The Real Value of Online Marketing Tools & Those Freebies

January 18th, 2011 - 
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The Real Value of Online Marketing Tools & Those Freebies

The other day I happened upon a site where I was invited to subscribe to the webmaster’s ezine. All good and well and of course good marketing to have a subscribe page and way of capturing visitors emails on your site. But the webmaster purported to say that the newsletter had a value of $399 but I would be one of the lucky ones and get it for free.

Well I produce a newsletter and I think it is fairly good quality so what value would I put on that…certainly not $399, and I would have no idea what to value it at, after all only the subscriber can properly put a perceived value on the ezine they receive. So how can this other ezine have a value of $399?

And what about all these ebooks which apparently have a resale value of $47, or $97 or more. Who are you going to get to buy these ebooks when everywhere you look the same ebooks are being given out for free…you know the ones – ‘Million Dollar Emails’, ‘Scientific Advertising’, ‘Magic Letters’ and so on….

Many websites and sales pages will attempt to persuade you to buy their product by throwing in a large number of bonuses…..worth hundreds of dollars of course and what are they, the same old ebooks again. And while some of these ebooks are actually worth reading, they now have no real value as they are distributed for free everywhere you look.

If you want to get someone to signup for your newsletter or buy your product or service you need to offer something of real value…something they cannot get hold of anywhere else, or certainly not for the price you are offering it at.

If you produce a newsletter or report, don’t place a fictious value on it that cannot be backed up. We are so used to having freebies, bonuses, extras etc pushed in our faces that they no longer really work and to stand out from the crowd, you need to be different. Stick to real quality, proper value and you will get subscribers, sales and signups.

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Freebies

More Fantastic Vegas Freebies

August 22nd, 2010 - 
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If you’re looking for some great free things to do in Vegas, there are some amazing treats for you and the family awaiting. Many casinos in an effort to bring in more and more business are offering elaborate shows free for the family in an effort to bring more warm bodies into their casinos and out of their competitors. This is a win win situation for tourists and locals alike who are seeking entertainment that will leave a little money in their pockets to spend at the casinos (which is exactly what the casinos were hoping for).

One of the great shows that is available free to families is the Fall of Atlantis Show at Caesar’s Palace. This particular show is a laser, water, and light show that features wonderful animatronics action. Also notice that the show’s platform is actually a salt-water aquarium. You can see divers feed the fish each day at 1:15 and 5:15 while another staff member is on hand to answer any questions you may have and explain a little about the facility. You can actually take a tour of the facility at 3:15 each day. Enjoy watching the gods as they entertain you rather than us entertaining them.

The Cambridge Community Center offers a free movie and popcorn each Saturday at 1:00. Each week a different movie will be shown and children under 12 must bring an adult to keep them company. You can check out which movie will be playing by checking out the posting on Friday.

Another great Vegas freebie is daily performances of the Hawaiian Marketplace Island Performers. These performances take place throughout the day from 11:00 am until 10:30 pm and feature wonderful dances that will remind you of the island. See hula dancers, fire and knife dancers, musicians, lei makers, and animatronic birds. The performances are free and take place at the Hawaiian Marketplace.

For the Elvis fan in all of us you can see Pete Vallee perform as Big Elvis from Monday to Thursday with shows that take place at 3:00 and 5:00 pm at the Barbary Coast Casino. The admission for this show is free and he brings in quite a crowd with his vocal talent and heartfelt renditions of Elvis’ ballads.

M & M World should need no introduction. It is a wonderful and yummy place to visit. More importantly it is a free place to visit. This museum is open Sunday through Thursday from 9 am until 11 pm and Friday and Saturday from 9 am until midnight. This really is a neat attraction to visit and is much more than initially meets the eye. Take a stroll, look around and make sure you see all there is to see or you just might miss something fantastic.

For another sweet freebie, you really must make plans to visit Ethel M’s Chocolate Factory. The admission for this self-guided tour is free as is the first sample, but who can eat just one chocolate? Be sure not to leave this tour empty handed, as you’ll be kicking yourself once you get back to the room and have a craving for something sinfully sweet. In addition to the chocolate factor is the Botanical Cactus Garden that is open from 8:30 until 7:00 daily. Another great thing to see on this particular tour is the Living Machine, which as waste-consuming ecologies that turns 32,000 gallons wastewater each day into water that is clean enough to use for irrigation purposes.

