Go Out and Testify!

by Kaye Z. Marks)

Testimonials are very significant elements in your marketing campaign. The testimonials you have in your marketing collaterals like brochures can help you gain new clients. When your prospects see that actual people have benefited from your brand of customer service, they would also be convince to buy your product or avail of your service. Whether you are marketing or selling your products and services, testimonials coming from your most loyal and satisfied customers can go a long way in convincing your prospects of your worth. It has been proven that people in general tend to imitate the actions made by their peers. Moreover, consumers often follow those that are within their category. Hence, if a prospect feels that your product or service has provided your clients with satisfaction, then he or she can also get the same thing from your business. Generating new leads is easy if you can reflect a testimonial that proves how many customers you have made comfortable with your services. When target clients read a certain level of comfort from your testimonials, then you would not have a hard time convincing them to try out your business. So how do you get effective testimonials for your printing brochures? You can start with these techniques: Always use real people. More than celebrities, your printed brochures can benefit if you put more of the real people who actually tried your offer and gained from doing so. Full names then are a must when you print your testimonials. Do not put John Doe or any other names that can elicit doubt and suspicion. Remember that what you want to achieve with your collaterals are trust and reliability that you can only get if you are ready to give only the truth and nothing but the truth. Emphasize on issues that your target clients can empathize. Marketing is about concentrating on what your target clients want and not on what you want. Putting focus on one or two basic concerns in your testimonials, raising some issues that need to be solved can help you get sympathy and understanding from your audience. Testimonials ranging from your product’s quality to your business’ quality service can gain you more customers that you can ever imagine having. Choose your testimonials based on your target market. Get quotes from popular members of your local organization if that is your target market. Remember that people generally follow those that are in the same category as theirs; so be sure to provide testimonials that are apt to the particular market you are targeting. Finally, emphasize your testimonials. In addition, put them all over when printing brochures. That way, your target clients would not have an excuse for not reading them. Testimonials are great ways to re-invent your ineffective collaterals. By integrating testimonials to your marketing campaign, you will have better chances of generating leads to your business, which in turn can do wonders to the profits you earn.

Aluminum Sports Bottles is the Trend in Promoting Your Business

by Amin Ramjee)

Instead of using pens and mugs to promote their business, more and more companies are turning to other means of promotional items and now, the use of personalized aluminum sports bottles as promotional gifts is growing into the latest and most popular trends. Though pens and mugs are great promotional gear and are still used, these items are suitable for indoor events--events that are more corporate and where the use of pens and mugs are needed. Sports bottles can be used for outdoor events and cater to a larger audience since sporting events attract a larger crowd. Aluminum sports bottles are probably the most popular around and most people prefer aluminum compared to plastic bottles. After an exhausting session, many sports enthusiasts would reach for an invigorating drink and this makes their bottles of refreshing drinks a "must have" item in their packs. Promotional aluminum sports bottles are the newest trend if you want to avoid liquid spills. Since sports bottles have become a trend, sports enthusiasts are on the look out for one that could be both useful and attractive. Sports bottles are a huge trend for several reasons apart from their being a utility. These sports bottles are affordable to the customers or end users as well as companies who want to get personalized aluminum sports bottles. Using sports bottles as your chosen promotional items will not burn a hole in the company's advertising budget since the price of a sports bottle range from 99 cents to about $1. By utilizing affordable promotional products, the company will be able to reach out to more people thus attaining a wider and far reaching marketing campaign with a fraction of the cost. Aluminum sports bottles are also all the rage because of their versatility. From trade shows to road shows, concerts to sports events, these bottles work great as they keep water cool, it looks great and it quenches your thirst. Sports bottles are designed to fit well into your pals, hence carrying them without slipping is not a problem at all. Some even come with slings so you can strap them to your back pack or just sling it over your wrist and can be carried anywhere and everywhere. These custom aluminum sports bottles are also reusable and durable. Aluminum lasts longer and is more durable than plastic and if a brand or logo is imprinted on it, it can be seen very clearly and the company message will be relayed to the target audience for a long time, as long as the bottle is being used. Unlike newspaper and radio advertisements, once the newspaper is read and the radio ad is aired most people would forget the company and its message--unless of course the advertisement is a memorable one.

Ban the Banners

by Michael T. Smith)

