QclVVNsiKLLYYUaNMAEFhcZi6LzZNnB: December 2012

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Save Money by Eliminating Your Shopping Cart

Choosing a shopping cart for your coaching business can be difficult and confusing with so many options out there. While there are plenty of great shopping cart services to choose from many coaches don't realize that there are ways to get around having to use one, and plenty of reasons why you don't need one.

Choosing the right shopping cart for your coaching business is important because many of them don't just take payments and collect customer information but will also manage your mailing list, or at least keep a mailing list for customers that have purchased from you. This is very useful, but can be redundant if you already maintain a separate newsletter list, and annoying if you have to always copy and paste email addresses between one service and another.

Changing who your email list is hosted with is also a pain, requiring your customers to re-opt in, or you having to jump through hoops in order to bypass this annoyance and not lose a percentage of your list. So once you make your choice for a newsletter provider (or shopping cart with newsletter capabilities), it's generally easier just to stick with it, even if it's inconvenient.

So how do you get away with not using a shopping cart, but still make sales and keep track of your customers? You skip the middle man and integrate your payment service directly with your newsletter service.

All that your shopping cart does is create a way for you to host your products and process your payments through a service like PayPal, or your merchant account. What you may not realize is, some of the top newsletter services (such as AWeber, which is the service I use and recommend) have the ability to directly interface with these same payment systems through an email parser.

So essentially you just put your "buy now" button on your website, a customer clicks it, goes through the normal check out process and when they hit the submit button not only is the payment processed, but they are subscribed to a specific autoresponder dedicated to that product (and it's possible to automagically add them to your newsletter as well) all for an extra zero dollars a month. How cool is that?

This work around is really only worth it if you're selling a few products or coaching packages on your website. The reason being you have to link each product individually to an autoresponder which can be time consuming initially. However, if you're like most coaches and are mostly selling a couple of coaching packages and teleseminars this is a great way to save yourself some money on a shopping cart, and save time adding customers to your newsletter list.

Top 9 Reasons Why I Choose Getresponse As My Autoresponder?

Email marketing is a powerful marketing strategy in the internet marketing business. In order to be an effective email marketer, we need a tool to help us to achieve our purposes. The tool that we need to use is an autoresponder.

There are many autoresponders in this world. However I choose Getresponse as my autoresponder.

Here are a few reasons why I choose Getresponse as my autoresponder.

1)Tracking your emails

One of the features offered by Getresponse is that they allow you to track your emails for any campaign. You can find out how many readers read your emails,click on your links or just delete them and so much more.

2) Linked to Social Medial Sites

Many business now are using social media (for example Myspace, twitter and Facebook) to promote their business. However to sent messages to all this sites on your own can be time consuming. Getresponse can link up with your social media accounts and you can sent your messages and alerts to all the social media sites easily.

3)Marketing library

Getesponse has a marketing library and you can learn how to write a better email, the latest trends in the business and so much more.

4)Tutorials

There is a lot of free videos and tutorials available on how to use Getresponse.Therefore any newbie can easily learn how to use and master it.

5)Flexible payment plans

Getresponse offers flexible payment plans to suit everybody's budget. They allow you to pay monthly, quarterly, semi-annually or annually.

6)Good customer service

Getresponse offers free support by email, phone and live chat. They also have a free forum where you can place your questions and they will reply to you quickly.

7) Email templates

You get to choose designed email templates that suit your business with Getresponse. This is particularly good if you like to place an emphasis on branding.

8)Video Marketing

Getresponse allows you to use their services for video marketing. You can use a video to record your face and messages and then sent out to your list as messages.

9) Free trial

There is a free trial period being offered by Getresponse. The free services doesn't have all the services provided for the premium service and it does contains ads. Some of the features offered in the free trial are unlimited autoreponders,messages follow up (only 5 in the free trial), mailing list management, pop up creator and a tool that allows you to know whether your email is consider as a spam. Therefore anybody who is uncertain about Getresponse services should take up the free trial and decide later.

It is important to choose a good autoresponder for our online business. Since using Getresponse, I have no regrets and will continue using it for my online business.

How Often To Mail Your Email Subscriber List? Autoresponders - Secrets to Success With This Powerful Tool Email Signature - What's the Message That You Are Sending to Your List? Autoresponders - What You Should Know GetResponse Vs AWeber - Which Autoresponder Is Best for Your Needs? Affiliate Marketing Tips: Use an Auto-Responder

Autoresponder Strategies - The Internets Killer Application

If you are brand new to Internet marketing one of the key things you will be introduced to as a must have in your business is an autoresponder. On the Internet there are two fundamental ways of acquiring website sales, the first is to generate traffic to your website and the second is to convert your website visitors into customers and for that you are going to require autoresponder strategies.