The Marjorie Barrick Museum of History, which is located on the University of Nevada Las Vegas Campus, is another place to go and learn while being entertained. Admission is Monday through Friday from 8:00 until 4:45 and on Saturday from 10:00 until 2:00. Admission is free and the museum is closed on all state and federal holidays. This museum offers a great display of Western culture and the history of ancient Mexico.

No matter what your specific interests are there are plenty of wonderful things to see and do in Las Vegas that do not put a strain on the pocketbook at all.

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Freebies

How To Make Money With Coastal Vacations And Article Marketing

July 17th, 2010 - 
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How To Make Money With Coastal Vacations And Article Marketing

One way of promoting your Coastal Vacations website or blog and any other products and services you might also be selling can be done for free to very inexpensive it with article marketing. Plus as an additional bonus, this type of marketing strategy can also help boost your leads and sales, making your more money for your efforts.

Article marketing is pretty simple. Here are the basics steps:

1) Write articles about your websites main focus or hire someone to ghostwrite them for you. You can find help through industry forums and online bidding sites like Elance(dot)com.

Basics to include in your articles are:

a) Good content that your readers will want to read when they visit your site. Dont make these ads or hype or no one will want to publish them. In fact, you could be banished from directories if you start submitting junk pieces like that.

b) A catchy heading and opening lead into your piece that attracts and captures the interest of your website visitors.

c) A short piece on one web page thats eye-catching, maybe with a short bullet list of items within the body.

d) A summary or conclusion with a place for your readers to turn for more info, for a free report or something.

2) Add a resource box also known as a byline to your articles. Include a link to your site in this area plus a nice call to action for some type of free information, like to sign up for a free ezine, voucher or other cool gift.

3) When your articles are completed, submit them to free article directories and submission sites online where webmasters, publishers and others are actively seeking content for their sites, ezines and other publications. Then, after website visitors read your articles, they may decide to click on the link and pay your website a visit to learn more about you and to grab your freebies.

To locate article directories, simply search the term free article directory and hundreds show up like GoArticles(dot)com, IdeaMarketers(dot)com, EzineArticles(dot)com and many, many more.

Submit to a couple of the top ones and become a regular communist there. Then people will know where to turn to find more of your articles for their publications. Note these columns on your website or blog, too, in case media contacts or your regular website visitors would like more information.

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How to Make Money

Fabulous Vegas Freebies

March 11th, 2010 - 
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Anyone that knows me knows that I’m a huge fan of freebies and living frugally. What self respecting Vegas visitor would ever pay full price if they didn’t have to or leave this great city of chance without getting something for nothing. One of the best services I can provide my fellow man is the ability to share these fabulous free finds with anyone that is interested in what I have to offer.

This is better than a ‘tell all’ book on who did it and why isn’t it? The Bellagio Conservatory and Botanical Gardens offers a delight to the eyes of the beholder. It is a true delight to all the senses to see the sights and inhale the fragrance of these gardens that display seasonal highlights in plants, flowers, and produce. Each season offers new delights to the senses and there is no admission fee to view these beautiful floral arrangements. This is a great place for a photo op to help you remember your time in Las Vegas.

Have you ever seen water dance? If not, then while you’re visiting the Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio, you’ll want to stick around long enough to witness the fountains of Bellagio. These shows consist of more than 1000 fountains that are literally dancing in choreographed unison with light to the music (you may be surprised or quite possibly impressed by the extent and variety of the music play list for this particular show). This is also free to witness and occurs every half hour or so after 3:00 PM throughout the week and after noon on the weekends.

If you’re looking for more great fun that is free for the entire family to enjoy, head on over to Circus Circus for Circus Acts-this show is free to watch and provides the audience with the thrills and chills of the big top day after day. You can watch different acts as they perform throughout the day at the half hour mark between the hours of 11 AM and Midnight.

Sam’s Town Hotel and Gambling Hall offers a stunning display of water and laser lights daily at 2:00, 6:00, 8:00, and 10:00. This show is called “Sunset Stampede” and takes place in a 9-story atrium that hosts a natural habitat of live trees, greenery, waterfalls, and trails.

