This all started because to a marketer, Social Media is the New Frontier -cue the Star Trek theme music (did you know the Star Trek Theme has lyrics?). It started so I gain the first-hand knowledge to effectively steer my clients, who are anxious to jump on the social media bandwagon, in marketing directions that are right for them. It’s my job to ensure the messages I am hired to deliver not only reach the millions of social media enthusiasts, but that the right message gets to the right “socialites” with enough oomph to motivate them to act.

It’s been approximately 6 weeks since I began my social media adventure, and now, it’s time for my first update since “answering the siren’s call.” My social media time over these weeks has been spent mainly with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. I have visited each of the others mentioned above. On some I spent very minimal time. On others, I explored enough to get at least a precursory indication of the site’s users, focus, and appeal.

Today, I’m going to focus on my experience so far with Facebook.

I had my hesitations about Facebook. I worried about its “addictive” nature and how that might derail my daily activities, or even worse become a substitution for sleep. So far, so good—happily I’m still working diligently – and haven’t sacrificed any sleep over Facebook.

I have found I appreciate the opportunity Facebook provides to re-connect and communicate with people who have and continue to be important to me. What a gift to be able to hear about the lives of friends, colleagues and even acquaintances who made an impression during various stages of my life thus far.

First, there are those with whom I shared so much in the past and have neither seen nor spoken to in 5, 10, 15 years!. It’s a joy to see the photos of them, their children, their spouses and partners and of course, their pets. A few connections even brought me to tears. Among my connections are the very close college buddy I had lost track of for too many years; the colleagues I worked with, some of whom live right here in DC and yet we never see each other; the many talented people I spent night after night, day after day with rehearsing one show after another, but whom I haven’t spoken to since that last curtain call. And there is that one dear friend who was like family, and somehow our last encounters weren’t the most pleasant. Through Facebook, that friend and I have rediscovered our mutual respect and affection.

Facebook offers each user the opportunity to create a profile. This would be a great tool for “catching up” – but few of my reconnects have compkleted full profiles.  In particular they haven’t taken the time to complete the “About Me” with a short bio of where they’ve been and what they’ve been doing over the past few years.

I find I’m confused by the lack of information folks seem to want to provide on Facebook. Rather than each reconnect “filling-in-the-blanks” for each other, I find most of the postings are geared to the current folks in users’ day-to-day lives. Many Facebook users simply forget that their reconnects may have no idea what they’ve been doing since they last spoke, and that they need to catch us up. So, instead of writing “I’m tired from a long day at work” –Iwant my reconnect to tell me what your job is, what it was that day that made it so long and tiring. Personally, I’m ”friends” with many theatre people who write about the long rehearsals, the lines that need to be memorized, etc. But few think to mention what they are rehearsing for or with whom. Of course,  the communication breakdown is in part in my court because I don’t always ask.

There is also a certain self-absorption in reporting mundane daily actions. It’s not all that interesting for our connections to hear that you had pasta for dinner (or salad, or chicken…). But, if you so enjoyed the pasta that you want to share a great pasta recipe, or recommend a terrific restaurant for the best ever pasta – then it makes sense to spend the time writing about that darn pasta! Just this morning I received the following from one of my DC connections: “Had the best “churrasco” in town tonight at Rumberos. The music was wonderful, salsa from the 70s, merengue and boleros. An exquisite night!”This post makes me want to schedule a visit to Rumberos very soon!

I’m beginning to think social media sites like Facebook may be either misnamed, or in their basic formats and desire to provide fun “applications” are counterproductive. To me, socializing is dependent on dialogue, conversation…an exchange of thoughts, emotions and ideas, not merely quick quips. That’s the missing link on Facebook—dialogue. Rather than increasing socialization, I see my highly intelligent friends reduced to one line mundane comments like “I’m hungry” or “I woke up early today.” And I’m rather surprised to see they spend so much time taking vacuous quizzes like “Who would be your celebrity boyfriend?” (These are adults, most over 30!) And I don’t grasp what is sociable about sending “virtual cocktails” (or burgers, or cookies, or…) to almost everyone on one’s friends list? Enough virtual and more real time communication (and cocktails) please!

