How to Produce Great TV Ads

How to Produce Great TV Ads
Producing a television ad for your small business can seem
a daunting, intimidating and expensive task. Fortunately,
with today's easy access to the tools and technology of TV
production, creating a TV spot is well within your reach.
One caveat: Making a TV ad may be relatively easy. Making
a good TV ad is challenging. Don't get so caught up in the
production process that you lose sight of your advertising
objective. Clio Awards are nice (and great for ideas and
inspiration), but it's not creative unless it sells!

With your advertising message in mind, the three critical
stages of video production are:

1) Pre-production - Planning, writing, scheduling, location
scouting and all the preparation and details before a frame
of video is ever shot.
2) Production - The actual video shooting of the ad.
Depending on your needs and budget, could be anything from
one camcorder to a multi-camera Hollywood extravaganza.
3) Post-Production - While on the shoot, you may hear the
common refrain, "We'll fix it in post." Post is where
everything comes together to produce the ad - Editing,
graphics, music, titles, voice over, special effects and,
eventually, a "final cut."

Here are the most effective solutions for getting your own
TV ad produced:

• Set clear goals

Know and communicate your marketing objective. Determine
your budget and develop a plan. What do you hope to achieve
with your TV ad? Where and when will it run?

Get-It-Done: The Television Bureau of Advertising (TVB.org)
is an excellent resource for first-time TV advertisers.
The Association of National Advertisers (ANA.net) is
another good starting point.

• Determine your target audience

Television is still a mass medium, but you better know your
target before you shoot! Who are you trying to reach, and
will your message resonate with your intended audience?

Get-It-Done: Advertising Age (AdAge.com) is the industry
Bible. More in depth demographic research is available
online at their sister publication, American Demographics.

• Content is King

Craft your message and determine your content. Consider
whether you're producing a 30-second TV spot, a :20, :15, :
10 or some combination. Be sure to refine your script and
storyboard - a visual representation of each shot in your
ad - until you're convinced the commercial is ready to
shoot.

Get-It-Done: Need ideas and inspiration? Hop across the
pond (online) to "thinkbox," Great Britain's great website
for television marketing in the UK.

• Plan the shoot

You'll need to decide on the "creative" for your TV ad.
Considerations include tone, pacing, mood, style,
music,etc. Should it be humorous? Dramatic? Animated? The
clearer your vision before the shoot, the better television
you'll produce.

Get-It-Done: The television marketing and promotion pros at
Promax.org are some of the best "promo producers" in the
world. See what ad producers from NBC, Discovery, MTV Fox
and others are doing and tap into their collective
knowledge.

• Fix it in post

Post production is "where the magic happens." Edit the
footage from your shoot, adding music, graphics, effects
and finishing touches. Hire a pro editor, or do it
yourself with a program as simple as Apple's iMovie.

Get-It-Done: Mandy.com lists hundreds of production
vendors, as does LA411 and NewYork411, depending on your
coastal preference. Procure a Pro is a more broad based
B2B directory.

Some final TV Production tidbits include:

• If you do decide to go it alone, creative is still key.
A good idea with lower production values is still better
than a slick ad that doesn't drive home your message.

• New software called "Visual Communicator" from Serious
Magic allows you to create pro videos with just a webcam
and some pre-packaged graphics and effects.

• Some local TV stations will provide commercial production
services for an additional fee when you buy an ad schedule.

• Think about other "venues" for your finished TV ad, such
as streaming video on your website.

----------------------------------------------------
Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer, marketer and
television producer who spent over 20 years in the
television industry, including several years as Senior Vice
President of Marketing & Advertising for Fox Family
Worldwide in L.A. Today, Lou specializes in helping
entrepreneurs create breakthrough video for the Internet.
Email Lou at lou@theonlinevideoguy.com or visit
http://www.theonlinevideoguy.com .

Think Like Apple and Land Your Dream Job!

Think Like Apple and Land Your Dream Job!
How does Apple get all those millions of people to
enthusiastically lay down hundreds of dollars for iPods and
iPhones, and thousands for MacBooks? Marketing. Apple is
extraordinarily effective at communicating that their
products will meet or exceed the desires, needs and
expectations of their target audience.

And what is your job search, after all, if not a marketing
campaign?

The product is YOU. The audience is the person or people
you're hoping will make you a job offer. They also have
desires, needs and expectations about the person they will
ultimately hire. And your task is to get them to believe
you're the perfect product for them.