New webmasters often hold the mistaken belief, that the more banner ads they have on their site, the more money they will make. They blanket their sites with them, hoping, that the more banners people see, the better the chance, that someone will actually click on them. What they don't understand, however, is that they are actually driving traffic away, by making their sites unattractive and slow. The banner ads that were supposed generate income drive away potential customers. Do you like banner ads? Now, ask yourself the question: "Why do you think, that others would feel different than you do?" While large ads may be successful in magazines, newspapers and telephone books, what person would wants them to consume his or her bandwidth on the web? Isn't the Internet already slow enough? Why do you think that one of the most popular sections on our website is the one that covers programs to eliminate banners and pop-up windows? Many people are sick of obnoxious, in-you-face advertising. They are fed up with the useless clutter of ads filling most websites. No long ago, we removed all the banner ads at our site, leaving only text links. The results were that we saw dramatic increase in both traffic and revenue. Removing the banners increased both our popularity and our profits. Amazingly enough, not one person wrote back to us and complained about the banners being removed. Now you may be asking yourself, "Why do advertisers use banner ads, if they are so unpopular with the public?" The answer is simple: Name Recognition! The truth of the matter is advertisers don't really care if people buy from your site as long as at some point in time, people remember the product or service and buy it. Think about it. You annoy your visitors with dozens of ads about some dot-com, causing them to flee your site. Later on, the same visitors remember those ads and go to the site directly. The company makes a sale, and they don't even have to pay the person, who advertised it. There are some very popular sites on the Internet with huge affiliate programs. You can find their banners everywhere. You might think that it would be a cinch to make money off such sites by simply placing one of their banners on your site, but guess again. With so many ads, people don't need your banners to find them. Most people have bookmarked them already. To effectively advertise such popular sites, you need to target your readers with custom reviews or inform people about specific sales and promotions so that they feel compelled to click on the link immediately. Now, I am not here to tell you that removing the banners off your site will make you an instant success. Without compelling content on your site, you still may not see any changes in traffic. A site that is nothing more than a series of ads is unlikely to be successful, regardless of what form the advertising the webmaster uses. I am not suggesting that everyone should remove banners from their site either. Indeed, it would be foolish for the owner of a popular site to remove paid advertising that is generating income. If advertisers are willing to pay up front for banner ads, or if you have banner ads that are performing well, by all means, keep them! What I am suggesting, however, is that if you have banner ads that aren't generating income that you expected, you might think about removing or replacing them. Consider text-based adverting with compelling reviews about the products or services. Give your readers something more than just flashy slogans or pictures of beautiful models. Provide your visitors with reasons why they actually need a product or service, so that they buy it from your site now, rather than later.

RELEASE RELEASE

by Meredith Pond)

Each day newspapers, TV, radio, and ezines hand out millions of dollars in FREE publicity. If you have a good story or good information to share, an editor somewhere will jump at the chance to use your material. Your name and ideas can be spread to thousands of people over night. And the cost to you? Zero. Once you have finished your press release, here are some ways to send it to the media. 1. Start small. Think locally. Your best bet for getting media is right in your own home town. Editors and news directors love to do stories on businesses and individuals they can phone without placing a long distance call. In fact, when we send press releases to media across America, many editors say they ONLY do local stories. Find the contact information for your local media in the Yellow Pages. Call the front desk and ask who handles stories like yours. You might even try pitching your story over the phone before you send your release. 2. Send your release to a trade publication that covers your industry. The fact that you have created a way for silver coated milk cans to dent less easily probably won't get a second look from your local daily newspaper, but the dairy trade publication might put you on the front page. Be sure to send them a photo, with YOU in the picture. 3. Email your release to media nationwide. Most editors won't go for your release, but since you are casting a wide net, some will give you coverage. You can get addresses of media folks who have asked to received releases by consulting one of the reliable media directories like the Bacon Publicity Checker or the Media Directory at Gebbie.com. Since email is a dirt cheap way to distribute a release, write a second release to send media next month. Sometimes you have to send three or four releases before you become familiar enough for an editor to jump on your story. 4. Look for neighborhood or alternative newspapers that cover stories like yours. A policeman who had a story about abuse couldn't get his side covered by the local daily, but had a topic alternative newspapers loved. 5. Pay an email newsletter to run all or part of your press release. Ad rates are down around the Net and many fine publications will consider working with you if your release has good information their readers will appreciate. This same principle can apply to small newspapers and some broadcast organizations. You may get better results if you convert your release into an article or even into a long ad.

Find the Best Hotels in Toronto Here

 by Catalina C.)

There are scores of hotels in Toronto that cater to travelers from all over the globe. If you are thinking of taking a trip to Toronto, you have to make sure that your stay there is just right. And so, you need to find the best Toronto hotels that will provide you with everything that you are looking for while on holiday there. You can choose from the Toronto airport hotel which is in close proximity of the airport or you can pick from the many downtown Toronto hotels. There are so many Toronto hotels to choose from that you are sure to find one that suits your requirements perfectly.

Search engines normally provide you with a great option to find the best hotels in Toronto. If you use Google, Bing, Yahoo or your favorite search engine you will get millions of results. So how do you know which is the best Toronto airport hotel or any other kind of Toronto hotel that you might be looking for? Search engines basically follow algorithms while displaying the search results on top of the first page and the better matches are almost always at the very top. You might want to try the paid links displayed at the side as well. You can find some pretty good accommodation in Toronto this way as well.

Another great option for finding the best Toronto airport hotel or other kinds of hotels in Toronto is the article directories. There are plenty of these available on the Internet. Most of these article directories cater to almost any topic but there are also some that are related to travel alone. Since Toronto is one of Canada's most popular cities, a lot of the entries are dedicated to the Toronto hotels and since the articles are free, you can read them all and browse them without incurring any expenditure.

