Thursday, August 28, 2014

The Multiple Benefits of Digital Menu Boards

Using digital signage is now common since it offers an effective platform for customers to interact with digital content. It is widely used to promote produces and services since they have capacity to make them more noticeable to customers. One can update Audio, video and text content easily using digital signage hardware and software updated. One of the biggest users today is restaurants, grocery, and deli establishments.Digital menu boards are often seen at hotels and restaurants. They are dynamic video walls that help promote breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack menus. These systems have evolved over time and are now built with a purpose to add to the success of a restaurant or deli. Menu display boards helps in displaying dynamic content that invites customers to try new menu items. One of the major benefits of digital menu boards is that they streamline the process by helping customers place orders.Speed and variationUsing digital menu boards offers many benefits. To begin with, the speed at which menu information updates and changes almost instantly. However, one of the biggest advantages is the ability to display different menu content at different times of the day. These units come with in-built scheduling functionalities so that it displays different menus simultaneously, which in turn eliminates overcrowding of menus. All items and information segments into various time periods and even separate sections in a grocery.Reduce customer waiting times Digital menu boards allow for the restructuring of menu designs any several times to accommodate all the information to comply with food regulations and legislations. For the most part, it is the best way to future proof an establishment so that they can meet any change in requirements more effectively, and save both time and money. Menu display boards can help reduce customer waiting times and increase average order values and make customers more satisfied. It also eliminates menu printing costs, leaving restaurants the freedom to change items on the menu without any other hassles.


Comply with food labeling and regulatory standardsThere are several ways businesses can use digital menu boards to comply with food labeling and other regulatory issues. There are several advanced display menu boards that allow creation of video content to keep customers engaged and also remain well-informed on labeling information required by law.Types of digital menu boards There are several types of digital menu boards that include built-in media players that are capable of playing looped content. These USB all in one digital displays are available in sizes ranging from 7" to 55". IP-based media players that run on built-in software have the potential to publish multimedia content to a wide network. There are also many web-based and cloud based digital signage platforms with complete content management systems that can create and distribute menu board content to media players. Whether you run restaurants, grocery, deli or any other business in the food industry, this is the right time to take advantage of one of the best digital marketing tools in the business.

Monday, August 25, 2014

All About Emergency and Security Signage

Signage for safety in the work environment is not just a required necessity under different regulations, but also a significant accident-avoidance instrument that ensures protection with your workforce. Safety signs, warning labels and tags must be used in the workplace. These always serve as essential features and high-necessity ventures in terms of designing and planning a spot for people's work.It is basic for companies to put resources in clear and coherent signage investments. Some regulations oblige company owners to introduce safety signage at whatever point and wherever there may be a hazard that can't be relieved by some other alternatives. It is just in light of a legitimate concern for the business to give the first line of protection against any accidents. These untoward happenings will surely affect the over-all health of the company and its employees.One of the basic segments of a security compliance in a workplace is the use of medical or first-aid signs. These are effective, inexpensive and relevant to deploy. Security publications strengthen the management's dedication to safety and protection. They serve as the essential data dissemination methods with the end goal of making the workers and labourers mindful of the medical aid strategies and guidelines. In times of emergency, these posters additionally serve as a helpful device as employees can instantly refer to the closest medical aid signage.


Furthermore, blurbs are a vital expansion of the stock of workplace signage delineating the medical aid movements performed during emergency circumstances. The format of the publication ought to be comprehensible and that the viewer can easily find the most relevant data with the slightest effort. Emergency and security signs are crucial for averting dangers and handling difficult circumstances. There are possibilities that unsafe circumstances and spots may not be detected easily, that is why obvious emergency and security signs are a great help because they can give alert to employees directly.Emergency and security signs are really the most efficient modes of correspondences between company owners and workers, exhibiting properly planned emergency and security signs data. Potential risks could be held with the right data imparted to the right men at the most relevant time. Publications may help the administration of a company to convey extraordinary reactions about untoward events and they can also introduce a high level order without the presence of company directors. Indubitably, in larger facilities, signs can make employees alert on any emergency and security issues.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

Metal Business Cards Vs Paper Business Cards

Everyone enjoys promoting their business. It is something they have created and it is quite a proud moment if you are showing off what you can do as you get a sense of satisfaction that you have finally made it. The light of fulfillment that is ignited within you when you are talking to someone about your business and trying to promote it is quite powerful and can make you feel like a different person. In effect, though you cannot talk to everyone about your business and you need other ways of advertising it.Business cards are a good example of a method to promote a business as they convey what a business is all about and its qualities and the ethos that it stands for. Furthermore, they are a simple and low cost method of advertising which means that you keep your overheads down and attain a decent level of financial security.However, there are two types of business card and people are divided on which one to opt for. One one hand, there are paper based business cards which are easy to market and promote. However, metal business cards are much more professional and show to a customer that you mean business.Paper based cards are the ones which have been traditionally used by companies to market themselves, largely because they are a conventional method of advertising and they are quite effective. The asset of paper cards lies in their simplicity. They are easy to market and there is not a lot of cost involved with them. However, they can become damaged fairly easily, which could almost tarnish the reputation of a business. If someone were to look at the paper card of a company which was not in the best good condition, they may be deterred from using the company's services, if they feel (rightly or wrongly) that the company does not put enough effort into its advertising efforts.


