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Brainy Tidbits - Issue 22
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MarketingIdeaShop BRAINY Tidbits
The ezine with brainy ideas & resources
for marketers & small businesses
This newsletter brought to you each Tuesday by
Lois Carter Fay & The Marketing Idea Shop
http://www.marketingideashop.com
mailto:lcf@marketingideashop.com
Issue 22 - November 18, 2003
Reading time: 10 minutes
Circulation: 530
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PLEASE FORWARD ~~~ WITHOUT CUTTING ~~~
to anyone who can use a few timely marketing
and creativity tips to improve their business.
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. When is a Competitor Not a Competitor?
2. Quote of the Week
3. 101 Marketing Tips: Better to be First
4. Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers
5. A Little Marketing Fun
6. Smell the Coffee
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1. When is a Competitor Not a Competitor?
Have you noticed that I often tell you about people who
could legitimately be considered "competitors" of mine -
like Joan Stewart, B.L. Ochman, Yanik Silver and Robert
Grede? I run feature articles that they have written and I
tell you about their products and services.
Why do you think I do that?
I do it because I have established working relationships
with my "competitors," and both of us benefit as a result.
I am what's called an affiliate or associate of each of
these experts. When I sell their products, they give me a
commission. When they sell my products, I give them a
commission.
There are several other reasons that working with my
competitors makes sense to me:
--> It gives me more products to sell.
--> I have a larger sales force than I would have without
affiliates.
--> My credibility is enhanced by being associated with
stellar competitors.
--> My competitors can provide excellent content for my
electronic magazine, which makes my job easier and my ezine
more interesting to my readers.
--> I can provide articles to my competitors to use in
their ezines, expanding my reach to their subscriber base.
--> My sales increase and my profitability rises.
--> I can learn from my competitors (and they from me)
because they have different skill sets and experiences than
I do. In other words, we can mentor each other.
--> If I am swamped or need help, I can call on my
competitors to help me serve my clients.
--> If my competitors are swamped or need help, I can sell
my services to them or their clients.
Some people make all of their money selling other people's
products and services. They never develop products of their
own, and a few of these folks make lots of money. But I
think you'll find that, like me, you will make the most
money when you sell your own products.
You'll find more ideas like these in my new ebook,
MARKETING PLAN ESSENTIALS: ONLINE & OFF. Buy it today and
receive 3 f~ree bonuses!
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/netcart.asp?MerchantID=41484&offerid=4009&q=2
If you prefer to order offline, call me at 1-800-203-8660
or 540-289-3840.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*SPECIAL OFFER~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
My new ebook, MARKETING PLAN ESSENTIALS: ONLINE & OFF, is
ready...hot off the press! Here are just some of the great
ideas you'll get in MARKETING PLAN ESSENTIALS:
--> Over 100 pages, packed with ideas you can use
immediately to start getting more business.
--> Over 100 hyperlinks that can take you directly to a
marketing resource or idea you can use right now.
--> Beginning and advanced tactics to really make a
difference in your marketing results.
--> Great ways to increase your search engine ranking ...
without costing you a penny.
--> How to work with your peers, competitors and friends
to
make big bucks .... let them do the selling for you!
--> 11 ways to make your visitors want to come back to your
website and how to get them to buy from you.
--> 2 free or low-cost web survey products that can help
you find out what your customers want so you can improve
your business and sell more products and services.
--> How to find out what your competitors are doing ... for
free so you can out-strategize them and win more business.
--> 9 cool viral marketing campaigns that you can modify
... so you can get everyone talking about you and your
business.
--> And lots more
Get it here with one click:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/netcart.asp?MerchantID=41484&offerid=4009&q=2
And if you buy it now, I'll give you 3 F~REE BONUSES:
-->Case Study: 33 Days to Online Profit by Yanik Silver and
Jim Edwards
Yanik Silver is the leading expert on automating your
website to make big bucks. And he's not turning 30 until
January! Jim Edwards writes a syndicated column called
"NetReporter.com." Both are authors of several enormously
successful ebooks. This case study walks you through the
methods for making great money online.
-->7 Psychological Secrets Report by the Internet whiz kid,
Yanik Silver
This 22-page report explains the 7 secrets to achieving
maximum sales. You'll learn why telling stories is so
important, and how telling the truth and being specific can
really make a difference.
-->6 Secrets to Creating a Successful Ezine by yours truly
Doing an electronic newsletter may seem overwhelming, but
it's really not that hard. Learn how to capitalize on your
own ezine in this quick-to-read article. Click here for 6
Secrets:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/netcart.asp?MerchantID=41484&offerid=4009&q=2
Here's what Shel Horowitz, author of PRINCIPLED PROFIT:
MARKETING THAT PUTS PEOPLE FIRST and GRASSROOTS MARKETING:
GETTING NOTICED IN A NOISY WORLD, and owner of
http://www.frugalmarketing.com
had to say about MARKETING
PLAN ESSENTIALS: ONLINE & OFF:
"If you want to have a solid business, a solid marketing
plan is a big help. Lois Carter Fay shows you the questions
to ask and answer, whether you're just hanging out your
shingle or operating a well-established business in a
changing market."
What's stopping you? Go on...click:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/netcart.asp?MerchantID=41484&offerid=4009&q=2
If the link is broken, copy it and paste it into your
browser window.
To order offline, call 1-800-203-8660 or 1-540-289-3840.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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2. Quote of the Week
"Folks who never do any more than they get paid for, never
get paid for any more than they do."
