First, the software. There are a large number of PDF creation software which are free to download and use. Adobe even offers a free trial type of offer where you can up to five files for free http://createpdf.adobe.com/ or you can pay monthly or annually.

Make sure whatever software you use to convert your e-book to a PDF is compatible. For example many free PDF creators simply work with Microsoft Word doc files which is great if that’s what you used to create your content however if you use Microsoft Publisher or even PowerPoint of Excel then you’ll want to make sure that format is supported. Good news is that most prefer to use Word to create their content and that’s what we’ll focus on for the remainder.

Before you convert your book or report to a PDF you’ll want to make sure it’s formatted correctly.

The following features are often part of an e-book or report:

Cover graphic
Header and footer
Page numbers
Disclaimer and/or legal and copyright notice
Table of contents
Introduction
Body content
Conclusion
Appendices and resources

You’ll also likely have hyperlinks and graphics throughout the book or report. The best format for easy conversion and a file size which will be fast and easy to upload include BMP, GIF, TIFF, JPEG, and PNG, with JPEG being the most common.

Make sure your hyperlinks work and your settings are appropriate to make sure your hyperlinks convert when you create your PDF. Those options are typically specified in the options or advanced options menu on your printer menu.

Once your document is formatted and ready to convert to a PDF simply choose print from your file menu, specify your chosen PDF creator from the menu, make sure your options are specified and click print. You’ll likely be prompted to give it a file name and location to save, make sure you choose a location and name you’ll remember. Once that’s accomplished click okay. Your PDF will be ready for you to review. Forgot something or don’t like the way a page is formatted? Fix it in the document and save it again as a PDF. You can simply overwrite your previous file by saving the new report or book under the same name.

Formatting your books and reports as PDFs make them easy to distribute electronically and easy to access by your customers and prospects. PDF files are universally acceptable around the world and easy to protect, change, and share with the click of a button.

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Small businesses can have an even tougher time trying to decide on all of these scenarios.  Small businesses often have small budgets and small amounts of time to work within.  The following are some marketing tips that small businesses can implement into their business, without spending a lot of money or time on them.

* A website is something every business should have, as it is available for customers to access twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week.  A domain can be purchased for under $10 per year, and hosting plans start out at under $5 per month.

* Blogs can be found for free through services such as www.blogger.com.  They can also be put on a person’s own domain very easily.  Blogs build relationships with customers and are a great marketing tool.  A business owner can use a blog to keep in touch with customers.

* Business cards serve as a great marketing tool.  Keep them with you and hang one up whenever you pass a bulletin board.  If you see someone who may be in need of your products or services, hand them a card.

* Press releases are a great way to get exposure and build buzz.  These can be sent to local media, including newspapers, magazines, television and radio stations.  They can also be distributed online through press release distribution sites.

* Another great marketing tip involves distributing content throughout the web in the form of articles.  This can be done by forming a partnership with another site which will publish your exclusive articles on their site or in their ezine.  Alternatively, articles can be submitted to an article reprint directory.

* Networking with other businesses, whether it is face to face or online is another way to market your business while making friends and learning something new at the same time.

Local networking groups can be found through traditional sources such as the Chamber of Commerce.  Your local newspaper may also display the meetings and times of these groups.  If you don’t find one that suits your needs, you can always create one yourself.

If you can’t meet up in person, try networking online.  There are lots of websites and forums devoted to all types of businesses.  You are bound to find one in your field.  You can also try networking with those in complementary fields – it’s a great way to find people to share referrals with!

There are so many ways for a small business to take an active role in their marketing.  Once you start, you won’t want to stop.  Check out my review of the Internet Business Mastery Academy.

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When it comes to marketing, adding a personal touch can make all the difference.  Some forms of marketing are very hard to personalize, of course.  It’s not like you can do much with a flyer or business card.

It’s quite the opposite when it comes to email marketing.  This is one form of marketing that is highly customizable.  And the end results can be very profitable.

When you personalize your email marketing messages, you are sending a message to your customer that they are important.  Most autoresponders will allow you to insert your customer’s first name.  People respond very well to their names, and this is a proven way to get someone’s attention.

An easy way to do this would be putting the recipient’s first name in the subject line of the email.  This way, the email stands out in the person’s inbox.  The recipient’s eyes will immediately be drawn to it when they see their name.

Personalizing the email’s opening is always a good idea.  Would you rather read an email that said “Dear Subscriber” or one that actually had your name on it?  We’re guessing you would go with the second option, and for good reason.

The first example of ‘Dear Subscriber” seems very cold and detached.  It doesn’t sound like the writer is interested in the reader at all.

When you turn that around and add the subscriber’s first name, it sounds as if the writer actually cares.  It also makes it sound as if the writer is talking directly to the reader.  This can definitely help establish trust and lay the foundation for a great business relationship.

That doesn’t mean that anyone should go overboard with their personalization.  Some business owners add a subscriber’s name throughout their emails.  That seems very phony and your readers will be able to see right through that.

Your emails should read in a conversational tone.  No one repeats their friend’s name in every line of a conversation.  It wouldn’t sound natural for your emails to do this, either.

The other thing to watch out for is incorrect grammar and spellings of names in your mailing list.  For example, someone who is quickly filling out the subscription form for your mailing list may have written “Jjane” instead of “Jane”.

When you send out an email, your autoresponder will display the name as it is written.  Even though the subscriber made the mistake originally, they won’t remember that.  They’ll just see you are sending them an email that misspells their name.

Your autoresponder program will let you go inside the program and edit the spellings.  If you don’t have time to do this yourself, this would make a great task to outsource to a virtual assistant.

By providing a small bit of personalization, your emails will stand out as friendly, welcoming, and conversational.  Your readers will think you are talking to them directly and that the message is meant just for them.  That will go a long way to help increase your sales.

Read more about things you can learn at the Internet Business Mastery Academy in my in-depth review.

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