Consumer Direct Marketing

Do you own a window cleaning and weekly washing service? Are your crews operating at a maximum? Do you have spaces in your schedule on certain days? Would you like to add crews and do more business? There are significant customers who currently are not using your services; do you want them to start using your window cleaning services? There is a way you know? How so you ask?

A robust yet inexpensive marketing and advertising program might do the trick. Let me explain; you see, direct mail and direct-mail marketing coupon packages for window washing and window cleaning services makes sense to attract new customers and build up your scheduled routes. It is recommended that you send out direct-mail marketing to zip codes within a 15-mile radius of the area you wish to service.

It is smart to concentrate on zip codes that have high net worth individuals and businesses. These direct-mail marketing packages should be sent out three to four times per year. It is unwise to send them out every month as you will be over saturating the area and perhaps even cause concern with current customers who are paying full-price?

Indeed, if you own a window cleaning service or a weekly the window washing service you should consider this in 2006 as an excellent way to advertise and market your business.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Direct Mail and Direct Mail Marketing for Golf Cart Repair Services
One of the best ways to build up a golf cart repair business is to find areas where golf carts are very prevalent near golf courses. Find out all the ZIP codes in the area and send out direct-mail marketing coupon packages to them.Also ask the direct-mail marketing coupon package advertising representative to give you at least 1000 extra coupons o...

Direct Marketing for Non-Profit Groups Considered
If you run a non-profit business then perhaps you should try direct marketing and direct-mail to get volunteers and increase donations to your non-profit. Direct-mail and direct marketing does not just work for businesses, as it is a way to catch people in their homes who read direct-mail and direct marketing packages.Some people think that direct...

Direct Mail
Increase your companys market reach through direct mail advertising. Send the right people the appropriate brochures, newsletters, and flyers about your company or product launches and see how this kind of mileage can increase your sales and customer recall.Direct mail is a traditional way of communicating with customers or clients. But nowadays, y...

Direct Mail Marketing to Shape Public Opinion
Direct-mail marketing works for so many things and it works in nearly all types of businesses. Targeted direct-mail advertising works the best for retailers who pick a specific zip code or zone where they believe their customers to be. Generally they will send out direct-mail marketing pieces within a 10-mile or 15-mile radius of their retail est...

Direct Mail for Bus Services
Bus Services work on economies of scale; lots of seats on one vehicle and many people going the same way are what make it all work. But without massive amounts of riders how can you expect to have a successful bus company? The fact is you can’t and that is why bus services need a robust marketing and advertising program.Advertising on the bus...

Direct Mail Marketing and Direct Mail Strategies for Local Toy Stores
Local small business toy stores are under fire these days due to the ramp up of the number of toy isles in large box type stores. But that does not mean they should throw in the towel by any means. Referrals and word-of-mouth advertising can keep a small local toy store going. But to get that word-of-mouth you need a strong base of customers.Indeed...

Direct Mail Postcards
Direct mail postcards are one of the most economical print communications media available on the market. It is a cost-effective marketing and advertising tool.Customers do not need to invest in envelopes or labels with direct mail postcards. All printing and addressing can be done by a single agency, which will carry the postcard through the postal...

One temptation in writing fundraising thank-you letters is to make your organization the star of the letter. You feel pressure to tell your donors how terrific you are, how cost-effective you are or how broke you are. You are tempted to brag about your achievements, your success, your volunteers, your new board member and more.

You need to resist this temptation. The secret to crafting effective donation thank-you letters is making the donor the star of every transaction, as Conrad Squires puts it in his book, Teach Yourself to Write Irresistible Fund-raising Letters.

The quickest and cheapest way to build donor loyalty and reduce donor attrition is to tell your donors how much they are accomplishing in the world through your organization. By making your donor the hero of every thank-you letter (and every appeal letter for that matter), you reinforce in their mind that they made the right decision in supporting your mission. And that they are right in continuing their support.

How to make the donor the hero
1. Use the word you more than you use the word we. Make the letter all about the donor.
2. Show a direct link between the donors donation and your mission. For example: Thanks to your generous gift of $100, we fed 52 homeless men last night while the temperature hovered around -18 outside. Those men are thankful to you. And so am I.
3. Go beyond the donation to the donor, and describe how grateful you are for the donor as a person, as a supporter, as a friend of your organization.
4. Make your donors feel special by describing how they are one in a thousand, or one in ten thousand, by supporting your cause while others do not.

A sample thank-you letter
Below is a thank-you letter that Doctors Without Borders mailed to donors during the year that the organization won the Nobel Peace Prize.

Dear Alan Sharpe:

Two wonderful things happened this month.

We received your donation to our meningitis campaign. And we received the Nobel Peace Prize for humanitarian assistance.

We received this award because of supporters like you. Its ours together.

