Dolly Kapil asked:




Being the Public Relations’ Director for a major, online holistic journal, I often find myself brainstorming new and creative ways of marketing, and making our site not only visitor/client-friendly, but informative and entertaining as well. While we offer a broad array of alternative healing arts’ schools, I wanted to explain exactly how successful marketing can lead to maximum, effective exposure.

After a little research, I discovered quite a few interesting things about how advertising works. The Nielsen ratings are a classic example of how marketing techniques are applied. In the United States, Nielsen Media Research provides audience estimates for all national program sources. For example, during ‘Sweeps’ week, Nielsen Media Research mails out diaries to certain households across the country. The diaries are collected and processed at the end of each time period. In addition, Nielsen provides many other data services to display viewing records of television, cable and other multimedia programming. These viewing data reflect what, when and how often programs are watched. So, in essence, commercial advertising agencies depend on Nielsen ratings on what commercials to air, and how to design commercials to be ‘eye candy’ to the masses.

The Coca-Cola company made a powerful move in its Christmas advertising campaign by integrating Santa Claus in their marketing plans. So powerful, in fact, that because of its commercials depicting Santa drinking Coca-Cola from a bottle, spawned consumers to take more and more bottles of Coca-Cola home with them!

In an even more elaborate move, Toyota Motor Sales recently cornered the online market with being the only car Ad to sponsor EBay!

During the 1980s, Ms. Clara Peller was recruited to commercialize Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?” Slogan in televisions ads everywhere.

But what does this have to do with marketing essentials? Technically, the viewing and listening public – whether it is Radio, Cable TV, or the Internet – is diverse information and entertainment seekers. As consumers, we want a broad selection, we demand diversity, we expect ‘eye candy.’ Thus, while most advertising agencies can only produce and accentuate the positive of products and/or services, it all boils down to viewer-ability.

Clients demand results – and they want them to reflect their choice in advertising. As both a consumer and marketing specialist, a skilled advertising firm is able to fully comprehend the fundamentals of developing successful strategies in commercial promotion of products and services.

So how does a good advertising firm produce positive results in a productive marketing campaign? Below are a few, finer points in proven ‘viewer-ability’ marketing strategies:

1. Research & Development – analysis of current marketing and advertising campaigns

2. Strategic Planning and Implementation

3. Media Buys – buying media at discounted rates and pass savings onto clients

4. Copywriting Services

5. Video Production – Informational and Corporate

6. Public Relations

7. Website Development and Promotion

8. Direct Mail/Email Campaigns

9. Electronic/Print Advertising

10. Brochure & Graphic Design

11. Telemarketing Consultation

12. Market Research

The prime question one should ask himself (or his organization) is ‘What do I want to accomplish?’ Experienced ad agencies will review and analyze what is and isn’t working through review of revenue streams and competition. Specific recommendations are then made on how to target particular audiences – much like that of the Nielsen Media Research.

Since the conceptual design and implementation of the World Wide Web, advertising has taken on a dramatically new perspective, and is steadily climbing to popular ranks likening to mainstream media. Undeniably, many Americans are virtually living in the ‘net.’ Aside from being a vital tool for student research projects, the Internet has become a vast and ever-expanding media outlet for entertainment, information, work and direct-advertising system. By integrating all points of a strategic marketing campaign, electronic advertising agencies are able to assist clients with interactive ad campaigns that help promote exposure to clients (services and/or products).

Realistically, whether we’re selling products or services, we have to realize that exposure (or eye-candy) is what gains attention. In the field of advertising, we personally know that we, as consumers, are smart shoppers. We watch, listen, learn and investigate.

Before we even decide to invest in a product or service, we have a pretty good idea of what we want. For example, if I am interested in attending a particular school, I will research the area for schools that meet my criteria. Hypothetically speaking, let’s say there are 5 acupuncture institutions in one state – 2 are listed, 3 are not. Automatically, my choice of prospective schools has been narrowed down to just two. Now, of the 2 educational organizations, one is 60 miles away and one is just 10 minutes up the street. Okay, my option became a bit closer, but what does school An offer that school B doesn’t? Or visa vi? This is where successful marketing plans come into action. Understandably, clients must want to achieve specific goals, so viewer-ability is a crucial component in becoming the deciding factor for potential consumers.

Exposure is the key element to promoting products and/or services. The unique aspect of Internet advertising is that 1) it’s less expensive, 2.) it reaches individuals one-on-one, 3) it gains worldwide exposure. With the boom of Internet advertising, people are able to attain information at their fingertips – literally.