Traffic generation strategies are the life blood of your business and even if you have the most amazing autoresponder strategies in place locked and loaded and ready to go if you have not got enough traffic generators in place gaining you enough visitors to your website then you are going to find it hard to drive enough sales to make any profits.

You Cannot Rely On Just Your Website For Your Sales

If as an online business owner you rely exclusively on your website for your sales then your Internet business is not going to go very far. Email marketing and autoresponder strategies are a very hot item in e-commerce and should be thought of as important as any other part of your business if not more important. A layman may think of email marketing as spam but to the marketing industry it is a goldmine.

The all time most effective marketing strategy in the world to increase your percentages of sales is to put an opt in mechanism on your website for capturing your visitors contact information, develop a relationship with them through your autoresponder strategies and as a result if you do it in the right way you will dramatically increase the chances of ultimately making more sales.

Review The Frame Of Mind Of Your Audience

One of the most effective ways in which you create highly successful autoresponder strategies is to review the frame of mind of your audience before writing a single word. Clearly when you want to sell your ideas and products to others you need to create rapport with them. One simple but highly effective way in which you can do this is to align yourself with them or even more simply be like them. People will then develop a bond with you because they see a reflection of themselves in you and that is very attractive.

For your emails to get read you will need to construct a compelling subject line and in these busy days and times it must be irresistible and must literally be begged to be opened. A common mistake is to make the subject line and advertisement which is like asking your readers to watch a TV commercial and that is not the intention when creating effective autoresponder strategies.

Remember that each of us is bombarded with an average of 3500 commercial messages per day from TV, billboards, radio and the Internet so think outside the box when creating your autoresponder strategies and be a human who is there to help.

How Often To Mail Your Email Subscriber List? Autoresponders - Secrets to Success With This Powerful Tool Email Signature - What's the Message That You Are Sending to Your List? GetResponse Vs AWeber - Which Autoresponder Is Best for Your Needs?

Cash for Gold Services Can Provide Extra Funds

Every now and then, people deal with moments where they don't have enough money. They have worked hard all month, but once they get their check almost everything goes to bills and other necessities. They don't have anything left over for other expenses or fun activities. The truth is they probably do have a way to get extra money, but they just aren't aware of it. That's because they more than likely have a stash of valuable jewelry sitting around that they can take to a cash for gold service.

For example, they may have a bunch of broken jewelry in their possession. Unless they plan on getting some of it fixed, there is really no reason to keep it. It isn't doing anyone any good and it's only taking up space that new jewelry could be filling. Besides, by bringing the pieces to a cash for gold service, they would be making money instead of spending it.

There are also people who have jewelry that they no longer want. When they first purchased it, they loved it and wore it all of the time. However, as time went on their tastes changed and they no longer want to wear it. On the other hand, there are some people who still have the same tastes, but they no longer desire a certain jewelry piece or style. As previously mentioned, it doesn't make much sense to keep things that will never be used, especially when you can get something of value in exchange for them. The act of getting rid of some clutter from the home can help them out of a rut, too!

Lastly, there are people who just need extra money. They don't necessarily have jewelry that is broken or unwanted. However, they could use help paying some of their bills. A cash for gold service can help them to get the extra money they need. This doesn't mean that they must part with sentimental family heirlooms or wedding bands. However, there are much less important pieces that are equally as valuable, that could be used as an exchange. This includes old items that are rarely worn or things that were given by an ex-lover.

Cash for gold services are a great way to make a little pocket change and get rid of some of the clutter in your jewelry case. Clearing out some of the excess we all keep can become an incredibly freeing experience that benefits the seller and the buyer.

What It Means to Start Investing in Gold Guidelines For Investments In Silver Buying World Coins With Confidence - (Do You Desire More Information on the Coins You Love?) Do You Own Mint Packaged or Graded Coins? China Is Producing Knock-Offs of These Too

Precious Metals - Not Just in the Wild West!

The discussion of gold and silver was mainly heard among miners, sunken treasure divers, coin collectors and wealthy governments. Today, it is quickly becoming more main stream.

Three camps of people are currently discussing and purchasing precious metals: investment speculators, risk removers, and those preparing for economic collapse. All three have found that physical gold or silver offer something they are not able to get anywhere else. This article will focus on the second camp, risk removers.

