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Entrepreneur
2 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
My Top 3 Secrets for Generating Better Advertising Results
Consumers are busier than ever, but you can still break through the ad fog with these three road-tested tips. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. It's the end of a typical work day, and you're excited to come home. On the way in, you grab the mail stack and set it aside as you walk in. After getting comfy and settling in for the evening, you lounge on the couch and check social media, then your inbox. While dinner is simmering, you peruse your mail, then go back to your phone. How many ads did you just see? And more importantly — how many do you remember? This daily process is so routine to all of us that we rarely think twice about why we trash some mail and keep others, why we scroll past some social ads more than others, and which emails we save. However, there's a reason behind why some advertisements stick and some don't. I've been in marketing since 1995 and have built my $119 million business on reliably turning neutral and unaware prospects into leads — nearly 4,000 a week — and then into buyers. Take a look at these road-tested marketing strategies I've used over the years that have worked for my clients thousands of times over. Related: The 3 Greatest Lessons I've Learned After 25 Years in Business and $100 Million in Revenue Always include an offer, since 92% of U.S. consumers actively search for them There is one way to ensure people take a good look at your ad, and it's by including an offer. You love free stuff or a good discount, right? Your audience does, too. Case in point: Our most successful offers are all freebies. Free samples or free add-ons when you purchase something. We mail over 232,000 postcards a week for our own marketing, and over four million a week on behalf of our clients. Response is always higher on the mailers with a great offer. Physical advertisements are easier to store and keep in sight around the home. A person may click on a digital ad in the moment, but if they don't save the link for later, it's going to get lost in the World Wide Web void. Consider this: The average person doesn't quickly throw away mail when there's a coupon or free gift included. In fact, they probably stick it on the fridge for later. Overall, studies show that coupons in mailings can increase response rates up to 13%. The offer you place on your mailer doesn't have to be massive, but ideally, it will stop prospects in their tracks. Buy-one-get-one (BOGO) or offering something for free is a great way to grab attention. If you're in ecommerce or retail, consider mailing special promo codes to people who abandoned their shopping cart. You can do this automatically by connecting your online shop to a direct mail automation platform. It's something you can program in a short period of time that will continuously follow up in order to bring people back to finish their purchase. Related: 3 Marketing Trends You Need to Capitalize on Now Before Your Competition Beats You to It Focus on the marketing channels that grab attention for the longest periods of time I spend over $100,000 every week on marketing across every channel, but there's still one that feels like a cheat code or hack for generating high-quality leads reliably every week, and sometimes its performance still surprises even me — and that's postcards. Direct mail has a higher return on investment than digital ads. We analyzed 115,393 leads that converted to sales last year and found that direct mail leads generated 6x more revenue than digital leads. Here's my theory on why: When that moment comes and people are going through their mail, you have an opportunity to make a deep, long-lasting impression that you can't replicate through online ads or an email inbox. Studies have confirmed this — people are 70% better at recalling a brand when they've seen a direct mail piece compared to an online ad. Research also shows that nearly two out of three people (63%) give mail their undivided attention. This all means that you aren't competing with a big screen or a little one. So, if you want to try your hand at direct mail, make sure you use these precious few seconds of undiluted attention to be direct with your message — ensure your headline plainly states the benefits of your product or service, and choose an image that immediately communicates what you're selling. In my decades of experience, too many marketers try to get clever and use messaging that has nothing to do with their products or services. Yes, pictures of puppies will always turn heads, but if you're selling lawn mowers, you're going to confuse your audience first and foremost. Even if you aren't sold on direct mail, I encourage you to test a clear and direct ad (with an offer!) against a more clever one to see if this advice holds true with your business as well. Just make sure you're tracking closely, and let me know if the clever ad ever works better. Related: This Powerful Marketing Strategy Will Help You Outshine Your Competitors and Make Your Brand More Memorable Personalize your advertisements for a 40% increase in revenue compared to those who don't There are two ways you can personalize an ad online or in print: Provide some personal information about you and your business, or create a buying journey for prospects that is personalized to them. I recommend doing both to maximize response. Approximately 97% of direct mail users see higher response rates with personalized/customized direct mail, and 56% said that response rates were significantly higher with personalized/customized direct mail. Adding personal details to an online ad will also increase your responses — about 72% of consumers report engaging only with personalized messaging. You can accomplish this by utilizing targeting tools. For example, Google Ads allows you to set specific targeting parameters based on demographics, location, interests and behaviors. The more unique details you can place on