Finally, the Facebook users I’ve encountered tend to shy away from the issues of the day. They are quick to comment on a connection’s boyfriend quiz outcome, but no comments on newsworthy posts like one friend’s post about the global Earth Hour, or the article I posted about a UK school that is adding to its curriculum a requirement for children to master Twitter and Wikipedia.

OK, so if you are wondering when I plan to get down to business and discuss how Facebook, and the other social media sites can be effective as marketing tools you’ll have to wait a little longer. Since I’m still learning, that will come later when I have explored more thoroughly and am prepared to offer suggestions by having achieved a higher level of competence.

Coming Next: What I’ve learned – and have yet to learn about Twitter.

I have the unenviable title of {{{LANDLORD}}} – and this is my story! Rest assured, I am not part of a large property ownership conglomerate or management corporation. My wife and I invested in a few rental properties as our “retirement fund.”  We repair, clean and invest a good deal of time and money into each property . We always try to apply the Golden Rule with our tenants…Do unto…and in many cases, our tenants become like extended family.

Of late, however, we’ve started to wonder if our venture into rental property is worth the headache!

With the challenges presented by the U.S. economy, and the financial and employment hardships so many people are experiencing, many hands-on landlords like me are trying to be understanding and accommodating. Lower rents, no rent increases, rental deposits spread over multiple months, rather than paid upfront, waving or lowering of pet fees – these are all things I and other landlords are offering as “doing our part” for folks in need of a break.

Unfortunately we have recently found that for every heart-wrenching story of people losing their homes and in need help, the number of “TIDN” (Tenants I Don’t Need) has also grown to monumental proportions. The demands and unrealistic expectations they make of landlords has become so ridiculous that just from the calls I have received in the past 3 months I believe I already have enough material to write a book –or perhaps a sitcom!(A best seller, I hope). 

Here’s one recent story to get us started.

Allow me to introduce you to Mr. J, a gentleman who referred to himself as the highest quality of tenant. Mr. J was quick to tell me he wanted to do me a favor by renting a house my wife and I own. OK, maybe Mr. J is just full of himself –most people get that way on occasion and that in and of itself alone can be easily overlooked. But, when you consider what else he told us – and maybe even more telling, what he refused to disclose, you will see his offer to become our tenant was most definitely no favor!

Mr. J began by telling me he filed bankruptcy 2 years ago and has a very low credit score—appreciably upfront and honest. Obviously many good and honest people have been forced into bankruptcy due to unfortunate circumstances. But, then he told me I could not check his rental record and that he would not allow me to check with his present landlord (hmmm- a little suspicious…maybe bad payment history?).  He next revealed he is unemployed, has not been employed for 2 years, and has no verifiable source of income. Ah, but his wife is employed – maybe there is still a way to qualify him. Nope!  Told me he would not divulge her employment and salary information until AFTER we rent to him (heckuva lot of good it would do me then!)  Then- to top it off, he absolutely refused to pay the $35.00 application fee which we use to run credit and criminal background checks. Obviously this potential renter  was working with serious misconceptions…could  he really think these qualifications made him a desirable tenant?

Oh yes, prior to this conversation, Mr. J had come to see the rental property in question. He spent more than an hour inspecting every nook and cranny—he was more thorough than a home inspector prior to the purchase of a house. He proceeded to produce a detailed list of items he would insist upon before gracing us with his agreement to become our tenant. We’re not talking repair the broken front steps here (the front steps are just fine). Rather, it was more than a filled letter sized page, typed single-spaced – font size 10 to boot—of inconsequential  items he and he alone noticed. This list included among other things, dust on top of the ceiling fan blades [in an empty house], and a requirement for “professional cleaning of the closets” – whatever that means. Suffice it to say that we showed this property to more than 7 couples that same weekend, not one of whom mentioned anything about any lack of cleanliness.