If someone believes in diversification and wants to spread their risk, not only should they consider metals as another asset class, they need to consider currency risk. How many of your retirement investments are measured in US dollars? What happens to these accounts if the dollar falls quickly?

"Barring a miracle, there will be a fierce storm of inflation sometime in the next few years and it will wipe out a big chunk of the national debt, along with the debts of individual citizens, and the savings of others." - Michael Kinsley Jan 19, 2012 Bloomberg

Gold tends to outperform other investments during periods of political or economic tension. The same factors that cause other investments to suffer will traditionally cause the price of gold to rise. Many financial experts recommend maintaining 10%-20% of your portfolio in precious metals to ensure sufficient diversification and to provide a hedge against inflation and market downturns. Recent trends and events, however, might indicate an increase in these percentages.

To accomplish this diversification, many will place gold and silver inside an IRA or ROTH IRA. Due to the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, investors can add a wider variety of precious metal bullion to their IRAs. This is accomplished through use of a self-directed IRA and a safe depository that only the IRA trustee may access on your behalf. With capital gains rates likely to increase, investing in metals within a ROTH IRA could be a way to reduce currency risk, diversify your portfolio and get tax free gains!

Regardless of which camp a person falls in, a purchase should be made carefully. Metal dealers have not been highly regulated and they are not all the same. In Austin Texas, a commemorative coin marketer has agreed to pay up to $5 million in restitution and comply with the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act.

Today a dealer must comply with the Federal Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), Patriot Act, Office of Foreign Assets Control, and others. Without face to face business transactions verifying a client's Government issued photo I.D., SS number and using BSA software, the most popular online precious metal dealers are in violation of these Federal laws. Things to look for in a dealer include: real time transactions, knowledgeable, easily facilitates IRA transactions, security, confidentiality, compliance with face-to-face transactions, and a buy-back program. Look out for hard sell tactics, churning your holdings, and leveraged or margin accounts. The Federal Trade Commission offers this advice:

"Check out the company by entering its name in a search engine online. Read whether other people have something to say about their experiences with the company. Try to communicate offline if possible to clarify any details. In addition, contact your state Attorney General ( http://www.naag.org ) and local consumer protection agency ( http://www.consumeraction.gov )... "

What Is Silver Spot Price?

Spot price is the price you would have to shell out at this moment to buy the commodity. Therefore, spot price is in essence the 'right now'. Spot price is affected by the market trends and does not operate in isolation. The future spot price strongly affects a non perishable commodity such as silver. An increase in spot price does not necessarily indicate a high demand of silver. The silver spot price may be high as the traders are expecting a rise in the future. The predictions or the sentiments of the traders in such cases is a strong indicator of what to expect in the silver market.

The future price is as important as the current price in the commodity market. Speculation plays an important role in this market. This importance exists as it gives suppliers and purchasers a hedge against future changes on silver prices. The prices on silver are decided beforehand, even before the silver is bought. This is called a commodity contract. A silver commodity contract is an agreement to buy a specific amount of silver at a decided price at a particular time. The silver price decided in the contract remains binding regardless of it rising or falling in the meantime.

The main advantage for suppliers is that they are guaranteed a customer for their commodity at a certain price even though the of the commodity may rise or fall in the future. The supplier is certain of a sale in this instance. The buyer on the other hand is hoping that the commodity price will rise. The buyer will be able to purchase at a low price and later sell it at the current high price. He will then be able to pocket the difference from the contractual price and the real.

The actual situation is somewhat more complex than this. In reality the investor never really buys the contract but actually sells it to a third party. The third party wants the contract before it matures. There is also the 'put' option, which is actually a form of selling short. It means selling a contract before you actually own it on the assumption that the price will fall. In this way you will be able to buy the contract at a lower price and pocket the difference between the price you sold it at before owning and the actual price you were able to buy it for.

Have You Ever Seen a Collectible Counterfeit Coin? This One Could Be Worth Acquiring

On August 3 1964 legislation was enacted authorizing 45 million new silver dollars to be minted. In May 1965 the White House finally ordered some to be struck and the Denver Mint soon minted 316,076 of the coins which carried a 1964 date and the resurrection of the Peace dollar last minted from 1921-1935.

Shortly after this mintage, an order went out to destroy them. The Treasury Department claims every single coin was accounted for and melted. None have ever appeared since then.

Sculptor Daniel Carr's overstrike "1964-D" Peace dollar is a beautiful and faithful rendition of the original. And since these are over-struck on genuine 1922 to 1935 Peace silver dollars, they are correct in every detail, weight, metal composition, size, edge reeding, etc.