Apply these same time-tested marketing techniques used by
the world's most successful companies, and your "career
marketing campaign" will be just as powerful and rewarding.

1. Identify your objective. Before you launch any
campaign, you have to be clear about what you want to
accomplish. If yours is "get a job," you've got some work
to do. Be as specific as possible. Precisely what job? At
what salary? Working for which department? Is there a
division, group or supervisor you'd especially like to work
with? By being crystal clear about your objective, you can
measure every step you take against it. Everything you do,
from the way you craft your resume to the way you dress in
your interview to the answers you provide to questions
should always be moving you closer to your objective.

2. Know your audience. So just who is this person you're
going to convince to "buy" you? You had better know more
than a name. How old are they? How long have they been with
the company? Are they casual or formal, liberal or
conservative? How long have they worked in their industry?
Where did they work in the past? Are they on the rise in
their career, or on the decline? And what about the company
itself? How well do you understand the culture, the current
business environment, their position in the marketplace?
The more you know about the person or people doing the
buying, the better your chance of making a meaningful
connection with them. How do you find out? Ask. Engage them
in conversation, or casually ask a few questions of an
assistant. Google them. Ask others in the same industry.
Become a detective, and you just might uncover the clue
that will get you one step closer to success.

3. Understand their needs. One of the great paradoxes of
success is, in order to get what you want, you have to give
someone else what they want. How can you do that if you
don't know what that is? If you've already gained an
understanding of the people you'll be interfacing with,
you're halfway there. Now you have to probe deeper. What
qualities are they looking for in a new employee? What are
their specific needs? Not just the job description, but
from their personal point of view. What is their "pain?" In
other words, what problem are they trying to solve or avoid
in this hiring process? What is their hope? Interviewers
often ask job candidates where they'd like to be in five
years. Why don't you try and discover the same thing? Where
would they like to be in five years – and how can you help
them get there? The more you understand the needs of your
"audience," the better you can position yourself and the
qualities you bring to the table as the answer to their
prayers.

4. Create your campaign. Here's where it gets fun and
interesting, and where all your research pays off. Just as
if you were putting together a puzzle, you can now take the
information you've gathered and craft a meaningful,
persuasive, memorable "campaign" to sell your audience on
YOU. Remember, your message begins with your very first
communication and continues at every subsequent encounter.
Consider carefully what you say, how you say it, how you
look, your attitude and tone of voice, your energy level.
Every single element should be chosen consciously to be
appealing and valuable to your audience, and move you
closer to your objective – that dream job!

Here's a fact you, as a personal career marketer, must
always remember: you will never land your ideal job unless
you can convince someone to give it to you.

By carefully choosing each step you take, you will make
that all important connection. Then you and your "audience"
will come out winners!

----------------------------------------------------
Keith Harmeyer is EVP of Marketing and Creative Services at
C2 Creative in New York City. He is a marketing,
communication and presentation skills expert, author,
speaker and creator of The SuperSkill, a proven method for
using traditional marketing techniques to achieve personal
and professional success. You can email Keith at
kaharmeyer@gmail.com, or visit his website at
http://www.thesuperskill.com .

Are You Looking To Be A Home Based Employee?

Are You Looking To Be A Home Based Employee?
One of the greatest advantages in managing my business was
found through hiring a home based employee. Without
question, one of the largest expenses for any thriving
business is spent on employee labor! As of this writing,
it is still the largest monthly expense we incur. However,
over the last several years I've been able to diminish the
need for "in house" employees and have downsized our
immediate office personnel by utilizing "stay at home
moms"! Creating a home based employee that handles a large
amount of computer related work has been a huge asset to my
company.

I must say we've had our share of "hard knocks"! There
have been several in home operators that didn't get the job
done. Either by not performing at all or doing things
incorrectly and making a mess of things that became
challenging to fix. As a company we learned rather quickly
that you can never "assume" one is working, when away from
the office. Installing check points and having quotas
(goals), is an important part of having a successful home
based employee.

What has worked best for my company is to assign a project
to a home based employee. Given a definite deadline for
the task to be completed along with an incentive to finish
early, has been a key implementation to staying on target
and has helped tremendously with our production. Hiring
outside help through a home based individual allows us to
get the work done, while spending less money to do it.

One of the biggest challenges is finding competent help!
This article can save you a great deal of headache, should
you choose to hire a home based worker. One specific piece
of advice comes by informing you of what NOT to do, when
looking to hire someone. Simply put, I don't advice
running a classified ad for this type of position. It may
be contrary to what you've read or heard from others but my
EXPERIENCE has been quite negative when going to the
general public. Now I'm sure there are some exceptions,
depending upon what type of work you are performing.
However, I've had a much more pleasant outcome when dealing
with individuals recommended by friends and family.