Now, you may wonder why anyone in his right mind would bother with Mr. J.  And I definitely wonder where he got that ego to think that a property owner should welcome him and his attitude with open arms!

Oh yes – almost forgot – Mr. J wanted us to confirm our acceptance to his offer to honor us with his presence quickly. He was planning to speak with his current landlord about reducing his rent . He figured he needed a backup – a place to go – just in case he couldn’t bully his way to a rent reduction – or the landlord showed his/her backbone and simply said “Get out!”  If that happened, Mr. J was ready to bite the bullet and lower his standards enough to rent  our dirty unmaintained property!

Needless to say I did not bother responding to him. I had already wasted a good amount of time on him  over the course of an entire week.

Well Mr. J, newsflash! – You are NOT God’s  gift to landlords, but you do qualify for our “Tenant from Hell award” this month, with a new twist. You managed to earn this honor without ever becoming  a tenant!

This is our latest landlording horror story. No doubt there are many more stories out there. If you care to share some of them please feel free to post them on our blog. ( here is the link)

If you liked this article, please follow the series about this topic and others in our blog

At virtually every turn recently, I am asked to recommend ways clients can utilize social media marketing as a means of message delivery.  Until recently, I read and heard a great deal about this new phenomenon, but resisted the siren call of such sites as Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, et al, for fear of a replay of the severe addiction I succumbed to about 15 years ago when a friend hooked up my first home Internet connection. It was dial-up, connections were lost frequently and without warning, and it was slow—but I was quickly hooked and couldn’t get enough of mere “surfing,” researching  every subject I could think of,  and, of course, chatting. I sacrificed a great deal of sleep chatting into the wee hours of the morning with folks I knew, and folks I didn’t know.  That is why despite the growing professional necessity to be knowledgeable about social media, I have been trying to avoid it for personal use.

However, as I continue to investigate social media as a marketing tool for my clients, as well as my own business (not to mention personal curiosity), I find it is nearly impossible to make informed recommendations without first-hand experience.  So, this weekend I took the plunge and began by spending a fair amount of time on Facebook and MySpace, and just today I ventured on to Twitter. And, although I’ve already had the great pleasure of communicating with dear old college friends and colleagues I haven’t seen or spoken to for years, I have taken a solemn vow not to allow social media to become more important than sleep – or equally as important as ice cream!  My goal is to keep it all in perspective…..

Before I go any further, let me explain that my purpose here is in part to share some of my observations and comparisons of the most popular social media sites. But more importantly, it is to generate observations, comments and recommendations about the social media sites you use- and why. I’ve included a few questions at the end that I hope you will respond to.

Thus far from my limited exposure, MySpace still seems to be primarily youth oriented, despite the research that show its increasing popularity with all age groups. I have to say that I’ve found it is much easier to navigate than Facebook. I prefer the drop down menus on MySpace that are very clear and help the user move from one application to another with complete ease. On the other hand, MySpace has a good deal of annoying advertising and flashing animations that are rather distracting. In addition, movement from one application to another seems to take a quite a bit of time. But, I’ll reserve judgment on this until I’ve visited it a bit more—perhaps my initial visits were during high traffic times.

As to Facebook, I’ve found that if you want to move beyond reporting where or what you had for dinner, it pretty much leaves it up to the user to figure out what tools it offers and how to use them, offering very little explanation or assistance.  For example, since registering with Facebook, I have received notices that someone is throwing a shoe at me, that various folks have sent me “a throw beads request,” “ a sea garden request,” “a cupcakes request,” and more. I have no idea what these are, what they signify, or why I warrant such lovely sentiments!  The navigation is not as clearly organized as MySpace, or easy to follow, and demands a greater time investment on the part of the user to become proficient in using the site. This may be why, at least in part, after several visits I still get confused trying to find specific applications beyond reading status updates, reporting what I’m doing at that very moment, and “writing on walls.”  