Besides, you also have blogs and forums where people will leave information about hotels and sometimes even feedback. The information here will be real user experience and is normally very accurate. You can easily identify the kind of hotels in Toronto that you would like to stay in. The Toronto airport hotel might be better for your stay if your activities are restricted to the surrounding area rather than having to stay at one of the downtown Toronto hotels.

Then you will also find travel books that give you all the details of a particular city. Lonely Planet books cover everything you need to know about the hotels in Toronto including the Toronto airport hotel but then you have to buy this. Why buy when you can get free information on the Net? It is very easy to find some really good accommodation in Toronto so get that mouse clicking and find the best of hotels in Toronto now.

Cheap Toronto Hotels for an Inexpensive Vacation

by Catalina C.)

Toronto is one of the biggest cities in Canada and has a lot to offer travelers visiting there. There are plenty of historical sites, lovely views and nature's bounty to experience and marvel at. You can enjoy all this and more without having to empty your purse if you find cheap hotels in Toronto. There are plenty of Toronto hotels that give special packages and huge discounts to tourists. Although the prices at these hotels are reasonable, the rooms provided are decent as well as the services and amenities.

There are plenty of hotels in Toronto that you can find on the Net or through airline companies. But before you select one make sure you know what part of the city your activities will be centered around. Surely you don't want to be traveling round the city half the day to get to your destination. So if your activities are going to be in places close to the airport it makes sense to choose from the Toronto airport hotel rather than one of the downtown Toronto hotels.

Toronto with all its museums, cafes, theatres, entertainment centers and opera houses as a lot to offer its visitors and is said to be among the cultural capitals of the world. Most visitors would rather spend their money on experiencing all Toronto has to offer rather than spend on some fancy hotel accommodation. There are quite a few hotels in Toronto that provide accommodation at great discounts. Airlines, too, provide package deals which work out quite economical. And today, with the Internet revolution, you can find all you ever wanted on the computer itself. So just Google for Toronto hotels and you will find exactly what you are looking for; there is so much of choice that you will surely find something to fit your budget as well as taste.

You can find accommodation in good Toronto hotels and inns for as little as $60 a night. Sometimes bookings for such cheap lodging in Toronto, may be available only online and it needs to be done well in advance. Such websites have the entire range of hotels in Toronto right from the five star hotels to the one star hotels to cater to just about anybody's needs of luxury to basic.

Most of the cheap Toronto hotels have all the amenities that one might need close by. If you are taking a business trip to Toronto, then you will find that there are hotels that are in close proximity to the best of dining restaurants, cafes, European bakeries, the CN tower and the Metro Toronto Convention Center besides others. If you are going on vacation along with your family, then you can choose from the hotels in Toronto close to downtown Toronto, the Metro Zoo or Lake Ontario and High Park with its boating and golf activities or Casa Loma or Royal Ontario Museum.

Historical Tour in India- Know Its Past Glory

by Neelam)

The rich and dynamic culture of India makes it a great tourist destination in all over the world. Every globetrotter likes to explore this mysterious country. There are no enough words to express the majesty, beauty, diversity, dignity and glory of India. It is rewarded by every traveler who visits India.

The wealth of India in form of rivers, lakes, mountains, vegetation, deserts, wildlife, glorious past, historical monuments and all generates an attractive mixture of sites to visit by the guests that makes it  a complete India Tours Package. India is famous in world for its golden history which is still its pride. Although each part of India has many historical past but the history of northern part is worth to explore. Delhi the present political capital of India has interesting history. Many wars have been fought time to time to retain its glory. Jantar Mantar, Red Fort, Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb, etc are some historical structure in the city. To explore the dignity and pride of older days, one can take a tour to many museums of Delhi that preserve the essence of our golden past.
There are many sites to tour in Rajasthan in order to understand the royalty of Rajputs. Rajasthan is called as the "land of kings". It is the best place to explore the grandeur and royalty past of India. This is the land of Rajputs. One can still find many forts and palaces there which reflect the royal lifestyle of the kings and their royal women. There many majestic and massive forts in Rajasthan.
Some of the Place to visit Rajasthan inRajasthan is Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort and City Palace – in Jaipur, Jaisalmer Fort, Sam Sand Dune, Hamlets in desert- in Jaisalmer, Junagarh Fort in Bikaner, Chittorgarh Fort, Pichola Lake, The Taj Lake Palace, and Fateh Sagar Lake – in Udaipur, etc.
Apart from visiting these places tourist can enjoy wildlife heritage, cultural and tradition heritage, geographical diversity (deserts, mountains, hill stations) in India. To enjoy wildlife tourist can visit many national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. India is very famous for housing so many tigers. To chase tigers visit Ranthambhore, Sariska and Jim Corbett national Parks. These are located in northern part only and you can easily visit.
Historical India Tours Package is incomplete without containing Taj Mahal in its itinerary. Taj Mahal is one of the Seven Wonder of the Modern World and is truly worth visiting. It was built in memory of Mumtaj Mahal by Shah Jahan. It is very beautiful structure and looks amazing during morning hour. Its interior architectural brilliance has incomparable beauty.