When you think of tourism, you think of brochures. Right? When you go to a tourists’ center or a visitors’ center in a new town, the first thing you’ll see is a big rack of brochures. People don’t want to spend time in a tourists’ center – they want to get out and about and look at a brochure as they’re on their way to the tourist destination.

You must plan your tourism brochures to focus on one place, feature or region – trying to cram 12 sites into one brochure won’t allow sufficient space for the destination details and benefits. Don’t lose money by short-changing your tourism brochures. Be aware of the mistakes you need to avoid to create good brochures:

Mistake 1: Making your brochure your only sales tactic. A brochure should be part of your marketing plan; it shouldn’t be your entire marketing plan. You still need a Web site as well as other sales materials, like sales letters, postcards and flyers. Get your marketing materials to your prospects while they are still at home, mulling over where to go on vacation. Your brochure coupled with your sales letter and a visit to your Web site is much more convincing than just your brochure alone.

Mistake 2: Not using headlines. People skim brochures. Only a small percentage of people actually read all of the words in a brochure. People look to the headlines to guide them to the

competition. Give people a reason to stay with you over “the other guy.” Do you include a breakfast info they want. If the headlines don’t have the wanted info (or if there are no headlines at all), the person will throw away the brochure. Give the reader clear, enticing headlines to point them in the direction they need to go.

Mistake 3: Only listing a few of your destination’s attractions. If you don’t include a complete list, the reader will assume you don’t have that attraction. If your site includes a pool and an entrance into a lake, include both. Family members may have different preferences – a couple people prefer the pool, others prefer the lake. Don’t take it for granted that people will only want one or the other. Don’t clutter your brochure with attractions, but do include as many as you can. Using short, clear descriptions formatted in a bulleted list is an easy way to include a lot of info without overwhelming the reader.

Mistake 4: Not telling people how you differ from your competitors. You need a unique selling proposition (USP) that sets you apart from your buffet that no one else does? Do you have free transportation to a destination that others charge for? Be sure to let readers know. If your customer service has earned awards that none of your competitors have won, play that up in all of your marketing materials. That’s a great USP right there!

Mistake 5: Using text only. You have to use photos in a tourism brochure. There’s just no way around it. People want to see where they’re going. They want to envision themselves at the destination. You know the old cliché about what a picture is worth; clichés are clichés because they are true. Don’t make this important mistake. This could be crucial to your sales, so always include a photo.

When it comes to advertising to a mass audience, which medium is better: TV or Internet? It seems like the camps are divided. A younger group would vote for the Internet and typically older groups vote for TV.

Instead of trying to make that tough decision, especially in a slow economy where you don’t have as many advertising dollars as you’d like online video is a happy-medium that many advertisers are starting to use.

People would rather be on the Internet to communicate one-on-one with others. They would rather see commercials and mass messages from their TVs though. TV is the best medium when you want to communicate to people using different senses. With Internet, you generally can only communicate with sight, not sound. Online video is changing that.

TV Commercials Aren’t the Be All and End All of Advertising

The problem with TV commercials is that you don’t know when the people you are targeting are ready to buy and that’s one of the largest factors that determine whether an ad works. The message has to be relevant to the consumer and the consumer has to be ready to buy. Most consumers don’t need big purchases like cars and TVs every week. TV commercials featuring these products can be argued that they are wasting some of their money, which is true. These advertisers are only reaching a small number of people who are ready to buy. That’s where online video comes in.

Online Video is King?

Will online video be the medium that keeps mass advertisers happy? Will that be the venue that makes the most of advertising dollars? It’s possible.

Online video gives the advertiser the power to target more effectively. Let’s say a user clicks on two car banner ads on a Web site. The probability of that person needing a new car is pretty good. The probability is much better than the person sitting at home, not choosing which commercials to see next, unlike the Internet user. Once the Internet user clicks on a banner ad for a new car, that person is then shown an online video commercial featuring the car that was on the banner ad. That person has been targeted much more effectively than someone watching TV. This person chose to watch that ad. That means this person is ready to buy.

