As Americans, we are obsessed with celebrities. We know who the
stars are dating, what their most admired foods are, and, thanks to
MTV Cribs, we even understand the intimate details of their home
decorating styles.

With our paparazzi-like fixations on the famous, it is no wonder
advertisement campaigns involving celebrities are more successful than any
other type of branding. Michael Jordan says "Wear Hanes" and
we do. Sarah Michelle Gellar says "Use Maybelline cosmetics" and
we buy the lot. Even Carrot Top, considered by many to be the
most repulsive and annoying human ever to grace the screen, gets
us to call AT&T.

So how do these fun facts help you in your selling ? Let me
explain.

Unless you own Coca Cola, Pepsi, Verizon, or Kentucky Fried
Chicken, you most definately cant afford to lay down a cool million for
celebrity selling . Luckily, you do not have to.

One way to get a celebrity in your ads is to use local
celebrities. This is a far cheaper, but still workable strategy
to get your potential customers attention.

Try a popular DJ, news reporter, politician, social figure or
merchant. Some of these people will jump at the chance to be in
your ad. An offer of $50 or $100 dollars will usually do the
trick

I am especially fond of using local DJs. We spend up to an hour
or more in our cars each day listening to these characters, so we
get a mental image of them locked in our heads. In most cases,
the DJ looks nothing like what you imagined. When you see them on
a commercial, you cant look away, thinking, "I cant believe
thats what he/she looks like!" Its a nice way to hold your
viewers attention.

But if you do not want to pay for a local celebrity, there is an
alternative that almost always works just as well. Become a celebrity
yourself!

This is not as difficult as it sounds. If many people see your face on
television, billboards, and newspaper ads with consistency, even
though you are selling your own item or business, they
will begin to ruminate on you a celebrity.

When many people see you on the street or come into your store, they
will recognize you immediately. What is that, if not fame?

I recently went to movie and found myself sitting next to a local
merchant who stared in his own commercials. I felt as giddy as
teenage girl at am NSync concert through the entire movie. All
he did was pay someone to shoot a commercial with him in it, for
crying out loud, but I was still bragging about it to all my
friends the next day.

Staring in ones own radio, TV, and newspaper ads has worked for
thousands of people just like you. It doesnt matter if you are
cross eyed, toothless, or speak with as much energy as an aging
hound dog. If Carrot Top could be famous, you may too. And the more
famous you are, the more successful your advertising will be.