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| Brainy
Tidbits - Issue 31
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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 31 - December 30, 2003
Reading time: 10 minutes
Circulation: 1175
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PLEASE FORWARD ~~~ WITHOUT CUTTING ~~~
to anyone who can use a few timely marketing
and creativity tips to improve their business.
WELCOME to all our new 12 Days of Christmas and other new
subscribers! Thank you for signing up.
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IN THIS ISSUE
1. New Articles Posted
2. Quote of the Week
3. Guest Article: CAN-SP~M Act
4. 101 Marketing Tips: Better Illustrations
5. Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers
6. A Little Marketing Fun
7. Smell the Coffee
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1. New Articles Posted
I've been working hard on my website lately and have posted
20 marketing articles for you to read or download and save.
They are quick and informative. Go to
http://www.marketingideashop.com and click
on the box that
says "F~ree Articles and Reports" to start your learning
experience.
Here are just some of the titles:
--> 5 Hints for a Good Print Design
--> 5 Steps to Making the Media Your Friend
--> 5 Steps to Targeting Your Message
--> 14 Questions to Ask Your Printer
--> Glossary of Marketing Terms
--> Going Viral
--> Marketing Thought Starters
--> Sales Success Checklist
--> And many more!
And while you're there, how about poking around the site a
bit and giving me some feedback?
--> What else would you like to know?
--> Were you able to navigate the site easily?
--> What do you think of the new buttons?
--> Did all the links work for you?
--> Any ideas for a new hairstyle? ;-)
Here's a quick way to send me an email...just go here
mailto:lcf@marketingideashop.com?subject=IdeaShop_Website_Feedback
and an email will pop up addressed to me with the subject
all filled in!
Go to the website: http://www.marketingideashop.com
Write me:
mailto:lcf@marketingideashop.com?subject=IdeaShop_Website_Feedback
*~*~*~*~*Marketing Tools for You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
There are only 3 days left on "The 12 Days of Christmas"
promotion. If you haven't picked up your gifts and goodies
yet, you're almost out of time. You'll find my PR TACTICS
101 listed on the 11th day. To download it F~REE, along
with any of the other 77 gifts, go to:
http://www.hunteridge.com/sales.php?offer=mktideashp&pid=50
or http://tinyurl.com/z7uf
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2. Quote of the Week
Happy sales to you until we meet again...
Have a Happy New Year!
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*~*~*~*~*Marketing Tools for You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Don't miss out on my end-of-the-year special! Download both
of my ebooks before 11 pm tomorrow (Dec. 31st) and get 25%
off, a savings of $23.50! You can read more about MARKETING
PLAN ESSENTIALS: ONLINE & OFF and 52 READY-TO-GO SALES
MEETINGS at
products.html#ebooks
Get the deal here:
http://www.kickstartcart.com/app/adtrack.asp?AdID=61526
or
http://tinyurl.com/2u6us
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3. "What You Need to Know NOW About the New CAN-SP&M
Act"
by Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen"
Have you heard? The new CAN-SP&M Act becomes law on January
1, and it pre-empts most state regulations governing
commercial email. (CAN-SP&M stands for Controlling the
Assault of Non-Solicited P0rn0gr&phy and Marketing.)
Email publishers are calling me in a tizzy, worried they'll
be jailed for simply continuing their publication. I'd like
to be first to say that you should NOT panic, as long as
you're sending out a true, content-laden publication and
not just promotional junk.
But ... you SHOULD use this alert as a wake-up call. It's
time to do a check-up on your publication.
CAN-SP&M defines commercial email as that whose primary
purpose is to sell something. It doesn't define ezines or
email newsletters as commercial email, even if they contain
ads. However the jury is still out how this can be
interpreted. For many of us, our prime reason for
publishing is to promote our own services and products.
The good news is that most small business owners are going
to have a much easier time complying with this law than big
companies with many different marketing lists and vendors.
Here are seven points you should address now, before the
new year. Please remember I'm not an attorney, so you'll
want to view the CAN-SP&M law yourself at
http://www.spamlaws.com/federal/108s877.html
--> Make sure your FROM and REPLY email addresses are
correct and valid.