Another great free attraction in Vegas is the Masquerade Show in the Sky. The show is free to watch, if you choose to participate by riding one of the floats, the cost is $12.95 (that is subject to change). This experience is very reminiscent of Carnivale in Brazil. The floats are literally suspended from the ceiling for the sake of this show which is considered one of the best free shows that Vegas has to offer.

Perhaps one of the most interesting freebies is the Silverton Hotel and Casino’s Aquarium. This attraction is completely free to the public and a fascinating thrill to children big and small (even mom’s find this one fascinating). Enjoy watching both salt water and freshwater fish in their natural habitats and enjoy the ambiance of your surroundings.

The Sirens of Ti is a great sexy pirates tale that shows at Treasure Island TI daily as the weather allows. This is one great show that the kids, especially little boys that think pirates are the bomb and big boys that enjoy watching ships sink and sirens do what sirens do, will all agree to enjoy together.

Free entertainment is often the best entertainment that can be found. There are so many things to do and see that cost literal fortunes. It is nice to know that there are so many thrilling adventures available for little or no cost to explore while visiting Las Vegas. If you spend wisely, you will discover that you can enjoy the better part of most days filled with activity without breaking your wallet or becoming close personal friends with any creditors.

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Freebies

All Natural Freebies abound in Seattle

January 11th, 2010 - 
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If you’re an outdoors kind of person and really enjoy the sights and sounds of nature, or simply enjoy not being trapped inside a building all day, then Seattle Washington has plenty to offer you should you decide to visit. When planning your visit to Seattle, you will probably find that there are many things that appeal to you and it is quite difficult to narrow them down by interest alone.

This is the point when I divide activities into categories such as: things I really want to do, things that seem interesting, and things that will really just pass the time. Then, I take those things and do a reality (which translates to price) check. I try to justify the expenses of the things I really want to do that are more than I’d like to pay by sneaking in things I’d like to do equally as much for free. It’s a great concept and works really well when giving children a choice of activities. Let them choose between two free activities. They still get a voice and feel as though they are an important part of the decision making process and you aren’t spending $50 an hour for them to jump on a fancy trampoline.

Here are some of the excellent free activities that can be enjoyed in the great outdoors of Seattle Washington. The really great news is that many of these are actually both entertaining and educational. This is good for you and the kids who will leave Seattle with some degree of knowledge about something other than the ice cream flavors that are offered there.

The first freebie that I recommend is the Volunteer Park Conservatory. This is of special interest to those who love flowers. The conservatory is divided into five houses which each provides a suitable habitat for growing very specific plants. The five houses are: Bromeliad House, which is members of the pineapple family; Palm House, which consists of about 1200 species; Fern House, which features an assortment of tropical ferns and other exotic plants; Seasonal Display House, which changes with the season and consists of many common and recognizable house plants; and Cactus House, which is rather self explanatory. The conservatory is free to the public and a great way to pass time for any flower lover in your group.

Next there is the Washington Arboretum Park. This park is actually a 200-acre arboretum that was designed by the same firm responsible for the design of Central Park in New York. The park hosts 40,000 trees, shrubs, and vines. You can pay for a tour or simply wander around and enjoy the landscape. The purpose of this park is to preserve certain species of plants while offering education to the public and anyone who wishes to learn and benefit from the knowledge that can be gained there.

Next there is the Woodland Park Rose Garden. This garden is located next to the zoo but is open to the public free of charge. There is a $4 parking fee during zoo hours, but parking is free after hours. The climate of Seattle is mild enough that roses seem to flourish and grow beautifully here. The rose gardens receive over 200,000 visitors each year and are a great sight to see while you are visiting Seattle.

Finally, there is Discovery Park. This park offers stunning views and a place to contemplate the beauty of nature and the surroundings of Seattle. The park itself is 534-acres making it the largest city park in Seattle. The purpose of this park was to provide sanctuary for wildlife and a place to learn about nature for those who were interested. The park has a play area for children, picnic equipment, and trails and paths for exploration.

Nature is a wonderful thing to behold and Seattle is blessed with some of the most beautiful natural surroundings on earth. It only makes sense that while on vacation you should be able to enjoy the beautiful plants, animals, and scenery that abound in the area. I sincerely hope you take the opportunity to enjoy some of these great places.