Now I want to be clear, I'm NOT suggesting you have an
employee that is a friend or family member! This too can
turn out to be a very challenged situation and should be
carefully thought out BEFORE getting into a working
relationship with closely related individuals. I gained
better results by working with people whom I "knew" through
other closely related contacts. That's not to say family
and friends wouldn't work well but rather to SUGGEST, it's
best to avoid the "working relationship" with close friends
when possible.

Additionally, a home based employee can usually be paid as
a contract labor type person. Since they are not reporting
for work to the company's office and are not governed by an
office set of "rules", we receive an invoice from the
individual for work performed and pay by their paperwork.
(Much like having someone mow your yard). You will need to
verify your employee has proper credentials to work and
have proper paper work in order for tax purposes. Not
doing so may create another type of headache that turns
worse. Overall, our experience has been a pleasant and
profitable one by hiring a home based employee.

----------------------------------------------------
Aubrey Richardson creator of http://www.logofax.com Clip
Art and Logos also founder of
http://www.internet-based-business-opportunity.com that
teaches others how to create a successful online venture.
If you want to learn how to profit online with his free
popular ecourse, check it out here =>
http://www.aubreyrichardson.com

Dubai Real Estate Where Man Made Islands Exist

Dubai Real Estate Where Man Made Islands Exist
As Dubai continues to set new records for building and
growth, its man-made islands are some of the more
exceptional projects to behold in the Emirate. The Palm
Islands are three sets of man-made islands, each shaped in
a variation of a palm tree, while the World is a collection
of 300 man-made islands forming a map of the world. The
projects' unique qualities has set them apart from the
numerous Dubai building projects.The first of the Palm
Islands to be conceived and constructed, the Palm Jumeirah,
is currently the largest man-made island in the world. It
has a trunk, crown with 17 palm fronds and a crescent
surrounding it. The first phase of the project, 20
Shoreline Apartment buildings on the trunk, is nearly
complete. Individuals and families began moving in late
last year and the handover of properties continues.

Individual homes and villas located in the fronds are
nearing completion and will be ready for the first owners
to move in soon. 28 beachfront hotels are in the works for
the outer crescent, including the Atlantis Hotel, a 1,500
room resort and water park. The Trump International Hotel
and Tower will be the centerpiece of the trunk. The premier
Marina Residences will consist of six towers at the very
tip of the trunk. The Marina, Residences, which will have
940 apartments and 40 townhomes, is expected to begin
handover to the new occupants and owners by the end of 2008.

The Palm Jumeirah

The first of the Dubai Palm Islands to be conceived and
constructed, The Palm Jumeirah is also the smallest at 5 km
in diameter. This island contains hotels, villas and
apartments as well as retail shops and a marina. Each frond
will make up a distinct, private neighborhood. The outer
crescent will form a breakwater and have a number of luxury
hotels and restaurants along its 11 km length in addition
to residences. The trunk of this island is 2 km long and
contains luxury hotels and residential apartments
surrounding a 7.8 hectare park. The whole island will be
connected by a monorail to whisk residents and visitors to
their intended destinations on and off the island.

The Palm Jebel Ali is located in the Watefront Project near
the Dubai-Abu Dhabi border. This area will be the home to
1.7 million people when complete in 2020, and the first
island properties are expected to be ready in 2010.

The Palm Deira will take over as the world's largest
man-made island, according to the developer, Nakheel. It
will reach over 12 km into the sea and have a width of 7.5
km, with residential space for over 1 million people when
complete. Approximately 20% of the land reclamation has
been completed for this project.

The final man-made island development is The World. 300
islands are taking shape in a map of our planet, with each
one being sold and developed to private interests. Many
will be turned into resorts and have properties for sale,
while some will remain the exclusive domain of the lucky,
and well-off, owners.

