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Benefits of Targeted PPC Advertising Campaigns

PPC or pay per click is the most widely used paid advertisement option on the Internet. Small and large businesses as well as individual marketers are able to market their products and services in a very cost-effective way. Advertisements placed in print media, radio and TV do not give any guarantee of traffic conversion. In these types of advertisements, the advertiser never gets to assess the impact of advertisement. Such methods proved ineffective because the advertisement is watched by thousands or even millions of people but only a few of them buy that product. That is not the case with the targeted PPC advertising. This advertising method is so popular because of various advantages that it provides to businesses of all types and sizes.

Genuine Potential Customers
The first advantage with the targeted PPC advertising is that only people who are really interested in the advertised product or service click it. This means, the company receives only those visitors who are really interested in the company’s product. Such visitors can be converted easily into customers.

Cost-Effective
Compared to other advertising options like TV and print media ads, the targeted PPC advertising provides value for money. The advertiser has to pay only for genuine visitors who are really interested in the company’s products. Every penny spent is worth it because it results in gaining customers who need that product and are ready to spend money for that. Profit is lot more than the money spent on PPC advertisement.

Track Performance
The money spent on targeted PPC can be tracked for effectiveness. An ad solution provider provides all types of data analysis tools. This helps assess clearly if the advertisement is proving beneficial for the company. The analyzed data can be used to plan the advertisement strategy properly. Things that are working can be continued and strengthened, while ineffective promotions can be discontinued.

Dynamic Advertising
PPC advertisements take care of various permutations and combinations of the keyword. This eliminates the need for the advertiser to come up with the perfect single keyword. The advertisement shows up for different combinations of the main keyword.

Control Budget
With the help of targeted PPC advertising, a company can spend only the right amount on the advertising. Besides, the money is spent on advertisement that provides targeted customers and clients. This helps plan and manage the budget properly and efficiently.

Connect with the Right Customers and Clients
PPC advertisement is not clicked on by people who are not interested in that product or service. The company receives only genuine customers and clients. If these customers turn out to be long-term buyers then the advertiser keeps making money for years to come from a lead that cost only a few pennies.

Increase Brand Value
The targeted PPC advertising helps increase the brand value of the company. People rightly assume that if a company is capable of paid advertisements then it must have some substance. They also understand that a company spending money on advertisement has the financial wherewithal to provide all types of support system to make the purchase hassle-free for the customers.

Qualities You Need to Have a Home Based Business

Having a home based business has the potential to be a wonderful opportunity if you possess or learn the following attributes. It is best if you analyze yourself and face up to your individual circumstances and what your unique situation may be. You have the highest potential to succeed if you possess or learn the following attributes.1) You have to be bold enough to let your client’s know you will be working from your home. Most often because of the nature of your business they infer or know. If not, they need to know up front. Before they hire you, they can voice concerns and you can discuss them or better yet, they may have the kind of personality that does not mind working around the situations that may present themselves with your situation. This may be the very case, the more unique your skills and the more demand for your skills.2) You need to have the personality that can focus and stay on the task for your work, even if things are not perfect in the kitchen or the rest of your home. You need to commit to putting in the hours that it takes to make your home-based business work and work other tasks in after business hours. If you are easily distracted, this has the potential to cause problems and interfere with your success.3) You have to know when to go to Plan B. If you thought you could work with the children in your home and that is not working, the sooner you acknowledge it and do something about it, the better it will be for your business. You may need to have the children in child care for 4 hours a day, if that is what it takes to make things work.4) You have to set business hours that fit for you and stay with that commitment. If things easily “get in the way” you will end up not making a successful go of it. The working hours you have set need to be seriously “written in concrete” to allow your business to survive. Sure, there will be happenings with the children that require your time, but if it occurs frequently, things will not work out successfully for a home-based business.5) You have to use your time wisely. Most likely, the motivating force behind your decision to have a home-based business is to have more time with your children and family. When you are working during the business hours you have set, it is important you make the time work for you. Analyze your demands and work as efficiently as possible. Learn to do things more efficiently as you see what works and doesn’t work with your home – based business. Utilize all the resources around you and involve older children in those tasks that meet their maturity level. All will work for good.6) You have to stick to your goals. In the beginning, you will certainly have frustrations until you work out all the wrinkles. Remember the reason you wanted a home – based business, the clients that made it possible, and all the other goals you’re working on that have brought you to this point.This is a great opportunity! If you keep working at it and possess a positive attitude and tweak those things you need to make it all work out, your efforts will be crowned with success!