That said, I’m a little intrigued that so many people are willing to share the mundane details of their lives, “Suzy is getting ready to eat a big salad with grilled chicken.” And I find it even more intriguing that so many people seem to crave being the recipients of these details. My guess is that these tidbits provide a kind of bridge, a comfortable means of reaching out and approximating “face-to-face” communication across the miles. Similar short personal messaging appears to be the sole purpose of Twitter – nothing more than very brief updates of one’s daily activities.  Well, I figure if Al Gore and Jimmy Fallon use Twitter, there must be something to it besides lunch, so I will investigate further.

And so, my research continues. Today I created a Facebook page for my business (www.IBZGROUP.com);  I became a fan of several Facebook pages; and I posted a note.  I also sent a friend request from MySpace and registered with Twitter where I will be “following” Al and Jimmy, and receiving messages from NPR Politics! That’s a lot of socializing for one day!

As mentioned above, I’d truly appreciate your responses to the six questions below to help me begin to better understand and develop recommendations on this subject. Shortly, I plan to post a full survey on Survey Monkey to gather more information on the ins and outs of social media as a marketing tool. If you’d like to participate in the survey, please let me know and send your email address to me through Facebook, or to admin@ibzgroup.com. I will send links to the survey as soon as it is posted.

 ·   How many social media sites have you tried, and which ones do you continue to use or prefer?

·   What site has been most effective in linking you with old friends, colleagues, or other people in your life?

·   What do you like about your chosen social media site(s)—what would you like to see changed?

·   On average, how much time do you spend each day communicating with friends -reading and/or commenting on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, or other social media?

·   Have you ever followed a posted recommendation? Tried a restaurant, seen a movie, checked out a political candidate based on the posting on one of these sites by a friend or acquaintance?

·   Do you pay much attention to advertising that appears on these sites?

To start with, Arabic is not a single language. There are 23 “Arab” nations – each with its own language variations, nuances and cultural influences. And within the nations, are regional variations comparable to the U.S. regional usage differences. For example – in Buffalo, NY a flavored carbonated drink is “pop.” Further down state in NYC, it’s soda and in Boston it is tonic! In Kuwait the Arabic word “kabat” means cupboard in Lebanon the same word means to repress.

Further complicating the process are the variations, grammatical inconsistencies and idioms of the English language that often do not translate well to or from Arabic. There may not be a direct translation of English words into Arabic or Arabic words into English. It takes a thorough knowledge of both languages to ensure that the word choices result in complete accuracy.

Bad translations can come from a number of sources. First are machine or software-based translations. Even the best of these programs can only provide the most literal of translations, based solely on the language dictionary specifics that are in the database.  They do not think, or reason, or allow for needed interpretation to ensure a sensible movement from one language to the other. Next are translations by Arabic speakers with no experience or in-depth knowledge of the Middle East. These people may have taken classes in generic Arabic, but have little or no knowledge of the language variations.

There are others who may have lived or worked in the Middle East, learned to speak the language – but never studied it to truly understand its complex grammar.

To ensure your Arabic translations won’t be misunderstood or even laughed at by the end-user, an individual, government entity, or private company will best be served by seeking an educated native speaker with first-hand

experience in multiple Middle East locations, and therefore multiple Arabic languages, cultures and nuances. And, this translator/transcriber/editor must have a thorough knowledge of English.

The best translators can certify the accuracy of their work, and will work with you to understand your  audience and desired outcome so as to be sure the level of language meets your purpose.

The designation “community of color” may be applied to a wide spectrum of minority and ethnic groups. According to the 2000 U.S. Census, approximately 30 percent of the U.S. population currently belongs to a racial or ethnic minority group. The Census Bureau projects that by the year 2100, non-Hispanic whites will make up only 40 percent of the U.S. population.

