Too much advertising?

Too much advertising? Is there such thing? In some ways yes but not all. Its important to identify when you are advertising too much. We think we must always keep our business in the front. This can be done without overpowering your customers or potential customers with advertisements. They never want to feel blind-sided by your real intentions.

As a WAHM, you are probably looking for inexpensive if not completely free advertising. There are several creative options available to you everywhere you look. You must approach these with a realistic view of what is considered too much. Place yourself in the shoes of a customers and ask yourself would I feel overwelmed if someone were to do this to me? If that answer is yes or maybe, look for another way. Always keep in mind people want to be in the know not feel overwelmed and devalued.

A very cost effective advertising tool is email. This is one area you must be very careful in your advertising. Sending an quick message to all your family and friends via email letting them know how excited you are about your new business is fine. It is encouraged to make a 1 time intro email at the start of your new business. That does not mean email them over and over. When you do this, you are considered spamming. When using email to advertise and keep customers and potential customers abreast on all the new products and sales, make a prefered mailing list. This is one where you ask if they would like to receive occassional mailings. Group these in your email. Most email providers offer the ability to place desired contacts into specified groups. Occassionally would be once every 2 weeks to once a month. No more. And always place an opt out message at the end of every ad email you send on how to unsubscribe from these types of emails. Always give your customers the opportunity to remove themselves at anytime.

Another cost effective advertising tool is using your instant messenger list. Here again you must be careful. Send occassional mentions of specials, sales, parties, etc. Do not send 5 messages a day even when they are different ads. A big reason to be cautious - people tend to think all you do is send ads and will quickly close these private message windows. Defeats the purpose right? A better option is change your instant messenger status with a quick and sassy blurb that includes a link. This allows people to read your ad but not feel burdened or bombarded by ads. If sending ads via IM is your prefered method, make a seperate "ad" group. This can give you the same results as above but it keeps you out of hot water.

How many of you use social networking sites such as MySpace, Facebook, etc? Everyone loves adding new and exciting friends, reading comical bulletins, and offering their take on the zany survey. What they do not want is blatant ads at every moment. When you add friends, what is your intention? You only want to them to know about your business and make them a customer? Do you wish to engage in the occassional conversation and connect on the friend level? Making a page geared towards your business sounds great but if someone feels you are just a spammer, you have already lost the game. Every bulletin should not be an ad or directing you to a website. Jump in and add to the fun. Post silly surveys or quizes on occassion. Send on a funny joke or share in exciting news of your new car. Post pictures and show you are a real person. One oops I have found many times is profiles made private. If you wish to advertise and network with several others, how can you if they can't see who you are before they say "yes" or "no". The key here is socialize and network not just sell sell sell.

Join a message board that interests you. Talk with others. Contribute when you can. Post a nice intro about y0urself and how excited you are about your business. Your message board social life should not end there and be followed with endless ads posted every moment you can think of. If they see all you do is post ads, you lost your audience.

Join groups that are of interest to you. A plus is if they offer an ad day once a week or month. Here again as I am sure you guessed - contribute and socialize. Do not just join because they have an ad day. Join because you have a genuine interest.

One advertising avenue we tend to use too often and not recognized immediately - advertising to the same people all the time. In your advertising you want new people to see your ads. You want your audience to grow. The more than know, the more likely you are to make a sale. Always look for a new way to advertise.

Remember, moderation and creativity the key to effective advertising not the extreme of seeing your name over and over in their nightmares.

Olivia Vidal
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