Choosing Your Words for Your Ads

I read an ad today that prompted this blog post. The ad was written in the negative. It said "if you are doing this, you are harming yourself". While the statement may or may not be true, what's happened with just that one sentence is that anyone who is doing that now feels as if they've been scolded. This is not the way to attract business to you. The same is true of the sentence "stop doing this". Whatever "this" happens to be, no one wants to be told they need to stop.

Change your advertising to say "I can help you do this better". Ahh we all want to be better at what we're already doing. Many are looking for a way to do it better. See what a huge difference that slight change of words can make?

Have you ever seen an ad that was 3 miles long? Did you read it? Why not? It was too long. While I'm the first to agree we can often find pages of information to give to others, it's so important that we chooose a few key points to advertise and then as asked provide the remainder of the information. No one is going to read a 3 mile long ad.

When you write an ad, ask someone to read it and provide feedback. Choose your words carefully!!

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

Catalogs

If you have catalogs, get the most out each and every one by using labels on them. I use both plain white labels and I also use the neon colored labels.

On the back of every catalog I put a label with my name, phone number, email address and web address.

On the front I'll use one or two of the following:

"Share me with a friend, when you both order, you'll both recieve 10% off"

"I'm expired, please call for a current catalog"

"Ask me about becoming a (fill in company name) distributor"

"Find out how to get free (fill in company name)"

"When you open a party, you'll get free (fill in company name)"

Don't throw away expired catalogs. Leave them in laundromats, in doctors offices etc.

Leave me a comment and let me know your ideas for catalogs.

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

Marketing Your Business

I was reading a message board yesterday and a gal asked if she needed to do more than place classified ads. Here's part of my answer to her:

Everyone in business should be marketing. There are tons of ways to market. You can place a classified ad. This is completely straight forward. Either the person clicks and responds or they don't.

You can write articles. This is much more subtle. Folks will read and then maybe click. Very different from the ad, where only those who are interested will read it. Your articles might be shared with others. They might be picked up by publishers. They might even be emailed between friends.

You can post on message boards. Again, folks will read your messages. Some might click your link, they might not. Even if you don't make a sale today, folks might bookmark your site.

A blog is just one more way to reach out to others. I have folks email me saying they loved my blog post. They might or might not click on my business. They might or might not share that post with someone else. Think of the classified ad. Who is going to share a classified ad and say "gosh I saw this ad, you should check it out?" However, you might say "I saw a great blog post, you should check it out." I love getting emails saying "my friend/sister/aunt/mother send me a link to your post."What about comments on other people's blogs? I have met some awesome people from their comments. Some incredible conversations have developed from comments I've left.

Newsletters are yet another way to connect with others. Month after month you are able to put your name in front of other people. Month after month you'll keep folks thinking about you and what you have to offer.

Profiles and signatures are a wonderful way to let others know what you do without really "advertising". Almost all communities allow you to create a profile. Use that profile. Let others know who you are and what you do. I don't mean just in business. When I tell folks I love to crochet and scrapbook, terrific conversations can follow. I look for common ground between me and others. It might be that we both enjoy working out. It might be that we both love to cook. It might be that we both have adult children. Without a profile, folks won't know about here. Even here on blogger.com use your profile, let folks know about you.

Hold an online party. Look for Vendor Fairs. I see them advertised all of the time. The folks holding the fair do the marketing to bring in potential customers. This is equivilant to renting a booth at a local show. The organizers of the show market for potential customers. Shop around, not all vendor fairs are the same.

Offline, get a magnet for your car. Or get a catalog holder or business card holder for your car. Use your vehicle. Get lettering for your back window.

Summer is coming. Get your website printed on your beach towel. Get it printed on your diaper bag or towel bag. If you have an umbrella, get your website printed on your umbrella.

Do you subscribe to magazines? Get a label on them and give them away after you are done reading them. Leave them anywhere where people gather.

Wear a name tag everywhere you go. You'll be amazed how many folks will stop you when you wear a nametag.

These are just a few ideas of how you can market your business.

