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Today's Feature Article

How To Create A Video Campaign Concept
Jerry Bader

Have you ever had a good idea, maybe a great idea, only to find that someone else already did it? Frustrating. You want to be a success and who doesn't? It's why you do what you do, why you put-up with what you put-up with? But it all gets so frustrating.

As much as you'd like to believe otherwise, there just aren' t any secrét methods, special potions, or motivational DVDs that are going to make you a success in thirty days, but there are things you can do that will help. Sure working hard helps but working smart is even better. So how do you work smart? Well you can start with presenting your core, marketing message to your targeted audience in a way that engages the spirit, informs the intellect, and embeds in the mind. And if you want to be cutting edge, the way to do it is with audio and video.

What A Difference A Difference Makes

Anybody who has ever tried to raise monëy for a project from a bank, or contacted an ad agency for help has heard the question, "What makes your company different?" If you don't have a different product, different process, or different way of doing or presenting what you do, you are nevër going to raise a cent or make an impact on the market. Yet most companies blindly continue to follow the market leader, and wonder why they nevër attain the level of success they hope to achieve.

If you want to be a success, you have to reinvent your company as something unique, so when the time comes to present your redefined vision to the world, you will actually have something to say, and something worth listening to.

Lateral Thinking, The Creative Laxative

Once you've decided to develop a video marketing message that focuses on what makes you different, you will want to know where begin.

This is a creative process that can be scary to business executives trained in left-brain linear thinking. Learning to think creatively is hard and for most people it goes against everything they have learned.

Creative thinking has been called 'thinking outside the box, ' right-brain thinking, or simply thinking differently. Author Edward De Bono calls it 'Lateral Thinking.' De Bono argues linear thinking stifles imagination because it suffices at the first seemingly acceptable solution rather than looking for innovative alternatives:

In ordinary traditional thinking we have developed no methods for going beyond the adequate. As soon as something is satisfactory our thinking must stop. - Edward De Bono

Where You Begin Is Where You End

One method of jump-starting the creative process is to think backward: you begin at the end, because where you're going will inform how you get there.

Create Your Memory Tag or Slogan

A well thought-out slogan or tag line focuses attention on the critical point-of-differentiation, the thing that establishes your brand identity. A good slogan serves as a memory device, a positioning tool that implants itself in your audience's mind and stays there.

No matter how many times the advertising agencies convince the 'pooh-bahs' at Coca-Cola to change their slogan, Coke will forever be "The Real Thing," and Pepsi will be "The Choice of a New Generation," at least to my generation. These were excellent examples of how to focus on a single element and establish a differentiating identity between competing products that for the most part are just about the same. Then of course you have 7-Up with "The Uncola" slogan that was the best of the bunch, but was unfortunately dumped for some lame reason. Each of these soft drink slogans established market-turf for their company, and each helped differentiate the product while establishing identity in the audience's mind; and no place is anything said about cost, quality, or any of the other conventional selling points that small companies are so fond of touting.

Develop Your Story

A well-designed video commercial takes your audience through the three stages of storytelling: The Setup with inciting incident, The Crisis with problem escalation, and The Resolution with viewer satisfaction.

Your slogan or tag is the punch line that highlights your resolution; it's what you want your audience to remember; it's your marketing message destination; and it's where you want to end. Now all you have to do is work backwards to the beginning.

This method of development helps you avoid saying too much: yes, there are many things you want to say, most of which are valid, some of which are relevant, but few of which are applicable to the delivery of an effective Web video presentation. The more you say to an audience, the less they hear. Stick to a simple story that leads to a resolution based on your memorable punch line or what TV screenwriters call 'the button.'

Invent Your Hook

Once you have your basic commercial storyline with a beginning, middle, and end, you need to make sure you have a hook: the thing that's going to pique audience curiosity and make them stick around long enough to view the entire presentation. The hook should center on the 'inciting incident:' the motivating situation that propels your onscreen representative to find a solution to the problem at hand that ultimately leads to the resolution represented in your 'button' or punch line.

The Geico Caveman is a great example of a hook that demands attention, and draws the audience into the series of mini dramas that constitute this award winning ad campaign; all based on an incredibly simple, yet brilliant, tag: "So Easy A Caveman Could Do It." You don't need expensive special effects or exotic locations; all you need is an imagination and a message that can be delivered with a memorable one line "button."

********************************
Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia, a website design firm that specializes in Web-audio and Web-video. Contact at info@mrpwebmedia.com or telephone (905) 764-1246. Visit: http://www.mrpwebmedia.com/ads
http://www.136words.com
http://www.sonicpersonality.com

Today's Motivational Reading

Daily Motivation Secrets that Really Work
Peter Murphy

Everyday life can be frustrating in today's society. It is becoming more and more difficult for people to find happiness in the world we live in today. But it is important to try to stay positive and obtain daily motivation.

One reason is that it spreads onto others around us. If one person in the workplace is happy and upbeat, it is catching to others. If you are a happy positive person with daily motivation, then maybe the person sitting next to you at work will see it and it will give them, too, a lift.