your postcard or digital ad, the better. If you must use stock photos, that's better than no photos at all. However, it's most ideal to show off what your business looks like or real images of your products and/or services. I suggest you take it a step further and even include photos of yourself or key members of your staff. Prospects love seeing a real person's face. It builds trust and evokes a positive emotional response. When it comes to direct mail, you can customize each design to feature the recipient's first name in the headline, and even some of their previous actions, like filling up a shopping cart and not checking out. An automated direct mail marketing campaign makes this easy. Just connect your CRM (customer relationship manager) to your direct mail automation platform and program these mailings based on triggers. For example, if your prospect goes two weeks without answering a call — boom, that triggers a postcard saying, "We've been trying to reach you about a special discount, give me a call." There are so many ways to utilize this technology to personalize the customer journey. Your CRM already has this information, so make the best use of it. Whether you are creating an online ad or postcard, personalize it! You'll get more responses and more opportunities for fast revenue. 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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Yahoo
'I'm A Divorce Coach And These Are The 7 Things That Actually Help People Move On Post-Split'
Even the most calm among us can temporarily unravel in the throes of a divorce. As a certified divorce coach, I've seen it all: I've had clients pour out their ex's expensive whiskey collection, sabotage the digital thermostat from afar, and even refuse to flush the toilet. These actions don't just hurt the other person, but distract from doing the core work required to emotionally move on post-split. I've personally been through the divorce process twice, and I know that focusing my time and energy on productive steps helped me move forward and build a beautiful life on the other side. How do you do that, exactly? Allow me to share the seven concrete tips and habits that have proven most useful to my clients in their post-divorce journeys. 1. Reframe the story. Get ready, the questions are coming. In many cases, colleagues or acquaintances will dart their eyes toward your now-empty ring finger or crane their head while asking in a condescending tone: 'So what happened with your marriage?' Successful clients create a short, neutral 'divorce elevator pitch' to use in casual conversations—one or two lines you can easily remember. Try something like: Joe and I aren't together anymore, but what I really want to talk about is this trip I planned in the Fall…have you ever been to Italy? Disclose only what you want while guiding the conversation in a new direction. This will help you keep from spiraling or oversharing. Instead, you're in control of your story—after all, you don't owe anyone an explanation about your personal life. 2. Create physical space. Even if your ex moved out, it's time to revamp 'safety zones' in your house—meaning areas you designate as personal, private space for you now that the marriage is ending. I tell my clients to choose an area—it can be a whole room or a tight corner—and make it into a space that represents their beautiful future. One of my clients converted the unfinished part of their basement that formerly housed all of her ex's old sporting equipment and tools—she made it into a yoga room with flameless candles. I made a small nook in the corner of my master bedroom into an office, complete with hot pink folders, notebooks and girly art supplies I knew he'd avoid. 3. Practice structured communication. I advise my clients to do the same thing most divorce attorneys recommend: Avoid getting into an email or text war with your ex. These emotionally charged messages escalate conflict and often prolong the legal process which can be expensive both in time and money. Your hostile words, committed to digital record, may later be used against you in court. When you feel yourself ready to hit send on the tirade you've passionately written, stop and take a breath. Ask yourself if it follows the BIFF Response model: brief, informative, friendly, firm. If not, why are you sending it? In almost all cases, once a client sends an accusatory email to their ex, they regret it the next week. Negativity breeds more of the same. It might feel good at the moment, so write what you want to write—then send it to a friend or better yet, delete it. If you have kids, you'll be required to communicate and keep a schedule. In this case, I suggest using one of the many available co-parenting apps like Our Family Wizard which has features for everything from communication to calendaring to financial tracking. 4. Allow grief and gratitude to coexist. Even in the most extreme cases of divorce with violations like infidelity (sexual, financial, emotional, or otherwise) you will still likely have mixed feelings about the ending of a bond that was supposed to last a lifetime. A deliberate exercise can help process these layered emotions. I suggest writing a short 'gratitude letter' to your ex (you're not necessarily going to share this with them), to honor and reflect on the positive ways they enhanced your life. Clients read these aloud to me; they're beautiful. Many refer to their children, of course, but in some letters clients have acknowledged ways their ex helped them through a major pivot in their career or their appreciation for a friendship with a sister-in-law. When you start dating again, this exercise is good practice for finding balanced attributes in a partner. 