One really neat promotion idea you may not have thought of for your business is running a school fundraiser to support a local school. PTO fundraisers are always popular, and while you can support the PTO’s efforts simply by buying, using your business to host a fundraising event will get your company name out into the community while providing needed monies, too. (PTO Today has some ideas that might be useful.)

There are any number of possible fundraising events you can use. For instance, operate a kettle corn fundraiser at a local fun fair or crafts festival. Packets of kettle corn sell for only $1 each and you can earn a lot money for your favorite non-profit.

Or try an online fundraiser where you sell magazine subscriptions or credit cards (you earn money for each application). Friends and family nationwide can support this fundraiser, which is nice for grandparents and other relatives who live out of state.

There are other options as well, including presell brochures and catalogs where you take orders for gourmet cookie dough or Crayola cooking kits, among other things, or even donation fundraising where you use a scratch card or spinner and let people take a chance and see what amount to give.

Fundraisers can be a lot of fun, and they can really promote your business name in your local community. Giving in order to get something back isn’t the only reason to host a fundraiser, but it helps to know that you’ll be doing something good for a local school while you’re also doing something good for your business.

As a business owner and writer, I’m always on the lookout for ways to tie every day aspects of life into a lesson to be learned in business. So, let’s take a walk down a garden path, so to speak…

When you think of “lockers,” what comes to mind? If you’re like me, you probably envision the standard gray metal school lockers, or those you see in the gym every week when you go work out. These are the typical lockers we see on TV, in high school athletic scenes, even in police department locker rooms (and being an avid cop show junkie, I see a lot of them!). Did you know there are other type lockers?

For instance, you can buy solid oak, wood lockers in a variety of finishes. These are nice lockers. Very high class. Or you can buy wire mesh bins that serve the purpose of a locker where security isn’t needed. These are similar to what you’ll find in a daycare, but nicer than I’ve personally seen. And you can even buy plastic lockers, which would be good for rowdy teens. There are a lot more options than I ever dreamed of, that’s for sure.

What does this have to do with business or business writing? A lot. All these locker options have been available for ages, and yet few people have ever heard of them. Had you? Think of how many businesses offer products or services that no one knows we sell.

If you offer a little-known product or service, it’s time to get the word out about it! Send out a press release. Write an article. Or hire someone to do that for you. But don’t keep the secret any longer… tell the world about everything you offer for sale. If you don’t, it’s unlikely anyone else will either. And you may find yourself with lovely products like wooden lockers that no one buys because they don’t know they’re available.

If you’re involved in any kind of trade show for your business, you know that your trade show booths are the mainstay of exhibit. Your booths are used to showcase your products and services, so they must be attractive, effective for their purpose, and easy to set up and take-down.

Table skirts are another important part of your trade show exhibit. By attaching them to the perimeter of your tables, you create a professional display booth that can even include your printed logo or slogan on the side. And of course, using a variety of colors depending upon your need creates mood and atmosphere to match the purpose of the exhibit.

While not everyone uses them, banner stands are very useful to help advertise your business during your show. You can set them up anywhere and they’ll let people know how you are whether your booth is indoors or outdoors. They’re definitely a desirable tool for trade show exhibitions.

And pipe and drape dividers create privacy walls and control the crowd around your booth, or anywhere else for that matter. These dividers are one of the many tools that you can use all the time, not only during exhibitions and trade shows.

While it may seem that investing in equipment for your trade show is a waste of money, that is certainly not the case! Using these tools can greatly enhance your appeal while exhibiting and increase the number of visitors your booth receives ten-fold.

Have you ever thought about using customized text messaging to reach your target audience, share info on a great sale, or even share tips and information with your contacts? 84444.com offers a solution!

This DIY text messaging system offers interactive or broadcast messaging to help you connect with others via mobile texting. And the nice thing is that you can be set up and ready to go in just a few minutes.

Using your computer, you log onto the 84444.com website. Set up your free trial account, then try it out. For instance, as a professional ghostwriter, I could have my clients text ARTICLE to 84444 for a discount on their next writing project.

