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Have You Captured Me Today?
There are many Web sites I visit every day and will probably never return to again. It's not that I didn't like the site, or that I wasn't interested in the topic, services, or products offered. It's just that I wasn't ready to take action right now. So I clicked away and will probably forget about them. The danger of this happening at YOUR site is that you just lost a great prospect. After all, I'm pre-qualified. I was already interested in what you had to offer. I likely found your site via a search engine, Web directory, advertisement, article, or another promotion. I clicked through to your site because I wanted to learn more. But studies reveal that I'm most likely NOT going to take action the first time I visit your site. Have you heard the statistic that it takes about *seven* contacts before prospects are ready to buy? (That's a lot of times!) So how can you get the chance to contact me another *six* times? The answer is to CAPTURE me then and there - that is, get my e-mail address. To do this, you'll have to offer me something valuable in return. If you just tell me to "sign up for our mailing list," you're not going to get squat. So what can YOU offer me? Here are some ideas that have been proven to work when done well. Of course, the *content* for all of these should tie-in to your business focus: 1. A free mini-mail course. These are becoming very popular right now. You simply create a few e-mails' worth of content to spread out over a certain amount of days. You'll need an e-mail autoresponder to do this, which allows me to sign up for your course automatically. Many sites seem to offer five- or seven-day courses, and many of them are awful. So here's a chance for YOU to stand out: Make sure yours offers really useful or interesting content that's more "how to" than salesy. Then in the last e-mail, tell me how your services/ products will further help me --- lead me on to the next step. 2. A free e-zine (e-mail newsletter). If you can produce new content on a regular basis, this is your BEST option, because you're receiving permission to contact me (and market to me) again and again! You'll always be on my mind. And if you're a solo professional who is marketing your own services, this gives you *multiple* chances to prove your worth and gain my trust over time. The only drawback to this option is that publishing an e-zine requires a good amount of time and effort on a regular basis, but the rewards will be worth it. 3. A special VIP/promotion list. If I like what I see, and you give me the chance to receive *special offers* that will save me money at your site, I'll be sure to sign up for your list. For example, one site I love buying from is http://www.BlueFly.com. They offer designer clothes and accessories (e.g. BCBG, Fendi, Prada - I'm salivating right now!) at discount prices with exceptional customer service. Throughout their site and when you place an order, there are invitations to sign up for "discounts, exclusive offers, and first looks." Count me in! 4. A free special report or e-book. Here's another neat idea - give people a special report or short e-book related to your topic of interest. Not sure where to start? Try a top-10 list of tips, a list of relevant resources, or a collection of articles you've already written. The more "how-to," the better - give me real, useful information. But of course make sure it implies that YOU and YOUR BUSINESS are the best resource in the end. This is a delicate balance to achieve, but it's not as hard as you may think. And at the end of your content, tell me how your services/products will further help me. (Again, lead me on to the next step.) 5. Don't forget to follow up! Once you capture a list of prospects, you'll need to contact them again. We'll cover the art of follow up in an upcoming article. Of course, if you're publishing an e-zine, that's already set. (Hooray for e-zines!) (c) 2002 Alexandria K. Brown ABOUT THE AUTHOR Alexandria K. Brown, "The E-zine Queen," is author of the award-winning manual, "Boost Business With Your Own E-zine." To learn more about her book and sign up for more FREE tips like these, visit her site at http://EzineQueenTutorial.com/