5. Try new activities. Have you always wanted to try rock climbing but your ex was afraid of heights? Or hone a consistent yoga practice? This is the time! I learned how to cross-stitch during my second divorce, a hobby I never imagined I'd enjoy. My mind was busy studying grids and I found it deeply cathartic to repeatedly stab a cloth with a needle. Try something new, and if you don't like it, give something else a try. These new pursuits serve a greater purpose than filling time—you're reclaiming your identity and building a future defined by what you want for yourself beyond the past relationship. You might be surprised at the new passions you discover or the strength you find in embracing this new chapter. And, if you're seeking community in these endeavors, online divorce communities are fantastic places to find like-minded people who are looking to bring new experiences into their lives. In the best case scenario, you'll meet new friends and break mundane habits you had while you were married. 6. Diversify your tribe. I don't know who needs to hear this, but if you haven't personally been through a divorce, you don't know what it's like. Even if you have incredibly supportive friends and family who are helping to take care of you, this is the time to meet people going through the same thing you are. Seek out a community that's centered on moving on with grace and dignity; people who share your values. If it becomes a relationship-bashing group that doesn't feel authentic to who you are, find something else. Getting together and complaining over a bottle of wine with your divorce friends is part of the process—but everything in moderation. 7. Ask for help. Clients roll their eyes at me when I say this and yet so few of us know how to ask for the exact help we need in the moment we're struggling. I remember one instance when I had been sobbing on my couch for hours, then my brother called. He asked what he could do and I just blubbered that I wanted him to come over. He sat with me and watched sports while I cried. We didn't even talk, but it was all I needed. I tell clients not to judge the need for help and to embrace that little voice that feels like they need comfort. Most people are thrilled to help you. Therapy, coaching, co-parenting counseling, and religious support is available as well. Every step you're taking, however small, is a powerful investment in the life you want to have now. By choosing to focus your energy on forward momentum, you'll give yourself the best chance to heal and grow. You Might Also Like Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Bank of America profit rises on trading
(Reuters) -Bank of America's profit rose in the second quarter as its traders brought in more revenue from tumultuous markets in the second quarter, it said on Wednesday. Banks' trading desks benefited from market turbulence during the quarter as clients reacted to shifting U.S. trade policies and escalating geopolitical tensions. BofA's sales and trading revenue jumped 15% to $5.4 billion in the quarter, the 13th consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth. The bank's shares, which have gained 5% this year, fell 1.4% in trading before the bell. The bank's profit was $7.1 billion, or 89 cents per share, for the three months ended June 30, compared with $6.9 billion, or 83 cents per share, a year earlier. Sign in to access your portfolio
Travel Weekly
4 days ago
- Business
- Travel Weekly
Travel Weekly poll: How your travel agency is faring in 2025
A new Travel Weekly survey seeks to understand how travel agencies and their clients have been impacted by consumer confidence and the economic outlook, as well as how booking patterns have been affected. Please take a moment to complete this brief survey. The results will be published in Travel Weekly and on your response will be aggregated with those of other advisors, and you will not be identified unless you indicate you would like to be quoted. Take our survey
Finextra
5 days ago
- Business
- Finextra
Financial advisors look to digitise onboarding
Financial advisers have more than doubled the number of clients onboarded each week over the past 12 months, a 116% rise year-on-year, intelliflo's Advice Efficiency Survey 2025 [1] reveals. 0 This content is provided by an external author without editing by Finextra. It expresses the views and opinions of the author. To cater for this growing number of clients, advisers are seeking to digitise more of their processes, with the ideal level at 77% to boost efficiency. Onboarding absorbs a significant amount of time, half of which is not spent directly with the client. According to the survey, the average firm onboarded 13 new clients each week, up from six in 2024, equivalent to 364 additional new clients per year. To drive efficiencies across their businesses, advice firms have now digitised nearly half (43%) their processes – up 10% from 2024. Yet many continue to feel the strain of manual tasks. Technology has helped reduce time across multiple areas—report writing, fact finding, presenting recommendations, and implementing plans—with report writing showing the biggest improvement. Advisers now save 20 minutes per report, equivalent to four hours a week. Despite these gains, time intensive tasks remain. On average, advisers spend: · 3.5 hours on fact finding per client · 2.6 hours on presenting recommendations to clients, and · 4.1 hours to implement financial plans However, on-boarding reportedly takes around 15 hours per client – of which 54% is not spent with the client. With 13 clients onboarded each week, advisers spend approximately 113 days each year on implementation alone. Therefore, advisers want to digitise 77% of their workflows in the future to reap the time savings technology offers to better serve their customers. One in five (21%) are aiming for full digitisation of all processes, yet a mere 1% said they were currently able to do this. Richard Wake, Chief Operating Officer of intelliflo, comments: 'Technology has become central to the advice journey and it's incredible to see advice firms scaling their client base so significantly. But growth brings new challenges. Advisers want to go further, faster when it comes to digitisation. That's why we're focused on delivering integrated, intelligent technology that cuts down on admin and frees up time where it matters most: their clients.'