Successful multicultural messaging depends on messages and products that are crafted to each individual audience, rather than presented as recycled versions of products designed for mainstream audiences.

Reaching the African Market.
Although African American consumers are unique, they are not difficult to reach. To understand what affects the consumer behaviors of African Americans, we need to examine the history that frames what it means to be black in America. Unlike groups such as Hispanics and Asians who immigrated to the U.S. in search of a better life, African Americans were brought to this country against their will, and faced tremendous adversity and denial of basic human rights.

Today’s African Americans continue to further establish their place in American culture, prove their worthiness, and empower themselves. Research tells us that they respond positively to messages that show they are important members of society.

Too often, African Americans are thought of as a single market segment. This is erroneous thought. Like other communities of color, African Americans are a diverse population. Clear differences exist by culture, region, social and economic status, as well as age, experience, and education.

Other considerations are:
• Half of African American households are headed by females
• African Americans are likely to live in larger households than whites
• In terms of high school graduation rates, an equal percentage of black students earn diplomas as white students.

There is no guaranteed technique for reaching African Americans, but major differences have been identified between how African Americans and whites respond to messaging:

• African Americans take messages more literally than their white counterparts.
• African Americans tend to like copy and visuals that directly correspond to one another.
• African Americans prefer lifestyles and contextual appeals. They find messages more believable that feature people in real situations. They are less responsive to talking heads or single-spokesperson appeals.
• African Americans tend to prefer message delivery vehicles that represent a variety of cultures, featuring people of various hair types, skin tones and personalities.
• African Americans look for positive images of black life.

Reaching the Hispanic/Latino Market

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, Hispanics have surpassed blacks as the nation’s largest minority group (January, 2003). Like African Americans, the Hispanic/Latino market is a diverse group. The largest segments as identified by the Census Bureau are: Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, Cubans, those who have immigrated from Central and South America, and a category known as “other Hispanics.”

Hispanics in the U.S. hold both a strong desire to preserve their traditional culture and values, and optimism about their children’s opportunities in America. There are important differences between Hispanics born in the U.S. and those who have immigrated: those born outside the U.S. or in Puerto Rico speak mainly Spanish, follow more news from Latin America, and preserve the traditions of their native country while also adopting U.S. culture. Yet they also say that their own lives are now improved, and feel closer now to the United States than they do to their native country. Succeeding generations of Hispanics—those born in the U.S.—speak English, watch English-language media, and follow U.S. news and events.3

Strategies to reach Hispanic/Latino audiences often miss the mark. Although 46 percent say they speak mostly Spanish or only Spanish in the home (71 percent of those born outside the U.S. speak mostly or entirely Spanish), merely translating English messages into Spanish can result in sending the wrong message or no message at all. In the 1970’s, General Motors tried the Chevy Nova in Mexico, no realizing that “nova” translated into “no go.”

In addition, presumptions can’t be made about attitudes, cultural values, and how much the Hispanic/Latino, or other ethnic group understands about products and services.

Guidelines for reaching Hispanic/Latino audiences include:

• Give detailed information; use demonstrations.
• Stick to literalism and reality; use strong visual images
• Use testimonials.
• Show a colorful, upbeat environment.
• Understand the importance of family.
• Go for neutrality in accent, appearance and lifestyle.
• Use informal Spanish in Spanish-language messaging.
• Stay away from translations or dubbings of English copy. Translations don’t always work. Copy should be adapted.

Reaching the Asian American/Pacific Islander Market

Like Hispanic/Latino Americans, Asian Americans are not a single race of people.

Asian Americans have a strong tie to family and culture; their households are larger than those of other Americans; and there is generally more than one worker in the home. Decisions are often made by both husband and wife, and word of mouth is important to Asian Americans. Eighty-five percent of respondents in a study said a friend’s recommendation was their primary source of information.