~~Anonymous
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3. 101 Marketing Tips by Robert Grede
Tip #14: It's better to be first than it is to be better
Who was the first person to fly the Atlantic Ocean solo?
Charles Lindbergh, right? Who was the second? A better
pilot than Lindy, he flew faster and consumed less fuel,
yet who remembers Bert Hinkler?
The leading brand in a category is almost always the one
that gets there first. In rental cars, it's Hertz; IBM in
computers; USA Today in national newspapers. After World
War II, Heineken was the first imported beer to make a name
for itself in America. Fifty years later, it's still the
number one brand.
Create a category you can be first in. It's much easier to
get into the consumer's mind first than it is to convince
him you have a better product than the one that got to him
first.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*LEARN MORE~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
© 2003 by Robert Grede. Robert Grede is the author of NAKED
MARKETING - THE BARE ESSENTIALS (Prentice Hall) and an
acclaimed speaker. To find out more:
http://www.thegredecompany.com
or order his book through
Amazon. Look it up by name under "books":
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect-home/marketingidea-20
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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4. Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers
--> Be one of the chosen few to get in to Yanik Silver's
30th birthday party and seminar extravazanza! Learn
Internet marketing secrets from the gurus of selling
online: Cory Rudl, Tom Antion, Marlon Sanders, Jim Edwards,
Bill Glazer, Steve Harrison, Janet Switzer and, of course,
Yanik Silver. And all for f~ree. Find out more here:
http://www.surefiremarketing.com/bday/?27102
--> Wondering what people are saying about your company?
Find out at epinions.com:
http://www.epinions.com
--> Planning an event and want to invite others to attend,
quickly and easily, while also keeping track of replies? Go
to:
http://www.evite.com
--> B.L. Ochman, owner of What's Next Online and author of
several ebooks on public relations, explains why the
"traditional" press release is dead in her new ebook,
REALITY PR: PRESS RELEASES FROM HELL AND HOW TO FIX
THEM-EXAMPLES NOT THEORY. Regarding the use of electronic
means to distribute releases, Ochman comments, "Since all
releases are read from a computer screen, making them easy
to read with Internet-ready format will exponentially
increase your results." To find out more, buy her ebook
here:
http://www.whatsnextonline.com/ma72/index.cfm?AffiliateID=2003055525
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5. A Little Marketing Fun
After a few years, a self-employed psychotherapist's
business was finally growing and becoming successful. So
much so that he could now afford to have a proper shop
banner advertising his wares. So he told a kid to paint the
sign board for him and put it above his shop entrance.
But, instead of his business building up, it began to
slacken. He had especially noticed the ladies shying away
from his shop after reading the sign board. So he decided
to check it out himself. Then he understood why.
When he made the sign, the boy could only find a small
wooden board so he had split the word into the 3 words :
Psycho-
the-
rapist.
Marketing Moral: It pays to supervise your "staff" and
don't forget to proofread carefully!
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6. Smell the Coffee...
Here it is, November 18, and the weather in Virginia
reached 60 yesterday. Of course, I didn't have much
opportunity to enjoy it because I'm busy completing several
projects for clients. That's the trouble with
self-employment...you're either so busy you can't think
straight or you're sleeping and working in your sleep. ;-)
My husband and I did do a couple of fun things this
weekend, though. We had some friends over for dinner on
Friday night and we attended the March of Dimes "Star
Chefs" event in Harrisonburg. Both were a lot of fun. Great
food, great company. I serve on the local marketing
committee for the March of Dimes. You might not know that
prematurity is on the rise in the U.S. and the March of
Dimes is working to find a cure for it now that polio has
been cured. One of the causes of premature birth is a
mother's lack of folic acid. So if you're pregnant, or
about to be, talk to your doctor about taking folic acid.
And send a few bucks to the March of Dimes!
Be happy and have a profitable week.
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MORE PRODUCTS
I encourage you to visit the Marketing Idea Shop website
for lots more information. Plus, you'll find a lovely
picture of me there! Remember, we are constantly adding new
products to our store.
http://www.marketingideashop.com
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THE FINE PRINT
THANK YOU!
We appreciate your business.
You are receiving this because you asked to receive it, you
signed up for it at the Marketing Idea Shop website --
http://www.marketingideashop.com -- or one
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ISSN 1545-035X
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You may reprint any items from "MarketingIdeaShop BRAINY
Tidbits" (except those with a copyright listed from another
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be kind and send us a copy so we can see it in print. Also,
please include the following paragraph:
Reprinted from "MarketingIdeaShop BRAINY Tidbits," a F~REE
ezine from Marketing Idea Shop and Lois Carter Fay
featuring brainy ideas and resources for marketers and
small businesses. Subscribe today at
http://www.marketingideashop.com and receive
F~REE by
email "67 Ways to Promote Your Business."
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Published by:
Lois Carter Fay, APR
Founder, Marketing Idea Shop
and President, Strategic Business Partners
Lois Carter Fay is a writing and marketing expert with a
bunch of gray hairs (no, not from worrying...it's just what
comes with experience). Strategic Business Partners is a
marketing consulting firm with ideas and strategies to grow
your business. Marketing Idea Shop is an online resource
for marketers and small businesses.
411 Rainier Road, Massanutten, VA USA 22840
Voice 540.289.3840 or 800.203.8660
lcf@marketingideashop.com
http://www.marketingideashop.com
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