Television commercials convey consumer information to the viewing public. We might see a Land Cruiser ad, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to go run out and buy one right then. BUT, the notion has been planted in our heads to take a deeper look at Toyota vehicles. The same applies to Internet advertising, but there’s a slightly unique difference: Because the Internet is interactive, we can invest our money and time instantly should we choose to do so. But like many wise shoppers, we selectively peruse our viewable options – But the notion has been planted in our minds for further review.

How Do You Sell Yourself? Below is a list of questions one should ask:

1. Necessity: What is it about my product ( or service) that makes it essential to consumers?

2. Consumerability: What sets my product (or service) aside from other competitors?

3. Communication: Do I inform my potential consumers with detailed accuracy?

4. Location: What makes my location attractive?

5. Amenities: Do I have any to offer?

6. Accessibility: Is my product (or service) easily accessible and within reach?

7. Catch-Phrase: Do I have a memorable slogan? (e.g., Wendy’s “Where’s the Beef?”)

8. Presentation: Is my product (or service) being presented in its best light? Can I improve its viewer-ability?

9. Affordabilty: Is my product (or service) affordable? Are financing or other loan options available to consumers?

10. Extra: Do I offer any special tools (e.g., workshops, guides, etc.) that enhance my products and/or services?

Overall, marketing your services and/or products boils down to proficient exposure. The better the presentation, the more likely consumers will be receptive. Clients who work closely with their advertising firms will attain prolific results. If something is not adequately working, it is important to review deficiencies and redefine how to better improve upon ourselves to attract more productive exposure. (See: How Do You Sell Yourself above)

Advertising methods, if understood and implemented properly, are the vital foundation to abundant and powerful, commercial exposure. Knowing, or Knowledge, is still ultimately the key to success; and the key to goal achievements

Richard n Williams asked:




There has been a rise in the uptake of digital signage amongst education establishments with many schools, colleges and universities implementing screens both indoors and outside on campus.

There are many benefits of digital signage for educational establishments and although any school or college doesn’t want to spend money unnecessary the usefulness of digital signage has proved worthwhile to many deans and headmasters.

The reason for the large uptake has to do with the many benefits that digital signage has to offer a school or other educational establishment; here are just some of them:

Information

Schools continually have to pump out information and not just for students and parents either. Schools act as hubs for the local community and offer all sorts of services from use of the school facilities in the evening to polling stations during elections.



Digital signage used at North Pocono high school, Pennsylvania

Ensuring information is relayed to the right people has always been the task of the traditional school letter or notice board but now digital signage allows schools to not only ensure pupils and students are aware of important information but also by utilising outdoor digital signage at the front of the school they can keep the local community informed also.

Impression

All schools and colleges want to set themselves apart from the rest and digital signage helps portray a modern and sophisticated image. This wow factor also helps ensure the information is more likely to be digested as people (including our youth) are still captivated by the newness of digital signage especially when they are housed na  stylish LCD enclosure.

Emergencies

Unfortunately incidents and emergencies do arise on educational campuses. From bomb threats to some of the tragic firearms incidents that make headline news. Ensuring that information is being relayed to help ensure the safety of students during times of emergency and some high profile incidents of late where students have been injured or killed following an incident that could have been avoided if the information had been relayed.

Entertainment

Students can get restless quite easy, so keeping them engaged is vital in the learning process. Digital signage is far more engaging that traditional signage methods it is also more flexible so a screen being used for education can easily be used to stream videos if the weather has kept the students from the playing fields.

Revenue Creation

Schools are just like any other business these days. Many have control of their own budget and are always looking for new ways of generating revenue. Digital signage is incredibly flexible as advertisements can be woven into the regular content meaning not only can you supply the information you need to relay but also generate revenue at the same time.



Association

The right advertisement can sell anything and make businesses profits rise. With the advertising industry being extremely competitive earning an education has become essential. Students can enter numerous career opportunities by completing a degree program in advertising.

Students should expect to learn in a fast paced environment that stresses the design and implementation of an ad. Degree programs teach students about the industry and how to best work with a product in order to create an ad. The process to building an ad or an ad campaign takes creative skill and computer program knowledge. Learning how to be a part of an ads success is gained by first earning a formal education. Earning a bachelor’s or master’s degree are the two most taken paths to learn how to generate an ad and work with a business. Students should keep in mind when looking for programs that most colleges combine advertising into their mass communications education department.