All the over-strikes were even performed using a surplus Denver Mint coin press. An issue numbering 1964 total coins was struck with die pair #5 in 2010. This was done to MS 63 quality standards. Another issue numbering 1964 total coins was struck using die pair #6. These met MS 68 quality standards because of their individual handling.

I understand that some evidence of the underlying host coin design will occasionally show up somewhere on the coin, such as forehead, front of neck, back of neck, and/or eagle's shoulder. I've seen a few of these and the coins are so well done that finding any flaw is difficult. I own one and it is absolutely stunning. I see no flaws in it whatsoever.

Interestingly, if you claim to own an original 1964 Peace dollar, you would be in violation of the law. But this version is LEGAL (though not legal tender) and is not required to carry a "COPY" inscription, because these aren't copies of Peace dollars. They are privately minted over-strikes on authentic Government Issue Peace silver dollars. According to the US Treasury, no 1964 Peace silver dollars exist, therefore they can't be copied.

If you own one of these coins, you assume the responsibility to provide full disclosure of its origin when selling. Failure to provide potential buyers with complete and accurate information when offering these coins for sale could result in fraud charges. Don't even consider claiming these as original 1964-D Peace silver dollars!

The low mintage makes these coins truly rare. I find surprisingly little interest in them and their market price reflects that. They typically sell for $300 to $400. I'm guessing that not many people know about this special coin. To me, it completes my Peace dollar collection.

A Better Hedge With Gold and Silver

The financial markets are back to their news event driven, schizophrenic selves. The European Union concerns remain even after Greece's recent election. Cyprus is on the short list for coming defaults. Spain has formally asked for a bailout. Meanwhile, here in the U.S. the Federal Reserve has just expanded Operation Twist by another $267 billion. The expansion of Operation Twist goes into effect two weeks after we discussed the steepening of the U.S. interest rate futures yield curve. The increasing volatility of the stock and bond markets make the buy and hold mantra a much tougher proposition to follow. However, the full, "risk on, risk off," nature of all hard asset classes makes alternative investments just as volatile.

This volatility has extended to the precious metals markets. Those who've bought gold as a hedge against falling equity prices, dollar depreciation and higher interest rate expectations have been disappointed as both equities and gold have declined in what has morphed into a deflationary environment. The European situation appears as though it will drag on forever. China is doing what it can to provide a soft landing for their slowing economy. India is forecasting much lower growth as well as a stalemate in political reform. Consequently, we've seen the S&P 500 decline by nearly 7% since the March highs. Meanwhile, the gold hedge has lost slightly more at 7.5% over the same period. Ugh.

It is time to rethink the idea of hedging portfolio risk through outright ownership of alternative asset classes. A deflationary environment negates the negatively correlated price structure we expect out of the gold vs. Dollar and equities relationship. This becomes especially tricky when the long-term outlook becomes increasingly inflationary as the direct result of government and banking policies being enacted both domestically and globally.

A top in the silver market preceded the recent decline in the gold market by five months. This also coincided with the peak in the gold versus silver ratio, which priced gold at 32 times the price of silver. Silver was trading at just under $49 per ounce while gold was at $1560. The last time gold was that cheap relative to silver was 1981. The recent high for this spread was 80 during the height of the financial crisis in October of '08.

Commercial traders also appear to be moving to a silver biased position. Commercial traders doubled their net positions when it appeared that the metal markets were building a saucer base and the markets' participants had favorable expectations of the first Greek elections and Eurozone resolution. However, as June approached and Greece was unable to form a coalition government after the first round of elections and Spain's interest rates began to climb on the open market, it became clear that, "risk off" was the correct play. As expected, commercial traders shed approximately 16% of their gold. The shift to silver became obvious when the Commitment of Traders Report showed virtually no change in their corresponding silver position. This places them squarely in camp of, "silver to gain on gold."

Silver is far more volatile than gold. Silver will appreciate more in a, "risk on," environment and will also decline more in a, "risk off," scenario. It is the added volatility of the silver market that allows us to price it competitively. The highest price gold has reached may be 80 times the price of silver but, a more realistic number is somewhere just north of 60. In fact, there have only been 17 months out of the last 96 that gold has closed at a value greater than 65 times the price of silver. Therefore, the current ratio of 58 places the spread well within the value area.