The Nobel Peace Prize is shared by the millions of people who support the work and principles of Doctors Without Borders. Its shared by the people who make the right to humanitarian assistance a reality. People like you.

So thank you for your donation. With your support, we can now respond quickly and effectively to meningitis epidemics. Even the best doctors cannot prevent meningitis without vaccinations. So thank you for your timely gift.

Doctors Without Borders operates only with the continued support of partners like you. Thats why Id like you to consider joining our monthly giving program, Partners Without Borders.

As a member of Partners Without Borders, you help our volunteer physicians provide vital medical help anywhere, anytime. You also help us keep our administrative costs to a minimum. Every dollar we save is a dollar that we can use to fund our medical projects.
Giving every month is more convenient for you. You make small donations on a regular basis instead of a larger donation all at once.

Our being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize is international confirmation of the fundamental right of ordinary people to humanitarian assistance and protection. Please join Partners Without Borders today. Simply complete the form below. And thank you again for your support.

Sincerely,

[signature]

David Morley
Executive Director

About the author

Alan Sharpe is a professional fundraising letter writer, instructor and mentor who helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors using creative fundraising letters. Learn more about his services, view free sample fundraising letters, and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.RaiserSharpe.com

Why Donor Acquisition Fundraising Letters Are Longer Than Donation Request Letters Mailed to Donors
Should you mail a one-page letter or a two-page letter? Neither. Mail a four-page letter.Im talking about donor acquisition letters. The ones you mail to strangers, asking them to send you a gift. The most successful acquisition letters are longer than your typical renewal letter. Heres why.Renewal letters, by definition, ask current donors to rene...

Donor Newsletters Boost Direct Mail Donations Without Asking For Donations
I have a client whose direct mail fundraising program is in trouble. I think you can profit from his predicament. I know he is going to.The development officers at his non-profit organization are doing plenty of things right. They attract new supporters by mailing donor acquisition packages a couple of times a year. They solicit gifts from their ex...

The Fundraising Letter PS: 25 Powerful Things To Say There (Includes Examples & Samples)
Donors read postscripts. This is a sad but important reality in fundraising. Sad because the PS is stupid and belongs in another millennium. In this age of word processors, no one needs to add a PS anymore. But important because a donor reading a PS is a donor looking for information. And thats your opportunity.According to direct mail consultant A...

Successful Non-for-Profit Fundraising Letters Share Eight Qualities
Youll be encouraged to know that the art of writing effective fundraising letters can be learned. I learned it. So can you.Successful fundraising letters share a number of things in common. Once you know what these things are, your letter is already half-way written. Before I share what they are, let me explain what I mean by a successful or effect...

Premiums in Request Letters Asking for Donations: Examples, Samples of Pros and Cons
Q. What is a premium?A. In direct mail fundraising letters, a premium is an item offered to a donor, usually at no charge, to encourage the donor to make a donation. Q. Whats the difference between front-end and back-end premiums?A. Premiums that are included in the mail package are called front-end premiums. Premiums that the donor must request ar...

Fundraising Renewal Letters: Four Goals to Strive For With Each One You Write
In the fundraising profession, appeal letters that you mail to existing donors are called renewal letters. They are designed to solicit a gift, but, more important than that, they aim to persuade your current donors to renew their support of your organization. Donors renew their support with their cash, of course, but they also renew it with their ...

Attract New Donors with "Friend Get a Friend" Donation Request Fundraising Letters
New donors are closer than you think. Often they are friends of your donors, or family members.If you know someone who has undergone successful treatment for cancer or another serious illness, you know first-hand how the experience involved immediate family, extended family, friends, co-workers and neighbours. Many of these concerned people will ...

Have you ever met a donor who liked funding infrastructure? I have. Once.

When I served as Director of Development for a national non-profit, my organization needed a new heating and ventilation system for the national office. The cost was around $75,000, as I recall. The executive director approached one of our major donors, a businessman who was also a faithful supporter, and asked if he would like to partner with us. The donor promptly wrote a cheque for the full amount. Later on, that same donor made a commitment to pay for the parking lot to be re-paved, a renovation that would cost over $25,000.

That donor was the exception. Most donors do not get excited about paying for sheet metal ducts or fresh asphalt. Donors give to people, not programs. Donors dont send donations by mail to support a mission statement. They dont respond to appeals because of your vision statement. Or simply because your general fund is depleted. And they are not (with rare exceptions) inspired to pay for electrical bills, staples, travel costs and plumbing repairs. Donors are people. And people give to people, usually to help people.

This basic fundraising truth means that you must state your organizational needs in human terms whenever possible. You must translate your case for support from non-profit-speak into flesh and blood. Donors want to know how their gift will help the people that you serve.

This fundraising truth still applies even if you do not serve people. If your non-profit promotes nuclear arms disarmament, for example, your donors want to know how their gift will end nuclear weapons testing. If you are an animal-rights charity, your donors want to know how their financial gift will rescue animals from laboratory experiments.