Metal business cards are arguably superior to paper cards because they are much more durable and less susceptible to getting damaged. They are also easy to manufacture, but this time they have the advantage of giving a company a professional edge, something which cannot be disregarded in the market of today. They also look professional and of the highest quality (even if they do not cost a lot to make) and are definitely one of the best styles of business cards out there. There is just something about them which is attractive. Furthermore, there are many variants of them. There are metal business cards, which look tuber-professional. There are also brass metal business cards, which are well-renowned for their versatility and marketing appeal whilst copper cards also are very useful as they are eye-catching and visually appealing.Essentially, metal business cards are a very good way of marketing one's business, no matter whether they are made from black metal, brass or copper. They are professional and a cost effective way of marketing a business.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Do Mobile Banners Still Matter?

Ever since its introductions in the mid 90s, the banner ad has become an ubiquitous but often overlooked staple in Internet browsing. Sites have to make money, but nobody cares about the obnoxious banners annoying their web surfing experience! And the public's general displeasure clearly shows as many disappointing statistics have been compiled, showing just how few people click on them (e.g. this evergreen article points out how dismal banner click through rates are compared to other improbable scenarios.) So why haven't they gone away yet?Well, for the most part, mobile banners are a very cheap form of advertising. The cost per click or a thousand impressions (or views) can be as low as a penny. But one of the drawbacks is that these cheap ads will most likely not appear in highly trafficked areas (and if they do appear, it will only be for smaller time frames compared to more expensive slots.) You'll most likely purchase this cheap inventory through blind ad networks, or networks where you don't know what sites or apps your ads will be served to. However, there are some pointers to keep in mind to ensure that you not only get your money's worth, your banners will be seen, and it will be clicked on by real people. These pointers will be addressed in a separate article, but for now let's focus on a bigger question: are banners still worth incorporating in your mobile marketing strategy?


The answer is: YES. Mobile banners are a great, inexpensive way to increase awareness. So long the banners are designed creatively to capture attention, are in contextually relevant locations where your target audience can see them, and have an irresistibly compelling offer attached to them, mobile banners can drive traffic and increase brand awareness. Keep in mind that the landing page has to be very simple, with just a few fields to capture crucial lead gen information. Also keep in mind that although mobile banners are inexpensive at driving traffic and aiding in brand recall, it should not be the only or main component of your mobile marketing strategy.What else can be used to drive traffic and generate leads? We'll release more articles on different tactics, like mobile search and social media, along with best practices for each of these tactics. For now, please let us know in the comments about your thoughts on mobile banners and some ways you use mobile marketing to help your business grow!

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Online Makes Easy for Booking Newspaper Classified Ads

It is often difficult when running a business to promote it to thousands of potential clients. So, how do you find new clients, or realistically, how do potential clients find you? With a little planning its possible for a business to show off what they have to offer and how they can be found.Classified ads are usually small messages grouped together under a particular and specific heading such as:• Accommodation,
• Announcements,
• Beauty,
• Education,
• Employment,
• Entertainment,
• Real Estate,
• Travel, and more.They are positioned in a separate section of a journal, magazine or newspaper. It is not unusual to find these classified ads are a column wide with no graphics at all, but give information such as company name, website address, cell phone number, email address and a brief outline of what is being offered.There is no doubt, although TV commercials continue to be somewhat popular, small and medium business owners can't afford it. They usually reach viewers in a specific targeted area, but the numbers they reach are limited, compared to newspapers.Nowadays there are many additional methods available to promote your business, methods like:• Newspapers,
• Billboards,
• Social Media (Facebook and Twitter),
• Hoardings,
• Radio, and
• Television.