The most common staring point is stepping into a bachelor’s degree program. The focal point of education is to teach students how to work with a product or service to sell it. Degree programs show students how to promote an item through various forms of media. Ads can be created for television commercials, newspapers, magazines, and web sites. A good program will prepare students to be able to work with all forms of media. Through the work completed in college students can expect to know how to generate copy, design, and layout ads using specific techniques and software. An undergraduate degree prepares students to work in entry-level jobs and managerial positions. Courses focus on:

Theory Campaign Technique Media Management Marketing Strategy

 

A strategies course goes into how to integrate communication tools like promotion, event management, and media selection with advertising. Students learn the value of integrating different tools to produce a successful ad. Continuing education allows students to pick a concentration, which provides the option to study one aspect of the field in depth.

Through the specific focus in a master’s degree program students learn how to create strategic campaigns that can be used to increase a businesses product or service globally. Careers are entered at the management or executive level, which makes schooling a great way to learn how to think critically. Students use their knowledge to work on market research and make essential decisions that can hinder or help a campaign. Specific areas like:

Management Creative Strategy Media Planning New Technology

…can be entered as a concentration. Programs incorporate writing for the media, campaign structure, promotion, international advertising, research, and more to teach students how to work in managerial positions. A course on international business advertising teaches students to identify business customs, service adaptions, and cultural perspectives to be able to design a campaign that can be successful in another country. Further education at the PhD level usually is completed in a related field like mass media.

Learning how to successfully create ads is a skill that can be acquired through advertising schools. Students can complete an accredited bachelor’s or master’s degree program and enter a creative career. Accreditation comes from agencies like the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC), and is awarded to programs that offer the best education in advertising.

 

It takes skill, knowledge and clever advertising strategies to successfully market any product, business or service. All businesses expect good results in their marketing and sales campaigns, and they seek qualified advertising professionals to accomplish their goals. If you think you are up for the challenge, a good advertising school could be your best ally.

The goal of Advertising is to inform, persuade and remind consumers, and Advertising Schools teach students how to promote goods and services through marketing and sales, publicity, sales promotion, and public relations.

There are no official qualifications for Advertising professionals; however a Bachelor of Science Degree in Advertising with a broad liberal arts background is preferred. A formal education in Advertising emphasizes the creative and visual sides of selling, as well as the technical and business aspects. Students learn to perform market research and develop new marketing strategies. They also learn about sales and other types of promotion, as well as pricing and product development.

Career possibilities are unlimited for Advertising professionals. Available positions include media services, account services, creative services, copywriter, Internet advertiser, direct response advertiser, and many more. Professionals may seek a position with an Advertising business (ad agency) or the in-house Advertising department of a large company.

Generally, Advertising professionals work a 40 hour workweek. Annual salaries range from $20,000-$55,000 or more, depending on education and qualifications.

Liz T Jones asked:




One of the first considerations a newly established business must deal with in its budget is advertising. Local advertising is a must to get out the name, location and type of business. There are myriad avenues for a new business to get out such information. There are phone book advertisements, mailing circulars, billboards, newspaper ads, signage at local school sporting events, television commercials and radio advertising.

A business owner must usually try several of these to see what type return they get for the dollars invested. One of the better bargains still available is the use of local radio stations. Advertising for local customers via the radio airwaves is generally a good bargain. An establishment can not only get out their message in a randomly-placed 30-second commercial, but the medium offers other areas of helping the local business as well.

Consideration should be given to remote broadcasts at a new business location. The local radio personality is on site, inviting listeners to stop by for promotions, coupons, special deals or even grand opening giveaways. In between news, music or talk programs, the local announcer is informing listeners about the bargains to be had, location of the new business, a possible interview with the owner and the importance of coming in during the remote time period. It is an excellent method for an introduction to the public.

Local stations are a lifeline for residents with area or regional news, weather information and school sports scores. Many businesses, such as barbershops, local hardware stores and doctor’s or dentist’s offices have local stations playing in the background. There are opportunities for the business to promote advertising for local customers on a daily or weekly basis rather than the one-shot newspaper ad or mailed circular.

School sporting events are a great method of using radio for local advertising. School games are quite often broadcast live across the airwaves. Parents, school personnel and literally thousands of interested fans will listen in to such events and hear radio spots during breaks in the game. These same stations promote their sports broadcast at various times in the week leading up to the event. Quite often, sponsors names are mentioned along with the event promotion, thus giving the business added exposure to the local audience.