Another reason to obtain daily motivation is for your peace of mind. Life does have its downfalls, however, we need to focus on the good things about our lives.

We will achieve way more success thinking positive than thinking negative thoughts. We need to try to look at things as they could be not as they are right now.

So how do we go about obtaining daily motivation? Well, there are four practical techniques.

1. Daily motivation books

There are books available for positive reading. You start out each day by reading a daily passage in the positive mode. It starts your day the right way and you can think on it all day long.

2. Daily motivational e-mails

With technology the way it is today, an e-mail a day may be the answer for your daily motivation. There are many websites out there that will send you free motivational e- mail messages.

3. Self help books

There a number of great motivational books that will help a person with daily motivation.

4. Being a good Samaritan

When life looks bleak, look at the next guy. Someone always has it worse than you. Try doing something nice for someone that is in need. It is a great way to fell motivated and positive.

Start out each day by setting goals. Whether it be a goal to get something done that you have been putting off for awhile or setting goals on how to be positive throughout the day. Goal setting is the key to self-motivation.

Positive thinking can only have a good effect on a person's attitude. If a person starts out each morning with positive goal to work on each day, it will encourage that person to be positive throughout the entire day. Daily motivation can be accomplished by something as simple as thinking positive thoughts.

Everyday life can be frustrating in today's society. It is becoming more and more difficult for people to find happiness in the world we live in today. But it is important to try to stay positive and obtain daily motivation.

********************************
Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: motivation techniques: http://www.secretsofmotivation.com/

Today's Subscriber Article

Advertising Checklist
Michelle Utter

After being online, in the advertising industry for 5 years now, I have seen and worked with thousands of webmasters. I noticed a trend that seems to still be going strong today: The trend of not really knowing how to appropriately market a website. A good marketing campaign requires more than a toss of an ad in the direction of a marketer, then expecting a huge return.

In fact, if you do that, you will receive anything BUT a good return. In the advertising industry, you get what you put into it. If you put nothing into the creation of your marketing campaign, then that is exactly what you get out of it. Those who get a poor response, are too quick to blame it solely on the advertiser when it is the webmaster's responsibility to create ads that are appealing and to deliver a good sales message.

I'm often asked by clients:

• What should I write in my ad?
  
• What will bring me good results?

While every offer varies and calls for different action plans, the main points always remain the same:

1. Don't cram too much text into your advertising space. Too much writing is a turn off for readers. Keep your paragraphs short and to the point. No more then 2-3 sentences per paragraph.

2. Communicate a simple, single message. People have trouble remembering someone's name, let alone a complicated ad message. Use the "KISS" principle for ad messages: "Keep It Simple, Simon." For print ads, the simpler the headline, the better. And every other ad element should support the headline message, whether that message is "price," " selection," "quality," or any other single-minded concept.

3. Be sure to keep your ad exciting. You can accomplish this by typing certain key words in all-caps.

4. Don't tell too much! I cannot stress this enough! You don't want to tell the reader everything he/she needs to know - then there would be no reason to visit your website. Only give enough information to get your reader so psyched about the offer, that they jump to your website url right away. Then, the sales page should seal the deal.

5. ALso remember that it is your web page's job to seal the deal. This is not the responsibiliy of the advertiser. So DO make sure that your web page clearly describes your offer, and be sure you have features to capture your visitor's information when they arrive. As a general rule of thumb, the consumer needs to hear your offer a total of 7 times before they decide to purchase. A good way to increase your chances is to capture their email address at your website upon arrival, so that you can stay in contact with them often.

6. If you are going to market via eMail, be sure that you do not include a great amount of spam trigger words in your campaigns. ISP eMail filters will trash your message if you do , and it doesn't matter how many people you reach, your response will be very poor.

7. Do be realistic in your expectations. A single advertisement will not turn your business around overnight - especially if it is a small one.

8. Don't be turned off if it at first appears not to work. Advertising's main purpose is to increase the number of people who know about your business. Those new customers in turn, are likely to recommend your services on to their friends, so there is a flow on effect.

9. Do get creative! You don't have to take out the same ad shape and size every month. Sometimes, you might want to go bigger for a special event or sale. Change your artwork every four months or so to keep your message fresh - and the customers interested.

10. Do make a note of special occasions through the year - Christmas, Easter, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, the birthday of your business, school holidays. Do these affect how you want to advertise?

11. Do read other people's advertisements and ask lots of questions about what works.

12. Do combine your advertising with your other marketing strategies strategies - make sure your ads look similar to your business cards and signage, so there is consistency in your message.

13. Stick with a likable style. Ads have personality and style. Find a likable style and personality and stay with it for at least a year or more of ads. Changing ad styles and personality too often will confuse potential buyers. It also fights against memorability.

14. Be credible. If you say your quality or value is the " best" and it is clearly not, advertising will speed your demise, not increase your business. Identifying the competition should also be avoided. It is potentially confusing and distracting and may backfire on you by making buyers more loyal to competitive products, not less.

