer. Do not use any service or petitioner if you have decided to seek bankruptcy services. These organizations have been known to make serious mistakes which in turn has forced judges to at times dismiss the entire petition! Imagine trying to save money by doing it yourself and having the court dismiss your case completely. Get a lawyer.

Rule# 3 Credit Reports Do not pay for a credit report. These are free after a law the United States government recently passed requiring all three credit bureaus to offer one free report per year per person.

Rule# 4 Avoid all Loan Sharks from that luring you back into debt. After your bankruptcy is discharged you will be solicited by various credit related agencies. Be very careful. These are often predatory type lenders looking to charge you high interest and upfront fees.

Rule# 5 Change your habits, If you continue to do what you do you will continue to get what you’ve got. So make some changes. We can’t stress this enough. Again, keep it simple and get a good attorney that you are comfortable with.

Typically just seeking a chapter 7 or chapter 13 bankruptcy is the only real viable way to get a fresh start. I advise obtaining a free consultation with one of your local bankruptcy service attorneys to find out if you qualify.

2. Expect that the stock market
There is one thing that analysts are people agree: nobody knows what will happen. It is unlikely that prices (with a general fall of 40%) have already bottomed out, and predicted some quarters moved. Thus, if you do not want to lose, better to abstain for now.

3. Guaranteed funds
Investment funds have been severely punished by the withdrawal of investors who became a flight of capital. However, the pattern of guaranteed funds, which guarantee repayment of the amount invested in the market reversal, and reduce the risk.

4. ETF: to tap foreign markets
The Exchange Traded Fund are investment funds or indices referenced to specific markets, and allow a performance of controlled risk. An informed investor knows temple and come and go at the whims of the market. But: the risks of equities are the order of the day.

5. Debt-to float on inflation
Treasury bills offer a very low profitability (between 2 and 3.5%), and only allow one recovery points above inflation. However, they are the safest investment there is. The bonds and obligations of the state offer an interest a little higher (between 3 and 4.5%), but very long (10, 15 and 30 years).

6. Bank private debt
Corporate finance can offer high returns in the short term provided that we choose the companies with strength, volume of business and reputation to bear the brunt of the crisis. It is expected that the stars of this type of investment are the big banks.

7. Bearing accounts
They offer two main advantages: a return above inflation and immediate liquidity, while not as an investment.

8. Gold: the universal refuge
Revueltas, deflation, and wars are on the first page of the newspapers. And the plants, the mass exodus to gold (either through certificates of deposit or purchase physical), a refuge set in stone. It is believed that in 2009 the price could rise to $ 2000 per ounce.

Years ago, working as a consultant for a major company, frankly, the head of Marketing asked a colleague and me if we could look at his plan for next year, just to have a general view outside. After receiving a copy and reading it carefully was one of those moments where you see a piece fits and clear a few things.

The plan was formally perfect parent product positioning, analysis of various markets, extensive statistical support, professional marketing materials, etc.

And then I thought, “is so perfect … no one will read it.”

The plan dealt with around 50 pages and having participated in several meetings of the council saw clearly that, apart from him, nobody would read the plan, no one would watch a parent or have a look at the statistics and strategies.

True, in the end was the Marketing Director and the department responsible for implementing it, but if I work there, taking other important decisions and I have no idea of the plan (and I will not have to read this book left on my desk because I walk saturated), how do you know that I do something contrary to the plan? What I am not sabotaging the direction you are supposed to go?

Going to the context of small and medium businesses or professional people, we see that although the story itself is not as described, the result is the same background … Who has a marketing plan that has only served to take place in a drawer? Who has not had difficulty to fit the marketing plan with day to day and the real world?

Here are 5 tips for those who would give a friend who would be prepared to make a marketing plan for your small business:

1 .- Do not write a book.

The plan is not literature, and most probably the final effectiveness of the plan in an SME is inversely proportional to the number of pages (especially since no place is so bad but because nobody can find time for eighty pages).

I’ve seen sometimes as a kind of subjective feeling that if a plan does not take many pages missing something. We must eliminate it. A plan is not good or bad because it is short or long, must have the pages to be, but things or filler convoluted prose best left outside.

2 .- Focus on the action.

A plan needs analysis, designing strategies … but essentially served to know what to do to achieve the goals at the end so if the plan is not focused on what to do and when we have nothing.

If the plan does not leave a detailed list of actions to move our agenda, color graphics in 3D is not going to serve anything.

3 .- No “fill the gaps.”

We’ve all been guilty of this sometime. One is the plan and reach a point where you describe something (customer profile, demand analysis or something similar) and has no idea or thought that too much to investigate the response can be a heavy begins to fill what it appears to meet the ballot and pass the post that seem important “is not total for both” think.

Fill time is lost, the subjective feeling that can not do it and do not like white holes, but can not write for writing clients. If we have any sense that we are doing it better ourselves to tackle and do something else, be more productive.

4 .- Review of truth

The parts of an analysis of plan can easily drop into a “I imagine a few reasons for the final analysis is a justification of what we already thought ahead.” The analysis is a critical look precisely to challenge what we think ahead. Anything else again be wasted effort.

Above all things affirm ask: “Why?”. If the answer is vague or not we checked, we have to work harder.

5 .- Review often

Sometimes we make it so that when a plan has been met with one of these “labors of Hercules” that we have exhausted and do not want to know anything more.

The plan is not intended to print it, put it on the shelf and forgotten. The plan should be reviewed, updated and corrected (because there will be enough to correct things …).

The plan is usually something theoretical when clashes with the reality shows that had too many assumptions and theoretical strategies … be learned from it and modify it according to what reality tells us.

What looks good to you may not necessarily be attractive to your audience. It’s good advice to friends and associates, but his comments are only relevant if they are members of your target market. You should also keep in mind that just because the whole world is announced in a certain way is not proof that it works.

2. Provides answers to these three critical questions of marketing:

QUESTION 1: What is this?
Make sure your marketing materials to communicate to their customers immediately and clearly what you offer and what the next step that we are encouraging him to take.

QUESTION 2: What about me?
Do not tell your audience about what is for them or allow this information in small print at the bottom. Use clear language free of jargon of the industry. Describe your bid, not from the perspective of what it does but in terms of the benefits that customers receive and how they will benefit by purchasing your product or service.

QUESTION 3: Why should I listen?
How to establish credibility with your audience? Include your picture and display prominently in your contact details. Present case studies, statistics, notes and testimonials from satisfied customers also helps. If people do not believe you are not going to respond to their offer.

3. Monitoring, tracking, monitoring …

Over 80% of all sales are made after the prospectus has heard of you at least seven times. However, a typical entrepreneur gives up after only one or two attempts to monitor the contact.

Use a combination of mail, email, telephone and personal visits to its strategy of tracking potential customers.

4. Develop a system

Most entrepreneurs and professionals waste their time and money in one shot, performing alone and isolated from promotion. They practice a system of marketing “all or nothing” and therefore a strategy and try to stop it before it has a chance to produce any results.

Instead of developing new marketing strategies look for ways to improve those that already are using. When you find a promotion strategy that works to build a system around it, so you can apply it consistently over and over again.