Radio stations are self-promoting on a daily basis. While promoting themselves, they are, in turn, promoting their commercial sponsors along the way. Advertising for local consumers by way of radio is a definite method worthy of consideration.

Mike Watkins asked:




Car advertising is a very simple method people can use in order to get some extra cash every month. Basically, it works like this: specific companies want to promote their products or services, so they pay people to carry around their advertisements which, in this case, are wrapped around their cars. Some companies even give away free cars for those who do not own a personal car or simply want a new one.

In case you choose to take advantage of this program, the only things you will have to worry about are gas money and car insurance, so there are practically no major strings attached. You can continue driving your car as you already do: to your job, school, mall and other places.

There are a lot of companies out there which will offer to pay you to advertise on your car, but most of them will only pay you a little amount of money per month (something around $100). A little trick you can take advantage of is registering with specialized agencies which will help you find the best available deal in your area. I did it and, in exchange for a $30 signing up fee, I was helped to find a company which currently pays me $700 a month just for driving my car.

If you want to learn more about this and get some precious pieces of advice (and also make the most of car advertising), you can visit Paid-for-Driving, which is not mine, but helped me quite a bit.

Michael Bustamante asked:




If you like computer design and you think you have what it takes to persuade and influence consumers, maybe it’s time to look into advertising design schools. The field of advertising has been evolving for hundreds of years (especially in the last century) to become the precise science that it is today. Training in advertising design can help you get up to speed on the latest methods of introducing buyers to new and established products, and getting them to make that all-important purchase.

Advertising design courses offer the basics of marketing and sales, public relations, advertising, and good graphic design. Students will learn skills of Computer Aided Design (CAD) and become familiar with related software, such as InDesign, Corel Draw, PhotoShop, QuarkXpress, and many others. Most graphic design training today will also introduce students to the world of e-commerce, with courses in website design and development, and e-business. Students can obtain Associate, Bachelor, and Master degrees in Computer Arts and New Media, Digital Arts and Communications, Interactive Media Design, Digital Media Production, Visual Effects and Motion Graphics, and many others.

The field of employment for graduates is wide open, with beginner graphic artists earning salaries of $40-50,000 per year. Advanced degrees and experience can push the salary range to $80,000 or more

Imagine yourself in a job you love, with a lifetime of secure employment practically guaranteed. That is what an education in graphic design can do for you. Take a moment today to select from the top Advertising Design Schools found on our website and submit your request for information. It might just be the best career move you have ever made!

DISCLAIMER: Above is a GENERAL OVERVIEW and may or may not reflect specific practices, courses and/or services associated with ANY ONE particular school(s) that is or is not advertised on SchoolsGalore.com.

Copyright 2008 – All rights reserved by Media Positive Communications, Inc.

Notice: Publishers are free to use this article on an ezine or website, provided the article is reprinted in its entirety, including copyright and disclaimer, and ALL links remain intact and active.

Austin Bronski asked:




Tutoring, whether online or face-to-face, can be a very lucrative business, assuming you have the right number of clients. I recommend sitting down and determining what your goals are, how much you plan to charge, and how many hours a week you plan to tutor. You should also take into consideration time spent traveling if you choose to meet with students in person rather than online. Once you have an idea of how many clients you can comfortably handle, it is time to help them find you. The key to this is name recognition and building relationships with people. You need to get your name out there and help people realize that you are available and willing to help their child succeed. Below is a list of advertising suggestions that have been compiled by successful tutors.

1. Print Business Cards – This is a MUST. Make sure that in addition to your name, email address, and telephone number, you indicate the subjects that you are willing to tutor. Leave them in locations where parents and teachers will easily find them. For instance, many people ask permission to leave a pile of cards at the local library, with school administrators or guidance counselors, at the local gym or YMCA, even on a bulletin board at the grocery store. Think about where parents spend a lot of time and inquire about leaving some cards there.

You can even include a discount code to encourage people to pass them around for you. If a new client gives you the code when they sign up with you, they AND the person they got the card from can get some sort of discount.

2. Get an email address that is easy to remember and indicates that you tutor. Ex. Mathtutor101@yahoo. com. Make sure that this email address is on your business card and any fliers you plan to distribute.

3. Print fliers and post them in locations where students and parents are likely to visit. Great ideas are libraries, pizza restaurants, community centers, and gyms. Consider places where parents wait for children to practice – gymnastic and tennis centers, etc. Also, visit teacher stores and ask if you can leave your business cards on their counter or post a flier on their window/bulletin board. I know a tutor who went to Staples on their annual Back-to-School day and introduced themselves and handed out fliers and business cards to each teacher waiting in line to get in! Some were very receptive while others were indifferent. Give it a shot!