Thus far, we've discussed the gold and silver relationship on a 1 to 1 basis. The ratio that we've been using is based on an ounce of gold and an ounce of silver. However, the futures markets do not trade single ounce contracts. Therefore, we must construct a spread that equalizes the contract sizes and meets the goal of owning silver and selling gold on an ounce for ounce basis. The least common denominator in the futures market is 1,000 ounces. The NYSE Life exchange offers a 1,000 ounce silver futures contract, which is the smallest listed silver contract. This can be paired with 10 contracts of the standard COMEX, 100 ounce gold futures contract to create a spread owning 1,000 ounces of silver and selling 1,000 ounces of gold. This spread will help ensure inflation protection as well as safe haven concerns and diversification away from the equity markets while limiting the schizophrenic effects of a, "risk on/risk off," news and political environment.

Coin Collectors and Coin Buyers, the 4 Stages of Coin Addiction (Are You a Numismaddict?)

Research shows there are four distinct stages of coin addiction, each progressively more enjoyable. Unlike other forms of addiction, coin addiction doesn't result in health issues or permanent financial problems. In the long run, coins can always be sold for equal or more value than their original purchases.

The 4 stages are: 1. Accumulation Stage: At first, there is an appreciation for and attraction to bullion coins, commemorative coins, and common date, mint state Morgan silver dollars. At this point the accumulator is just picking up everything available and getting great satisfaction out of each acquisition.

2. Early Collector Stage: The accumulator begins to see the possibility for a collection. They realize that they have amassed what is starting to resemble coin collections. They realize, if they start filling in the holes, there could be a whole assembly of coins with a common theme. It certainly seems innocent enough, but this almost always progresses to the next, increasingly more expensive stage.

3. Late Collector Stage: It's starting to take more coin purchases and more expensive coins to get the euphoric thrill of acquiring the right specimen for their collection. They start to lie about how much money they're spending on those little beauties. The credit cards are getting maxed out and they're looking for other ways to finance their purchases. It's starting to get out of control.

4. Obsessive Interest Stage: This is the full blown numismaddict stage. They're risking coin overdose now. They're spending way too much money on their "habit". They've lost balance in their life and relationships. Their lifestyle is being outwardly eroded. They would rather spend time with their coins than loved ones. They are starting to buy coins rather than pay bills. They are no longer staying within their coin buying budget. They need grander, more rare and expensive coins to satisfy an almost insatiable desire. Denial Rules the Day!

REMEMBER, COIN PURCHASES CAN ALWAYS BE JUSTIFIED!

The Treatment Plan: Stage 1 and 2 participants should be encouraged to learn more about their interests in collecting and to pursue those avenues. Understand that each new purchase provides a sense of euphoria accompanied by a feeling of immense satisfaction.

Stage 3 requires more tolerance and understanding from family members. Remember, it's like CHRISTMAS every time the collector gets a new coin. Gently remind the collector about maintaining a balance in life and sticking to a budget that allows for other things besides coins. Have the person keep track of monthly coin purchases to shock the offender back into reality.

Stage 4 starts with family members understanding the nature of this disease. The family must appreciate the numismaddict value of rare, beautiful and expensive coins. Develop a plan for their acquisition. At the same time, try to engage the numismaddict in other interests in life. Also realize that if everything else fails, an intervention with family and a qualified, professional, numismaddict counselor is required. This train has momentum and will be difficult to stop.

It's Now Easy to Keep A Tab on Your Investments

Of all the prestigious commodities where one can invest money and be assured to gain investments, Gold and Silver are viewed as the real money maker. And, no doubts, it is gold and silver that holds the capability of not only maintaining its position but also the value amongst all investment ventures available in the present economy. Keeping yourself updated about silver updates would help you make an investment that would let you earn only benefits. Do you have any idea about the silver dollar coin's value? There are various answers to this question as it is dependent on several factors like the status of demand and supply, the price of silver and the type of coin you possess.

Silver, usually, is priced as per the current market value, commonly known as melt value. Melt value refers to that value of the silver that is derived after melting it, and in the market it is sold by weight. Keeping abreast about the silver updates you can keep a tab on its current market value. You can do this either by reading newspapers, watching business news channels and browsing web pages.

It has been a long time that silver has been mined as it was used like money. This, in turn, led to the rise in demand of such metal. As it was withdrawn from the chain of money supply, its demand declined in the market. Contrary to it, demand for its usage enhanced for industrial purposes as in the present times, new ways of using it have been discovered. Furthermore, it is also used in the auto as well as medical industry. Speculations are there that there is limited silver on earth; however demand for it will lead to the price hike per ounce. Keeping yourself updated about silver would let you know its value depending on the supply and demand.