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

7 Tips For the New Network Marketer

7 Tips For the New Network Marketer

Oh, how exciting. You’ve signed the contract. You paid for the kit. Now, once that kit arrives you’ll be set to go. You have such big plans. You have such wonderful ideas.

The kit comes at the end of the next week. Gosh, what took so long? You’ve now committed to a volunteer project once a week. You’ve also committed to a new carpool for your child. You actually did talk to two people in the last week and both of them said no. Maybe you can get your money back for the kit. This isn’t really what you want to do anyway.

Does any of this sound familiar?

Here are 7 tips for the new network marketer to help get the ball rolling:

1. Read and learn about the company. How old is the company? How was the company started? Where are corporate headquarters located? How many distributors does the company have? Who owns the company? What can you learn about that person, or family?

2. Read and learn about the product line. What products are offered? How often are new products introduced? Are there catalogs? How does a distributor order? And how does a customer order? Is there a money back guarantee?

3. Join any online communities you can with other distributors from your company. Sometimes you’ll find team boards, or team groups. Sometimes you’ll find company boards, or company groups. There are tons of work at home message boards out on the internet. Find those that have boards with other distributors from your company. Join them and read what other distributors are saying. Start developing a support network within the distributor circle of your company.

4. Go to either the local book store or a used book store and find a couple of books about business and/or leadership. I really like John Maxwell. He’s written several books on leadership. Another favorite of mine is “Love Is The Killer App” by Tim Sanders. The entire book is about networking,

5. Create a simple business plan. Or at the very least write down both your short term and long term goals. A business plan and goals are your roadmap. Almost no one leaves their home for a cross country trip without some sort of map. If you’ve never been in business before, it’s like going cross country. Without a map, you’re bound to get lost.

6. Sign up for a couple of newsletters or ezines. These can either be about business in general, about network marketing or about your specific industry. If you plan to market online, join one or two newsletters that will help you learn about marketing online. If you plan to host home parties, join one or two newsletters about party plan. Regardless of company affiliation, you need to find hostesses, give presentations, introduce products, etc.

7. Put together your first product order. Even before your kit arrives, you can put together your first product order. Order those sales aids you’ll need also, whether it be catalogs, or information sheets, or samples. Order the supplies you’ll need to sell the product and to talk to others about joining the company.

With these 7 steps completed before your kit ever arrives, the kit will only be a formality, not the starting point. You will have already immersed yourself into your new business and will already be working towards those first goals you’ve set. As you begin sponsoring others, share these 7 steps with your new team members. You’ll develop a team that begins working the day they say yes.

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

Message Boards

I've been asked by many of you to write more business help posts, so watch for more of a mix of business posts and recipes.

That being said, I wanted to talk about message boards in today's posts. For those who have never participated in message board communities, you are missing a wonderful opportunity to meet others, share information and even pick up new clients.

Message boards are interactive communities on a variety of subjects. I'd like to share a list of message boards that I help moderate on, so you'll find me there daily:

http://athomeresources.com/Message_Board/index.php

http://real-wah-jobs.com/forums.html

http://itsfree.proboards43.com/index.cgi

http://www.freelancemom.com/forum/index.php

http://wahmforums.com/boards/index.php

http://smartmoms.freeforums.org/index.php

and then a few others where I am not a moderator but am an active participant:

http://classychics.freeforums.org/index.php

http://www.mommyshelpercommunity.com/phpBB2/index.php

Finally, I'd like to share a wonderful article written by Tammy Embrich, who owns a message board of her own.

The Basics Of Forum Marketing
By: Tammy Embrich

You've finally created your website and you need ideas to promote it!

But where do you promote your website? How do you promote it?

There are literally tons of marketing ideas out there. But I wanted to focus on the concept of Forum Marketing. There are message forums everywhere. Work at home, home business, webmasters, affiliate programs, and articles...are just a few of the various types of forums out on the Internet today.

So which forums do you promote on?

Well, this will depend on what your website is all about. Is your website about working at home? Is it about a particular home business you are a representative for? Is your website about affiliate programs? You will need to base your marketing around what your website is about.

For example...If your site is basically about "work at home," you will want to join "work at home" forums. Makes sense, doesn't it?

