Automotive Dealership's Facebook Experiment

One of my automated agents agreed to let us do a Facebook experiment with their store using Facebook ads. We ran the same ad over two different weekends using a CPC (cost per click) campaign. The ad featured a 0% offer and forwarded anyone who clicked on the ad to the store's Facebook page.

With the first ad, we targeted people who lived within 25 miles of the dealership, 18 years or older and not affiliated with the dealership. This query netted as an estimated reach of only 1920 people. The suggested bid was $ 0.49 - $ 0.63 USD per click, however, we started the bidding on the first day at $ 0.35 and had zero impressions. The second day we increased the bid to $ 0.50 (falling into the "suggested" range) and still had zero impressions. On the third day, we increased the bid to $ 0.75 well above the top of the "suggested" range and were able to get 1,249 impressions, with no clicks through to the store's page.

Since we got 1249 impressions and had an estimated reach of only 1920 people, on the second advertisement we decided to increase the distance from the dealership to 50 miles. We also thought we would set our age target just a bit higher and raised the minimum age to 23. The estimated reach for this new ad was 1,103,340.

With the new ad we kept our daily spending budget at the $ 10.00 mark but because this targeted group was older and larger, the recommended bid was between $ 1.49 and $ 2.00. Just like the first ad, we decided we would start our bid a little bit lower than suggested and see how it would turn out.

The first day, we saw 52,554 impressions with 12 clicks at an average cost per click of $ 0.83 with one of those 12 clicks becoming a fan of the store - that has been changed on Facebook to "Like." The second day saw very similar numbers, 52,291 impressions and 12 clicks, again at an average CPC of $ 0.83. One of those 12 visitors also "Liked" the dealership. The third day numbers again, the same. 52,310 impressions, with 12 clicks and again one "Like." The fourth day was a bit strange from an impressions stand point. Impressions fell to just 33,261 delivering our 12 clicks at an average cost of $ 0.83. Again only one of the 12 click throughs "Liked" the dealership. Overall, the second ad delivered 190,416 impressions with 48 clicks through to the site with three actions from those 48.

For the money, I felt the first ad was the winner. The dealership was able to get 1000+ impressions for free. Most display ad companies want to charge between $ 20 and $ 25 per 1000 impressions. While the second ad did deliver almost 200,000 impressions but at a cost $ 0.21 per 1000 impressions.

I do not see advertising on Facebook as a valuable medium at this point. The store spent $ 40.00 and with a net increase of 5 Facebook fans, that works out to $ 8.00 per fan. Two of the fans were not directly related to a click through. If you want to drive traffic to your stores Facebook site, my suggestion is to give away a free Ipad when you reach 500 total fans.

Comments: 4 Ways to Earn Money Online

Characteristics of the Best Virtual Assistant Agency

As a savvy business professional, you realize that you can not do everything by yourself. Whether you are capable or not, you know that your time should be focused on activities that grow your company and profitability. Luckily, outsourcing your administrative work through the best virtual assistant agency is very easy and you can get the support you need without the expense of an in-house assistant.

What is a Virtual Assistant (VA)?

A VA is an all-encompassing title, but most will specialize in specific tasks. The best virtual assistant agency will offer services such as invoicing, bookkeeping, web design or marketing. When looking for a VA it is wise to be specific about your needs and your expectations. The more defined your needs are, the better services you will receive.

What are the characteristics of the best virtual assistant agency for me?

When you are searching for the best virtual assistant agency for you, make sure you spend a lot of time looking at their pricing structure and services. You will never have top pay a salary because a VA is paid per job or by the hour, but only for the time you need them. Make sure you find a company that does not have any added expenses for benefits, taxes, holiday pay, or office space. Another characteristic of the top agencies is the number of services they offer you. My agency will help me with word processing, scanning, incoming phone calls, and even scheduling for special events!

Hopefully this article has taught you what a VA is and what the best virtual assistant agency should provide for you. Remember, the largest advantage to working with a VA is that you are not limited by the talent pool within your geographical area. Thanks to the internet, your VA will be the person that best fits your needs and personality, regardless of where they live.

What Is the One Thing Harder to Do Than Making Money?

Holding on to money is more difficult than making money.

Money in your hand is slippery, and very difficult to forgive. Have you ever experienced this phenomenon? Read the stories of lottery winners. Read the sad stories of common people suddenly getting massive windfalls. The vast majority of lottery winners go bankrupt in a few years after receiving millions in cash. Millions ... to nothing. In such a short time.

Amazing.

How does this happen?

