Saturday, July 24, 2010

When Trinidad And Tobago Businesses Advertise Locally They Get the End of the Stick with Doo-Doo

Critiquing The Snail Pace Evolution Of The Advertising Industry In An Emerging Market


As a small cosmopolitan emerging market with strong economy and a population of 1.3 million people Trinidad and Tobago is an ideal model to showcase the development of information industries.

The local advertising industry specifically, has not kept pace with what is accepted as normal in the more developed markets.

It is accepted that media advertising is an indispensable revenue generating tool for most businesses. In fact, every year local businesses shell out literally billions of dollars to advertise their products and services.

Ninety percent of those dollars spent on advertising is never leveraged. The professionals in the industry continue to prey on the ignorance of their clients. Well “prey” might be a bit harsh word to use when most of the clients run like lambs to the slaughter, money in hand to purchase full page newspaper ads or high frequency TV ads at premium prices. And most of them know exactly what they want because it’s their money and their business.

All of the media establishments to include all the local daily and weekly newspapers, radio, television, advertising agencies, and magazines sell high priced, ineffective advertising. Truth is that they should all be forgiven, for they know not what they do. Only in a rare exception are advertising results measured.

Businesses and individuals purchase advertisements for one reason and one reason only; to sell, rent or some how enter into a transaction with their targeted consumers.

There are the exceptions as in the case of well known companies using it to maintain their brand, image or top of mind awareness For example, RBTT, First Citizen’s Bank or in the case of large international conglomerates like Pepsi and Coca Cola.

Then there are extraordinary exceptions where government ministries advertise their programme with out any intention of generating revenue or acquiring employees. It is extraordinary that the responsible authorities would take out a full page ad to inform the pubic of the existence of something like the CEPEP programme. Questions are rarely raised. Read More

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Free Video Commercial Offer For Business Owners In Trindad & Tobago



Free? Why Would You Do That?" The Surprised Business Owner Exclaimed

Have you noticed the number of videos online? The web is evolving naturally to adapt to the information overload most users experience. Wonder if it fits into Darwin's Theory of Evolution?

It is now accepted that most internet ueers are scanners. People are reading less especially from a computer screen. Reading has become an acivity that we must do in order to accumulate knowledge so we compensate by grabbing tid bits of text like headlines and sub headlines. Video are just a better way to disseminate information.

The human species has always sought out an easier way to do most task and so it is with reading. For example, what would you do if you were asked to solve a heavy math problem? Would you work it out in your head if you had a calculator? Duh?

Similarly, it's easier to watch a quick video,get the message and move on. This is the MTV Generation with an audience that is very familiar with quick attention grabbing snippets. Videos are by far the fastest growing medium on the web.

Here are some little known, eye opening facts about online videos:

* 60% of all web traffic is video (eMarketers.com)
* 70% plus web visitor watch online videos (NY Times)
* 27 mins. per day is the average time visitors view youtube videos
* Every few minutes search engines visit video sites
* Videos are easier to rank for niche and local searches

Business owners and marketers have embraced this new technology. Articles are being converted into video, sales letters are dictated on video and even entire marketing campaigns are executed on video.

The reason is simply that video offers a visual edge. It appeals to more of the senses and is easily understood by most consumers. Videos can instantly earn trust and credibility. A professionally crafted video can be the trigger that increases web or offline traffic.

The biggest drawback with videos is the production cost. For the local small business merchant video commercial is only a far off possibility. Or so it was until recently when technology caught up like Usain Bolt in a 100 meter race.

Now it's possible to make a video commercial for a fraction of what other businesses are paying. And look just as good.

Consider the possibilities offered in the video below. (If you are unable to see the video: View It Here)



TrinidadAndTobagoBusiness.com

Friday, July 16, 2010

Don't Read This If You Are Totally Satisfied With Life


A Story I Read Today That Is Worth Sharing. Self Examination and Taking Action In Your Life.