It is true with social media you can reach thousands of people around the world - but to do this well you need to post often and engage with your audience. Radio and television advertising is powerful and is used to promote a wide variety of goods and services. It can be effective within your country albeit more expensive than other forms of advertising.Although many methods are available for promoting your business, newspapers are said to be best way to reach all sections of people.Newspaper ads booking through online offer a variety of ads at affordable price. These are included...1. Text Classified Ads which are:• economical, and
• in a simple text formBorders and block colored boxes are also available for text classified ads.2. Display Classified Ads which give -• great visibility and are larger ads than text classified ads, and as well
• graphics can be used.3. Display Ads are -• creative ads which use concepts as well as design
• more expensive than classified ads as the ad size is generally much largerDisplay ads have the advantage of being able to be positioned anywhere you chose in the publication.The cost of these ads depends on the:• number of words and lines, and the
• size of the box.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Mobile Advertising Is Smart Advertising

Mobile Advertising is not just the modern way of promoting your brand but also the smartest way of doing so. Though it is true that not every platform or technique, created with the latest technologies, is an ideal platform to impress audiences, the Mobile Platform is an excellent exception. A mobile phone redefines the concept of personal devices and is seldom kept at a distance which is more than an arm's length from the user. It is the surest way of reaching and impressing the modern audiences. Some of the reasons, why targeting a user through his mobile is the smartest way of promoting your business, are discussed below.24/7 AccessFor many clients of Mobile Advertising Agencies, the most noteworthy opportunity, which the platform of Mobile Advertising offers, is the ability of round-the-clock targeting. Such a platform provides great freedom for implementing innovative campaigns and thus, easily qualifies as the smartest way of advertising. The 24/7 access also allows multiple campaigns to be targeted at different times of the day.One-to-One CommunicationA Mobile Advertisement has more scopes of being one-to-one communications with the user. The Mobile Ad Copies can be created in such manners that it assumes the form of direct solicitations and are thus better formed for creating user engagement. Since user engagement is the mantra for businesses in the modern markets, this platform is of special significance.Predictive AdvertisingSince the mobile is practically with the person at all times of the day, it can be used to study and predict the behavior of the user. What started as a study of the online behavior of the user is now a full-fledged analysis of even his offline activities. This has been made possible with the incorporation of the GPS into the mobile phones. Now it is possible to analyze the movements of the user and predict his future positions. This can be smartly used for Advertising purposes. For example, if the position of a mobile user is predicted to be at point X during lunch hour, a nearby restaurant can advertise at his mobile with offers and discounts. Quite amazingly, posts that he makes during those periods on the social media platforms can be analyzed to ascertain whether he takes lunch at point X or not.


The Future of Advertising on the InternetIn spite of what some traditionalists say, Mobile Advertising is the future of advertising on the internet platform. As the number of users using internet on the mobiles steadily increase, the scope for Mobile Ads rise with it. With the increase in the capacities of such devices, we are looking at times when they are very likely to completely replace the traditional devices used to access the internet. Thus, creating customized ads for such a platform is definitely the smart thing to do.A Better Bridge between Businesses and ClientsRemember the times when the consumer had to search for a classified on the local daily, jot down the contact person's name and phone number? Then, he had to reach for the landline and give him a ring, while hoping that he is nearby to pick up. A juxtaposition of that scenario with the present condition provides a classic reminder of the extents to which the times have changed. There is no longer a need to find ads as they find the consumer on the mobile. He can also call back the advertiser straight from the ad by touching the touch-to-call button.The smart ways are the optimized ways. In that light, there are hardly any other ways to advertise which are as smart as Mobile Advertising.

Friday, August 8, 2014

Small Business Advertising: Why You Need To Target Your Message

One of the biggest mistakes in small business advertising, is thinking that your business and advertising message will appeal to everyone. The fact is that when you try to advertise to everybody, you effectively advertising to nobody. Advertising messages that focuses on everyone are typically too watered down or even confusing for maximum impact. However, by pinpointing your target audience, you can be far more effective at connecting them through a relevant message that speaks to their pains and needs.When targeting a specific audience, you want to take time to identify your ideal prospects. That is to say that you want to determine the characteristics of the people who you believe are most likely to buy your product or service. These characteristics, which are often called a "Customer Avatar," are vital when you are trying to sell your product a group or people. Age, gender, ethnic group, geographical location and income level are just some of the characteristics that advertising agencies and companies focus on.Let's say you are selling athletic footwear. Different people might be interested in your products for different reasons. Some may be professional or competitive athletes, and are looking for the latest technological advances to help them compete. Others may be people who regularly exercise, and need good quality footwear for their workout. And still others may be simply looking for comfort or style in their purchase. That's at least four different target markets we've just discussed.So how do you figure out the message that's going to be most effective at selling your footwear? Clearly one advertising campaign will not speak to all of these groups. That's why it's smart to determine which of the ones listed is the right target market to priorities for your business, and develop a campaign around their story and their needs.