It's a principle taught by the best minds in history, and never better spoken than by the author of Ecclesiastes:

"When good things increase, those who consume them increase. Ecclesiastes 5:11

If you make ten dollars you will find something that costs ten dollars, or more, almost instantly. Is this not true? If you make one hundred dollars, something will need to be paid that requires one hundred dollars, or more. If you make five hundred ...

And the same is true if you make $ 1000, $ 10,000, or $ 1M or more ... to any amount.

No matter who you are, or what your income, whatever money you acquire will look for a home - away from you. It's a fact of life. Keeping wealth in your possession is one of the hardest things to do, ever.

I believe there are a few reasons for this:

Money is Most Fun When It is Spent
We like making money, but we also like spending it. Why? Because it makes us feel a certain way. Spending gives us sensations we enjoy. If we pay bills with it, we feel secure, and at peace. If we buy things with it, we feel completed, or fancy, or cool. If we invest it, we feel intelligent.

Money Is Desired By Everyone Else Too
Money in your pocket is money NOT in someone else's pocket. If that someone wants your money (which he does, in case you are wondering), he is going to try to get it. He will sell you something, or send you a bill, or sue you, or possibly steal from you. Everyone wants what is yours just as much as you do.

Money is Necessary for Sustain
You probably do not have cartons full of cash in your garage, do you? How about in pots and pans in the kitchen? Nope. You do not, and I do not either. But, we do have things worth lots of cash in our garages and kitchens. Thousand. We keep other things there because those things are not necessary for living. But, money IS NECESSARY. We have to have it to spend it, so losing it goes right alongside of acquiring it.

What does all this mean for a person who wants to live wisely? Well, I believe there are some principals taught in Scripture which show us the right perspective on money. If we view money properly, it's transient nature will affect us less.

1. Do not love money. If you love money, losing it will tear out your heart. We are told to love God, and to love people. But to love money creates many, many problems that are completely unnecessary. I Timothy 6:10
2. Know the condition of your finances. This is cruel to being a wise steward of what God has given you. Whether it's your business or your personal bank account, being aware of it and attending to it enables you to make good choices with it. Proverbs 27:23
3. Give your money away. Give it away wisely, where you see the need. It's part of being a good steward. Do not believe me? Then I challenge you to try it. There is an almost unexplainable mystery in giving away what is your right to keep. If you willingly give it away, you undo the curse of trying to hold on to money and forever losing it. Yes, I understand that this defies explanation ... BUT IT REALLY WORKS! Proverbs 22: 9

The bottom line, when all has been spoken, is this: while money is a necessary part of our life, our life should never consist of making money. There is so much more to life! When money becomes an idol to us, the making of it becomes painful, the losing of it even more painful, and it will never, ever satisfy .

Only God really satisfies. Let's hold onto that truth.

How to Write a Cover Letter for a Job Application: 10 Easy Steps

Learning how to write a winning cover letter is easy and so important! We have 10 simple steps to show you how to write an awesome cover letter so that you stand out when applying for your next job. Apply for you next job with confidence.

1. Provide your contact details at the top of the Cover Letter - make it easy for an Employer to contact you! These should not take up half the page either. Just list them in a couple of lines. Be sure to include your first and last name, do not worry about your middle name, a contact phone number (do not provide multiple numbers, just one will do), and your address.
2. Personalize the Cover Letter by using the Company name AND the name of the person in the company if possible. Take the time to address the letter to the person who will be reading it. This shows that you are prepared to pay attention to detail. Many people do not do this, so by making sure that you do, you are already showing that you are better than your competition!
3. State the job title and reference number of the job. The company may be filling more than one role. This is usually stated in the job ad. Look for it and use it. Again this shows excellent attention to detail and will suggest that you will be an efficient employee!
4. Customer your Letter and make sure you match the skills and experiences in the job ad. If the job ad requests for someone to be enthusiastic, make sure you tell them that you are enthusiastic. If it requests for someone with good people skills, make sure you state that you have good people skills. Use the same words that they have used. This is a sure-fire way to ensure that you tick the boxes and get short-listed.
5. ALWAYS state your key qualifications such as degrees, diplomas and certificates. If you have them you must boast about them! Sure they are in your Resume, but you MUST mention them in your cover letter too. Do not leave them guessing, tell them your strong points.
6. ALWAYS state how many years of experience you have in a similar role. Do not wait for them to figure it out from your Resume, tell them how many years you have. The more the better. You do not need to be exact, you can say things like over 5 years, or almost 3 years.
7. Describe your current job and the main duties you perform. Again try to match the duties to the duties that they have listed in their job ad where possible.
8. Sell ​​Yourself! Include some compelling reasons why you are perfect for the job. Are you highly productive, a great communicator, highly experienced with skills that match the job perfectly?
9. In your closing sentence, you need to have a Call To Action - request an interview or a time to meet.
10. Finally, check your Cover Letter length. It should not be longer than 1 page.