How to say people, not programs

If you are raising funds for a specific project that aims to help a particular people group (children, seniors, single mothers, children with cerebral palsy), then your job is straightforward. Ask yourself these questions:

1. What is my clients need?
2. What do we presently lack to meet that need?
3. How will my client benefit if we meet that need?

Here is an example. Imagine that your non-profit organization in South Africa runs an orphanage for children whose parents have died from AIDS. The children are suffering from dysentery because the local water supply is contaminated. Your solution is to drill a well. You need $50,000.

You could send an appeal letter to your supporters, asking for $50,000. Mistake.

You could send an appeal letter to your supporters, asking for $50,000 for a new well. Another mistake.

Remember, people give to people to help people. Your donors want to help orphans, not drill a well. Drilling the well will help the orphans, but your ask needs to concentrate on the orphans. Heres how you would answer the above three questions.

Q. What is my clients need?
A. To avoid deadly dysentery.

Q. What do we presently lack to meet that need?
A. A well that supplies fresh water.

Q. How will my clients benefit if we meet that need?

A. Live rather than die an excruciating death. Continue enjoying the benefits of full-time schooling. Continue to reach their potential physically, socially and emotionally. Avoid many medical complications later in life. Be productive members of society in a few years. Be able to help others. You get the idea.

Your job now is to ask for funds to drill the well so that the children will benefit in those ways listed. Dont just ask for money for a well. Thats just a project. Dont show a photo of the well in its packing crate. Show how the donors gift will help the children you serve. Thats the people.

What about the general fund ask?

The greatest challenge in this area is when you are requesting funds for your general fund and not for a tangible project, when you cannot describe any specific benefits that are tied to a particular initiative. In these cases, you still need to describe your need in human terms, and you do this by showing your donors the view from 10,000 feet instead of 10 feet..

Lets say you need to raise money by mail for your general fund, to pay for salaries, administration, office supplies, postage–all the things that are needed to run a non-profit. The view from 10 feet says you need to raise $20,000 this quarter to meet general fund expenses or youre in trouble with your board. But the view from 10,000 feet says you need to raise $20,000 to continue meeting the needs of the people you serve.

So instead of saying this:

Please donate to our general fund.”

You say this:

Please send a gift today to our Sequoia Senders Fund. From this fund we draw the monies needed to promote our service to environmentalists at large, train teams, send them overseas, and handle all the tasks involved in getting those volunteers onto the field and back again in a way that promotes responsible forestry practices, encourages and equips local activists, and blesses the volunteer who goes.

See the difference? The fund is no longer a general fun but a fund set aside to accomplish the goals of the organization. It serves the same purpose, it just has a more compelling name. This ask is worded in such a way that it covers every office expense from paper to payroll, yet in a way likely to inspire and motivate donors.

Your role as a writer of effective fundraising letters is to always be looking for the human interest story that lies beneath your immediate financial needs. Capture that, and youll capture the hearts and minds of your donors.

2005 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the “About the author” message).

About the author
Alan Sharpe is a professional fundraising letter writer, instructor and mentor who helps non-profit organizations raise funds, build relationships and retain loyal donors using creative fundraising letters. Learn more about his services, view free sample fundraising letters, and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.RaiserSharpe.com.

Premiums in Request Letters Asking for Donations: Examples, Samples of Pros and Cons
Q. What is a premium?A. In direct mail fundraising letters, a premium is an item offered to a donor, usually at no charge, to encourage the donor to make a donation. Q. Whats the difference between front-end and back-end premiums?A. Premiums that are included in the mail package are called front-end premiums. Premiums that the donor must request ar...

Successful Non-for-Profit Fundraising Letters Share Eight Qualities
Youll be encouraged to know that the art of writing effective fundraising letters can be learned. I learned it. So can you.Successful fundraising letters share a number of things in common. Once you know what these things are, your letter is already half-way written. Before I share what they are, let me explain what I mean by a successful or effect...

The Fundraising Letter PS: 25 Powerful Things To Say There (Includes Examples & Samples)
Donors read postscripts. This is a sad but important reality in fundraising. Sad because the PS is stupid and belongs in another millennium. In this age of word processors, no one needs to add a PS anymore. But important because a donor reading a PS is a donor looking for information. And thats your opportunity.According to direct mail consultant A...

Why Donor Acquisition Fundraising Letters Are Longer Than Donation Request Letters Mailed to Donors
Should you mail a one-page letter or a two-page letter? Neither. Mail a four-page letter.Im talking about donor acquisition letters. The ones you mail to strangers, asking them to send you a gift. The most successful acquisition letters are longer than your typical renewal letter. Heres why.Renewal letters, by definition, ask current donors to rene...