Online video eliminates the question of whether a consumer is ready to buy. Based on what the person clicked on and watched, you can then show the consumer another video with content based off of the first video’s content.

Online Video is Coming

Fox International Channels bought utarget.Fox, the largest online video network in Europe, in early 2008 to capitalize on this new trend. And hello! YouTube is a big hit, to put it mildly. Online video seems to be the answer to mass advertising’s question of when the consumer is ready to buy. Now all that’s left is for mass advertisers to make online videos that are compelling.

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro writes about green business practices for The Inspired Economist. I checked out one of her blogs about greening print marketing. She gives reasons why marketers should consider using recycled paper in print marketing. She cites some pretty impressive and scary statistics:

· Globally, according to the Environmental Paper Network, 70 percent of trees used for paper pulp comes from biodiverse forests as opposed to tree farms, much of it from endangered forests.

· Illegal logging has destroyed or degraded 80% of the world’s ancient forests.

· U.S. pulp mills consume 12,430 square miles of forests around the world each year, an area almost the size of the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined.

Scary, yes? So what’s so bad about recycled paper that more marketers aren’t using it? Demolishing forests for more virgin paper stock that is “bright white” is contributes to global warming because the trees hold in carbon dioxide. When the trees are torn down, the carbon dioxide has nowhere to go but up into our atmosphere.

A marketer could state that the recycled paper just doesn’t look as good as virgin paper. Virgin paper isn’t as “bright white” as virgin paper because of the recycling process and because recycled paper isn’t bleached to make it white. I’ll agree that light gray paper doesn’t make colors “pop” like white paper can, but as a consumer, I must say that I would rather buy from a company with light gray recycled paper than I would from a company whose marketing materials are “bright white.”

The higher the post-consumer waste (PCW), the better. PCW is the amount of the paper that came directly from recycled consumer goods. The higher the percentage, the more waste that was kept out of the landfills. To find a paper company that you can get quality recycled paper from, check out http://www.celerydesign.com/paper/matrix.html. It’s the Ecological Guide to Paper in a handy chart form that tells you how much PCW is in the paper, whether chlorine was used to bleach it and is divided by coated, uncoated and other categories of paper. It lists over 30 companies, along with the type of paper the companies make that is recycled. It also gives the weights of paper, so if you want to find Bond/Copy Paper, just look for the “B” in a circle notation. If you need cover paper, look for the “CV” in a circle notation. There’s a legend at the bottom of the chart that tells you all you need to know to understand the chart.

When it comes to cost, that could be the biggest reason why more marketers don’t use recycled paper. However, the costs are coming down and certain types of paper, like letterhead paper, cost the same or even less than virgin paper. Thicker types of recycled paper can cost from 3 to 10 percent more than their virgin counterparts, but if using recycled paper helps your brand’s image, I say it’s well worth the money.

Heidi Tolliver-Nigro writes about green business practices for The Inspired Economist. I checked out one of her blogs about greening print marketing. She gives reasons why marketers should consider using recycled paper in print marketing. She cites some pretty impressive and scary statistics:

· Globally, according to the Environmental Paper Network, 70 percent of trees used for paper pulp comes from biodiverse forests as opposed to tree farms, much of it from endangered forests.

· Illegal logging has destroyed or degraded 80% of the world’s ancient forests.

· U.S. pulp mills consume 12,430 square miles of forests around the world each year, an area almost the size of the states of Massachusetts and Connecticut combined.

Scary, yes? So what’s so bad about recycled paper that more marketers aren’t using it? Demolishing forests for more virgin paper stock that is “bright white” is contributes to global warming because the trees hold in carbon dioxide. When the trees are torn down, the carbon dioxide has nowhere to go but up into our atmosphere.

