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In this issue:
Marketing Article: 35 Quick Tips for Writing A Press Release
Marketing Article: Tracking Prospects with Customer Codes

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Layout
1. 1-2 pages in length.
2. Double-space.
3. 1.5 to 2 inch margins.
4. Use company stationary with logo and slogan.
5. Avoid bright or dark-colored paper.
6. Center "News Release" at top.
7. Place a "release date" under "News Release".
8. On second page, type "page 2".
9. Use company stationary with logo and slogan on page 2.
10. Leave out "release after" date on second page, all else should be the same.
11. At end of press release, type "-30-" or "# # #".
12. Include both black & white, color, and a variety of font sizes (but no more than four).

Format
13. Inverted pyramid (biggest point or major message first).
14. Straight to the point at the beginning.
15. First and second paragraphs devoted to your main message.
16. Secondary information comes AFTER main message.
17. No pussyfooting around, be clear up front, at the very beginning.
18. Don't go on and on.
19. In the third section, establish a connection with you.
20. Use a problem/solution format.
21. Comparing and contrasting ideas can be inside the problem/solution format.
22. Be careful of your facts, spelling and grammar
23. Only one news release per e-mail or envelope.

Information to Include
24. Newsworthy information, not sales copy
25. All the Who, What, When, Where, Why and How elements. Their order depends on level of importance.
26. Enticing headline which summarize the material/news.
27. Photos if available, or where they can be accessed in press section of your web site. No stock images.
28. No cover letter.

Distribution
29. Don't send press release out in a mass e-mailing
30. Don't pester contacts
31. Editors will not distribute anything sloppy, difficult to read, or understand.
32. Mail release by first class mail.
33. Don't use any type of labels, including your return address.
34. Add "PRESS RELEASE" and "Release Date:" on outside of envelope.
35. Places to send press releases: writers@[magazines]; writers@[newspapers]; trade journals in your industry; print magazines on the topic; online agencies that distribute news releases.

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Catherine Franz is a Marketing & Writing Coach, niches, product development, Internet marketing, nonfiction writing and training. Articles: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

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Tracking prospects with customer codes for postcard marketing is easy—and there are many advantages to it (even with lists of a few hundred). The key is consistency, and using only what you need. Pieces of information you can track include:

1. Origin of the prospect and the date acquired

2. Types of products/services purchased

3. Frequency of purchases

4. Date of last purchase

How do you do it? Start with a unique identifier. For mailing lists under 1,000 number your list from "001" to "999." Want to track where you found the customer? Use a letter code (e.g. "A" for "Association" or "JD" for "Jane Doe").

Need to record your first contact with the customer (i.e. a purchase or when you put them on the mailing list—whichever is earlier)? Use "1001" for 10/01(inserting days gets you "101601" for October 16, 2001). A letter code, such as "NC" (for new customer) before the date is perfect to help identify what the date means.

Record what they buy from you with a letter or number code ("P" product). Do you have regular purchasers among your customers? Use "We" for weekly, "BiM" for bi-monthly, "BiA" for biannually, etc.

The last time they bought something from you is another easy date—stick it on the end to remember what it stands for (i.e. the last info you have on them is their last purchase).

Do you put the customer tracking code on the postcard? That depends on your offer/system. Will you ever see/use that card again (i.e. does it get "redeemed," will you ever ask a prospect for the number, or will you use it to sort postcards by offer/customer segment before the mailing)? If you answer "yes" then definitely put it on the card. Even if you are unlikely to see the postcard again, you still may want to put it on just in case you get a "return to sender" from the post office.

Finally, keep a list of your customer codes and information on a neatly typed word processing document or (preferably) a spreadsheet—more technologically advanced mailers can take advantage of database/contact management software (like Access, ACT!, FileMaker or GoldMine).

Here's what a mailing label might look like for a customer (#367) acquired May 1998 ("NC0598") from a trade show ("TS"), who makes monthly purchases ("Mo") and last purchased my services July 2002 ("0702").

___________________________

367NC0598TSMo0702
Spencer I. Profitt, Mngr.
Always-On Apparel
2 Grace Court
Lincoln, NE 68508
___________________________

*NOTE* You can put the customer tracking number elsewhere on the label, but make sure it is distinct from the address information and, especially, the ZIP code.

Tracking codes have numerous uses in accounting, including making invoicing easier—you can use the entire code with the date of purchase as your invoice number. However, for accounts, make sure that you use the "root" (i.e. non-changing) portion of the customer tracking code.

If you already have account numbers/codes set up, then use them for the base of your customer code on mailings. The example above has the root portion of the code "367NC0598TS." Notice I put the non-changing portion of the code first—something that is highly recommended.

For mailings, tracking codes help produce more purchases at a lower cost, increasing your profits. These benefits come from:

Better Mailing Lists Identify sources that produce the best prospects (the ones who buy)—and get more leads from them! Eliminate prospects who never buy from you.

Targeting Offers Avoid pointless offers—track what your customer responds to—and give them more of the same! (You can also split your mailing list and test offers to see what works.) Know who to reward for frequent business. Know who to send "We've missed you" cards.

Profiling Customers Find the most profitable customer-types you have (e.g. monthly purchasers of "X" service)—and try to attract more prospects like them. Identify prospects for up-sells—if they share characteristics with more profitable customers, try to turn them into that type of purchaser.

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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