MY FRIDAY STORY
LIFE'S INVENTORY
By William Lambert

So you have been living for 40 or 50 or 60 years. What do you have to show for it? What comes to your mind first? Your children? Your house? your car? Were your children an accomplishment or an accident? Should a spouse who loves you be listed in your inventory?

I did this inventory 10 years after I have been teaching school. I personally felt my inventory was not what it should be. I had a car and an apartment. I wanted a family and a house. I changed my behavior in an attempt to get those things.

Ten years later I felt that this was not enough. A wife and kids for me was not enough for my inventory. A new direction had to be derived. I spent much time in determining what truly makes me happy. I discovered that what really made me happy was helping other people.

My inventory includes letters from three people whose life I saved using my CPR skills. A distinguished teacher award. College Degrees, Letters from students that say without my influence they would never have attended college.

Action Step. Do your life's Inventory. Try to add things that cannot be taken away from you. Certificates, Degrees, and Marketable Skills that you enjoy. Do not focus on material things.

Action Step. Discover the joy of helping others. Share your skills, your knowledge, your understandings with others. Do this without seeking credit or anything in return.

Action Step. Look at your resume. Rewrite it as if you have accomplished more. Then work on making it happen. Never think the thought that "I am too old." There exist a list of people that were over 60 before they achieved their major accomplishments. The greatest joy in my life is when I received an E Mail stating that I helped someone change their behavior.

Action Step. Please note that you don't necessarily help someone if you give them material things. You really help when you teach them how to get their own and/or when you cause them to change behavior.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mr. Lambert has a Bachelor's degree from Lemoyne-Owen College in Biology and Chemistry, a Master's degree in Education, from Memphis State University, and he finished all the course work on a Doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a minor in Physics Education. He is a former teacher where he won the prestigious Distinguished Teacher Award. Mr. Lambert has made teaching his life. You can reach him at wlambert7@comcast.net

I hope you enjoyed that story. I did.

The point is what can you take away from a story like this? Well, it makes you at least...

Look at what motivates your life. Is it the desire to get more, be more or share what you have acquired over the years. We all have stories, something to share that no one else can in the way that you can. Are you sharing it?

More importantly what action can you take to turn your life into the person you dream you can and should be? Do you need to return to school? To learn a skill or give of yourself?

Whether you think you can or can't; it's true.

Live life by enjoying it.


The Offer Below Is Exclusively
For Businesses In Trinidad And Tobago



Saturday, July 3, 2010

How A Laugh Changed My Career Choice

A Free Web Building Webinar

True story. Can a story be true?

This one is but now it's a story. This is my first web site building experience. It was in late 1980, I built my first website myself, and then I proudly showed my wife at that time. She was the only one that knew that I had spent months of long, solitary hours on the computer.

I was consumed in learning html, how to use FTP, basic graphic design, and all the skills necessary to put up a web site. I was in the automotive industry so I bought a domain name "InsideAutoSales.com". Somehow managed to put together a site using everything I knew at the time. There were animated cars, flashing letters and movement all over the page; it was a marketing nightmare online.

That site would have been a total online marketing failure. My wife took one look at it and bust out laughing like I had just cracked a joke.

Did she hurt my feeling? Can't remember but I do recall us separating a couple of years later. I’m sure that was not the reason. In fact, her reaction was my big AH HA moment.

I, like most people, make a sincere and conscious effort to be open minded.
I think we learn more that way even when the mind says differently. The idea of the ego being offended by someone's actions becomes unacceptable, a mental drain. In fact, even if it seems like the thing to do is "get even" the more enlightened approach would be to empathetic.

I appreciated her feedback. Homo sapiens are social animals with an instinctive desire to communicate, express an opinion, agree or disagree with contradictory points of view. To be different is to be anti human which is not possible because as humans we are almost always are well intentioned; at least in our own minds. If we feel offended we...

Instinctively, like turtles, pull into ourselves fall into an abyss of negative thinking that triggers the power of attraction and viola.