So...you've joined some message forums that relate to your website, what is your next step?

Here is a simple laid-out plan on forum marketing:

1) The first thing you will want to do is find the "Introduction" folder. Make your first post, introducing yourself to the forum members and share a few things about yourself. Important...NO ADS in this post! If you post an ad here, it will most likely get deleted.

2) Browse the forum and get aquainted with the community. Take the time to read through a few threads and get a feel for what the forum is focused on and what it has to offer.

3) Check out the Forum Posting and Signature Rules. On most forums, this is usually located fairly close to the "Introduction" folder. Make for sure you fully understand the rules of the forum and follow them carefully.

4) Post in a few topics that you are interested in or share some advice. Try and make your posts consist of as much quality as you can...not just, "I agree" or "nice post." Forum members usually just scroll by these type of short and sweet messages and don't even bother to find out what YOU have to offer the community...thus, resulting in a complete waste of time on your part.

5) Create your signature. While doing so, make for sure you follow the forum signature rules. A signature is a block of text that displays your name (if you care to share that information), and links to your website or affiliate programs. There is usually a character count limit. Always include your signature in all your future posts. If you are unsure of how to create a signature, click on the FAQ link, (usually found at the top of the forum).

6) Post your ads ONLY in the advertising folder. If you post your ads elsewhere, you run the risk of losing your forum account. ALWAYS read the rules of this section.

7) Get to know the community...have fun and make friends. Share your work at home experiences and any knowledgeable advice or tips. Ask questions on areas you need knowledge or more information about.

The idea here is to establish a good reputation for yourself and gain trust and loyalty from the forum members. You will quickly discover that you will bring in far more traffic to your business or website by doing this rather than spamming ads in the advertising section and not engaging in good quality work at home conversations.

Something that most forum spammers are not aware of...I have found out through forum marketing, most people don't read the advertising section anyway. Most of them are there for searching out knowledgeable marketing techniques and related business resources. So, it is much more beneficial for you if you utilize the message forum for what it is really intended for...NOT for spamming your ads and then leaving.

The forum members will get to know you and grow curious about what your signature links have to offer. The end result...they will be much more inclined to sign up for a business opportunity under you if they grow to trust you by conversing with you on a day to day basis in a friendly forum atmosphere.

This is called "Proper Forum Networking." Give it a try...it works like a charm everytime.

Article written by: Tammy Embrich

Tammy is an Internet Marketer and is the
Owner of: http://www.onestopwebemployment.com/
And Owner of: http://www.real-wah-jobs.com/

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

Make Dinner Easy

I found the most wonderful site this week. www.makedinnereasy.com is a delightful site with recipes, shopping lists, cooking tips and more.

Here is one example of Crystal's wonderful recipes:

Beefy Onion Strudel
(Prep Time: 20 minutes. Baking Time: 20 minutes)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1 Tablespoon butter
1 large onion thinly sliced, then cut each slice in quarters
1 Tablespoon flour
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
2 cups beef tenderloin cut into 1” cubes(or 1 - 1½ lbs deli roast beef, thickly sliced and then cut into ½ “ cubes)
4 slices provolone cheese
2 (8 ounce) packages unbaked crescent roll dough (i.e. Pillsbury)
1 egg, well beaten

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet, sauté onions until tender and slightly browned. Remove pan from heat and stir in flour very well. Return to medium-low heat and add Worcestershire sauce and soy sauce, stirring well until blended and thickened. Remove from heat and add beef. Toss to coat.

3. Unroll 1 package of crescent roll dough – do not separate. Arrange longest sides of the dough across the width of a cookie sheet. Repeat with the second package of dough, slightly overlapping the two packages of dough (you are trying to form 1 large piece of dough). Using your fingers, press the edges of the two pieces of dough together. To make serving easier, I often line the cookie sheet with a piece of parchment paper prior to laying down the dough. This prevents the strudel from sticking (it’s not critical to do this).

4. Spread the filling down the middle of the large piece of dough. Top with cheese. Using a knife, cut lines 1 ½” apart down both sides of the dough that has not been covered with filling To form a “braid”, start at one end and lift 1 strip of dough from the right side of the beef mixture and lift it up and half way across the beef mixture. Repeat with a strip from the left side. When the strips meet in the middle, slightly overlap them and press together. Repeat until all strips have been braided together.