A marketer could state that the recycled paper just doesn’t look as good as virgin paper. Virgin paper isn’t as “bright white” as virgin paper because of the recycling process and because recycled paper isn’t bleached to make it white. I’ll agree that light gray paper doesn’t make colors “pop” like white paper can, but as a consumer, I must say that I would rather buy from a company with light gray recycled paper than I would from a company whose marketing materials are “bright white.”

The higher the post-consumer waste (PCW), the better. PCW is the amount of the paper that came directly from recycled consumer goods. The higher the percentage, the more waste that was kept out of the landfills. To find a paper company that you can get quality recycled paper from, check out http://www.celerydesign.com/paper/matrix.html. It’s the Ecological Guide to Paper in a handy chart form that tells you how much PCW is in the paper, whether chlorine was used to bleach it and is divided by coated, uncoated and other categories of paper. It lists over 30 companies, along with the type of paper the companies make that is recycled. It also gives the weights of paper, so if you want to find Bond/Copy Paper, just look for the “B” in a circle notation. If you need cover paper, look for the “CV” in a circle notation. There’s a legend at the bottom of the chart that tells you all you need to know to understand the chart.

When it comes to cost, that could be the biggest reason why more marketers don’t use recycled paper. However, the costs are coming down and certain types of paper, like letterhead paper, cost the same or even less than virgin paper. Thicker types of recycled paper can cost from 3 to 10 percent more than their virgin counterparts, but if using recycled paper helps your brand’s image, I say it’s well worth the money.

Let’s say you’ve met with two professionals today that are competitors vying for your business. One professional leaves his business card, and it’s got a clip art photo on it and perforations from being torn out of an at-home inkjet printer business card kit. The other professional leaves her business card, and it’s got a glossy finish and a logo on it, and no perforations. Both professionals impressed you with their sales pitches, so now which professional has left a better impression with you now that you have their business cards? My bet would go to the woman.

A professional-looking business card can make all the difference when you’re making a sale or closing a deal. An amateur-looking business card that looks unpolished can give out a bad impression. Your business card is a reflection not only on your company, but on you personally.

To be sure you have a professional-looking business card that won’t turn any potential clients away, ask yourself the following questions.

1. Does the finish of my business card look professional? Yes, even business cards come with finishes. Business card printing has gotten quite fancy and sophisticated and now you can add a glossy finish or a matte finish to your business card. Depending on your business card’s design, a glossy, matte or aqueous coating can add that bit of professionalism you need. Glossy is shiny, matte is decidedly not shiny and aqueous is somewhere in between. Generally, color heavy business cards do well with a glossy finish while all others work well with matte or aqueous finishes. Work with your business card printing company to figure out which is best for your business card.

2. Does the design of my business card look like it was drawn by my 5-year-old niece? Obviously, your business card's design is the biggest factor in whether it looks professional. A well-designed business card (without clip art!) gives off a better impression than one designed with no structure and that uses font that is hard to read. The color choices, the hierarchy of text and the positioning of the information presented all contribute to your business card’s professional design. The best type of art to have on your business card is your logo.

3. Are you missing any contact information? The design and finish are valuable for visual appeal, but it’s your contact information that sells you. Be sure to include your company’s name, your name, title, phone number, fax number, business address, email address and Web site address. If you’re missing a Web site address or email address, you could be seen as old-fashioned. If you don’t have either, get one pronto!

4. Did you use both sides of the card? Anymore, you can get information printed on both sides of your business card without adding too much expense to your total price. Business cards with info printed on both sides can add an air of quality to your business card. Use the back for your tagline, as an appointment reminder, as a referral card or to list helpful info, like local emergency phone numbers.

Your business card says a lot about you. Ask yourself these questions and answer truthfully; the answers can help make or break your next deal.

Outdoor poster printing is important for all businesses, no matter what the industry. Outdoor posters include signs that hang in your business’s windows, signs that hang on the outside of your building, posters that are set on easels on the sidewalk and billboards along the highway.