If you publish your ezine with a fake or inactive reply
addresses, that's a no-no after Jan. 1. If you don't want
to use your normal email address as your FROM/REPLY, create
a new one, but make sure it's one that you will check
regularly. If you don't know how to change your FROM/REPLY
address, ask your list host or email publishing system
representative.
--> Add your POSTAL mailing address to every issue of your
ezine.
This is now required, and is good practice anyway. Remember
the more "real" you appear to your readers, the more
business you'll do in the long run. I list my full mailing
address, and I also include my phone number. If you w0rk at
h0me and are uncomfortable publicizing where you live, rent
a mailbox around the corner. (That's what I do.)
--> Honor UNSUBSCRIBES ASAP, and make sure it's easy to get
off your list.
The new CAN-SP&M law also requires you to remove a name
from your list within 10 business days of receiving the
unsubscribe request. If you use a list host or email
publishing system, this should happen automatically and
instantly. The only way you could get into trouble on this
one is if you do them by hand or if you have multiple lists
to cross-check, which could take you longer. Also, look at
your ezine and make sure it's very obvious to the reader
how to be removed from your list.
--> Remind your readers they're getting a publication (not
junk), and publish regularly.
If you are a publication, then act like a publication by
being official and publishing regularly. Also remind your
readers how they got on your list. Example: "Published on
the first and third Wednesdays of every month. You are
receiving this ezine because you signed up at our website
or have purchased a product from us." (Also, consider
getting an ISSN to register your ezine with the Library of
Congress. It's free and makes you look very official!
http://www.issn.org )
--> Consider going double opt-in to protect yourself.
While CAN-SP&M does not require this, it's your safest
option with all the problems going around. If I sign up for
your ezine at your Web site today and that puts me on your
list, that's single opt-in. If I'm required to reply to an
email confirmation before I'm added to your list, that's
double opt-in. Yes, you will lose some signups due to
people who will not reply to the confirmation message, but
your list will be much cleaner and safer in the end.
--> If you DO send out occasional pr0moti0ns to your ezine
list, make it clear that's part of the deal.
What if you mostly publish regular, content-filled issues,
but send out the occasional pr0m0tion for a special event
or new product? My advice to you is to make this clear
where people sign up, at your website or elsewhere.
Example: "Along with our biweekly ezine, you will also
receive a spec1al 0ffer just once a month that is available
only to our subscribers. We will not share your email
address with any third party."
--> Be cautious if you have multiple lists.
Here's where things can get messy. Suppose you publish your
ezine with one system but maintain your customer lists with
another, such as your shopping cart system. If customer
Jane Doe unsubscribes from your ezine but two weeks later
receives a special promotion you sent only to past
customers, she may be mad because she thought she'd be
removed from ALL your lists. The best solution is obviously
to use one vendor for all your list needs, but if that's
not possible, make it very clear to your readers what they
are (and what they're not) unsubscribing from.
Wait, is that it?
No. This is only the beginning, and thanks to some of the
gray areas of the CAN-SP&M law, I'm sure there will be new
developments in 2004. So keep your ears perked for new
information as it's released!
(c) 2003 Alexandria K. Brown. Reprinted with permission.
Online marketing coach Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine
Queen," is author of the award-winning tutorial package,
'Boost Business With Your Own E-zine.' To learn more about
this step-by-step program, and to sign up for F~REE how-to
articles and F~REE teleclasses, visit
http://www.mcssl.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=100971
or
http://tinyurl.com/2jfxc
*~*~*~*~*Marketing Tool for You*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Want to beat the pants off your competitors? Sign up,
gratis, for What's Next Online, B.L. Ochman's fluff-free,
bi-weekly Internet marketing tactics newsletter. Subscribe:
http://www.whatsnextonline.com/?AffiliateID=2003055525
or
http://tinyurl.com/3ypcn
Also read B.L.'s blog
http://www.whatsnextblog.com/?AffiliateID=2003055525
or
http://tinyurl.com/2k5v6
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4. 101 Marketing Tips: Better Illustrations
Better Ad Illustrations
by Robert Grede
Here are a few ways to make your ad stand out amid the
clutter in newspapers and magazines:
--> If you sell a product rather than a service, show it
in
your main illustration. Or show it at the end. But show it
somewhere in your ad. Let your reader know what to look for
when she goes shopping.
