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In this issue:
• Marketing Article: Postcard Power! How To Instantly Generate More Business With Powerful & Inexpensive Postcards
• Marketing Article: 10 Essential Tips to Ensure Your Press Release Drives Traffic to Your Website.

Associations and non-profit groups are a powerful resource for building and expanding networking and business opportunities, finding jobs, evaluating goods and services, and industry publications.

Our database puts you in direct contact with these organizations.

Postcards can be valuable marketing tools for any business. Here are a few ideas that will help you get the most from your own postcard marketing campaign.

The magic of these eye-catchers is that they deliver short, concise messages in the minimum amount of time - perfect for the "time-poor" society we live in today. They get the important information across rapidly, with a quick and easy flip of the wrist.

You can take your idea from concept to distribution within just days. Since they can be produced in any quantity to suit any budget, postcards are great for businesses of all sizes. You could save a bundle on your marketing expenses by utilizing these simple two-sided pieces, instead of other more costly tools.

Currently -- at least in the U.S. -- postage costs are considerably lower for postcards vs. first-class mail. Unfortunately, this advantage is not available to marketers in other countries such as Canada. Full rates apply. Even still... these attention-grabbers offer tremendous marketing opportunities to entrepreneurs and small business owners -- at any rate.

Postcards are most effective and profitable when used to:

generate new leads
follow-up with prospects as part of a campaign
make an announcement to your existing mailing list
thank customers for their patronage and invite them back with a special offer
draw traffic to your web site

The key to success is to deliver instant impact. You've got to make your piece command immediate attention in your prospect's crowded mailbox. Catch the eye... pique curiosity... and unload your magnetic marketing message as quickly as possible.

Every card has two sides -- a front and back. Use the front side as leverage with maximum appeal to compel your prospect to flip the card over and get the full impact of your complete message.

Use the back of the card to unveil all the key benefits of your product or service... provide an strong offer to trigger action... and list prominently your contact information. You've got to make it lightening quick and unquestionably easy to respond. Eliminate any obstacles that might be in the way to getting the results you want.

As with any type of advertising, be sure to include a powerful headline. Your headline is key. It's the most important part of your postcard and should be featured prominently on the front side.

When you're sure you've got a headline that works, try enhancing it visually to make it figuratively jump off the card. One method is to use reverse-type (white text on a dark-colored background). Always use a larger font size, preferably in a bold typeface. Make it clear and unmistakable... so prospects are sure to understand the message.

Consider employing graphic options such as cartoons only if they assist you in getting your message across. Use topnotch color photographs (like popular tourist postcards) when you can clearly tie the visual to the message in your headline.

The text of your postcard should be benefit-laden. Communicate to your prospect in clear, vivid detail all the advantages that s/he will enjoy by taking advantage of your offer TODAY. Stress the unique benefits unavailable elsewhere. Include a few testimonials -- even if you have to shoehorn them in. Actually, this can be extremely effective as the eye is naturally drawn to anything on the page that is a little out of the ordinary.

Testimonials act as proof of your claims and help build your credibility as a reliable supplier. They also help overcome the fear many people have in trusting a vendor they haven't done business with before.

One absolutely essential ingredient of successful postcards is the offer. It must be promising and compelling. Give the reader an incentive to act now. Be clear and specific. Make responding a simple, one-step process.

If your postcard is sent as a "thank-you" to new customers after their first purchase, entice them back with a 17% discount on the next. This approach transforms your postcard into a valuable coupon that's worth something in terms of redeemable value. Since recipients have already bought from you, most would be happy to do it again at a substantial discount.
The mission of your postcard is to inspire a positive response. Always keep that objective clear in your mind as you plan your strategy.

To maximize results, craft a targeted message and make it easy for recipients to take action. This means providing clearly legible contact information -- whether it's a telephone number, fax, mailing address, or web site. Keep in mind that everyone has a preferred method -- people like to respond in different ways.

Providing various response options eliminates another cause of inaction. The more of these objections you address, the more likely it is your postcard campaign will be a rousing success!

Interested in lauching your own profitable postcard campaign? Drop me a line right this minute and I'll help you get the results you want -- guaranteed!

More resources at www.makeyoursalessoar.com

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Robert Boduch is an author of dozens of best-selling books, reports and articles on the art and science of selling. A free newsletter targeted at anyone interested in selling more of anything is available at www.makeyoursalessoar.com

If you are aiming to increase your sales, expose your business and increase traffic to your website, a well-written press release can help you achieve that.

What is a press release? A press release is a condensed article that is written in a journalistic style. It is not a sales document or an advertisement.

What is the purpose of a press release? Press releases provide the publicity and traffic any online business needs. A well-prepared press release focuses on what is newsworthy and exciting about your company or product. The main objective in writing an effective press release is to get it read and published. Consequently, the press release must be written in a crisp, clear and engaging style.

Now, let's look at the critical things to consider in order to write an effective press release that will help you get free publicity and drive traffic to your online business.

- Is your news 'news-worthy'? Do you have something news-worthy to write about your company or product? Your press release must be informative on the '5 Ws' of your organization, program, product or service - providing answers for the questions: who, what, where, when and why. Put yourself in your audience's shoes - will someone else find your story interesting?

- Have a strong and captivating introduction. The heading of the press release should capture the attention of the journalist and the media. The title of the press release should be short and snappy, and hopefully grab the attention of the journalist and audience, impressing them enough to make them read on.

- Target your audience. In order to be effective, your press release must target a specific audience. Provide the audience with the information that is intended for them and tell them why they should continue to read it. The more focused and targeted your press release is, the more effective it is.

- Be factual and provide the facts about your news. Avoid making fluffy and exaggerated statements. 'Too good to be true' statements in your news reduces your credibility. Avoid hype and jargon, provide the facts in plain and ordinary language. Additionally, avoid using the exclamation point (!) where it is not necessary. If you must use an exclamation point, use one. Avoid doing this!!!

- Be economic with your words . Use only enough words to tell your story. Avoid using unnecessary adjectives, flowery language, or redundant expressions. Keep your news release concise and make each word count.

- Provide some illustrations. It is important to use some real life examples about how your company or organization solved a problem. This helps increase the credibility of your news release. Provide examples of how your service or product fulfills needs or satisfies desires. What benefits can be expected or what remarkable benefit did one get from using your product?

- Select an interesting angle. It is important to make your press release timely, and relate it to a news-worthy development or event. If possible, try to link your news to current events or social issues, to ensure that your release has a 'good news' element.

- Keep your release simple and short. Press releases are not meant to tell the whole story behind your news. They are meant to give the journalist an idea of what's happening in your business that readers need to know about.

- Provide your contact information. Provide full contact information with your press release, namely a contact name, address, web site address and e-mail address.

- Decide where and how to send your press release. Compile a list of the media in the geographic range you want to cover. Your choice will depend on the resources of the organization, time frame of the news item and the segment under which your press release falls.

Press releases have several advantages, namely, they are low cost, they increase visibility for your company, they provide added credibility for your organization and most importantly they provide free publicity which can easily convert to more sales. Use these tips and tap on the potential for news releases to give your online business a dramatic boost through increased exposure, traffic and sales.

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