Poster printing can be a great deal, but it’s not that cheap so you don’t want to waste your money by designing ineffective posters. Here are some ways to not design your posters and the ways you can create an eye-catching poster that will get people to slow down and stop in your store.

1. Make your poster hard to read. This is one of the most crucial mistakes marketers make when designing posters. Even though you might want to use a fancy poster font that is elegant and in curly cursive writing, that’s not the best choice for posters that will be viewed from more than 20 feet away. If your font isn’t clear, people won’t take the time to try to figure out your message. Make sure your sign is legible from the viewpoint of driving cars or on a sidewalk full of people.

2. Clutter your poster. By cluttering your poster with lots of words and images, people driving by won’t know what to look at first. They might only get part of your message and will therefore be confused. Instead, have one or two main images and a few words or have no images with a short phrase or tag line of no more than 8-10 words. The 8-word limit applies mostly to billboards, but it’s a good rule to follow for all other outdoor posters too. Be sure to use plenty of white space so your poster is easy to read. About 30 percent of your poster space should be filled with white space.

3. Don’t appeal to impulse buyers. Studies show that at least 55 percent of all retail sales are due to impulse buys. By using your sign to only identify your business, you’re missing out on all those impulse sales. Use your sign to relay a tempting call to action, like “Stop in now for 25% off.” If you have a popular product that sells out quickly, let people know you have that product in stock for a limited time.

4. Hide the poster. This might be an obvious mistake, but it’s an easy mistake to commit. Drive down the road in front of your store from all angles and make sure there’s no tree or neighboring sign hiding yours. Put your sign as close to the street as your city ordinances allow. Make sure your sign can be seen from all angles.

Also be sure you use colors that don’t blend in with your poster’s surroundings. If your poster will be hanging on a green light pole, don’t print a poster on green poster board. If your poster will be on a red brick building, choose colors that will help your poster stand out from the brick.

Even with all the technological wonders available today, you still need to print business cards. Why, you may ask, should I print business cards when I can just e-mail all my contact information? Here are just a couple of reasons why the business card is still so important:

• Personal touch - With all the digital dealings and electronic exchange of information, you need a way to connect on a personal level with your customers. Something as simple as business cards can make a world of difference and give your customers a point of connection that you just can’t make with an email.
• Generational gap - Not everyone is tech savvy. With generation X, generation Y, and the millennials all in the same work force, you need more than just one form of contact information sharing. Emails are invaluable. But many people, especially in upper levels of management, still rely on a Rolex and a book full of business cards to maintain their contact list.
• Brand recognition - Like any marketing manager will tell you, you need more than one medium on which to brand yourself. When people are exposed to your logo on the Internet, seeing the same logo on a business card works to reinforce their recognition of you. So, don’t neglect the business card as a method for exposing your customers to your corporate identity.

Don’t phase the card out just yet. You still need to print business cards. Your customers want to connect with you on a personal level, many of your customers do not rely on emails for contact information, and the business card provides one more opportunity to reinforce your brand. These reasons alone are enough to keep the business card around for many years to come.

When it comes to designing your business card, you need to consider several factors:

1. Will you include your logo? (If you don’t have a logo, you should create one, pronto.)

2. Does your logo include your company’s name? If it doesn’t, you need to decide what kind of font you want your company’s name to be in, along with the rest of your business card font choices. Your company’s name should stand out from the rest of the business card text.

3. What colors do you want to use? If you have colors in your logo, you’ll need to complement those colors with the rest of your business card. If your logo is colorless, choose colors that give off the look and feel of your brand. A baseball stadium using pink or orange for instance, doesn’t quite make as much sense as using green, brown or tan would.

4. What type of paper do you want to use? The heavier your paper, the more polished your business card will look, which will make people think your business is polished. Most business cards are printed on a 76 lb.- to 80 lb.-paper stock.

Once you have decided on these basic questions, you’ll be ready to design! Here are some design ideas to make your custom business cards effective.