----------------------------------------------------
Nicholas Marr is a lifetime property investor and CEO of
Marr International Ltd a UK based property marketing
company that is responsible for one of the worlds leading
overseas property web sites at
http://www.homesgofast.com/home/Dubai/
and http://www.dubaihomes4sale.co.uk/

How to Harness the Power of Positive Buzz to Build Your Business

How to Harness the Power of Positive Buzz to Build Your Business
Word-of-Mouth marketing may be the oldest form of
advertising but, as a marketing discipline, "WOM" is still
a relatively new phenomenon. Viral marketing, buzz
marketing, blogging, community marketing, customer
evangelism and other "consumer-to-consumer" techniques all
inspire people to recommend your product or service.
Properly executed, WOM marketing is an incredibly effective
weapon in your marketing arsenal, because the message comes
from a trusted source. The key ingredients of any
word-of-mouth marketing campaign are:

1. Giving people a reason to talk about you.

2. Making it easy for people to share information about you.

3. Engaging and energizing those people to spread the good
word.

Here are six steps to help you generate positive
word-of-mouth:

1. It starts with customer satisfaction

A happy customer is a potential advocate and an influencer.
An unhappy customer is even more powerful - one survey of
"customer rage" found that 85% of unhappy customers share
their bad experiences with others. If you don't have a good
story to tell, there's nothing pleasant to buzz about.

Measure your customer satisfaction by asking your clients
whether they would recommend you. This "customer loyalty"
metric can be the most important number you can track.
Learn how to apply it to your business with The Ultimate
Question by Fred Reichheld.

2. Give your customers a voice

Make it easy for customers to recommend your product or
service. Facilitate communication. Establish user groups,
fan clubs, message boards - anything that encourages
positive conversation about your business. Start by adding
a "tell-a-friend" component to your website with companies
like Tell-a-Friend Wizard or free services like bpath.com.

3. Find and equip your customer evangelists

These are the "sneezers," or influential customers who will
tell their friends about you. Think of them as your
superfans. Give them inside information and reward their
evangelism with recognition and support.

You can look for ideas and inspiration at the Viral & Buzz
Marketing Association. Learn more about "tech-fluentials"
and "mom-fluentials" at Burson-Marsteller's E-fluentials
site.

4. Join the blogosphere

Obviously, abusiness blog creates a two-way dialogue with
your customers and facilitates active discussion among your
fans. Blogs are the perfect tool to encourage open
communication and information sharing. If you haven't
already, you can build your own blog in minutes with
Blogger or TypePad, among others.

5. Listen and respond to feedback

Your blog also provides instant feedback from your
customers. Participate in the online conversation and take
the pulse of your supporters - and your detractors. Use
sites like FeedBurner to track and analyze your blog
traffic.

6. Keep it honest

Good word-of-mouth marketing is honest, transparent and
real. Stealth marketing, "shilling" and spam tactics are
unethical and should be avoided at all costs! The Word of
Mouth Marketing Association has taken a leadership role in
WOM ethics. Before you begin your efforts, refer to the
WOMMA Code of Ethics.

Don't limit your word-of-mouth efforts. Consider using
other forms of WOM such as cause marketing, referral
programs and product seeding. The most important thing to
remember is to turn your message into a story that is easy
to pass along. People don't repeat ad messages, they share
experiences. Go forth and spread the word!

----------------------------------------------------
Lou Bortone is an award-winning writer, marketer and
television producer who spent over 20 years in the
television industry, including several years as Senior Vice
President of Marketing & Advertising for Fox Family
Worldwide in L.A. Today, Lou specializes in helping
entrepreneurs create breakthrough video for the Internet.
Email Lou at lou@theonlinevideoguy.com or visit
http://www.theonlinevideoguy.com .

Who's Looking For Home Based Work?

Who's Looking For Home Based Work?
Are you looking for home based work? There are some great
advantages working from your own home and not having to
fight the daily grind of commuting back and forth to
another location. Avoiding "traffic" is probably the most
relished luxury of having a business that creates home
based work. Next to that is arguably the ability to throw
away the alarm clock!

It's interesting to me as I look back over my career and
reminisce the beginnings of my current business and the
illusions I had about business needs. Some of which caused
me to spend unnecessary amounts of money, only to learn
that things could have been handled differently with an
alternative (possibly better) outcome. What started as
home based work was quickly moved out to my first real
"office" of just over 500 square feet!

After having started at home (sometimes referred to as a
garage operator) and then moving to a storefront. I did
grow even more rapidly, in size of my office and in
personnel. Within a matter of months I went from 500
square feet with two employees, to 1400 square feet with
five employees. My home based work had turned into a full
blown business with additional responsibilities that began
to take up a great deal of my time. Which in turn I hired
another employee to "manage" those matters and delegate
various tasks to other individuals.

