OMNI Community Credit Union News and Information
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- Effective Marketing For The Webmaster
Throughout my experience in Marketing, I have found that simply placing ads in free classified sites, FFA (free for all), and participating in safelists does not work anymore. It used to, but that is not the case any longer. I also have found out that you do not have to pay for any advertising for it to be effective.
The key to "Effective Marketing" is creativity. If you start really thinking about how you might go about promoting your business/website, then you might be surprised at what you come up with. Here are some free methods to get you started. You need to make Google/Yahoo/MSN or any favorite search engine a good friend. Use these to your advantage for finding the following places below.
1) Work At Home/Business Forums or Message Boards:
Find and create accounts at various work at home or business message forums. After creating your account then proceed to create your signature. A signature is a block of text at the end of a message that states your name and your business/website/affiliate program. Please read the posting rules at all forums. Some do not allow signatures...and some do not allow posting your business ad. Always be careful of these rules...you could be banned. Signature advertising in forums/message boards has found to be very effective.
2) Directories:
Find and sign up with various business directories. Add your business/website to them. There are tons of these that do not require a reciprocal link back. You will find the occasional ones that require a fee...just pass those up and go on to the next one, as there are several. For the ones that do require a link back, it is advisable to choose the ones with a high page rank.
3) Link and Banner Exchanging:
There are many, many webmasters that are willing to exchange links/banners with you. This method of advertising is called networking and is really a great free way to promote your business. You can let webmasters know that you would like to exchange links with them through various forums, OR...you can look up websites (that relate to your business), and simply email the webmaster (site owner) and propose that you would like to exchange links or banners. Always keep up with your emails and follow up with a polite reply. You will be pleasantly surprised at the responses you will get.
4) Ezines and Newsletters:
Ezines and newsletters are basically online magazines. You can subscribe to them and enter your ad and affiliate program or website URL. Most of these are free to subscribe to, and also free to enter your ad. These ezines/newsletters have a large membership base. By using this method of advertising, your business/website would reach a large audience.
5) Offline Advertising:
This is where you will use your creativity. There are literally endless offline advertising ideas that you can use. You can make up flyers, business cards, letters, and give them out to friends and relatives. You can post them at grocery stores, laundry mats, department stores, libraries, theatres, schools...basically anywhere where it is allowed.
One example of an idea:
If you are at a theatre...leave some of your business cards in the restroom. You might be surprised at who will look and pick them up. Just use your imagination...have fun and be creative.
6) Articles:
You might try writing some articles that relate to your business or website. Many ezines and newsletters that you subscribe to let you post your written articles. And again, this method would be free of charge. At the end of your article, mention the URL of your business or website.
About the Author
Written by: Tammy Embrich Owner of http://www.onestopwebemployment.com/ and Owner of: http://www.real-wah-jobs.com/ Tammy's two wah sites focus on free work at home job leads. - OMNI Community Credit Union works with local charities
OMNI Community Credit Union, headquartered in Battle Creek, Mich., recently collected over 250 sweaters and coats to help keep West Michigan warm this winter. The sweaters and coats went to the following charities that will disperse them throughout the local communities: The Charitable Union, the Kalamazoo Salvation Army, Three Rivers Area Mentoring, and the St. Joseph County Homeless Shelter.
“The sweater and coat drives are just another way we give back to the communities that have supported us for so long” said Ted Parson, Chief Executive Officer, OMNI Community Credit Union.
OMNI Community Credit Union has 35,000 members and assets totaling $210 million. OMNI has a five star rating from Bauer Financial. In 2008, the Michigan Business & Professional Association recognized OMNI as one of the 101 Best & Brightest Companies to Work For in Western Michigan and the Elite Winner for Community Initiatives. In the 2008 Who's Who in Business, OMNI was named Battle Creek's 2008 leader among credit unions. Two offices are located in Battle Creek and one in Fort Custer, Kalamazoo, Sturgis and Three Rivers. Established in 1951, it is a not-for-profit financial institution and returns all excess income to its members in the form of lower fees and loan rates and higher returns on deposits. To become a member of OMNI Community Credit Union, you must live, work, worship or attend school in Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Eaton, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph or Van Buren county. For more information about the credit union, visit www.omnicommunitycu.org. - Choose The Best Business Credit Card And Save More Money
The development of technology has brought a new meaning to the word business. The introduction of credit cards has certainly shifted marketing to new heights. If you own a credit card you may well agree that it makes a whole lot of difference especially when it comes down to convenience.
Businesses today can greatly benefit with the emergence of business credit cards. Aside from the features of a personal credit card, business credit cards enable an entrepreneur to separate his personal spending from his business expenditures. Business credit cards allow for easier financial monitoring by providing quarterly and annual reports of your business account. Having your own business credit card give you the opportunity to establish a good credit history, which can remarkably benefit you in expanding your business.
And we must not forget that for those planning to start up their own small business, who do not have enough cash in hand, a business credit card may come in handy to use as working capital or to purchase equipments to begin operations. That 30-day grace period can stretch your budget to the maximum and allow you to actually acquire good-paying customers and receive your first earnings before your grace period ends. Furthermore, business credit cards are enhanced by rewards and cash back programs which are especially intended for business owners.
There are a large assortment of business credit cards available on the market . As a customer finding the best business credit card for you will require your better judgment and perception. To help you narrow down your choices, here are a few points to focus on:
* How attractive really is the promotion? Most business credit cards entice their customers through 0% introductory rates on APR (annual percentage rate). If so, for how long will this introductory savings be? Watch out for the catch. Don’t grab what seems like a golden opportunity right away. Check for the annual fee, penalty fees, and make that the APR remains low once the introductory offer expires.
* Reap your rewards. Usually business credit cards offer greater rewards and promotions than personal credit cards. Make the most out of it. You would want to choose a business credit card with rewards and bonuses that matches your kind of business. Are you in buy in sell business? Merchandise? There are credit cards who award points per dollar spent on your credit card. Most business credit cards also have cash back plans which entitle you to rebates on your purchases. If you purchase tons of items for your business all the time, then this type of credit card will be good for you. If you travel a lot, credit cards that offer free travels and mileage points will certainly be a nice perk. What about other discounts? Are your frequent customer of their affiliate stores? If yes, that would be an extra plus you can enjoy. Also, remember to look for a business credit card that doesn’t allot expiration on your accumulated reward points.
* Grace period. It is important to choose a business credit card which gives you ample grace period or else you would be charged interest on your balances the moment you make your purchase.
* Convenience. As a business owner, you do not extra time to waste on falling in line or going