Then, when my clients respond, they receive the information I provided via the 84444.com website and we’re good to go! It’s really a neat service. You can learn more about it on their FAQ page. Then, give it a try and let me know what you think!

In today’s economy, many more webmasters have begun to market affiliate programs in an effort to increase the income from their Websites. While this has typically involved links, banners and buttons, or written reviews, there’s a new kid on the ‘Net that’s offering another approach. ShopWatchBuy.com allows affiliates to post a free video review of a product. What a great idea!

Using what they call embedABLEâ„¢ technology, ShopWatchBuy allows affiliate marketers to enter their affiliate IDs for such sites as Commission Junction and Share A Sale, then select available videos. With dozens of categories of product listings such as Art & Collectibles, Golf, Home & Garden, Business and more, affiliates can choose from hundreds of video reviews to promote affiliate products.

As a shopper who has ever wanted to know more about an item on eBay or Amazon, you’ll love this site! The video format lets vendors add much more detail and information about their products, which will help consumers make a much more informed decision. Again, great idea!

You can join free then upgrade after you see how ShopWatchBuy will work for you and your business. Unlike typical online auctions, there are no insertion or transaction fees and they offer a money back guarantee so there’s nothing to lose. Check it out, then leave your comments and let m know what you think!

How about…

• A contest you’re sponsoring
• A contest you’ve won
• A grant you are giving
• A grant you have received
• A scholarship you’re contributing to
• A scholarship you’re sponsoring
• An award or commendation you’ve received
• An award or commendation your company has received
• Appearance at national events
• Articles written about you
• Articles you’ve written
• Awards you are handing out
• Business anniversary
• Business expansion
• Business Open House
• Change in business hours
• Classes you are teaching
• Classes your company is sponsoring
• Clients, or customers you have acquired
• Company events or programs
• Company name change
• Company sponsored trip for your employees
• Company tours you make available
• Contributions you are making to a local charity
• Corporate accomplishments
• Corporate sponsorships (sports teams, etc.)
• Ezine or newsletter you publish
• Facilities expansion
• Free classes you offer
• Free demonstrations you’re putting on
• Free information available at your website
• Free samples you’re offering
• Fundraiser you’re sponsoring
• Guest you’ve invited to speak to your employees
• Holiday promotions
• Holiday tie-ins
• Joint venture with another company
• A key employees’ retirement
• New employees you’ve hired
• New products or services you’re offering
• New website or online service you’re offering
• Participate in local events
• Patents you have applied for or been awarded
• Personal accomplishments
• Polls and surveys you’ve taken
• Publications you have to offer online or in print
• Report on a fundraiser you finished
• Research you have conducted and the results
• Sales promotions
• Speaking engagements you have planned
• Special events you are participating in
• Special events you are promoting
• Special meetings you’re hosting
• The latest book that mentions you
• Trade shows you are participating in
• Trademarks you have applied for or been awarded
• Training seminars you are attending
• TV show appearances
• Visits by local celebrities
• Website anniversary
• Workshops you are presenting
• Your appointment to a board or committee
• Your company’s incorporation
• Your latest book
• Your retirement

PR writing can go for HUNDREDS of dollars! But as a home-based business owner and work-at-home-mom (WAHM)–albeit with an empty nest–I couldn’t sleep at night if I charged those outrageous prices! That’s why my professional PR writing service is only $50!

And I can distribute your PR for only $25 to several print and online publications.

View samples of my work if you’re interested. And realize that I’ve been writing press releases for over 30 years and never had one that wasn’t published! I know Press Releases.

Order yours now!

Working with so many work-at-home moms (WAHMs) and small business owners, I’ve become something of an answer lady through my vast amount of general (occasionally useful) knowledge.

Recently, some WAHMs I know asked about trade show booths and exhibit supplies such as table skirts and banner stands. My natural curiosity and web surfing capabilities led me to some answers once again. (See, Greg, I told you all that surfing would pay off!)

Since a lot of my clients – crafters, direct sales consultants and WAHMs, among others – attend trade shows to sell their products and promote their businesses, I wanted to share the information I have here.

