Vol. 2 , No. 31     November 19, 2002

In this Newsletter:

Don't Miss the Top Ten Section Halfway Down!

See below for Advertising, Subscription and Contact information.

Jared M. Spool
The Search For Seducible Moments

How do you clue your users in to your site's particular benefits?

If you offer something that is unique to your organization (and chances are that you do--that's why you're in business), then how do you make the users aware of these benefits?

As with life, the secret is in timing. Here's how to time it right with your site's users.

Kristine Kirby Webster
The Strength of Direct Marketing

It's high time we all realize the strengths of direct marketing, and the natural fit it has with branding.

After all, a brands’ true mission is to create a relationship with the customer, a relationship that is loyal and bankable. And relationships are personal and direct...sound like the cornerstone of any kind of marketing you know?

Get the full story.

Gerry McGovern
How To Demonstrate Your Intranet Delivers Value

The days of having an intranet just because, well, it's a good idea are over.

As a manager, you need to deliver hard data that justifies investment in your intranet. You need to show that a dollar spent on your intranet will deliver more value that a dollar spent elsewhere. Otherwise, your budget will shrink.

Does your intranet deliver value?

A Note to Readers

Fighting Back

If you're reading this newsletter, then we've successfully dodged the maze of filters that are sprouting up all over the web.These ISP filters are meant to legitimately get rid of sp^m. This is a good idea.

If you read the Wall Street Journal last week, you probably saw the front page article about a typical sp^m artist -- a small business owner who sends out millions of messages each day, and lives on a paltry click through rate.

It's really a touching story. She works at home -- blasting out junk mail, making our lives miserable -- so she can spend more time with her kids. Bully for her, right?

But the effects on all of us, aside from the constant irrelevant email, is that legitimate email (like our newsletter) is being filtered out by ISPs as well. We're now running hoops (for example, we have to use funny characters, like sp^m, to avoid these filters) and it's clear that our newsletter would avoid most ISP filters if we simply went back to just plain text. This is something we will not do.

But there are solutions. For example, right now we are trying out a very useful service by Assurance Systems that allows us to see whether our newsletters are actually getting delivered. It's one way we're fighting back.

As always, your feedback is both welcome and encouraged.

Allen Weiss
Publisher
MarketingProfs
amw@marketingprofs.com

Last Issue's Top 5

Research Techniques Top 5

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Christopher Kenton
Ten Fundamentals That Matter More Than a Big Budget

This economic "rinse cycle" offers an opportunity to shore up your organization's fundamental strengths. Happily, for anyone responsible for a budget, pursuing the fundamentals doesn’t require cash as much as it requires wit and persistence.

In part one of this two-part series, Christopher Kenton underscores five low- or no-cost initiatives you can pursue to bolster your marketing organization.

Read them here.

Jeremy Bachmann
How to Grow Your E-Mail List

Do you have a lot of customers, but you haven't done a good job of assembling an email list? Here's five techniques for growing your email list as a marketing tool.

Read the whole enchilada.

Paul Schulz
Why Internet Search Is A Valuable Marketing Tool

Scan the search results page of any portal, and it’s easy to see why Internet search is such a tricky maze for some direct marketers to follow. With “Sponsored Links,” “Direct Web Matches” and “Featured Sites” beckoning consumers, knowing which of these hot strategies is most effective at capturing attention often leaves marketers cold.

It may be easier in the short run to stick with simple banner ads, but direct markets risk missing out on important sales leads.

Get the whole story.

Tig Tillinghast
Dear Tig: What Is Brand Essence? And What's The Definition Of A Great Marketer

This week, Tig tackles branding by answering a difficult question: Just what is brand essence? Also, how would he define a great marketer?

Read Tig's take.

Contact

Publisher: Allen Weiss
amw@MarketingProfs.com

Content: Ann Handley
ann@MarketingProfs.com

Partnerships:
info@MarketingProfs.com

Ad/Sponsor Information:
click here or contact jim@MarketingProfs.com

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