Improve Your Donation Thank-You Letters, Cards, and Notes: Make Your Donor The Hero
One temptation in writing fundraising thank-you letters is to make your organization the star of the letter. You feel pressure to tell your donors how terrific you are, how cost-effective you are or how broke you are. You are tempted to brag about your achievements, your success, your volunteers, your new board member and more. You need to resis...

Fundraising Renewal Letters: Four Goals to Strive For With Each One You Write
In the fundraising profession, appeal letters that you mail to existing donors are called renewal letters. They are designed to solicit a gift, but, more important than that, they aim to persuade your current donors to renew their support of your organization. Donors renew their support with their cash, of course, but they also renew it with their ...

Donor Newsletters Boost Direct Mail Donations Without Asking For Donations
I have a client whose direct mail fundraising program is in trouble. I think you can profit from his predicament. I know he is going to.The development officers at his non-profit organization are doing plenty of things right. They attract new supporters by mailing donor acquisition packages a couple of times a year. They solicit gifts from their ex...

Let me first start by telling you what MLM nowadays is not all about. It is not about grabbing everyone you meet or walk past and saying Hey, I have a great opportunity for you. It is not about trying to sign up every person you meet into your business. It is not about three way calls with you and you prospect and you sponsor. It is not about going to peoples home and putting on a company presentation. MLM nowadays is a lot different and anyone who thinks it encompasses the above will sadly miss the boat.

There are literally thousands and thousands of MLM opportunities out there, some good, some not so good but the ones that survive and thrive are the ones that are embracing the New Face of MLM. What is this new face of MLM I am sure you are asking. Well it is embracing technology in an ever increasing sphere. This technology primarily focuses on the Internet.

The good MLMs will have at a bare minimum the following characteristics. An automated lead capture page. This will capture your prospects information so you can follow up with them about your particular opportunity. An autoresponder that will send out a series of emails to your prospect about the opportunity and why it is going to be life changing for them ( and yes, I say life changing because if the opportunity is not going to be life changing then people will not join ). An automated presentation about the company and the products and how your prospect will benefit from either using the products or joining the company. Once your prospect joins, your MLM should have an automated system to train the now new recruit on how the business works and how to be successful with it. If your MLM has all of these features you are going to be getting involved with a company that is part of the New Face of MLM. This by no means guarantees your success but it does in so many ways assist you in your marketing.

The greatest problem with the New Face of MLM is the lack of personal contact. The process described above is great but you will notice in the whole thing there is no personal contact whatsoever. This is not good. Only the really really new people in MLM will not realize all their followup and training is coming from an autoresponder. Other people who have been looking at other opportunities ( maybe not even MLM ) will realize this is all being initiated by an autoresponder and will be longing for the personal touch. This is vitally important and has to be done to be successful. Now, Im not saying that you have to pick up the phone and call everyone of your prospects and recruits, far from it, what I am saying is that you need to connect with them on a more personal level. This can simply be an email to start with saying Gday, just wanted to let you know I am are real person and this is a real business, here, look at my photo of me having fun with my kids. You know, something about you. This really works and will make the whole opportunity to your prospect real.

If you want to take a look at an MLM that not only has great
products but also has a compensation plan that will reward
the passive member where all the advertising and recruitment
is done for you at no cost, please go to http://darrenneff.com
$1336.00 per month for doing nothing.

Goji Juice Distribution
The biggest "feel-good" marketing opportunity that I have come across in a long time comes from a veteran supplement and vitamin manufacturer and distributor. They not so many years ago discovered the benefits of the much cherished goji berry. After rigorous testing and product trials, they found a way to process these little berries into a delicio...

What is Network Marketing?
If you Google search the definition of network marketing here is what comes up in the number one spot.Network marketing, or multi level marketing, or mlm as it is known, is a business in which a distributor network is used to build the business. Usually such businesses are also MLM in nature in that payouts also occur at more than one level.Network...

Test Marketing–How to Increase Your Direct Mail Marketing Response by Using the Internet to Test
Ive discovered a really fantastic way to discover what works best in direct marketing, BEFORE doing traditional direct marketing. Use these internet tools to find what works best, then apply what youve learned to your traditional direct marketing, direct mail, etc. Its fast and less expensive.How to Find What Works in Your Marketplace?Overture prov...

Direct Marketing For Results
Direct marketing is, perhaps, one of the most important aspects of running any business where goods or services are being sold. If you are offering products or services, you want to see results. If done correctly, direct marketing will help you achieve that goal.When you implement direct marketing, you are directly communicating with carefully ta...

Direct Marketing VS No Marketing
Many small businesses do no marketing at all and that is unfortunate because they should at least do the minimum for instance hiring a company that does direct marketing by mail and sends out those packages of coupons and advertisements to potential customers in areas you know to have your highest level of clientele. How much does it cost?You migh...