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How Important Is the Fundraising Auctioneer to the Success of Your Event?

I want you to think about the term “Fundraising Auction”.

A “Fundraising Auction” is an event where items of value are gathered, and then sold in a competitive bidding situation, either in a Silent Auction format, or in a Live Auction format by a Live Auctioneer. And since typically the best items are saved for the Live Auction, arguably it is the Live Auction that should generate a significant portion of the proceeds in any Fundraising Auction.

So why do so many non-profit groups consider the Fundraising Auctioneer to be the least valuable component in a Fundraising Auction?

The Hosting Facility gets paid.
The Printer gets paid.
The Caterer gets paid.
The Liquor Store gets paid.
The DJ gets paid.
The Florist gets paid.
But the Auctioneer … the individual who is expected to raise the lion’s share of the event’s proceeds… is expected to work for Free. And is usually under-appreciated for the professional services he/she provides.

I’m not trying to underscore the value of the invitations & programs, food, booze, music, and decorations. All are important in their own way. But each of these are “Expenses”. It is the Auctioneer who is going to bring “Revenue”… and thus, the “Profits”… into any event. Which is the ultimate objective of any Fundraising Auction.

Here is a real-life example of how under-appreciated the Auctioneer can be. In two comparable events we worked last year, during the dinner portion of the event one non-profit group sat the Auctioneer (me) at a table with the DJ, the Interns, the Volunteer Staff, and other event “Help”. The 2nd non-profit group sat the Auctioneer (me) directly next to the CEO of their organization, where we chatted about how important the pending revenue would be to their organization. Which group do you think valued the services of the Fundraising Auctioneer more?

Don’t ever under-estimate the value that a professional Fundraising Auctioneer can bring to your event. The Auctioneer adds value as a pre-event consultant. And the Auctioneer can change an event from a moderate to a huge success.

A Case Study Once I was scheduled to call an Auction for a major local non-profit group. They represented a very good cause and they had a strong and dedicated following. Their event was sold out, quality Live & Silent Auction items had been solicited, and the Special Pledge Appeal had been choreographed and was ready to go. The facility was first class, the appropriate caterer was booked, and the food was ready to cook.

But quite unexpectedly, some unseasonably inclement weather forced the event’s cancellation. Despite all of the committee’s hard work, cancelling the event was the proper decision considering the circumstances.

So the Event Committee scrambled to re-schedule the event for the following weekend.

They confirmed with the Hosting Facility.
They confirmed with the Caterer.
They confirmed with the Liquor Store.
They confirmed with the DJ.
They confirmed with the Florist.
Since they already had the Mailing List of those scheduled to attend, no new invitations had to be printed as all were contacted by email or telephone. So with everything in place, the group went ahead and re-scheduled the event for the following weekend.

But guess who they failed to confirm? You got it… the Professional Auctioneer. They thought so little of the Auctioneer’s contribution that they “assumed” that the Auctioneer would be available and at their beck and call.

But the Auctioneer already had another Fundraising Auction booked for that date with another non-profit group. It was only hour away from the re-scheduled event, and things could have been easily worked out. All Group #1 had to do was start their event one hour earlier, or one hour later, than the Group #2, and the Auctioneer could have helped both groups on the same day.

But because Group #1 failed to anticipate a possible Auctioneer conflict, because they failed to confirm with the Auctioneer before re-scheduling their event, their preferred Auctioneer had to bow out and they had to scramble to locate substitute “Volunteer” Auctioneer only days before their event.

And it cost them.

Learning Points

The Live Auction is usually where the profits are made at any Fundraising Auction.
A Professional Fundraising Auctioneer can be vital to the success of any Fundraising Auction.
The better Fundraising Auctioneers usually get booked quickly.
You need to recognize the important contributions that a good Auctioneer can make to your event.
Michael Ivankovich is a Bucks County Fundraising Auctioneer based in Doylestown PA, and serves the Great Philadelphia PA area. He has been a professionally licensed and bonded Auctioneer in Pennsylvania for nearly 20 years, has been named Pennsylvania’s Auctioneer of the Year, and has considerable experience in conducting Fundraising Auctions. Michael loves helping groups raise needed funds for good causes and one of his specialties is the “Special Pledge Appeal” or “Fund-A-Cause Appeal” which usually enables clients to double their revenue in a single evening.

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