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In this issue:
Marketing Article: Marketing by Giving Away
Marketing Article: 10 Sizzling Ways To Ignite Your Profits

Meet the Deltiologists

I've identified a couple of deltiologists on my postcard mailing list. You probably have some deltiologists on your list as well.

Who are these people? They're postcard collectors! The official name for this hobby is deltiology, and people who take part in it are called deltiologists.

To learn more about this fascinating part of the postcard world, I recently attended a meeting of the Tucson Postcard Exchange Club. Learn more about the TPEC at:

http://iwhome.com/tpcec/

Many TPEC members brought their collections with them, and there was a lively marketplace for buying, selling and trading postcards before the meeting.

What types of cards do postcard collectors collect? Well, the answer to that question is: Just about any type! Among the TPEC crowd, there were collectors of postcards that feature:

Caves Cemeteries Clocks Military themes The Panama Canal Roadside motels and restaurants Ships Spiral staircases Steel mills Tigers The U.S. states of Tennessee and North Dakota

Freecards and Racking

I made a confession to the Tucson Postcard Exchange Club. Here it is: I don't collect postcards -- I give my cards away. And I shared some extras from my September postcard mailing at the TPEC meeting.

Turns out that there's a name for this sort of thing. In Europe, giveaway cards are called freecards. In the United States, they're called rackcards.

They tend to feature consumer products like athletic shoes, electronic devices and musical recordings, and events like concerts and movies. The card designs are quite striking, and the messages are unabashedly commercial. In short, free/rackcards are selling tools.

Are there people who collect these cards? You bet there are! In the United States, they're referred to as rackers, and when they go out collecting, that's called racking. Learn more at:

http://www.freecardworld.com/

One of the TPEC members recounted some of her adventures on the racking trail. She said she once went into a tatoo shop, only to be told that she couldn't have any of the rackcards unless she got a tatoo first. She didn't want one, so she left the shop without collecting any postcards. Oh, well...

On another racking excursion, she found a store with a great free postcard rack. In fact, it was so wonderful, that she loaned her camera one of the store's employees and asked that employee to take her picture. Turns out that the store had never gotten that sort of request before!

Marketing by Giving Away

As you can see from the preceding stories, postcards are powerful communication tools that can have a lasting impact on people. And, how about this, you don't even have to mail them!

Want to get YOUR postcards into those free/rackcard displays? That requires a little detective work.

First, you'll need to find out where the racks are. A deltiologically inclined friend would be a great ally. So, look up your local postcard collectors' club and find out who enjoys freecards and racking. Or visit the Freecard World website, and make inquiries among the people who listed their names and interests there.

Then you'll need to know who fills the racks. Chances are good that the establishments where the racks are don't do this. Rather, the rack is serviced by an outside company. So, if you're in a bakery with a freecard rack, ask the bakery manager for the name of the company that keeps that rack filled with cards.

Next, contact that company. Ask them what their service costs, how many postcards they need, what types of cards work best in their racks, and where their racks are.

If you'd like more great tips on how you can do postcard marketing by giving your cards away, check out the Postcard Marketing Secrets manual. Business communication expert Judy Vorfeld said:

"My colleague, Martha Retallick, just published a dandy new ebook on Postcarding. If you are interested in specializing in this area, do go to her site and review what her book offers. I learned from the many marketing tips, and found a wealth of resources." Read what others are saying at:

http://www.PostcardMarketingSecrets.com/testimonials.html

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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

1. Create a memorable logo and slogan to brand your business on the internet. When they see your slogan or logo it will remind them of your business.

2. Multiply your marketing all over the internet by creating free bonuses for other business' products. You just include your ad somewhere on the bonus.

3. Offer to buy advertising space inside electronic products like ebooks, software, subscription sites, etc. It will be cheaper than print insert ads.

4. Increase your sales by adjusting your product or service to attract other target audiences. This may mean redesigning or adding on to it.

5. Test the prices of your product or service. You may increase the perceived value by raising your price and a lower price may decrease your sales.

6. Use your product's features to support all of your benefits. Just because benefits are more important, don't forget to list the features.

7. Market yourself or business as an expert. Most people have been told throughout their life to trust and respect the authoritative figures in society.

8. Train yourself and your employees to be polite to all your customers, even if they're shouting Solve their problem quickly and it may even turn into a sale.

9. Give your visitors a good impression when they first visit your web site. Don't make the first thing they see at the top of your home page a banner ad.

10. Join online business associations. Most will give you a membership graphic to put on your web site which will give your business extra credibility.

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Rudy Cline publishes "Home Business Tips", a fresh and informative newsletter dedicated to supporting people like YOU! If you`re looking for the *best rated* home business opportunities from an honest friend in the business, come by and grab a F-R-E-E subscription today at: http://www.homeworkforyou.org