Latest News:Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for news Guests on today's TV news shows (San Jose Mercury News) News ShowsLineup for today's TV news shows: ABC's "This Week": Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Veterans for Obama to hold forum in Newport News Monday (The Virginian-Pilot) NEWPORT NEWS Two retired military leaders will make four stops across Virginia Monday in support of Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. Rear Adm. Jamie Barnett and Command Sgt. Maj. Michele Jones, both retired, will discuss challenges facing Virginia veterans, according to a news release from the campaign. At each stop, they?ll be joined by Virginia veterans. Get the latest news in racing (Daily Racing Form) In order to read Daily Racing Form's free daily news stories it is required that you have a DRF.com free membership. If you do not have a DRF.com free membership, please register here . You will NOT need to be logged in to read each day's free news stories. Good news for Johnson, but '08 over (MLB.com) Good news for Orioles' Johnson Ruling Party Predicts Big Win In Angola Election-News Agency (Nasdaq) LUANDA (AFP)--The governing MPLA party on Saturday predicted it will win big in Angola's first peacetime election, based on preliminary results it said it had seen, Portugal's Lusa news agency reported. Mid-American Conference News and Notes (The Sports Network) Mid-American Conference News and Notes UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News (UPI) ABC embracing 'Motherhood' ... Script work to delay '24' filming ... Two more 'Spider-Man' movies likely ... T-Pain wins big at BMI Awards ... News from United Press International. Journals week in review: news from One Microsoft Way (Ars Technica) In this week's top Microsoft news on Ars, we cover the Gates-Seinfeld ad, The Ultimate Steal, Internet Explorer 8, the Zune, a new non-laser mouse, SkyMarket, and OneCare. See inside for details on what's new with these products. Read More... Week in review: top news stories on Ars Technica (Ars Technica) It was a shiny, happy week in the world of tech news with the launch of Google Chrome and all the hype that surrounded it. We recap the week's most important stories. Read More... News Services (The Scottsboro Daily Sentinel) Letter to the Editor The Daily Sentinel welcomes your commentary. No letter will be published until authorship is confirmed. Press Release Submit your news and event information to The Daily Sentinel. Site: news - Google News Palm's new smart phone steals the show - MarketWatch
MORE RESOURCES: Site: Yahoo! News Search Results for marketing SearchDay: Online Videos as Learning and Marketing Tools (Search Engine Watch) Today's search engine marketing news and opinion: YouTube-ery: Online Videos as Learning and Marketing Tools; Change How You Think About Your Life and Company; MapQuest, Google Launch Blackberry Mobile Apps; and more. Lend a Hand: Use marketing skills to help nonprofits (Portsmouth Herald) It's hard to get attention these days, especially as a nonprofit with limited means. If you're a marketing professional with skills from graphic design to public relations, then you can make all the difference for nonprofits that need to share their... Wechsel im Marketing (FVW.com) Helen Bardtenschlager verantwortet ab sofort die Marketing-Aktivitäten von LAN Airlines in Deutschland. Ihre Vorgängerin Angelika Lucius geht in den Mutterschaftsurlaub. Pfizer: withdraws Zeven marketing applications (Pharmaceutical Business Review) Healthcare giant Pfizer has announced that the marketing applications for its skin infection treatment Zeven (dalbavancin) are to be withdrawn, pending another multi-center trial for the drug. This setback could cost Pfizer dearly: another trial could push the drugs launch date out to September 2010, five full years after its proposed launch date and just two years before its first patent expiry. Ag Society, IdeaLogic Marketing part ways (North Platte Telegraph) The North Platte Telegraph The marketing firm of IdeaLogic has handled the marketing and advertising efforts for the Lincoln County Fair for the past two years - but there won't be a third. Kmart names new marketing chief (Chicago Sun-Times) Ailing retailer Kmart has reached into the hotel industry for its new chief marketing officer. Next plots marketing revamp (Mad.co.uk) Retail giant Next is overhauling its marketing strategy in a bid to increase sales, following a slump in its profits due to the economic downturn. The importance of marketing to open-source projects (CNET) Open source may make better software, but marketing is what makes people care enough to download it. Powered Shares the Secrets of Successful Social Marketing Programs at Shop.org Annual Summit (Business Wire via Yahoo! Finance) AUSTIN, Texas----Powered, a leading provider of social marketing programs that drive measurable business results, today announced that it will be exhibiting at the Shop.org Annual Summit, taking place September 15 - 17 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. Europcar UK plans major brand re-launch, strengthens marketing team (eyefortravel.com) Europcar UK Group has appointed Catriona Lougher as marketing director as the group strengthened its marketing structure in preparation for its multi-million pound re-launch in the UK in 2009. Site: marketing - Google News Columbus tech firm buys Dayton marketing company - Bizjournals.com
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