Making Money With a Dog Walking Service

Do you like dogs? Then a dog walking service may be the perfect home business for you. A dog walking business can be a fun and profitable way of making money from home. A professional dog walker takes clients' dogs for regular walks, either one dog at a time or a few dogs together. There is a growing demand for these services as so many families have busy schedules and are away from home all day unable to exercise their dogs themselves. Exercise is an essential component of correct pet care and many people look to dog walkers to hep them out.

There are many advantages to starting a dog walking service. The only real skills you need are a genuine affection for dogs and the physical stamina to walk the dogs. Commitment to your dog walk routine and reliability are essential. A great deal of information about dog care and dog behavior can be found from books in your local library or relevant internet sites.

Your start up costs are low. You may have to purchase a few good leashes, pooper scoopers and bags. Buying liability insurance is always advisable. Your business expenses are limited and there is good profit potential with a dog walking service. In addition you can stay healthy and fit while making money!

Before starting this home business you need to plan a few things. You need to work out your daily walks and routes. Find out where you can best walk the dogs and work out some good thirty minute routes. You need to set your fees. Research other dog walking businesses in your area and see what the competition is charging. Decide on the type of dog walks you will offer - private or group walks, the number of walks per week and so on. If you are just starting out you can get some relevant experience by volunteering to walk dogs at local animal shelters and dog rescue centers. This will provide you with good experience in handling a number of different dogs and give you the confidence and credibility to find paying dog walking jobs.

Finding dog walking jobs can be done on a small marketing and advertising budget. Cost-effective ways to advertise your pet services include designing and printing eye-catching and informative flyers. Post these flyers around your neighborhood targeting potential clients. People likely to use a dog walker include busy professionals and elderly people so post flyers in office blocks and retirement communities. Pet owners going on vacation will often need a dog walker. Post your flyers on local community boards. Another useful place to post your flyers are veterinarian offices, pet grooming services and pet supply stores. Once you have your first clients you will be amazed at the number of referrals you get if you provide a good and reliable service.

Walking dogs is a good way to earn income from home. It is fun, rewarding and keeps you fit and healthy!

To find out more about starting a profitable dog walking service visit Start a Dog Walking Business

Air Conditioner Information

The air conditioning unit is a great invention and in certain parts of the country, it is a necessity in order to overcome the summer humidity and heat. This is especially so in the case of southern states where the temperatures soar high and humidity is unavoidable. Similar to the ritualistic spring cleaning and turning the clock ahead to prepare for daylight saving, getting yourself for thecoming summer is a necessary and wise thing to be looked into.

Heating unit repair is one of those tasks which need to be done periodically, irrespective of whether it is done by a paid professional or a handy man that has experience working with mechanical devices. There are multiple types of cooling devices which range from evaporation coolers and wall and window mounted air conditioners to the giant units which are equipped to keep a complete building cool and comfortable. All rooms feature air conditioning, a refrigerator, and a mini bar. It is the size of the interior motor, fans and thermostat, condenser and refrigerant which will differ in different sizes of air conditioners. Irrespective of the difference in size, you will need to consider hiring a repair technician to fix your specific air conditioner.

If you choose to have an air conditioning and heating repair professional help you fix you air conditioner, you will soon realize that there are professionals who specialize in repairing different types of air conditioner, which makes choosing the right professional to help you as important as choosing the right air conditioner for yourself. The important things you need to look into while finding a person to help with the repair are the qualification, experience and the fees charged by him in order to fix your air conditioning unit.

Rates will vary from state to state and person to person but there are a few points to keep in mind while choosing the professional. The first one is that you need to identify a technician who is trained on the specific air conditioning unit owned by you because as indicated earlier, there are technicians who specialize in repairing specific models of air conditioning units only. This is quite important since since the basic mechanisms within the air conditioners being the same, there are still a few differences which set the different models of air conditioners apart. In order to ensure that your unit is fixed successfully, you must find the right person and avoid those who are unqualified and is out to make a quick buck.

Yet another thing to keep in mind is that the Better Business Bureaus is an efficient source which provides information about the companies you may consider seeking help from. Always ensure that you find a person who is well qualified and has the necessary hands on training as well as experience to ensure that the heating / cooling problems you are facing will be fixed and your home will be made comfortable in a short while.

Also, you must remember that a good time to handle any air conditioner heating repair issues is before the afternoon of summer to ensure that you are well prepared to face summer head on.