If you do several trade shows, the easier you can make your booth set-up, the better. For instance, a pipe and drape backdrop for your booth, which you can get for much less than you’d think, makes an elegant, professional booth display. And the nicer your booth looks, the more visitors you’ll attract. Of course, visitors mean potential buyers, and that’s the reason for taking part in a trade show to begin with.

While you may not think it worth the cost to purchase a lot of trade show paraphernalia if you only do one trade show a year, keep in mind that any supplies or equipment you purchase become a lasting asset for your business. Spend a little time planning the layout, find the tools and supplies you need to set it up, then make a point of enjoying your day at the show. Be friendly, professional and – hopefully! – find some new customers while you’re there. A little work and a small investment of your time and money can make trade shows a very profitable promotion for your business.

As an online business owner, finding new ways to increase website traffic should be one of your top priorities. There are literally hundreds of ways to generate traffic. Some methods are free and some can be quite costly. The free methods are fine to use if you don’t have a lot of money starting out. But when the profits start coming in, you should invest some of that money back into your business with some great paid traffic generation methods. Below are some vital things you must do if you want to get and keep quality visitors – before you even think about paying for your traffic.

One of the most effective ways to increase website traffic is to offer original, quality content on your site. You should have information on your site that visitors cannot find anywhere else. Make sure the content is useful. Give out information that will help your visitors solve a problem, achieve a goal or be entertained. Update your site at least weekly with more quality information to keep it fresh.

Another way to get website traffic is to focus your content on the keywords related to your site. This is called search engine optimization or SEO. The importance of SEO cannot be stressed enough. Don’t just stuff a bunch of keywords onto your site and think that you have optimized it. You want to make sure the keywords you use flow naturally within the content. Be careful not to overdo it with too many keywords because this can result in very low search engine rankings. SEO is a fine balance of the right keywords, in the right amount, placed in the right areas on your site. Become proficient at SEO and you will be unstoppable.

Now that you have your search engine optimized site up with original, quality, content, it’s time to get linked. This is a very powerful way to increase website traffic. Exchange your website link with other sites that are closely related to your site. Just be careful to only exchange links with high quality sites. You don’t want to ruin your online reputation by having links to junk sites on your website. By exchanging links with a website that is already doing a lot of traffic, you can get a lot of traffic of your own. This method is free and it works fast.

Finally, you need to advertise. There are hundreds of ways you can advertise your website. Find out ways to advertise from a reputable Internet marketer. This information will be like gold to you. Use the methods that he or she recommends and you can have thousands of visitors to your site each day.

Getting website traffic may seem like an impossible task at first. But the more you learn about traffic generation methods, the easier it will become. One thing that any website owner has got to learn is patience. Traffic doesn’t usually appear overnight. It builds up over time. As long as you are seeing a steady increase in the amount of traffic your site is getting, you are doing things right.

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Get ‘The Traffic Tips Report’ for all the help you need generating traffic to your site.

More help from long-time Internet marketer, Titus Hoskins. I’ve been reading Titus’ work for quite some time and gotten a lot of help from it. Hope you do, too!

10 Most Powerful Article Marketing Tips
by Titus Hoskins

Great Houdini — this really works!

Never would have believed how writing some simple little articles would put my website marketing into overdrive until I tried it. These techniques worked for me, can’t imagine what they will do for someone who can actually write!

If you haven’t tried it, give it a go and see exactly what article writing can do for your marketing efforts; you may be pleasantly surprised.

Here are 10 powerful article marketing tips you should apply to all the articles you write. These ideas will help you discover the real power behind article marketing.

1. Information, Information, Information
Don’t ever forget, the major reason anyone is reading your article is for the information. Make sure your articles have at least some! The more timely, the better.

2. Keep It Short And Simple
Writing for the web and ezines is different than writing for off-line publications. Keep your writing brief and write in short paragraphs. Be concise. Be precise. Talk directly to your reader and trim any unnecessary fat. Be lean and meaningful.

3. Put Your Reader’s Major Benefit In The Title
Always put your readers first, give them the main reason they should read your article in big bold letters at the top of the page, i.e. in the title.

4. Take Full Advantage Of Article Directories
Kick-start your articles by submitting them to popular online article directories. These already have a large clientele looking for your articles.