A few years later we out grew those facilities and moved
within the same complex to a larger area of 3400 square
feet. Of course this added more employees and additional
"business" needs that had me questioning why I moved my
home based work in the first place! After eight years of
driving back and forth to work, paying monthly lease
payments and dealing with other distractions. I downsized!

Having located another place in a somewhat rural area I
moved my residence and workplace, to a single piece of
property. Combing my home front with my business practice
has been the best move for my type business. I do
understand that certain businesses need their own space and
location. One that is completely separate from ones living
quarters. I just happen to have the good fortune of a
business model that allows me to run it from almost any
location, providing I have access to a telephone, mailbox
(UPS) and now the Internet!

I now have a 2400 square foot building that sits completely
separate from my residence. It faces another direction
with its own private entrance and private address. This
provides me with all the benefits of having a real
"office", while enjoying home based work!

The best advice I can offer you, find a mentor! Get with
someone whom you know has been successful and has the
credibility to teach you (preferably lead you), about your
business venture. Choosing to work from home and have home
based work should be treated like a real business. We've
all heard and/or read, treat your business like a hobby and
you'll get paid like a hobby. However, treat it like a
business and in return, you'll get paid like a business! I
suggest to you, that's what you want!! To get paid for
your efforts and get paid what your worth.

----------------------------------------------------
Aubrey Richardson is the founder of http://www.logofax.com
a Logos & Clip Art site and has created
http://www.internet-based-business-opportunity.com to show
others how to build a successful online business. Find out
how you can profit online too with his popular free
ecourse, available at: http://www.aubreyrichardson.com

Astak WL906D Weatherproof Night Vision Wireless CCD Color Camera

Astak WL906D Weatherproof Night Vision Wireless CCD Color Camera
Security cameras are perfect for maintenance of home
safety; the Astak WL906D Weatherproof Night Vision Wireless
CCD Color Camera effectively protects premises throughout
day and night. Security cameras help to keep an eye on the
children within the perimeter of the home. These cameras
are now in high use and people are keen to install these
cameras to ensure better home security. Homeland security
cameras also help you keep an eye on your children at play
time. These cameras considerably minimize risks of theft,
robbery, burglary and other criminal offenses. The prices
of these cameras are pretty cheap and these cameras are now
also sold online.

There are different models if security cameras but Astak
WL906D Weatherproof Night Vision Wireless CCD Color Camera
is both good looking and functions well. Weatherproof
wireless CCD cameras are in high demand and this camera can
be attached to the TV or VCR. Usually no wiring is required
and it gets installed within just 5 minutes. Most of the
wireless cameras come with sensitive microphones and
provide audio-visual monitoring.

Many people prefer security systems but the security
systems are often costly and people cannot afford it. For
such people, Astak WL906D Weatherproof Night Vision
Wireless CCD Color Camera is the ideal solution. Moreover,
this is weatherproof and wireless. The price is also
affordable. These CCD color cameras are widely available in
Wall mart stores.

Individuals need to feel they have a secure home. Often for
many reasons, measures of security remain lower that what
should be done. This can lead to major crisis and unwanted
hassle. So, precautionary measures are highly advisable.
The Astak WL906D Weatherproof Night Vision Wireless CCD
Color Cameras come with powerful Imaging Sensor of:
1/4-inch CCD. It takes hardly five minutes to complete the
installation process. Overall weigh of the camera is 8 kgs
and the dimension is Width x Length x Height = 44 x 44 x 56
mm.While purchasing any Weatherproof Night Vision Wireless
CCD Color Camera, it is prudent to check the night vision
range; the night vision range of this camera is 30 feet.

Astak WL906D Weatherproof Night Vision Wireless CCD Color
Camera is indeed provides a fashionable look. The price
usually ranges between $135 and $ 140.With a shutter speed
of 1/50 - 1/10,000 second, the camera effectively monitors
the front and the backyards of the home and ensures safety.
Instead of being confused with the different home security
cameras available in the market, it is prudent to rely upon
this Astak manufactured camera.

Selection of a wrong CD camera can be just wastage of
money, so vivid research can be of great use. There are
different online articles on home security cameras and it
is best to go through them to have a clear insight about
these cameras. Performance of Astak WL906D Weatherproof
Night Vision Wireless CCD Color Camera has been good and it
is a reliable product. The prince of this CCD Camera is
moderate compared to the other similar products available
in the market.

----------------------------------------------------
Online retailer offering consumer electronics products,
including cellular phones and accessories, personal
computers, and computer components. For more information,
please visit http://www.netfreez.com