In the present scenario, people are more inclined towards gold. Gold will be a currency while silver is all about precious metal, real money, safe haven and hard asset. Although silver have been money for common for many years now; however today it is much more than money. These days, it is one of the key components used for manufacturing electronic gadgets. Going by what experts believe, silver is one of the scarcest found metals on earth and this is something that can be proved comparing its demand versus supply.

If you are looking for silver updates then scan newspapers and browse the virtual world of internet. It is now easy to keep track on the investments that you have made by keeping yourself abreast about updates of silver. However, invest money considering the present economic situation. One thing is for sure that demand for silver will rise letting you reap benefits.

How to Know Where to Buy Gold

Gold has been a stable and lucrative investment over the past decade. As gold prices remain high on the world market, many people are investing in gold with the hopes that it is still on the rise. If you are considering joining this new gold rush, you may be looking for a place to start shopping. People buy gold in many different forms. You can purchase gold jewelry, coins, bars, scraps, or shares in stock holdings. If you are looking for tangible pieces, you may have already begun to research the best places to purchase.

One of the most popular avenues taken by gold buyers is to purchase from online retailers. If you decide to buy online it is important to follow a few research steps to ensure that the merchant is reputable. Visiting the website of the World Gold Council is a good first move. Amongst educational and helpful news and data about gold investment, you can find information on legitimate gold dealers. It is also encouraged to check the Better Business Bureau when you think you have found an online broker.

Buying gold online from an established company is both fast and convenient. Many online dealers buy and sell other precious metals as well as gold. These companies will offer prices that are concurrent with the current market value. It is important to remember that if you are quoted a price which is much lower than the current gold value, it is most likely from a fraudulent company. No one wants to pay too much for gold, but becoming knowledgeable about the current gold prices and trends will prevent over spending.

For those of you who may not be comfortable with buying on the internet, there are other options. All over the United States there are shops advertising the buying and selling of gold. This can be trickier than buying online as some local dealers will be more likely to be scammers. However, in the same way as researching online dealers you can investigate your local shops. There are also websites where you can go to obtain lists of local reputable sellers of gold in your area. Your best option when looking for a local seller of gold would be to visit the BBB website and search for dealers in your zip code.

When you decide to purchase physical gold in bar or coin form, you will also have to plan for a secure storage for your investment. Many people are comfortable with owning an in-home safe for keeping their valuables. Another option would be to use a bank safe deposit box or gold vault. Storing gold at home is preferable because there are no additional fees to include. This option is encouraged only when you own small amounts of gold, as home safes are always at risk of theft or burglary.

Larger amounts of gold should not be stored in your home. Opting for a safe deposit box can be costly and you are still required to transport your gold to and from your bank. Many US citizens owning gold use the banks as their storage facilities. Lastly, you may want to consider an IRA Custodian for safe keeping of your gold investment. Sterling Trust, American Estate and Trust, and Gold Star Trust are among the BBB "A" rated businesses for IRA Custodians.

Allocating Your Marketing Budget: Do You Give Email the Budget Dollars It Deserves?

For too long now, email and the Internet channels have been given a relatively small piece of the marketing budget pie. Why is it such a challenge for some marketing professionals to read the research reports that continue to document the massive shift from traditional to interactive media? There's no denying this paradigm shift is happening and will continue to gain momentum with each passing year as the dinosaurs of the pre-Internet era become a smaller and smaller part of the consumer spending landscape.

Every year both during and after the December Holiday spending frenzy, we collectively gasp as the percentage of dollars spent online continues to rise. These numbers seem to multiply two- or three-fold year over year. The message to marketers should be pretty clear: follow the consumer's research and buying habits.

Marketers should be budgeting more for this important medium as more and more consumers utilize email in their daily lives. Instead, these marketers continue to pump significant dollars into traditional media in the misguided belief these channels will return to the glory days of direct mail, TV, and radio as the broadcast channels of choice, an indelible entry in every "successful" media plan... seemingly old school, wouldn't you say?

Now please don't get me wrong - there's a place in most marketing mixes for many of these media options, but, for example...

Do you pay attention to billboards?

I can't tell you the last time I took any action based on what I saw plastered on Interstate 70. While there's merit in saying the past isn't going away, neither are vintage Camaros and Elvis records. However, isn't it time we stop focusing on what worked in the past and realistically plan for the future by allocating dollars appropriately?