Design your business card to read vertically instead of horizontally

This is an easy way to change up your business card design that will attract attention. Most business cards are designed horizontally because that’s the way they are stored in wallets, Rolodexes and other business card holders.

However, as long as you have a simple, striking design using a font that is easy to read, you can pull off the vertical design without making your card hard to read. You don’t want everyone craning their necks to read your vertical card in their Rolodex, so design it with simple, bold fonts and graphics.

Use a folded card

A folded card is the shape of a business card when folded, but with a panel you can lift to reveal info underneath. This design works well for businesses that offer a lot of services or products that most people don’t know about. If your company’s name doesn’t hint at what it does, like “XYZ Corp.”, you can place your usual info on the outside of the folded panel and then include a slogan and/or a list of what you offer on the inside fold.

Have your text trace a path

This is easiest and most effective for simple shapes, like a wave or a rooftop. Just design your words (most likely your slogan) to follow a curvy line or to trace what looks like a gently rolling wave or a rooftop with a chimney on top.

Special text effects

Using a special metallic ink that catches the light will make people look twice at your business card. Anything you can do to add visual spice, like embossing for texture or using foil stamping to color your text will make people want to hold on to your card.

If you have recently started a small business and have begun to market your company and its products or services, you may have come across the term “product differentiation.” You may know that this term has something to do with advertising your product’s unique qualities, but if you are like most small business owners, you have probably never had a marketing class before and don’t quite know all the ins and outs of this marketing strategy. You may even be wondering why you need to know the details of product differentiation. The reason is that becoming familiar with the term will help you advertise your offers successfully.

Product differentiation is distinguishing one product or service from another that you offer or from the products of the competing business down the street. Differentiation is merely creating the perception of a difference, even if there really is none. You are simply trying to make your product more desirable to a niche market by listing the differences between your product and another.

Many factors affect product differentiation but, contrary to popular belief, are separate marketing strategies. Branding, changes in the product itself, and distribution are all different marketing tactics that can influence product differentiation but are not differentiation itself. For instance, your brand is simply a packaging difference, not what makes the actual product unique.

When using product differentiation to reach your target audience, compile a list of what makes your product better than the rest. This list should be tailored to the consumers you are trying to reach. Some examples are differences in quality, price, features, or design. You may also want to reveal the limits of the competing product. Remember that the purpose of product differentiation is to make your product appear different even if it is very similar to competitors’ products. Your job is to take a stance in advertising that influences customers’ perceptions of your product. For successful product differentiation, you must make consumers believe that your item is the best out there.

The low cost and easy design and printing of postcards is not the only reason that they tend to be one of the most popular direct mail ventures. They can also be incredibly easy to mail. Just follow a few simple guidelines to avoid returned mail or information covered by postal markings.

Mailing Layout

The back of the postcard can contain other information besides the mailing information but must follow postal placement rules. The bottom 5/8^th inches of a standard 5x7 postcard should be free of information, since this is where the post office prints bar codes. Keep the mailing address on the right, preferably no higher than 2 3/4^th inches from the bottom of the card. Also be sure to keep it above the bar code area. Leave enough room for the postal stamp in the upper right hand corner along with the postal date that the post office will stamp onto the card. If you include any other address on the back, besides the return or mailing address, be sure to leave off the state and zip code. The post office scans the lower 2/3^rd of postcards for the mailing address.

Mailing List

Whether you address the postcards yourself or use a mailing service, an updated client mailing list will save both time and money. One way to keep this list current is by including your return address. That way, the post office will be able to return the postcards with invalid or outdated addresses, and then you can delete those from your list. Two programs that can also help keep your list current are the NCOALink 18 and NCOA. These two programs alert you to whenever a change of address has been made at the post office. The difference between the two is that the NCOA keeps track of 48 permanent address changes, while the NCOALink 18 only provides information of 18 changes per address.

Use these guidelines for easier mailing whether you do it yourself or hire a mailing service. Just be sure to check with the service providers for their postcard mailing requirements, if you do decide to use help.