My wife's laugh did teach me an important lesson. What I learned was that perception is personal. Building the site was a huge accomplishment but to put it in her words; "it looked like "shit". She was serious and I must admit right, her laugh made me rethink my whole approach to the Internet. I'm thankful for her laugh and her strong opinion.

It made me realize that knowing the mechanic of putting up a web site is not as important as people's perceptions when they visit the site. In other words understanding the power of internet marketing and what it can do for a business.

That was a long time ago and since then I have managed the construction of many web sites for large automobile dealers like 128 World of Transportation in Boston Ma. There we increased unit sales volume by 20 percent with the addition of an internet department.

Approximately four years after establishing that dealership online I move off independently as an "Automotive Internet Consultant" setting up sites for small and large dealers.


Today I would like to invite you to a free web building Webinar.

Please only attend if establishing your business online interests you.

If you are thinking about building a site or if you have a site that is not working register for the Webinar. Even if you cannot attend, register and you will be emailed a recording.

Take a look at the video below, it's not perfect, it's a special invitation to the webinar. Check it out below or view it on Youtube.

Or go directly to the registration page click here.




Thanks for visiting.

Friday, July 2, 2010

How To Drive Your Stake On The Net


A Free Foundational Web Building Strategy Webinar For Small Business Owners

A printer related a short story to me I'd like to share with you. As she related it, she was taking an order from a respected business man for 1000 business cards. In the process she asked him for the address of his website. His response was:

“Just put anything dot com”

According to her, she was totally shocked, taken aback and could only respond with a meek "Ok". Said she wanted to put www.WhataFool.com. She immediately lost all respect for the man.

Now that might sound unusual but there is a bigger lesson to be learned from it. You see, most business owners, especially in developing countries like Trinidad and Tobago, still have not been able to translate the internet into a meaningful business tool.

Yes, these same business owners definitely know that it’s useful; for hard to find stuff cheap, to send emails in the normal course of doing business or even to look at videos and participate on social networks.

That’s where their involvement with the internet ends. Then there is a large segment of progressive owners who have a website most if not all will readily admit that their site is useless, just online doing nothing.

What You Must Know Before And After You Build A Website

It is obvious from the sophisticated programming on many of these business sites that they were expensive to develop and probably still are expensive to maintain.

When you think that every business goes online for one purpose and one purpose only the question becomes; what happened? If you are investing and realizing no tangible revenue from it; what’s the point?

The reality is that web design as an industry is still unregulated. There are no industry standards that must be adhered to when building a business website.

Most web designers are solely web designer’s not online marketers. They take their instructions directly from the clients who, 10 times out of 10, have no experience marketing web sites.

I have viewed literally thousands of esthetically pleasing business sites that ignore one simple online marketing cardinal rule. It’s so simple that when you know what to look for on a site you too can see it in seconds.

OK, so this is what I’m leading up to here.

It takes a long time to know simple things. The web is wide and deep so although there is information on every subject under the sun, you may not have the time , the inclination or energy to get involved with the learning process. Your time is your money.

90 minutes of your attention can save you time and money getting started online?
I will point the way if you commit to the journey.

What if you knew…

All the steps you need to take before you found a web designer?

Or, if you want to do it yourself know exactly what you getting yourself into?

What if you’re able to design a site that ultimately generated revenue for your business?

Or knew the basics of internet marketing so that you can get traffic to your site?

Something that most business miss.

What if you were able to monitor the effectiveness of executing each marketing tactics with your online business?

Is that worth an hour and a half of your time?

If you cannot make it, send this invitation to a friend anyone interested in building a website is welcomed to join.

This absolutely free webinar is scheduled for the evening of July 6th at 7:30 PM from your computer.

Get the details here.

What You Must Know Before And After You Build A Website

Is T&T Carnival Still The Greatest Show On Earth?

In Defense of We Carnival Recently, a situation has arisen where differing perspectives prompt contemplation.   I am referring to two inst...