Here’s my killer five:

• www.ezinearticles.com
• www.goarticles.com
• www.web-source.net
• www.articlealley.com
• www.buzzle.com

5. Use Autoresponders For Your Articles
Set up all your articles on autoresponders. Have a Master Autoresponder — listing all your articles. Automate your genius.

6. Post Articles On Your Site
Place all your articles on your site. This builds trust and creditability. Not to mention all that ‘keyword drawn’ traffic from the search engines.

7. Use RSS Feeds To Syndicate Your Articles
Place your articles in RSS Feeds and syndicate them to all interested parties. RSS is Hot! Google Blog Search. Microsoft’s RSS Powered Longhorn. XML Sitemaps…

8. Use Affiliates If You Have Them
Let your affiliates brand your articles with their affiliate IDs and promote your articles for you. Win-win situation. Harness and harvest your affiliates’ energy.

9. Cross Reference Your Articles
Get more bang for your links. Place links to your other articles in the article you’re writing. If you’re offering helpful advice, most ezine editors and webmasters will let you do this. Self-promote. Self-pollinate.

10. Place Your Articles In An eBook
Place your most popular articles in an ebook that can be branded and passed around. A great viral technique that works. Your greatest hits for all the world to enjoy, again and again.

Happy writing — go get ‘em!

Well respected Marketer Jason Potash has released some handy software that will syndicate your articles. Check it out here: Article Announcer Copyright © 2005 Titus Hoskins of Internet Marketing Tips. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Titus_Hoskins

You’ve created a clean site with a nice layout. Your graphics are sharp. Your load time is reasonable. But what do you have to draw visitors to your site?

Most people are not going to simply log on, search for your services, choose your site from the hundreds of others and hire you to do their work for them, or buy your products. Not that some won’t do that, maybe they will. But in Internet marketing, unlike traditional offline marketing, you must typically build relationships with people before you are able to entice them into hiring you or buying from you. How do you do that? Often, by offering them something free.

So, what can you give them?

How about a free newsletter? You could fill it with tips and hints on how to do what you do – let them know how much hard work goes into every one of your services. You can find dozens of fresh articles on the web every day that deal with your subject matter. Write the author and ask for permission to reprint the ones you want to use. Many authors will gladly allow you to reprint their articles for a small resource box detailing how to contact them. But a word of caution here… don’t use the same old articles that everyone else is using! If you’ve seen the article in more than one other newsletter, you might be better to keep searching. The idea is to provide something of value for your visitors. Rehashed information that half your subscribers have read elsewhere is of little value.

Another freebie you can offer is the location of free fonts and graphics on the web, HTML beginner lessons, or CGI or Java scripts. If you provide, for instance, web design, you may feel that you’re giving away your business, but in reality, when people realize they can’t do the job they need done and they have to hire someone to do it for them, whom do you think they will call? You – the one who has given them all this great help free? Or some other web designer they’ve never met? Whom would you call?

Another good freebie is an ebook, PDF report or pack of PLR articles. There are hundreds of free ones available on the web, many dealing with Internet marketing, and they’re invaluable tools. For a free sample, download “Over 350 Places to Promote Your Blog & Website FREE!” when you subscribe to Bishop’s Business Journal. Or search for “free ebook.” The results will provide you with an unlimited number of titles to choose from.

Other freebies you can offer are links to other sites of interest to your visitors, a free evaluation of their website with ways you could help them improve it, or free advertising. Freebies can be something you generate yourself, as in the case of the free website evaluation or advertising, or something that is readily available online, such as the free fonts, graphics or ebooks. The idea is not to give away your business, but to build trust and respect for you and your abilities, and to give your visitors a reason to return to your site.

It’s a readily accepted fact that Internet marketing is different from traditional offline marketing. Because people can’t see whom they’re dealing with on the Internet, they have to learn to trust you somehow. By giving away information and resources, you will build a relationship with your website visitors. By offering them something free and allowing them to get to know and respect you and your work, when they need your products or services, they will contact you, not your competitor. Sharing your knowledge and expertise with your visitors in the form of free gifts and information will definitely pay off for your business in the end.