4. Talk to people at the local schools – principals, classroom teachers, guidance counselors. Provide them with copies of your flier and business cards so they can hand them out to struggling students. Visit often so they get familiar with your name and face. Inquire about their curriculum and the textbooks or programs that they use. Explain to them that you will be striving to complement what they are trying to accomplish in the classroom and that you hope to impact the school’s test scores by improving the skills of some of the weaker students.

5. Talk to members of the PTA. Let them know that you are available and are enthusiastic about helping members of the student body. Word of mouth is one of the best methods of advertising. One happy parent will mention your name to parents of other struggling students and the number of people who know your name and what you do will increase exponentially. Showing up at PTA meetings will help these parents put a name to a face and ask you questions directly.

6. Get involved in school activities. Volunteer to read in the classroom, work in the library an hour or two a week, help out in the classroom, show up at school functions such as Back to School Night, etc. The more a school staff member gets to know and trust you, the more likely they are to recommend you to one of their parents.

7. Try to get your name/email address on the school’s website. It would be helpful to get a link from the school’s website to your webpage or email. This will probably only happen after you have built up a reputation with parents and teachers at the school. Be patient but diligent.

8. Try to get employed by the school system as a “homebound” tutor. You will get paid by the school system to tutor their students that are unable to attend school for one reason or another. This will get your name and face out there and make school staff members more likely to recommend you.

9. Order yard signs and post them near the school. However, before you do this, look into local laws regarding posting signs. Some areas have specific rules about posting them while other areas outlaw them completely.

10. Get familiar with dates for progress reports and report card distribution, Back to School night, Parent-Teacher conferences, and step up your advertising efforts around these times.

Notice that advertisements techniques such as the yellow pages, the classified section of a newspaper, or even internet ads were not mentioned. This is because they are often costly and not worth your money or effort. Try the methods discussed above first and I’m sure you will be satisfied with the number of clients you attract.

Joe Cavell asked:




They Never Compensate For A Lack Of Confidence And Perceived Value In The Mind Of The Consumer

Most business owners and marketers – maybe even you – have been conditioned to try to learn little advertising tricks and technique…mostly because that’s the only thing being taught in any school. I have heard many people mistakenly say “teach me the tricks of the trade.’ This is sad because in reality, they need to learn THE TRADE… in other words, the principles of successful advertising – instead of just learning the TRICKS. Once you learn the basic principles, then you can move on to learning the techniques. There’s a good reason why all good teachers of marketing and advertising go through all the principle-based strategies before they move on to the techniques and tips.

Let me tell you that I have a big problem just teaching techniques. Let’s look at a quick story to illustrate why. My oldest son’s name is Joe and sometimes we go to the local fast food chain drive-in and get french fries. When Joe was really little, like 2 or 3, sometimes the french fries would come out too hot for him to eat, so he’d ask me to cool them down. Well, how do you cool down a hot french fry when you’re in the car? You hold it up to the air conditioner vent and crank it up for a few seconds until it cools off!

We called this technique the “fast food cool down technique.” I know you’ve done this! Well, my son, being smarter than most (at least that’s what most parents always say, right?), he could do this technique all by himself, even at a very young age. Then I remember one time, I looked over there at Joe, and he was doing the fast food cool down technique and I hadn’t told him to do it or reminded him to do it or anything. He was just doing it. And I was thinking, “Wow, he really is pretty smart.” Then I looked closer, and actually had to do a double take. I realized that there were two problems – first, the french fry wasn’t hot and second, the air conditioner wasn’t even turned on. See, Joe was executing the technique to perfection – it’s just that the situation was totally wrong; he couldn’t understand what conditions had to exist before that technique would work. What I had was a small child executing a technique to its absolute perfection without any understanding of the principles that made that technique work in the first place. He didn’t understand the principles, just the technique.

And that’s how it is with sales techniques and marketing techniques and advertising techniques. Let me give you an example, direct mail. Back in the 70s, guys started coming out of the woodwork teaching techniques for tricking people into reading their junk mail. They teach to send your sales letter in a plain white regular sized envelope with no return address with a first class stamp and handwritten address. People would get it and go, “Wow! A letter from someone who forgot to write their return address! I wonder who it is?” Then they’d open it. What do you do when you get a white hand written envelope with no return address on it? You pitch it without even opening it! You know it’s junk. You know it’s a waste of your time. But people are still using that technique, just like a 3 year old holding a cold french fry up to an a/c vent that’s not even turned on!