The Pros And Cons Of Outsourcing Marketing Function For Small Business Owners
Marketing outsourcing is a growing trend in most companies. Companies spend a major part of their funds on promotion and research. Some experts feel that outsourcing marketing to other companies can damage the marketing projects of the business. This article discusses some of the disadvantages of outsourcing marketing.Marketing is today much more c...

Why Use Direct Marketing for Your Marketing Campaign?
Well, the good news is, you now have the opportunity to plan a really great marketing campaign. The bad news is, your boss actually expects to see results!Lets take a look at your budget. You have $20,000 to spend? Thats a big budget! Really cool! Now lets see what kind of campaign we can come up with. To start, we need a really great Creative Conc...

With the explosion of the Internet coupled with the rising cost of postage many businesses simply no longer use direct mail as part of their marketing. If youre just marketing online you are missing a wealth of opportunities off-line.

Direct mail gives you the opportunity to talk directly to hundreds, thousands, and even millions of potential customers. A letter is like a dialogue between you and your prospective customer. It is a communication, one person talking to another. A letter is an opportunity to make the most compelling case on how your product or service will benefit the recipient.

With direct mail you have an advantage over almost every other marketing or advertising form. No one will know the size of your staff or the capital of your company; with direct mail you are playing on a level field. The better you are at utilizing direct mail, the more successful your business will be.

When you write your letter it has to be about the person youre sending it to, the recipient, and his or her interests, not about you and your interests. It needs to focus on the benefits and results the recipient will receive from using your product or service and not about the features.

Always keep in mind when youre writing a letter that youre not selling an abstract product or service. Youre selling the dynamic change that a product or service makes in someones life. You need to develop a desire on the part of the recipient to want the benefit that your product or service offers them.

The easiest way to get ready to write a great sales letter is to sit down with someone you are comfortable with and have a conversation with them. Tell them all the different ways your product or service can benefit their lives. Describe the benefits in terms of dollar savings and qualitative improvement in their life. Tell stories about other people and how their lives were improved by using your products or services.

Talk about the rapid dramatic and tangible changes that will occur in a prospects life once he or she is using your product or service. Tell the other person about the improvements and the savings theyll see in time, money, or emotion. Help them see and think about what those improvements will be.

Then, show them how they can use your product or service without taking any risk. Its always a good idea to rehearse what you want to say before you actually write it. Sit down with a friend or family member, and tell them all the good things about your product or service. Doing this, will get you ready to put the same thoughts on paper. People need, want, and appreciate guidance. Your letter needs to tell them what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.

There are other effective things you can add to a direct-mail presentation. For example, you could enclose a product catalog, a brochure, or a summary of all the benefits that the recipient will receive from you product or service.

Performance-based testimonials from your customers can be a potent addition to your letter. Make sure your testimonials really quantify the benefit. For example, dont have the testimonial say, The product was really great. I highly recommend it. Instead, it should say, This product, saved me $100 a month on my heating bill, and now my house is perfectly climate-controlled. General and vague testimonials are worthless in selling.

In addition, its good to include whats called a lift note. A lift note is a separate little note from the writer, or from some other influential person referred to in the letter or in the accompanying sales material, that restates a key point of your offer in a very simple but motivating way.

There should also be a personal P.S. at the end of each of your sales letters. The P.S. should summarize your offer and underscore one more benefit that was not mentioned in the letter. Many people have a tendency to read letters backwards. A strong P.S. will get the reader motivated to go back and read the letter completely.

Studies show that next to the headline and the offer the P.S. is the part of the letter that is the read the most. Sometimes thats all people remember about the letter. Always include a P.S.

The envelope is a very important part of the direct mail package. It can be very businesslike, with just a name, address, city, state; or it can be more personal with a personalized-looking message on the outside envelope.

Another effective way to use your envelope is to have the benefits of your product or service on the envelope. If you are mailing to a specified audience, put some copy on the outside of the envelope that promises a benefit that you know theyre interested in.

For example, if you are sending a letter about a tennis product to tennis enthusiasts, then the outside of the envelope could say, Inside: A simple process that will improve your tennis game by 20% and move you from a B to an A player in 3 easy steps, guaranteed!

Direct mail is your friend. It gives you a way to communicate directly and expansively with your best target prospects. It will take you into homes on any day of the week. You can make every case necessary when you send direct mail to your prospects. You can say things you wouldnt have time to say in a phone call.

A sales letter can get you by defensive secretaries. It can help you get into the prospects mind. You cant do that as well with display advertising or email marketing.

You have many marketing techniques available to you. Internet and email marketing are very powerful. But, mail delivered by a U.S Postal Service carrier is still one of the best and most effective ways to personalize your message and get it out to your prospective audience.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many of Americas largest corporations, on the subjects of leadership, self-esteem, goals, achievement, and success psychology.

Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com

Read more articles and newsletters at: http://www.jlmandassociates.com

Direct Mail
Increase your companys market reach through direct mail advertising. Send the right people the appropriate brochures, newsletters, and flyers about your company or product launches and see how this kind of mileage can increase your sales and customer recall.Direct mail is a traditional way of communicating with customers or clients. But nowadays, y...

Direct Marketing for Non-Profit Groups Considered
If you run a non-profit business then perhaps you should try direct marketing and direct-mail to get volunteers and increase donations to your non-profit. Direct-mail and direct marketing does not just work for businesses, as it is a way to catch people in their homes who read direct-mail and direct marketing packages.Some people think that direct...

Direct Mail Marketing and Direct Mail Strategies for Local Toy Stores
Local small business toy stores are under fire these days due to the ramp up of the number of toy isles in large box type stores. But that does not mean they should throw in the towel by any means. Referrals and word-of-mouth advertising can keep a small local toy store going. But to get that word-of-mouth you need a strong base of customers.Indeed...

Direct Mail Marketing to Shape Public Opinion
Direct-mail marketing works for so many things and it works in nearly all types of businesses. Targeted direct-mail advertising works the best for retailers who pick a specific zip code or zone where they believe their customers to be. Generally they will send out direct-mail marketing pieces within a 10-mile or 15-mile radius of their retail est...

Direct Mail Marketing to Get a Job
Can you use direct mail marketing to get a job? Well consider if your will that most people already do, because they mail out their resumes to Corporations where they are interested in applying too right? Sure, also solo-professionals, consultants, small business people and even contractors also mail our coupons for free estimates, consultations an...

Direct Mail Postcards
Direct mail postcards are one of the most economical print communications media available on the market. It is a cost-effective marketing and advertising tool.Customers do not need to invest in envelopes or labels with direct mail postcards. All printing and addressing can be done by a single agency, which will carry the postcard through the postal...

Direct Mail Services
Running an advertising campaign can take much of your time, effort, and money. And if you are using direct mail marketing or advertising as a medium, you are bound to worry about many things like logistics, addresses, and the mailing system.Just generating a mailing list can be tedious and time-consuming. But with an agency to help you, you can sit...

You are ready to get out of the corporate world; you are ready to make that much needed move. Working for someone else is not always what it is cracked up to be, and you need a major change. Working for yourself can be rewarding and something that you might even be good at. However, you need to know where to start.

Blog marketing is a wonderful to get started with working for yourself. There is no risk involved other than time, and it cost nothing to get started. This makes it something that almost anyone can do and start. However, you will need to be motivated in order to make it work, and also someone that does not need a boss breathing down their back to get things done and done on time.

With the internet being something that everyone in the world has access to, it is no wonder that everyone is starting a blog and making money with it. However, you have to be aware of the scams that are out there and the people that will take your money from you and give you nothing in return. These people are the ones that will tell you that you are getting a great deal, and just what you need, and will in return give you nothing for the money that you give them.

With all of the scams and scammers that are known of in the in internet marketing world, you have to watch your back when you are blog marketing as well. Knowing how to spot the scams will help you immensely, and let you get the most for your money and not be scammed.

Because the internet is constantly changing, you have to keep up with the changes, as well as the scams. Someone that has a website can simply change the URL and face of the site in a matter of hours, and be back on the scamming end of things again. Trying to take money from those that do not know better is what scammers do, and you want to avoid them if at all possible.

The best way to keep from getting caught into a blog marketing scam is to follow someone that has been there and done that. Anyone that is successful as a blog marketer can give you tips and mentor you along the way. Find someone that you trust that is willing to take your hand and lead the way. All you need is to be shown once and you will know the direction to take your other blogs if you plan to have more than one.

Blog marketing has scams in that market and field just like all of the others. Know who you are doing business with and what is involved. Ask for references and if in doubt, never do business with someone that just does not seem to have all of their ducks in a row. That is a great way to avoid getting scammed and losing your hard earned money to someone that has no conscious. Ask your blogging friends for recommendations and use the people as well as services that they trust.

You can protect your self from blog marketing scams if you know how. Research everything that you can about any company, or new service that you are interested in. Doing might prevent you from giving your heard earned money away to someone that is up to no good. You are going to find that when questioned, most scammers are quite defensive, so take that into consideration as well. You can avoid blog marketing scams if you research and check out anyone that you are thinking of giving a try before you use them. You will be glad that you did in the long run, and it will end up saving you time and money from back tracking and fixing their scamming mistakes.

Dr. Charles Baldwin is a freelance copywriter living in Ireland. He has over 30 websites and blogs and specializes in direct marketing and internet marketing.

http://www.irishcopywriters.com
http://www.baldwin-webpromotions.com
http://www.yourmarketingsolutionblog.com

What is Network Marketing?
If you Google search the definition of network marketing here is what comes up in the number one spot.Network marketing, or multi level marketing, or mlm as it is known, is a business in which a distributor network is used to build the business. Usually such businesses are also MLM in nature in that payouts also occur at more than one level.Network...

