Vertical Leads

Marketing is extremely important, because without that no one will know that your products or services are even available. But which approach should you choose, advertising or buying leads?

Of course, you can probably guess my answer: The best approach is a combination of both. But advertising and leads have two very different uses, and it’s important to understand the value of both.

Advertising basically lets people know you are out there. Advertising usually refers to paid commercials, direct mail packets, or Internet ads — anything where you are paying for print space or air time in order to relay a message to your target market. For instance, online pawn shops might purchase space for banner ads on certain websites where their target market frequents.

There are also similar ways of getting the word out that aren’t necessarily paid for, so are considered marketing rather than advertising, such as press releases, which may lead to an article in a newspaper or magazine. Press releases are unique because you are reporting company news in an effort to make it interesting enough that a journalist will pick up the story. Examples can range from something as simple as a company getting a good rating from the Better Business Bureau, to a grand reopening after a major overhaul within the company.

Leads, on the other hand, are where you directly contact a person who has shown interest in your product or service. An example is when someone inputs their information into a site such as LendingTree.com, and the site sells their information to a handful of lenders. It’s assumed that since the user provided their information, they are probably pretty serious about getting a loan, which makes a closed deal more likely than when a company simply runs an ad and has no direct contact with their target market.

Both approaches have distinct advantages, but neither really satisfies all your business’s needs when used alone. That is why the best approach involves multiple ways of reaching new customers.

Technorati Tags: Better Business Bureau, online pawn shops, target market

One of the biggest advantages of leads is that you can get pretty specialized. For instance, if you are a mortgage broker, you can just buy refinancing leads — think LendingTree.com and similar sites. Likewise, if you are a health insurance broker and you want to beef up your older clientele, you could even buy leads of people just looking for Florida Medigap health insurance.

Like most states, Medicare in Florida is pretty good but still leaves a lot to be desired, particularly if you have a health condition that requires regular treatment. To resolve this problem, many older Americans buy supplemental health insurance, to bridge the gap — which is, naturally, why it’s referred to as Medigap.

Medicare supplements are becoming more and more popular, as people like my dad — who was diagnosed with cancer a year ago — struggle with the limited coverage Medicare offers. Medigap is basically a best for both parties type of scenario. The health insurance company knows they won’t likely have to pay very much, since you’re covered under Medicare, while the policy holder knows that what isn’t covered by Medicare is still covered by a health insurance company. I’m sure Medigap leads will become more common in coming years, as this type of supplemental health insurance becomes more sought after by the Baby Boomers as they age.

Technorati Tags: Florida Medigap, Medicare in Florida, mortgage broker

There are a lot of things that I’ve done in my lifetime which I only did because of a boyfriend. That sounds bad doesn’t it? It’s not bad at all, though. I tend to date people will challenge me in my life. This helps me to grow. Those relationships may not have all lasted but the experiences we shared did have a lasting impact on me.

I had one boyfriend who was really adventurous. He loved outdoor activities. He convinced me to ski the Canadian Rockies with him. He was the one who got me out on the sand dunes on an ATV. He is the reason that I now love the Wave Runner that I purchased when we were together. I wasn’t too outdoorsy before I met him. That change really made a positive impact on my life.

Of course, there were probably some things that I only did because of my boyfriends that would have been better off avoided. It was a boyfriend that caused me to go into debt for the first time. I don’t really blame him, I guess. I made my own choices. But I certainly made some bad decisions when my eyes were clouded by love. Luckily the good experiences do outweigh the bad ones in my love life.

Technorati Tags: ski canadian rockies

One of the things that I have always dreamed of doing was running my own business.  Even though I have sold scrapbooking supplies as a consultant of a major company, that wasn’t enough for me - I wanted to have my own brick and mortar store.  I knew it would feel wonderful standing in a store that was mine, so I set out to make it my life goal.

Even though I have had to wait until my forties, it is finally looking that my dream is going to become a reality.  I have just signed the lease on some space in a mall and I will be opening up a kids consignment store.  I am so excited!

Thanks to the mom’s groups that I belong to, I also have a large number of kids outdoor toys and kids furniture lined up for the grand opening in two weeks.  There have also been a large number of donations of clothing as well, so it looks like the store will have a well-rounded selection of products when the doors open which will help us make a good first impression.

It is really great to see the support of my friends and family in this venture - I wouldn’t be able to do it without them.

Technorati Tags: kids furniture, kids outdoor toys

As an online business owner you have probably wondered how to get your customers’ attention. As a customer who frequently shops online, I can give you the answer to that.

Ways businesses may get my attention online include:

• Having an interesting blog. I love reading blogs. I follow a lot of them. If a store has a good one then I’ll probably spend time shopping at that store.
• Offering coupons online. I always look for coupon codes when shopping online. I may also look on social networking sites. For example, I love Twitter coupons. If a store offers these, I’m more likely to shop there.
• Having a great name. I can sometimes get interested in a new store just because it has a great name. It may also work if they offer products with great names. I got turned on to stores selling Catimini and Deux Par Deux brands this way.
• Getting other people to spread the word. If a friend sends me a link to a store, I’ll usually check it out. Stores that offer benefits to people for referrals make a lot of sense to me for this reason.

That’s the main stuff that gets my attention as an online shopper. Of course, anything truly creative would work too.

Technorati Tags: catimini, deux par deux