Here’s another advertising trick used by car dealers. They’re notorious for using tricks because, they haven’t yet innovated their business sufficiently so as to be perceived as being different than their competitors. They don’t have a good inside reality, so instead they try to trick you into believing they offer a better value. I won’t even talk about the loss leader trick, where they put a stripped-down, low price model in their ad that lures you onto the lot only to find that model doesn’t exist. No, that’s too obvious. Everyone knows that trick. How about this one: I saw an ad that featured the headline, “Pay No Tax On All New Models.” You look at that and instantly draw a conclusion that you won’t have to pay the sales tax, which on a $25,000 vehicle could mean a savings of a couple of thousand bucks. I saw that and went “Wow, that’s a great value…pay no tax.” Then I saw the teeny, tiny type at the bottom of the page. It said, “Dealership will pay the INVENTORY tax on the vehicle, customer is responsible for all state and local sales taxes.” Now I had just bought a new car recently and remembered seeing “Inventory Tax” on the final invoice. It was something like $55. Well whoop-dee-do. A $55 savings. Nice trick, guys. Now you tell me: Does that kind of a trick build confidence and trust…or does it build what we call contempt and hatred?

But that’s what most advertising and marketing programs teach you to do – implement a bunch of little techniques to trick people into believing that there’s some kind of value in doing business with you. Techniques, I might add, that frequently don’t work when you try to use them in the real world. You can’t just rely on tricks and techniques. You’ve got to build the inside reality of your business so that the outside perception has a chance of being honestly good. Hey, if your inside reality is poor, or even if it’s just about the same as everyone else’s, what do you think the outside perception of your business will be? So-so at best, right? On the other hand, if you concentrate all your efforts on the “inside reality” but you can’t do advertising very well, you’re setting yourself up for frustration. You’ll be pulling your hair out trying to figure out how anybody could be so knuckleheaded to do business with competitors when your business obviously offers a superior value. Well, maybe it’s NOT so obvious.

The discovery: Most businesses could stand some improvement in both areas, but they struggle the most with the “outside perception,” or, in other words, with all of the competition that exists – because of the confidence gap – they have problems differentiating themselves in the marketplace. Regardless of your situation, or where you are now, that’s what these tips are all about – improving the inside reality and outside perception of your company. It’s best to spend time talking about innovation and how to make your business competitive from a product, operations, and management standpoint, and then spend most of the time talking about how to do the advertising so that it effectively has your company looking like a cut above all the competitors.

Can you see why it’s imperative that these two factors – the inside reality and the outside perception – be considered at the same time? Just innovating leaves you with a really solid company that nobody knows about. On the other hand, just learning sales or marketing or advertising will drive in business that won’t stick around if there’s no superior value. You have to consider both the inside reality and the outside perception. You have to first have something good to say then say it well.

Cindy Bracken asked:




With school back in session, many high school seniors will be thinking about getting their senior portraits taken. There is a huge market for this in almost any city or town, so make sure YOUR studio stands out!

1. Get some great samples. If you are just starting out, this may mean that you will need to do some low cost or free sessions just for the portfolio-building. Make sure that you have signed model releases for all of these images so that you may use them on your website and in your advertising. Remember, if the subject is under 18 then their parent or guardian will need to sign. If you do any free sessions, make sure to encourage the student to show off his/her portraits to friends at school and even pass out business cards for you in exchange for any free portraits they receive.

2. Bulk Mailing. This is a great way to reach a wide audience. You can create some great looking postcards at places like vistaprint.com. Mailing lists of high school seniors are available through places such as http://www.studentlist.com. Remember that only doing one mailing probably won’t be enough. Plan on repeating your promotions fairly often – up to 5 or more times a year. It’s a good idea to offer some kind of incentive for replying to a particular promotion (such as a free 8×10 print, for example). Vary your mailings so that each one looks different than the last, and be sure to have all of your contact info in an easy to read font.

3. Cater to teens. This might mean that you offer two or three images digitally (with your logo or website address on each) for the student to put up on their “myspace” page. The senior will love this and it will provide some free advertising for you as well. Allow the seniors freedom of choice when it comes to things such as clothing choices, locations, props, etc.

4. Consider advertising in high school yearbooks and football programs. Contact your local high schools to find out how to do this.

5. Offer a two for one friend special: two sessions for the price of one when you bring a friend. This is a good promotion for those just starting out and needing more business.

Association