3 Tips Why You Really Need Marl The Stock Trading Robot
I entered in the stock world around 2002 and only recently have I seen some really cash flow entering on my bank account.Like everyone else I did all the newbie mistakes, which went from taking bad advice from people pretending to be "stock gurus" to buying tons of books regarding this subject. I lost ~$2000 during those dark times.But you won't co...

Avoiding Credit Card Scams
If you are a first time credit card user or have had credit cards for years, it is important to know about possible scams that you can be exposed to. Although many credit card companies are perfectly honest, there are also many dishonest ones who want to rip you off. If you are unaware of the ways in which you can be conned or misled then you could...

Why Use Direct Marketing for Your Marketing Campaign?
Well, the good news is, you now have the opportunity to plan a really great marketing campaign. The bad news is, your boss actually expects to see results!Lets take a look at your budget. You have $20,000 to spend? Thats a big budget! Really cool! Now lets see what kind of campaign we can come up with. To start, we need a really great Creative Conc...

Stock Trading Robot Scams - Doubling Your Stocks? Yeah Right!
You've heard the stories... "two geeks create revolutionary stock trading system" or "former investment banker makes millions off legal investing program." Folks, the stock trading robot programs lurking on the internet are the biggest scams in the industry. These websites typically rely on the whole "white lie" advertising schemes to have you thin...

True Facts About Debt Consolidation!
Debt Consolidation can really solve debt problems provided that certain variables allow it. Not all debt can be consolidated and some debt, though it can actually be consolidated, is sometimes best to be left alone. Here are some true facts about the debt consolidation process. Debt Reduction Is Not Always 65% or More It is true that some people ca...

Direct Marketing VS No Marketing
Many small businesses do no marketing at all and that is unfortunate because they should at least do the minimum for instance hiring a company that does direct marketing by mail and sends out those packages of coupons and advertisements to potential customers in areas you know to have your highest level of clientele. How much does it cost?You migh...

The success of your next lead generation mailing
might depend on one simple question. Before you
rent a list of potential customers, ask the list broker
this straightforward question: How often are the
names on this list added to?

Dont simply ask how often the list is updated. The list
might have been updated yesterday but might not
contain any more names than it did eight years
ago.

An update to a list might be nothing more than making
sure the names and addresses are accurate, or that
each record has a phone number. But thats not as
important to you as a fresh list.

Where direct mail lists are concerned, you obviously
want accuracy. You dont want to mail to people who
have moved. You dont want to mail the same piece of
mail to the same person twice because the person is
in your database twice.

But an updated list is not the same as a list that has
been added to. So make sure you ask your list broker
how often the list in question has new names added
to it.

An updated list is clean. But a list with new names is
fresh. You want a list that is both clean and fresh. You
want a list that has plenty of new names on it.

Ideally, you want a list that is updated often and added
to often. That way, your direct mail offer reaches the
most prospects, since less of your mail will be
returned to you as undeliverable. And your package
reaches more potential buyers, because more people
on the list will be receiving your offer for the first time
(assuming you have mailed to the same list
before).

—-
About the author
Alan Sharpe is a direct mail copywriter who helps business owners and marketing managers generate leads, close sales and retain customers using direct mail and email marketing. Learn more about his creative direct mail writing services and sign up for free weekly tips like this at http://www.sharpecopy.com

2007 Sharpe Copy Inc. You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the “About the author” message).

Small Business Mailing Lists
Small business mailing lists are helpful for small to medium sized business who want to increase their customer base via direct mail. This method is like firing a shotgun into the water and hoping to hit some fish; most pellets will miss, but some will strike. For most small businesses, direct mail marketing campaigns are the most cost-effective wa...

Business To Business Mailing Lists
The most crucial factor for the success of a companys direct mail campaign is the quality of its business-to-business mailing (B2B) lists. Targeted direct marketing fetches the best responses. Targets for B2B lists are constantly in a flux, however, with businesses constantly opening, closing, and relocating. Inaccurate lists or lists that contain ...

The Importance of the Mailing List
Many marketers spend a lot of time and money in the production of the mail piece itself and the actual mailing of the piece. You can have a great product and an attractive mail piece, but if you do not have the proper target market all of your efforts have gone to waste.The mailing list is a key component in any direct marketing campaign. You shoul...

Direct Mail Marketing to Shape Public Opinion
Direct-mail marketing works for so many things and it works in nearly all types of businesses. Targeted direct-mail advertising works the best for retailers who pick a specific zip code or zone where they believe their customers to be. Generally they will send out direct-mail marketing pieces within a 10-mile or 15-mile radius of their retail est...

Direct Mail
Increase your companys market reach through direct mail advertising. Send the right people the appropriate brochures, newsletters, and flyers about your company or product launches and see how this kind of mileage can increase your sales and customer recall.Direct mail is a traditional way of communicating with customers or clients. But nowadays, y...