Although Asian Americans represent a diverse group, some similarities in reaching them are:
• Asian Americans have strong ties to family and culture.
• Older Asians prefer messaging in their native language.
• Newspapers are a powerful medium for reaching Asian Americans.
• Asian Americans have a strong need to please and impress their families.

Reaching the American Indian/Alaskan Native Market

Native Americans are unique as individuals and in their tribal cultural heritage. Effective message delivery may differ from tribe to tribe and from community to community. Native Americans find meaning and wholeness in spirituality and harmony with nature. The family and the group take precedence over the individual, and they are anxious to be rid of stereotyped images of their culture.

Although they too represent a diverse group, some similarities in reaching the American Indian/Alaskan Native Market are:
• Native Americans place importance on credibility and honesty.
• Use bright and colorful visual images.
• They think storytelling is an important tool to pass on information, so stories/testimonials should be used to make a point.
• Native Americans like to be heard, they like to be given an opportunity to talk about their experiences, problems and suggestions.

Say you are a crisis manager, teacher or even a publicist, and the questions end there – the name pretty much communicates the job description. Not so with a MarCom professional.

“Oh, – you are in public relations.” Well, that’s part of it. “I see – you are in advertising.” Sometimes I create or manage advertising. “Uh-huh – marketing, so you’re in sales.” In a way, sales from the standpoint that I communicate who and what my clients are and do, and inform their targeted audiences of what they have to offer. But,not sales in the general sense of the word.

Inevitably, these conversations eventually circle back to, so what exactly do you do?

I looked on the Internet for a definition of MarCom, and found this one from http://Whatis.com:

MarCom is an abbreviation for “marketing communications.” MarCom is targeted interaction with customers and prospects using one or more media, such as direct mail, newspapers and magazines, television, radio, billboards, telemarketing, and the Internet. A marketing communications campaign may use a single approach, but more frequently combines several.

And that didn’t quite do it for me, because I felt it relies too heavily on mass media, and not enough on one-on-one, community, and word-of-mouth messaging. It leaves out branding, events, coaching, and much more.

So, I’ve worked hard to perfect my own clear, concise explanation of just what a MarCom professional does. In short,- communications. That’s it, one word – communications. My counterparts and I take the talking points or messages of a client or individual project, add in some research and find the very best combination of venues for getting these messages to the folks who want, need or will use them in the most timely and cost efficient way.

MarCom professionals are an interesting breed. Most of us do have our specialties – brand development and management, writing, project management, media relations, crisis communications, research, community relations, events….the list goes on. But, old school MarCom folks like me are considered “generalists.” We have, and can do all of the above – and more.

What’s more, a seasoned MarCom professional readily moves among clients (or employers) in most any industry. There may be terminology and nuances to master, but communications skills are communications skills for the long term. I’ve had the good fortune of successfully representing quite a diverse array of clients such as: promoting the North American premiere of a new show by a Tony-Award winning composer; planning and managing the grand opening of a well-known manufacturer’s new factory; crisis communications during a labor-union dispute; producing TV and radio ads about substance abuse; and managing extensive research on the awareness Americans have of emergency preparedness.

So, there you go, I’m a MarCom professional—I communicate…and thoroughly enjoy doing so.

]]> http://outreachpros.com/wordpress/?feed=rss2&p=27 2 http://outreachpros.com/wordpress/?p=19 http://outreachpros.com/wordpress/?p=19#comments Tue, 17 Mar 2009 19:50:22 +0000 admin http://outreachpros.com/wordpress/?p=19

In a previous article I discussed the things to look for in contracting accurate Arabic translation/transcription/editing.  With the burgeoning role of the Middle East in the world market, knowledge or access to Arabic is becoming a necessity for global industry and government operations. (www.ArabicEditor.com/articles.htm)

Obviously, we all want the best product at the best price. Unfortunately, price shopping when seeking Arabic translation can lead to unprofessional options that end with less than desirable results. As mentioned in my original article, many so-called translators use machine – or computer translations. While relatively inexpensive, these translations are in most cases inaccurate at best, and usually produce translations that have little relation to the original text.