Email continues to generate some of the most trackable and impressive ROIs (Returns on Investment) based on every metric I've seen, yet advertising and marketing teams are pressured to make email communications an under-funded endeavor. I can't tell you how many times I've heard "our budget for email is limited" or "I need to reduce costs around our Internet spend." Is this pressure on email budgets based on misinformation relative to email's overall performance or is it an attempt to rationalize a misappropriated media allocation and budget?

To me, it's counterintuitive that a medium that continues to demonstrate an incredible knack for outperforming other media instruments in its ability to grow sales from your best customers cost-efficiently and -effectively (when applied properly) is so under-valued when it comes to budget allocations. The potential ROI for email campaigns is truly impressive, if done right. I've never experienced anything close to this rate of return on any traditional medium. Is it possible the specialists managing companies' email marketing campaigns aren't fighting the battle with the traditionalists and legacy players who adopt the "this is the way we've always done media, so why change it" crowd? Or are folks trying to prove their worth by earning negotiating kudos that demonstrate to the corporate powers that be that they can find and leverage email products and services at the lowest price?

I continue to see marketing dollars pumped into traditional media at the expense of higher-yielding investments in email. How powerful is email? It's a question I'm often asked by clients, colleagues, and friends. People are curious and eager to debate whether email plays a serious role in influencing loyalty and purchase decisions.

There are really only four ways to communicate with someone: in-person, in writing, over the phone, or digitally. Email is center of digital communications.

As the world continues to evolve and receipt of digital communications becomes available in many forms outside of the standard Inbox (RSS, text, blogs, etc.), some people forget email is still the heart of these digital communications.

So how powerful is email really?

Using outgoing or marketing email in your marketing strategy may not always be front and center, but I guaranty any digital communication efforts you employ can use email leading practices to help evolve and shape success.

As the shift in consumer purchasing and informational patterns continues to move toward more relevant, meaningful Internet dialogues, the choice is yours and the budget makers in your company. You must either put the emphasis and resources required to build a dominant, meaningful commitment to email communications strategies, technology, and deployment to work for your company, or be left behind sooner than you think.

Those of us who have worked in and around media for the last decade or so know the truth about this medium's power. It's time we gather the courage to fight for our fair share of the marketing budget and end any misguided or misinformed efforts to relegate email communications to the back burner.

What does your marketing mix look like... and when was the last time you updated it?

Email Copywriting - Hints and Tips How to Use Email Marketing to Increase Event Registrations? How to Maintain a Clean Email List Email Marketing Etiquette

Bulk Mail Services - A Cost Effective Solution For Your Business

If you want to grow your sales as a business owner then bulk mail services is a profitable solution and it expands your loyal customer base. In fact, It is an advertising media that exert high-volume sales result. This kind of services can really fulfill your business marketing needs and it is a reasonable solution that can be used for delivering your marketing materials. By Using this service, you can be confident that your target customers accept the email packages, which include your marketing materials.

With the help of email services, companies can obtain potential customers and enhance chances of growth with existing customers. These services are becoming one of the most favorable means of approaching a mass audience and you can send different copies of magazines, booklets, form letters and post cards to various addresses. Bulk mailing is a tool that can always be used with minimum expenditure to advertise the products/services that you wish to.

One of the best things about effective bulk mail services is the fact that you can depend on these services every time. When you search for the company that will be offering you with this service, it is mandatory that you take time to know what previous customers think about their service, so that you can find whether they are right for you or not. There are various companies who provide mailing services but you should make sure that you are selecting a company that will give the services you need. For example, if you want to create a mailing list for you, then be sure about choosing a printing company that could do this type of work.

The main benefit of bulk mail services is that one to one communication is available with the target audience. You can create HTML newsletters and send it to the whole world. The newsletter can be made personal which adds more authenticity to the recipients. In addition, a massive market can be obtained economically. There is no need to pay much on advertising/promotion because email costs less than television, radio and print medium.

Although you can mail all stuff by yourself, but it takes precious time. Email services charge a fee, the time given individually for managing large quantities of mail can be used working on other side of your business.

Bulk mailing helps to build a strong customer base. It can create new leads and stimulate repeat business from existing customers. Small businesses, as well as sales person and big retail companies, all use mass emails to reach distributor and shopper.

Effective and targeted mailing lists are essential for doing business. Although it is your job to maintain precise records of customers because this kind of service can only help in keeping your list up-to-date and enhance your approach. It is mandatory to note that if mass mailing involves words like lottery then email services cannot process the marketing material. So, be sure your emails comply with legal regulations.