Direct Marketing for Non-Profit Groups Considered
If you run a non-profit business then perhaps you should try direct marketing and direct-mail to get volunteers and increase donations to your non-profit. Direct-mail and direct marketing does not just work for businesses, as it is a way to catch people in their homes who read direct-mail and direct marketing packages.Some people think that direct...

Direct Mail Postcards
Direct mail postcards are one of the most economical print communications media available on the market. It is a cost-effective marketing and advertising tool.Customers do not need to invest in envelopes or labels with direct mail postcards. All printing and addressing can be done by a single agency, which will carry the postcard through the postal...

Many small businesses do no marketing at all and that is unfortunate because they should at least do the minimum for instance hiring a company that does direct marketing by mail and sends out those packages of coupons and advertisements to potential customers in areas you know to have your highest level of clientele. How much does it cost?

You might be surprised that direct marketing by mail costs very little considering the number of customers who will come in. That is if you have designed your ad correctly and give them compelling reason to come in and buy from you.

Certain types of companies like video store rentals, dog grooming, haircut places and car washes do extremely well in these types of direct mail advertising pieces. But you would be surprised that professionals such as lawyers, doctors and dentists also do quite well in direct marketing mailings.

Before you choose to save your money and do no marketing at all, you should do the bare minimum and that is a one line listing in the Yellow Pages and a little bit of direct mail marketing to promote your business. If you do not tell customers what you have the offer then you cannot expect them to stop in and buy something from you. Please consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/. Lance is a guest writer for Our Spokane Magazine in Spokane, Washington

Direct Marketing for Non-Profit Groups Considered
If you run a non-profit business then perhaps you should try direct marketing and direct-mail to get volunteers and increase donations to your non-profit. Direct-mail and direct marketing does not just work for businesses, as it is a way to catch people in their homes who read direct-mail and direct marketing packages.Some people think that direct...

Direct Mail Marketing to Shape Public Opinion
Direct-mail marketing works for so many things and it works in nearly all types of businesses. Targeted direct-mail advertising works the best for retailers who pick a specific zip code or zone where they believe their customers to be. Generally they will send out direct-mail marketing pieces within a 10-mile or 15-mile radius of their retail est...

Direct Mail Marketing and Direct Mail Strategies for Local Toy Stores
Local small business toy stores are under fire these days due to the ramp up of the number of toy isles in large box type stores. But that does not mean they should throw in the towel by any means. Referrals and word-of-mouth advertising can keep a small local toy store going. But to get that word-of-mouth you need a strong base of customers.Indeed...

An Introduction to Direct Mail Marketing
Direct mail marketing is now being used by many large retailers like Macys or Wal-Mart in order to reach their customers. These businesses often send out sales flyers that highlight what will be on sale in their store that week. Retailers also send them out if they have special sales.You may not think that using the mail is the way to go if you own...

Direct Mail Marketing to Get a Job
Can you use direct mail marketing to get a job? Well consider if your will that most people already do, because they mail out their resumes to Corporations where they are interested in applying too right? Sure, also solo-professionals, consultants, small business people and even contractors also mail our coupons for free estimates, consultations an...

Direct Mail Marketing to Target Teens
For those businesses which generally sell to teens direct mail marketing advertising actually works quite well. For instance if you sell skateboards, Mp3 players, music CDs, video games or teen clothing you will be surprised how much bang for your buck you can get by using direct mail marketing and it does not take much to get their attention.The o...

Direct Marketing Strategies for Clothing Stores Considered
Clothing Stores have a tough go of it these days due to the heavy discounting on clothes from retailers who sell Chinese goods and clothes. It is not easy to attempt to sell clothes for 5 to 10 times the price especially to the average American who simply is looking for a nice shirt to wear. Once it is nice enough it satisfies that need.Nevertheles...

Can you use direct mail marketing to get a job? Well consider if your will that most people already do, because they mail out their resumes to Corporations where they are interested in applying too right? Sure, also solo-professionals, consultants, small business people and even contractors also mail our coupons for free estimates, consultations and introductory offers to get jobs also.

Well what if you used this technique to get a job using direct mail marketing coupon packages? Sounds funny right? Well if you think about it; it isnt really as we know politicians tell us of their credentials in these direct mail marketing pieces and some innovative people have used them to get dates and meet the perfect mate.

So does direct mail marketing to get a job work? Indeed, it has for many and it was tried by a ground of students looking to get hired in Silicon Valley and each one got a job right out of school at a 15% higher salary than the graduating class averages. Pretty cool right?

Yes, and because it is not done very much if these direct mail marketing packages are sent out to the higher end neighborhoods, many of those people own businesses right? Makes a lot of sense and apparently in the case test study it had worked for some students who tried it. Just a thought.