Associations and non-profits are a powerful resource for building and expanding networking and business opportunities. Associations hold conventions, print reports and literature, promote their cause, and use your services!

The Directory of Associations is a comprehensive source of information on associations and professional societies including business and trade associations, 501c non-profit organizations, chambers of commerce, and other charity and community associations.

Available on CD-ROM, in print, and on mailing labels -- or search online and download results using our powerful search interface.

For more information or to order, call 800-575-5369 or go to http://www.marketingsource.com/associations.

Last issue's story about finding mailing lists drew quite a response.

Among other things, I said:

"...you may be targeting a certain industry. Just about every industry under the sun has a trade directory. For example, if you were seeking clients in the bicycle industry, you'd want to get a copy of the Interbike Directory."

Responding to that passage, Willie the Auctioneer said:

"It's a good idea—but check the fine print. I'm an auctioneer, and our directory specifically forbids using the directory as a mailing list. The directory is seeded with some fake names so misuse can be detected and proven. However, the list is available for single use rental, subject to approval. (We don't want to be responsible for inappropriate mail going to members.)"

Then Fortune McLemore weighed in with some more "Fortune-ate Tips." Here's Fortune:

"I'm making a mailing list from membership directories of local and regional Chambers of Commerce.

"Can you say 'instant mailing list'? Chambers of Commerce have nearly every kind of business that I'd want to target, like restaurants, bookstores, gift shops, office supply stores, etc. Go to the web site of the Chamber of Commerce group you want to reach, or contact them for their membership directory, filter out the businesses you want, and make your database from it.

"That's how I did it last fall—remember the '80 businesses for $64.00' that I reached? That was from the Greater Silver Spring Chamber of Commerce membership directory. I could target Chamber of Commerce members and have a great business."

Fortune continues, "It's also 'easier' in general to target a group like this. It's large enough to get every kind of business you want, but 'narrow' enough not to waste time targeting everybody under the sun. "You're also assured that these are established businesses, and not fly-by-nights. It also helps if you're planning to join, which I plan to this year. Also, when you go to their events, like Business After Hours, which anyone can go to, and you collect business cards, put those in your database.

"A friend also suggested targeting Better Business Bureau members. I haven't looked into that yet, but I will."

I asked Fortune about the issue that Willie the Auctioneer raised, and she said that the Greater Silver Spring Chamber doesn't care what you do with the information once you get the directory. She added, "They want you to join, so giving away the directory and letting you use it however you want is one way of promoting themselves."

In addition to your local Chamber of Commerce, the library can also help you in your mailing list hunt. Here in Tucson, our public library offers downloadable lists that come from the city's business license listings. Learn more at: http://www.lib.ci.tucson.az.us/business/licenseinfo1.htm

If you'd like some more "build it yourself" mailing list tips, check out the Postcard Marketing Secrets downloadable manual! It will show you how to build—and maintain—your mailing list.

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Martha Retallick, "The Passionate Postcarder," hails from Tucson, Arizona, USA. She is the author of Postcard Marketing Secrets, a downloadable PDF manual will show you how to put postcards to work for your business—profitably. Learn more about it at: http://www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com

Concept Marketing Group, Inc. introduces a postcard product offer that, unlike any other in the market, allows your business to conduct direct mail promotions as easy as 1-2-3 (Designed - Printed - Mailed). Reach 5,000 prospects or customers today for as little as $0.33 each, including postage costs!

Our services include:
• Business and Consumer Mailing and Phone Lists
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Call 800.575.5369 to learn more about our services and plan your direct mail campaign!

The internet has always being fuelled by an adrenaline rush of information. All this content means more traffic for webmasters and this is the lifeline of any website.

Many of the newbies that are being exposed to the internet on a daily basis have dreams of running a website and making it successful. For some, this is a grueling task and leaves them short-winded trying to do so.

There are numerous marketing techniques that can be used to generate traffic on a regular basis. Out of all of them I have tried, writing seems to work the best.

Writing articles for ezines, newsletters, websites and forums in addition to using other marketing strategies helps in keeping your website visible.

The internet has turned out to be a publisher's paradise. Never before has the chance to publish your ideas and insights been this easy. In some cases all it costs is some of your time.

You can write an article this morning and have it published in the evening. Not so with print publications, I doubt I would ever get published in one. And it is available to anyone for the taking.

As with most skills, it takes practice to produce the best results. When I look back at some of my earlier articles, I have to laugh. But it is all part of the learning process.

Writing was once a secret weapon for many marketers, but now it has been thrown in the open and is now being used by many people. It has work wonders for me since I started doing it. My articles have appeared in ezines, newsletters and on websites with varying degrees of success.

Today writing is the best traffic generating method for many webmasters. I was skeptical when I first heard about it but I tried it and it worked. Just think of having your weblink in your ezine and website and other publishers having it in theirs.

It may not be the rush hour traffic that you are seeking but it is certainly not a drive through the countryside.

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Nicholas Dixon is the editor and publisher of The Roc Newsletter. Visit our website http://WWW.Geocities.com/Oceanroc and subscribe to receive resources and articles to help you achieve success.