We have started a newsletter and alert section on the BB Media Services, Inc. web site. It will give us an efficient way to alert our clients of new internet scams, viruses, and BB Media service additions.
ttp://www.bbmediaservices.com/newsletter

Personal note from Virginia

Many of you know and many more don't know that I'm getting married on September 3rd (Labor Day weekend). This means I will be out of the office starting September 5th and returning on September 19th .

As the date nears, I will not be doing as much work in the office. We have a great support network to get work done during this period so that there will not be an interruption in service.

I will be out of the office most of the week of August 29 th . I will of course be reachable in emergencies.

Stephanie will handle the monthly newsletter as well as small updates for clients during this time. If possible, please let us know of any updates now so we can appropriately calendar a time slot for you. She will monitor the Info@bbmediaservices.com address for requests for updates from August 29th to September 19th . If you have medium to large size updates, we need know about them by August 10th . If you plan on sending a September newsletter, it would be best to get the content ready in mid-August and we will send it at the appropriate time in September. Thank you all for your support and flexibility!

New Logo

Since separating BB Media Services from BitsAndBridles.com in early 2004, we have created a new logo. You may have noticed her on the invoices and web site.

Spam Filtering Software

We are often asked "how can I cut down on more spam?" If you want to be easily available to your clients, and have your email public, then Spam is inevitable. Mailwasher Pro is a product we use on all our own computers to control Spam. Personally I receive 500-1000 emails daily, 200 of which are legitimate. This program has saved me so much time by my not having to sort through my mail.

It does not delete non-virus attachments unlike other spam filters. So you will not have to call clients and contacts asking for them to send an attachment again!

Since it has eliminated so much of our spam, it dramatically affects the number of virus that our Anti-Virus software has to scan. It eliminates virus-ridden emails before they even get to our anti-virus software!

The 30-day trial of this software is free.

Works with POP3, IMAP, AOL and Hotmail/MSN on all these Windows operating systems: 95, 98, NT 4, ME, 2000 or XP.

You can read more about this product and how to download it at:
http://www.bbmediaservices.com/newsletter

Advertising Media Pros And Cons

Most businesses use some form of advertising as part of their promotion plan. The beginning of planning any advertising is to define the business' target audience and then make the selection of the medium, or combination of media, that reaches this target audience in the most cost-effective way.

Because every business has different marketing requirements it's not possible to state definitively which advertising options are the best for any particular business. Here are the most popular media and some of the advantages and disadvantages of each that are worth considering.

Television:

The advantages: A medium with high impact where it's possible to purchase airtime in a slot that can be finely selected to be at a time when your targeted audience segment is most likely to be viewing.

The disadvantages: TV is an expensive medium - the cost of airtime, of producing commercials, and difficulties in getting quality time slots for budget advertisers often rules it out. However, depending on what you're trying to sell, you might be able to promote on cable or satellite television using a show that's viewed primarily by members of your target audience. It might also be possible to present your own show on a smaller station if you can come up with something interesting each week.

Radio:

The advantages: Radio can be affordable enough to allow repetition of your offer. You can select a station pretty accurately by its demographics and home in on your target audience. Commercial production costs are low. It's an immediate medium and so works well for promoting events, such as a special sale, on the day.

The disadvantages: The audience of any station is geographically scattered and may not be able to take advantage of your offer. There's also a lot of 'clutter' when four or five different ads are run one after another. Radio impact is limited in that you can't show your product, nor can you expect to get across a lot of detail about it.

Newspapers:

The advantages: You can look at a newspaper's audience figures and demographics to choose the right paper and the right feature or section for your product; in the right section an ad can work very well. Production costs can be low but you need the smarts to design an ad that grabs and holds attention.

The disadvantages: You're likely to be upstaged by bigger advertisers whose ad can be placed right next to yours. Careful selection of the newspaper, section and day are essential - even the same newspaper can have different readerships on different days.

Magazines:

The advantages: Magazines are highly targeted so it's possible to purchase ad space in a magazine that will be read by your target audience no matter how specialized it may be.

The disadvantages: Most magazines are issued monthly so it can involve a long lead in time to getting into print and getting responses. Smaller advertisers don't get the best positioning in magazines and are usually crowded together in the back. And be careful to verify the stated circulation figure of the magazine.

Yellow Pages:

The advantages: Your advertisement lasts for an entire year and is placed in such a way that your prospects can find you at the time they want to buy.

The disadvantages: Most Yellow Pages advertising is expensive. Bigger advertisers and those who've been advertising longer than you will be at the front of the section.

There are very few bargains in advertising spending. You get what you pay for here. But to maximize the return on what you are paying for, keep two questions in mind: is my ad going to capture interest?; and have I chosen the right channel for reaching my target audience?

The above has been provided by Biesheuvel Scarpa & Co. It appeared in the December 2004 “Grow Your Business” newsletter. Biesheuvel Scarpa & Co provides a wide variety of accounting and financial services for both individuals and companies. Visit them on the web at: http://www.bscoconsulting.com.