5. Brush beaten egg over top (you don’t need to use all of the egg, just enough to slightly coat the braid).6. Bake 20-22 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into 1 ½” slices and serve. Serves 10

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

Baking

It was just last week that I used the Tupperware Silicon Wonder mat. What an incredible baking tool. You put the mat right on top of your cookie sheet. Using this mat means no more calories from greasing a sheet and very even heat distribution. Ok...enough on the "ad", let me share some cookie recipes with you:

Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies

2/3 cup Crisco
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup flour
1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa or Dutch cocoa
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup white chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Beat Crisco, brown sugar, water, and vanilla in large bowl on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; beat well. Stir together (in a separate bowl) flour, cocoa, salt, and baking soda. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended. Stir in chocolate chips, and white chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes or until set. Cookies will appear soft, do not over bake.

Spice Cookies

1 1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup molasses
4 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
additional sugar

Cream butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add eggs and molasses, mixing well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda, salt and spices; sift together. Add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture and mix well. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight. Shape into 1/2 inch balls, roll in additional sugar. Place 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 6 minutes, or until edges begin to brown.

Butterscotch Potato Chip Cookies

2 sticks butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon soda
6 ounces butterscotch pieces
2 cups potato chips, crushed (measure after crushing)

Mix butter and sugars. Add eggs and mix. Add flour and soda. Mix again. Finally, add in the butterscotch pieces and potato chips and lightly mix.

Bake at 300 degrees for 12 minutes.

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka

Microwave Recipes

I so love my microwave. Although I'm dating myself I do remember a time when microwave ovens were not in every household.

Although many folks use their microwaves to heat up leftovers, or warm a cup of coffee, you can actually prepare entire meals in the microwave.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef

1 egg

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs

6 ounces grape jelly

2 tablespoons lemon juice

chili sauce to taste

Mix hamburger, egg, bread crumbs and water until well blended. In deep 3-quart casserole, combine chili sauce, grape jelly and lemon juice. Shape meat mixture into small meatballs and place in sauce mixture. Heat 12 minutes on full power, skim off fat, stir. Heat 8 minutes on full power until sauce bubbles and meatballs are cooked.

BBQ Ribs

2 pounds ribs
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 - 15 ounce can tomato sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Place ribs in a 2-quart microwave-safe dish. Combine remaining ingredients except salt and pepper. Pour over ribs. Cook in microwave oven, covered, on level 5 (slow-cook) for 25-30 minutes or until meat is tender and temperature of 170 degrees if reached. Turn ribs over halfway through cooking time. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

Tuna Casserole

2 - six ounce cans of tuna
3 cups of egg noodles, uncooked
1/2 cup of celery, chopped
1/3 cup of green onions, sliced
1/2 cup of sour cream
2 teaspoons of dry mustard
1/2 cup of miracle whip
1/2 teaspoon of thyme
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 zucchini, sliced
1 cup of Monterey Jack Cheese
1 tomato, chopped

Drain and flake the tuna and set it aside for later. Cook the noodles according to the package instructions. Drain & rinse in hot water.

Combine the noodles with the tuna, celery, and green onions. Blend in the sour cream, mustard, miracle whip, thyme and salt. Spoon half of the mixture into a buttered 2 quart casserole dish. Top with half the zucchini.. Then add the rest of the mixture, and the remainder of zucchini. Cover the dish. Microwave at high power for 6-8 minutes. Top the dish with the cheese and tomato. Microwave at high power for 2 more minutes, and let stand for 3 minutes before serving.

Garlic Shrimp

1 pound shrimp, shelled and deveined
2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

Mix oil and garlic in bowl, cover with plastic wrap and cook on high heat for 1 minute. Add oyster sauce, soya sauce and lemon juice. Cover and cook for 30 seconds on high. Pat prawns dry with paper towel, add to sauce and cook 4 minutes on high. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.

Audrey :)
http://mytupperware.com/audreyoka