Let's say, using the athletic footwear example above, that we decide to target people who exercise regularly. A message that addresses their desire to have high quality footwear to use during their workout routine will be far more powerful than one that says, simply "we sell great shoes." The more focused your message, the more success you will have in having your message resonate with the people you are trying to reach. And the better chance you will have at converting these prospects into customers.So as you are considering your next advertising campaign, take time to think about who you are trying to reach with your message. Look to what you've done in the past, and, if necessary, fine tune it to better reach those who are a) most likely to buy, b) would make for the most ideal customers, and c) have the best chance of coming back for more in the future.Of course knowing how to target properly is just one part of creating effective advertising campaign. For a complete introduction to 7 mistakes most local businesses make in their advertising... and how you can avoid them, download my free report at http://baeronmarketing.com/7mistakes. Remember that targeting the right audience is a vital part of building your businesses through your advertising. Don't overlook the power of this simple concept in your next ad campaign.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Style Updates for Name Tags

Companies depend on name tags not only for customer service, but also for good human resource management in their various departments. Every now and then an organization goes through some form rebranding in order to actualize the business image for the audience.The slightest change in the design, logo or company colors will trigger a chain reaction from the largest to the smallest of business aspects. The new company "image" or style update will thus appear on the business website, on ad banners in conference and waiting rooms as well as in uniforms (if used), name badges, office IDs and even electronic signatures.Marketing advantages for name tags updatesAn out-of-fashion business look sends a negative message to clients. For customer service, name tags are of paramount importance as they create the communication bridge with the customer. A shabby looking badge sends a negative message right from the start.While some changes in business logo, style and image go hand in hand with the need to replace worn-off supplies, there is a huge marketing motivation for performing image updates periodically.1. Some companies make the shift to a new look depending on seasonality. Retailers or service providers often operate the modifications depending on the coming season, using colors and symbols to match a certain time of the year. Such changes have a positive marketing impact on customers.2. Style updates keep the business image always fresh for customers. A well-reputed brand that undergoes image updating is taking advantage of a huge marketing opportunity. The company can thus send a message of novelty: "We are anchored in tradition but still riding the latest trends".


3. Security protocol changes could also trigger updates in name tags. This is usually the case when the name tag serves for multiple purposes, not only for employee identification.21st century customers differ from all categories of consumers in the 20th century as the market coordinates have tremendously changed. Therefore, style updates operated at regular periods of time represent the best way a company can maintain a good business image in the middle of the fast-moving world today.From minor to advanced customizationSometimes companies decide to change name tags so as to improve organizational strategies and better manage staff and clients. This can be done in lots of ways and for different purposes:- By shifting from a general name tag design to customized options for various categories of employees;
- By implementing color codes for different departments so as to facilitate HR and staff management;
- By using customized designs to show hierarchy or structural organization within the various departments etc.Costs and savingsStyle updates for name badges have their price. Costs vary depending on the type of modifications operated.- A general design shift requires new supplies ordered. This is the most expensive variant, while re-using part of the supplies provides the cheaper alternative.
- In house redesigning solutions are also less costly. Some companies prefer to make their own badges and print them, instead of ordering them from a retailer.
- Customized name tags are the most expensive as they require advanced printing or manufacturing conditions.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

5 Ways Having Your Own Advertisers Is Better Than Using Ad Networks

As a publisher, you want to be in complete control of the advertising that appears on your website. You can choose to sell directly to advertisers or work with ad networks to get the ads that you need. The good thing about this scenario is that you don't have to commit to one or the other, with many publishers relying on a combination of direct ads and those that come through an ad server. There are definitely pros and cons to be had with both, which is why a mixture is often the way that many publishers choose to go. Let's take a look at what you can expect from both types of advertising.The most obvious benefit of selling directly to the advertiser is that you get to keep 100% of the revenues that you pull in, as well as being able to charge a higher ad rate. You also get the opportunity to build a relationship with each advertiser, which may eventually lead to future ads coming your way. Business owners regularly network and will let each other know about great advertising opportunities.On the negative side of things, you are going to have to spend money on a sales force who you hope will be able to deliver a high volume of quality advertisers. Being able to land those advertisers means that your site will need to have a very large following in order to make it appealing to advertisers. If you are going it alone, generating traffic and finding advertisers is a juggling act that doesn't always go well. Even if you can pull it all off, you will need to be adept at managing the ads that you bring in.


It is those negatives that often drive publishers to look at ad networks when they sell ad space. While that may seem like a great idea at the start, ad servers end up taking a good chunk of the revenue that you generate from advertisers, with the number sometimes going as high as 50%. You will have no way to build a relationship with any of the advertisers you use, and the ad rate that you charge will be a whole lot less that what you would get if you sold advertising directly.You have to look at the positives that come from going the ad network route, though, and those begin with having the ability to do it all yourself. If the ads are supplied by a network, you will not have to dip into your budget to hire a professional sales team. You will also have immediate access to a wide variety of advertisers, many of whom you may not have thought of or been able to get if you had approached them directly. The one thing that the ad network option has in common with direct advertising is that you will need a solid ad management solution in place to take care of your ad inventory.Perhaps the best way to approach this issue is to sell all the ad space that you can directly, while leaving the ad networks for those spots that are still sitting unsold.