Another bargain basement translation practice that seems to have become quite popular are so-called contractors who claim to be able to provide “professional translations/transcriptions and editing for less than one-fifth the standard rate.  These “contractors” post on such known sites as Craigslist, ProZ, Translators cafe and others.   They offer ridiculously low fees such as $0.005 per word for translation and 0.05 per word for transcription, do virtually no screening to ensure the “translator” is capable of producing quality work and hire anyone with even the most basic Arabic skills. To a native Arabic linguist these translations/transcriptions are atrocities that cannot even be classified as Arabic. But, they are attracting work because of the low cost. In most cases, the buyer knows no Arabic, so is at the mercy of these translation charlatans who of course “guarantee” the work is accurate. Rest assured, it is so accurate that the buyer usually either loses the business or gives the receiver a hearty laugh upon receipt of a translated document that makes no sense.

So you ask, what are the standard rates? For a certified, accurate and professional translation, one should expect to pay in the area of $0.25 per word for translation of non-technical material and higher for technical material. The increase for technical material will be relative to the degree of difficulty. For one page translations such as birth certificates, driver licenses and such, you can expect to pay $50.00 per page.

Transcription is usually charged by the minute – depending on the quality of the recording, the media (CD, DVD, tape) the subject and the overall degree of difficulty. On average, transcription charges range from $2.50 to $5.00 per minute. Of course, large projects can be negotiated.

I have to admit to being a devoted online shopper. But, I am even more devoted to finding the best deal possible. There are dozens of ways to save online.

First, of course, the stores themselves often offer online discounts not available in brick and mortar (B&M) stores. Plus, the online stores that do not operate B&M stores, like Amazon.com not only discount most items on their sites, but regularly offer additional savings in the form of discounts, free shipping, or both. For the novice, try the Amazon.com Friday only sale!

Next are the “deals” sites. Most of these sites provide two or three services. First, they alert you to special savings on virtually any product daily. Next, they catalogue all of the discount codes that can be used in ordering to reap greater savings. And, third, some will even hunt down a bargain on a specific item for you. There’s even a site that posts the “Black Friday” sales at major B&M stores like Best Buy and Kmart weeks in advance, and one that posts on Saturday the grocery coupons that will appear in your Sunday newspaper supplements. It doesn’t take long to do your homework, investigate the best sites for your needs and bookmark them for use when you are ready to shop.

There are also member sites (free membership) that provide monetary rebates, or the opportunity to accumulate points for discount redemption. All these sites ask is that you click through them to reach the store site you plan to shop with. The actual rebates are usually small – 1% to 6% of your purchase. But they add up, and how exciting when that forgotten about $15 or $20 check comes in the mail every few months!

Here’s an example. I needed a new pair of black pants. I found what I wanted – style and size – at an online store. They were onsale – marked down from $29.00 to $24.00. I went to one of my bookmarked deals sites and found a discount code for 40% off any item. Then, I opened my member rebate site, clicked to open the store site, located my pants and put them in my “shopping cart. I went to checkout, entered my discount code, bringing the cost of the pants to $14.40. Shipping was $4.99 – bringing the total to $19.39. I paid no tax; I didn’t drive my car, so spent nothing on gas or parking; and the entire effort lasted about 15 minutes and I did it in my robe and slippers. Then I received a credit from my rebate site for an additional $1.54.

Sometimes you can find “stackable” codes that allow both a percentage discount and free shipping. Many of the major retailers offer consistent free shipping – some with a purchase minimum, some with no minimum.

If you haven’t shopped online, but are looking at the shrinking power of your dollars, I strongly suggest hopping on the online shopping train!

Feel free to contact the author for specific site recommendations.

Visit:   http://www.OutreachPros.com