Advertising is a tool for growth — one reason that companies typically devote 3% to 15% of their revenues to it. Yet to accomplish your advertising goals, you need the right ad agency. When to engage ad professionals and how to use them.

Few companies closely analyze the results of marketing campaigns yet a tremendous amount of money goes into marketing. Learn how to evaluate some of these numbers.

Many businesses develop brochures to help promote their wares. These brochures can be an excellent way to market your products and services — if they're done well. Not all brochures are done well, however. These mistakes can be embarrassing — worse, they can be costly. Following are 10 blunders that you should avoid when developing a brochure to promote your products or services. The "do's and don'ts" of designing and writing copy for brochures, condensed in this article for easy use.

Tammy Rosen, a certified pet dog trainer and founder of Fur-Get Me Not, a pet-sitting and pet-training service that offers products for pets in the Washington, DC area, exemplifies an entrepreneur whose business thrives despite today's economy. The author interviews Rosen for her insights on how Fur-Get Me Not keeps customers well-informed with company news, events and stories.

You could pay Gwyneth Paltrow or Angelina Jolie millions of dollars to represent your company. But if you don't have the budget of Estee Lauder or St. John, some creativity and a four-legged friend could take your business far. After all, who doesn't immediately recognize Tony the Tiger, the Geico gecko or the Serta sheep? Marketing with a mascot is a cost-effective way to help consumers remember your brand.

These days, do-it-yourself (DIY) is everywhere, invading industry after industry. So if you're weighing the pros and cons of designing your branding materials yourself instead of hiring a graphic designer, you're not alone. Creating your company logo will reflect the core message you want to send to your customers.

With the marketplace crowded enough as it is, launching a new product is tough. If your company has a great product but little money to spend on branding, read on for eight tips designed to build your brand.

Perhaps you’ve merged with another business and need a name that better reflects your combined resources. Maybe new capabilities or new market opportunities have caused you to outgrow your current name. Or maybe you need to escape the tarnished reputation of your current name. Whatever your reasons, if you’re considering a name change, here are some issues you should think about.

Your company's trademarks are the first and most direct touchpoints to your consuming public and thus an invaluable asset that must be carefully created and vigorously defended. Create unique brands and learn to protect them with these tips.

Most companies believe that a solid product with good service, delivered on time, is enough to create a competitive edge in most markets. Yet, research indicates that most buyers do not believe there's much difference among competitors' products. Predictably in that situation, most buyers defer to price. Learn how a clearly defined brand identity can help build your business, even in the face of fierce competition.

Networking is changing, so stay ahead of the curve with these tips. Learn how to focus on the most beneficial social networking sites for your business and use them most effectively.

Get exactly what you want for your business's website--on time and on budget. Learn some common myths about the web design process, and the process professional designers actually use to build a site that meets your business needs.

Through skill or luck, you manage to get a story written about your company. Positive free media exposure is far more valuable than paid advertising; but if you don't make sure the right people see it, you aren't getting the most from your ink. Don't stop there; add mileage to your media coverage and make it do more work for you.

When you first start e-mail marketing, it's normal to have a smaller list. It takes a concerted effort to get in the habit of asking for e-mail addresses. There are people who have been e-mail marketing for years and still aren't taking advantage of all the opportunities they have to grow their list. Here's how to build your e-mail list and develop creative ideas.

If you're a successful business owner, you probably have a roster of clients that have successfully used your product or service. Customers that have experienced greater profits, improved productivity or reduced labor expenses as a result of your company aren't just trophies on your business mantle. They also are fodder for publicity. In fact, they're gems. Using a third party to illustrate your point can bring you the kind of publicity you want.

Many small businesses are good at pursuing a relationship with customers, but they aren't as good at nurturing it. Nurturing a relationship allows you to reinforce your brand and increase brand loyalty. This also helps you weather the storms of increasing competition. Learn how to use branding reinforcement for your business.

OK these Ten Commandments didn’t come from the Mountain. And they’re not carved on clay tablets, but on a high-tensile polyfiber instead. Yet any marketer worth his or her salt must follow these commandments in order to find the Promised Land. Use these ten guidelines to produce successful marketing results for your company.

Here's what to look for in a centralized marketing program before you invest in a franchise. The right balance is key to insure ROI on franchise marketing dollars.

Experienced marketer Jay Lipe wants you to learn from his mistakes and those of others. In this article he lists common marketing mistakes. Beware of these five common marketing pitfalls and learn how to avoid them.

Click here. Buy now. Free trial offer. The world of advertising is full of short and snappy copy promising instant gratification. After all, most prospects simply don't have time to read thoroughly. They skim. They glance. But if you're betting they'll wade through long paragraphs of narrative copy, it's time to adjust your expectations. Your copywriting must be clear, compelling and to the point. Want to keep your audience's attention? Here's how to keep it short.

What makes a press release click with the media, ensuring your moment in the spotlight? Grab the press's attention--and keep it--with concise and compelling releases by following these guidelines. Links to sample PR "makeovers" provided.

"Reality" TV may not reflect the real world, but there's no doubt that it generates publicity. From pitching your humble beginnings to finding the right point person, we've got the picture-perfect tips to get your business in the spotlight.

Guy Kawasaki has seen a lot of powerpoint presentations. Use his 10/20/30 rule to hone your powerpoint craft and get right to the point during your next show.

Gathering a community around your product or service is a sure-fire way to succeed. Learn the steps, both internal and external, to creating and managing such a community with help from this article.

In an interview with PR NEwswire's Scott Huegerich, the power of choosing keywords for Search Engine Optimization is explored. Successful approaches for using keywords in press releases are discussed.

Shun meaningless words in your copy. Just say no to free, drinkability, guarantee, and much, much more! It'll help you out a lot--we guarantee it.

Don't waste your ad dollars with an over-the-top sales pitch. Well-written copy follows these ten simple guidelines. Learn what must haves you should include, as well as the missteps you should absolutely avoid.

Great letters make for strong sales. Start the new year out right by building relationships one letter at a time. Learn how to craft a set of customizable, effective letters.

Break the rules. It's OK. You're not writing for your high school English teacher. Present your copy in a casual but professional way.

People are busy--too busy to read or listen to copious amounts of marketing copy. The key to writing effective copy is to get to the point--quickly--using language consumers are likely to respond to. That means every piece of copy used in your advertising and marketing materials should be there for a specific reason. Each word and sentence must work together to create a path for consumers to follow and lead to a way to take action. Use these 5 tips to give buzz words the boot and focus on actionable messages.