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Freebies

5 More Freebies for San Francisco Entertainment

December 17th, 2009 - 
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If the thing you look least forward to on vacation is wracking up vicious amounts of debt on your Master Card, then you’ve come to the right place. I’m here to offer advice on free things to do while visiting San Francisco. Granted, it is not wise to think that you can go on vacation without spending any money and have a good time. However, it is quite possible to be very selective when deciding where to spend your money by having alternative entertainment options that cost little or no money.

Rather than a top ten list, which can be a little long winded, I’m going to provide a top five list. My sincere hope is that you will use this list as inspiration for finding your own free or low cost entertainment while visiting San Francisco. On to the list:

1) San Francisco Botanical Gardens. The climate of San Francisco provides a unique atmosphere that allows the growth and maintenance of plants from around the world. As a result the San Francisco Botanical Gardens offers a look at plants that are rare almost anywhere else on earth. The Gardens are 55 acres and host more than 7500 plants from around the world.
2) Chinese Culture Center. This center offers resources about the Chinese culture in San Francisco in addition to many programs that are available to learn about the artistic and cultural contributions that the Chinese community has made to this great city.
3) Fort Point National Historic Site. This site has special historical significance. Its original intent was to prevent invading forces from entering San Francisco Bay. By the end of the Civil War the massive cannons that had been used for this purpose were obsolete. The last of the original 126 cannons was removed around 1900. During the 1930’s, the fort was used as a headquarters for the building of the Golden Gate Bridge. This Fort has played a vital role in our history and is worth a visit, especially considering the fact that it is free.
4) Stern Grove Concerts. These concerts only take place on Sunday afternoons during summer months but are well worth checking out if you have a sunny Sunday afternoon available during your stay. The goal of these concerts is to educate the masses and potentially inspire future musicians. A love of music is the second best gift you can give a child, second only to a love of reading. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon, and it’s free!
5) Wells Fargo History Museum. This museum is a fun side trip for the family. Not only does it tell the history of Wells Fargo as it pertains to San Francisco, but it also tells of Black Bart and other stagecoach robbers while providing visitors with the awe inspiring story of the great earthquake of 1906 and the role of Wells Fargo in the recovery process. I believe that young and old alike will find this museum to be a lot of fun, especially for the price.

If you are visiting San Francisco and need some great family friendly activities to fill your days, then this is definitely a great place to start. I hope that you can find a few more things than I have mentioned here to help fill in gaps and entertain the young and old on your vacation alike. Remember not to over plan your trip, as some of the greatest times to be had are spontaneous rather than planned.

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Freebies

Why Aren’t You Using Freebies to Get More Customers?

November 29th, 2009 - 
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Don’t you just love a freebie? I know I do.

I’ve been in two situations recently as a customer, when I received an unexpected freebie. After ordering my usual bagel and coffee at the Bagel Bar,
the girl behind counter offered me a free bottle of mineral water. I was about to ask for a glass of water anyway, so this came as a welcome surprise.

A few days later found me buying a steak at the meat counter in my local supermarket. I was having a chat with the guy behind the counter about the fact that there didn’t seem to be too much meat for so much money.

He obviously took pity on my miserable face when he said – “Tell you what sir, why don’t you have this other steak for the same price” and he slapped another one on top!

So what’s the customer service lesson here? The lesson is that most customers, love a freebie and if they receive one from a supplier it builds a positive
relationship.

As customers, we’re more likely to return and do business with people who give us freebies and we’re more likely to tell other people about our positive experience.

I once read a story article about a restaurant owner who would occasionally give people a free meal. When a group of diners or a family asked for the bill he would spontaneously announce that on this occasion they were his guests and they didn’t have to pay for their meal.

Can you imagine how these people felt – what they said to friends and work colleagues the next day? That free meal probably cost the restaurant owner a lot less that advertising in the local newspaper and it also brought in a lot more new customers.

The Law of Reciprocity states that – “If you give someone something or do something for them – they will want to repay you – to give you something.”

Why don’t you think of some little unexpected freebie you can offer your customers that’ll encourage them to return and also tell others about their positive experience. And while we’re at it – why not try the same thing with
members of your staff. Even your personal relationships – a small unexpected gift or an act of kindness can do wonders for any relationship.

Believe me, once you start to do this, you’ll have many more satisfied customers, happy staff and appreciative friends.

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Freebies