15. Ask for the sale. Invite buyers to come to your store, send for more information, or call for information and orders in the ad. Provide easily visible information in the ad for potential customers to buy: location, telephone number, store hours, charge cards accepted, etc.

16. Make sure the ad is competitive. Do your homework. Examine competitive ads in the media that you are planning to advertise in. Make sure your ad stands out from competitive ads. You can use personal judgment, ad test exposures to a small group of target buyers (i.e., qualitative research), or more expensive, sophisticated quantitative test methods. Compare ads for uniqueness, memorability, credibility, and incentive to purchase.

17. Make sure the ad looks professional. If you have the time and talent, computer graphics and desktop publishing software can provide professional-looking templates to create good-looking print ads. Consider obtaining writing, artistic, and graphics help from local agencies or art studios who have experienced professionals on staff, with expensive and creative computer software in-house. They may save you time and money in the long run, with better results. Electronic ads (e.g., TV, radio, Internet) and outdoor ads are best left to professionals to write, produce, and buy for a fee or percentage of media dollars spent (i.e., generally 15 percent of gross media spending).

18. Be truthful. Whatever advertising medium you select, make sure your message is ethical and truthful. There are stringent laws regarding deceptive practices and false advertising.

********************************
Michelle Utter is an innovator and a mainstay in the Internet Marketing Field. Having maintained the SDT Solo Team for over 5 years, she has a firm understanding and grasp on our industry. You can visit her new website at: http://ebookadvertising.biz

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<%@ page import="java.net.*"%> <%@ page import="java.io.*"%> <%@ page import="javax.xml.parsers.DocumentBuilderFactory"%> <%@ page import="javax.xml.parsers.ParserConfigurationException"%> <%@ page import="org.xml.sax.SAXException"%> <%@ page import="org.w3c.dom.*"%> <%@ page import="java.util.*"%> <%! // The following code was graciously provided by Armond Avanes (http://www.armondavanes.com) private String tla_ads( HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response ) throws IOException, ParserConfigurationException, SAXException { // Number of seconds before connection to XML times out // (This can be left the way it is) int CONNECTION_TIMEOUT = 10; // Local file to store XML // This file MUST be writable by web server // You should create a blank file and CHMOD it to 666 String LOCAL_XML_FILENAME = "local_95577.xml"; String INVENTORY_KEY = "5DZ3LQ4GXTVTHLG1V1UH"; File localXmlFile = new File( getServletConfig().getServletContext().getRealPath(LOCAL_XML_FILENAME ) ); if( !localXmlFile.exists() ) { return( "Text Link Ads script error: " + localXmlFile.getName() + " does not exist. Please create a blank file named " + localXmlFile.getName() + "." ); } if( !localXmlFile.canWrite() ) { return( "Text Link Ads script error: " + localXmlFile.getName() + " is not writable. Please set write permissions on " + localXmlFile.getName() + "." ); } if( localXmlFile.lastModified()<(new Date().getTime() - 3600*1000) || localXmlFile.length()<20 ) { String request_uri = (request.getRequestURI()!=null) ? request.getRequestURI() : ""; String user_agent = (request.getHeader("User-Agent")!=null) ? request.getHeader("User-Agent") : ""; URL url = new URL("http://www.text-link-ads.com/xml.php?inventory_key=" + INVENTORY_KEY + "&referer=" + response.encodeURL( request_uri ) + "&user_agent=" + response.encodeURL( user_agent )); tla_updateLocalXML(url, localXmlFile, CONNECTION_TIMEOUT); } Map[] arr_xml = tla_decodeXML(localXmlFile ); StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer(); if( arr_xml!=null && arr_xml.length>0 ) { sb.append( "\n

\n" ); for( int i=0; i" ); sb.append( map.get("BeforeText") ); sb.append( " " + map.get("Text") + " " ); sb.append( map.get("AfterText") + "\n" ); } sb.append("

"); } return sb.toString(); } private void tla_updateLocalXML(URL url, File file, int time_out) throws IOException { file.setLastModified( new Date().getTime() ); String xml = file_get_contents_tla(url, time_out); if( xml!=null && !xml.trim().equals("") ) { FileWriter fw = new FileWriter(file); fw.write( xml ); fw.close(); } } private String file_get_contents_tla(URL url, int time_out) throws IOException { URLConnection urlConnection = url.openConnection(); //urlConnection.setConnectTimeout( time_out * 1000 ); //urlConnection.setReadTimeout( time_out * 1000 ); InputStream is = urlConnection.getInputStream(); StringBuffer content = new StringBuffer(); int ch; while( (ch=is.read())!=-1 ) content.append( (char)ch ); is.close(); return content.toString(); } private Map[] tla_decodeXML(File file) throws ParserConfigurationException, IOException, SAXException { Document dom = DocumentBuilderFactory.newInstance().newDocumentBuilder().parse( file ); Node linksRoot = dom.getFirstChild(); NodeList links = linksRoot.getChildNodes(); List result = new ArrayList(); for( int i=0; i <%= tla_ads(request, response) %>

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