An Interesting Way to Build Your Email List

Look for partners to create online co-registration deals You’re following all of the instructions found on the Internet to build your online mailing list, but visitors are slow to subscribe. What’s a marketer to do? Perhaps co-registration is the answer.

I just read a fascinating feature in the April 28th edition of DMNews. Titled Build Your List with Co-Registration, four Email advisers/experts share their insights on how to collaborate with firms selling products or services within similar industries.

“If you sell gifts on your Web site, arrange co-registration with another gift-e-commerce store. I know a store owner who sells gourmet food online and has co-registration deals on sites where people give gifts such as flowers or travel.”

That quote is a great starting point to determine the best firms for your own Email list-building collaborations.

Here are more examples that may spark pairing options.

Podiatrist and shoe store

Wedding site and flower shop

Stationery store and graphic artist

Landscaper and interior designer or carpet cleaner

Why is co-registration becoming popular? One reason is that renting a mailing list may not prove fruitful. I’ve talked about mailing lists and how I’ve rented them, so far with no prospects or sales generated.

“Co-registration differs from buying a list because these names represent potential customers who have ‘raised a hand’ and said ‘I am interested in your product or service.’ “

There are many benefits to offering a subscription to your newsletter and other online communications through co-registration. Another alternative is to write a guest article for publication on the ancillary partner’s site, blog, or newsletter.

Have pen and paper handy before you begin reading the DMNews article. You’ll likely start recognizing which spaces on the Web offer you the most-promising co-registration opportunities.

Technorati Tags: solo business marketing, co-registration list building, small business marketing, DMNews

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April 30, 2008 | Filed Under Customer Connections, Email Marketing, Online Ideas | Leave a Comment

Show Directories are a Post-Event Resource

Yesterday, I found several companies I want to work with that provide unique services listed in a place that many marketers take for granted: an official show directory.

This makes me wonder — what do you do with show directories when the event is over? Do you:

Leave it in the hotel room as trash

Crumple it in your luggage and don’t unearth it until the next trip

Toss it in an office pile

Organize it on a shelf with other show directories

I once saw no value in these thick manuals, but now I appreciate the time and energy producers take to compile these valuable resources.

A long-time trade show speaker once told me that she keeps her show directories in order on one shelf in her office, discarding the old one after attending a newer show. Since then I’ve done the same.

I find many times that it’s much easier to review a past show’s roster than to search online for what I consider to be a needle in a haystack. Do you, as a solo marketer, have such time on your hands, or is treating show directories like treasured resources, a better option?

Technorati Tags: solo business marketing, official show directory, trade show directory, small business marketing, solo entrepreneur

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April 29, 2008 | Filed Under Conferences, Offline Ideas | Leave a Comment

Entrepreneur Magazine Schedules Free Seminars

Shirley George Frazier speaking at a Denver event This morning I received an Email from Entrepreneur.com about their upcoming Business Success Secrets breakfast seminars.

These events, to be held in eight cities in the U.S., are free of charge to attend. The New York event is scheduled for July 17. I was ready to commit to it but consulted my calendar first and see that I’ll be on a flight to Los Angeles that morning.

I encourage you to attend if available. My preparation schedule may help you to get the most from attending.

Make sure the information on my business cards is up to date

Write down two or three questions to ask the speaker

Arrive early to meet/speak with other entrepreneurs

You’ll find more upcoming events on this page.

Technorati Tags: solo business marketing, Entrepreneur.com, small business marketing

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April 28, 2008 | Filed Under Conferences, Networking | Leave a Comment

How Not to Market Like a Politician

Is there a time considered as best to begin marketing? I can think of a few:

Partnership with a new client

Launching an updated product

Grand opening at a new location

Contacting your customers because of a crisis won’t win you much sympathy, especially if you’ve never, in all your years of service, connected with them.

The councilman of my district has been in office for more than four years. The only time I’ve heard from him is - never - until yesterday.

A notice arrived from him by mail, not to update constituents about the district, but to launch a tirade about his opponent in the upcoming election. He not only misused paper during this Earth Day week, he seems to believe that this type of marketing campaign will win him votes.

For us, votes are a combination of customer loyalty, referral business, and sales. If you seek to win any of these, create, maintain, and monitor connections with customers a minimum of once a quarter. It will ensure that if you ever find yourself in a crisis, clients will not only sympathize, they’ll also act as your best cheerleaders.

Technorati Tags: solo business marketing, marketing campaigns, small business marketing, political marketing

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April 24, 2008 | Filed Under Customer Connections | Leave a Comment