However, bulk mail services is the new trend in marketing mix. It is the cost-effective method of doing marketing over internet. Marketing of products and services has become surprisingly easier with introduction of the bulk emails. Most of the businesses are converting themselves to online means of advertising because of the wide approach of the world wide web and the lowest cost it can potentially include.

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Gold DIY Medals for Canterbury Students

Strange how good things result from bad. My flat tyre needed inflating and unable to drive I thought, where can I buy an air compressor at this time of night. I was peeved because I had looked forward to a relaxing evening in. Now I had to find some extra energy to venture out.

I dragged myself to a D-I-Y store about 8:30 pm where three part-time staff members were on duty, all with day jobs as university students. No longer deflated, (unlike my tyre) I found myself marveling at the determination and commitment of students to give their all. Such is their work ethos that, in order to fund their education to become contributors to society, they work unbearably long hours - even in the run up to revising for exams. I felt positively ashamed at my earlier resentment having to sacrifice a single evening when embraced by these young grafters who regularly gave up their evenings to serve ingrates like me.

I do not grasp the mindset of some who imagine with a mixture of condemnation and resentment that students enjoy a life of leisure. The most tragic aspect of this misperception is that in this economic climate, whatever the grades students ultimately earn, and they really do earn their degrees; the prospect of a job, even with a hard-earned degree... is bleak!

In this year of the 2012 London Olympic Games, I would bestow upon such students an honorary gold medal for enduring three years of training and graft in the face of euphemistically unfair mass criticism attributable only to the minority. Students have become my role models. I dropped out of university; I was not half the man of modern students who also hold down jobs! It was undoubtedly the hardest marathon I never finished - unlike these hard-working students I failed to make it to the finishing line.

Consequently I readily overlook isolated incidents where students attract potentially justifiable criticism. My focus is immediately overwhelmingly drawn to the marvelous major contribution students make to Canterbury. I know there are some serious issues, which must be resolved, but why oh why must we twist the lens so narrowly obscuring the massive good, so that only the problems are in focus? Is it that as a nation we have such unfulfilled lives that we need to zoom-in on others' misdemeanours to detract from our own imperfections? Is good news so boring that only bad news is worthy of press publication? Few appear to realise the thousands of philanthropic hours each year donated by Canterbury student volunteers. Whatever your exam results know this... students, you are all heroes in my eyes!

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The ObamaCare Disaster Continues Say Political Pundits

Many a political pundit and medical professional have called ObamaCare unworkable. Many economists, both macro and micro see it as a potential economic bubble burst waiting to happen, the likes of which we've never seen. I tend to agree with those assessments, wholeheartedly, and am against any type of socialized medicine here the United States. We have a free-market system which has solved nearly every problem we've ever thrown at it, provided we didn't engage in crony capitalism, protectionism, or overregulation to choose the winners and losers in the game.

Okay so, let's talk about this for second because many who want free health care assume that ObamaCare will provide all of their needs, it won't. In fact ObamaCare does nothing more than prop up the Medical Industrial Complex, and ensure the increase of exponential growth in this sector as long as the government is feeding it money. Of course, that can't last forever, because that money has to come from somewhere, namely you the taxpayer.

As President Obama took a victory lap on the Supreme Court's decision on ObamaCare he addressed the nation from the Oval Office, trying to put citizen's minds at ease, and explaining what the Supreme Court decision actually meant for the future of US healthcare, and healthcare insurance. During that speech he stated something to the affect that;

"If you like your current health care coverage, you can keep it, and this law will make it better, more affordable, and enhanced protection."

This is absolutely a false statement for so many reasons, but if you need proof, I've got that too. You see, in anticipation of the implementation of this law my health care insurance that I like very much, or did, has already increased 40% since the Affordable Health Care Act was passed, now I don't like it much at all.

Meanwhile, since the law was passed health care and medical costs have increased 8% per year, meaning that any estimates of cost or economic viability of ObamaCare is void, not that the CBO's estimates were realistic even at the time of their study.

Indeed, this has been a contentious issue between Conservatives and Democrats, liberals and socialists, independents and academics. If we really want affordable health care here the United States, we have to look at some of the roots of the problem, otherwise we are expanding the bubble, bureaucracy, and all the baggage which ensues unnecessarily, none of which helps keep Americans healthy, or free from disease.

Indeed I'd like you to please consider all this, because this law needs to be removed from the books, and if the American people truly believe that they wish to have the government involved in healthcare, then it's time to start back at the drawing board and come up with something that works, ObamaCare clearly won't. I hope you will please consider all this and think on it.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

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