The Pundits say the economy is slowly, but surely, recovering. Maybe not at the rate of the mid-90s stock boom, but recovering nonetheless. It must be true, because ad agencies are running Help Wanted ads. So, ad budgets are getting bigger. Tsk tsk. They have been missing out. Actually, for maverick thinkers like you, that should be good news.

So many of us who have decided to do business online have no background in marketing or advertising. It can be so frustrating without any kind of guide. Here is a list of some textbook rules regarding marketing and advertising in general. These are important points that we should all keep in mind when promoting our offers: 1. People don't like ads until they see something they want or need.

I recently saw an ad taped to my mailbox, mind you, my mailbox is shared by many residents of my area. The postal real estate is typically reserved for flyers of lost dogs, cats, small children, etc. This time, however, the ad was soliciting a service which, I feel, requires a personal connection. The ad simply stated: "Affordable, Quality, Licensed, Day Care. Call XXX-XXXX"

You offer a reliable, quality service. You know that if more people knew what you can do, you'd increase sales. So you advertise in the most likely media for potential clients to read about you. But there's no response. Why? If this scenario is familiar to you there's a few likely causes. 1. Maybe your ad's aren't designed well - poor layout, inappropriate offer, etc. 2. Maybe you have selected the wrong media, placement or timing.

Research would indicate that consumers don't know what they're thinking. According to an article written by Jack Shimell (2002) for Quirk's Marketing Research Review, Consumers make their decisions and react to advertising based more on unconscious emotional processes than on conscious rational processes.

Today in the Business world whether online or off, it seems that everyone is vying for position, yet few are able to leap to the forefront of their competition. On the Internet there are thousands of programs and Business Opportunities being created every month or so it seems! Everyone is trying to find his or her niche in the Business world. Most do not comprehend that the likelihood of their specific opportunity making any headway is slim and none. Why is this?

If you're interested in improving the selling results of your ads, tweaking your headlines is a great place to start. Because your headlines influence the sales results of your ad more than any other element. A great ad with the wrong headline can bomb, whereas a great headline on an average ad will probably do OK. Let's take a look at a few techniques for coming up with sales-boosting headlines. First things first: Avoid these proven sales-killing "headlines" like the pox:

1. Give Testimonials When you purchase a product or service and it exceeds your expectations e-mail the business a testimonial. Tell them in the testimonial the benefits you got from the product or service. Give them permission to publish the testimonial on the web site if they include your sig file at the end.

The more things change, some say, the more things stay the same. When it comes to marketing, I tend to agree. Consider the following list of how advertising frequency equates to advertising effectiveness. Thomas Smith wrote this in 1885: * The first time a man looks at an advertisement, he does not see it. * The second time, he does not notice it. * The third time, he is conscious of its existence. * The fourth time, he faintly remembers having seen it before.