--> Make your visual match your headline. Your illustration
should telegraph the same product benefit you use in your
headline.
--> Use visuals that demonstrate your product. Master Lock
uses a vivid demonstration with a rifle bullet smashing
into the product, but the lock doesn't open.
Using illustrations in your advertising will make them
better read, and better remembered.
©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
or http://tinyurl.com/zj6y
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
5. Resources for Entrepreneurs and Marketers
--> Are you a newsletter publisher? The Newsletter and
Electronic Publishers Association (NEPA) is a membership
organization for paid-circulation niche market publishers.
Learn more here:
http://www.newsletters.org
--> Worried about what might be downloaded on your computer
without your knowledge? Get the f~ree program Spybot Search
and Destroy to find and eliminate them. Search for it and
download it here:
http://www.download.com
--> Did you know that you have to ask Google to index your
website? Here's what Kim Komando -- http://www.komando.com
-- has to say about this: Google regularly crawls the
Internet, looking for new Web sites. You can get attention
for your site by submitting your website address to Google.
The company makes no promises that your site will be
included in its index, but heck, it's worth a shot. The
instructions for submission are at:
http://www.google.com/addurl.html
Google checks listings
that are available at the Open Directory Project. Enter
your Web site address there, too: http://www.dmoz.org
http://www.google.com/addurl.html
http://www.dmoz.org
--> Sign up for Kim Komando's Tips of the Day:
http://www.komando.com
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
6. A Little Marketing Fun
If you like word games, here's a fast-moving Scrabble-like
game for you. Create words from the letters and you can
play a couple times for f~ree.
http://www.kewlbox.com/games/game.cfm?gameID=83
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
7. Smell the Coffee...
I'm excited to be headed to Milwaukee, Wis. from Jan. 1-6
to visit my daughter Erin. She couldn't make it to Virginia
for Christmas this year, so I'm going up to see her. And
she's taking me out for fish fry, brats and beer, and hey!
I might even get some cheese curds. (Actually, I don't eat
brats and I don't drink beer, but lots of Milwaukeeans do,
so I just threw that in there for fun.)
I'll also be visiting with my friends and relatives,
including the famous Publicity Hound, Joan Stewart. (Sign
up for her ezine...you'll love it! Here you go:
http://www.marketerschoice.com/app/aftrack.asp?afid=81064
or http://tinyurl.com/2uaoe
).
I won't be checking email as frequently as usual while I'm
on vacation, so don't worry if I don't answer you within
minutes the way I usually do. I'll get back to you as soon
as I can. Or, feel free to call me on my cell phone at
540-820-3840 if you need to talk to me.
And you can still expect to receive BRAINY Tidbits next
week! I'm doing it early and will set it up to be sent out
automatically.
Happy New Year!
Lois
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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
of your
associates was kind enough to forward it to you.
If this is a forwarded copy and if you would like to
receive your own subscription, go to
http://www.marketingideashop.com and sign
up on the site.
Note: When you sign up to receive this ezine, you will need
to CONFIRM your subscription to be fully added to the list.
When you sign up, you will be sent instructions on how to
do this. If you are on AOL, please add us to your buddy
list. Also, if you have a s~pam filter, to make sure you
receive your subscription, please immediately WHITELIST
this email address: lcf@marketingideashop.com
PRIVACY STATEMENT/COPYRIGHT
We will not distribute your email address or personal
information to anyone. Period.
© Marketing Idea Shop. All rights reserved.
This publication is registered with the
Library of Congress in Washington, DC.
ISSN 1545-035X
PERMISSION TO REPRINT
You may reprint any items from "MarketingIdeaShop BRAINY
Tidbits" (except those with a copyright listed from another
source) in your own print or electronic newsletter. Please
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."
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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 with lots of brainy
marketing ideas for you.
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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