http://www.populate.net/ Articles at Populate.NET en-us http://www.populate.net/Marketing/Tools_and_Resources/how-to-buy-a-media-list-that-gets-you-your-products-and-your-services-in-front-of-the-right-people.html http://www.populate.net/Marketing/Tools_and_Resources/how-to-buy-a-media-list-that-gets-you-your-products-and-your-services-in-front-of-the-right-people.html Wed, 17 Jun 2009 13:24:28 -0700 Reporters are dying to quote entrepreneurs, small business owners and consultants just like you. The trouble is, they don't know you exist!

If only you can get your hands on a great media contact list, then you can get your name and credentials in front of reporters. This way they will contact you when they are writing a story that would be perfect for you.

So how can you get your hands on a great media list that's filled with information about reporter's who want to quote you in their articles?

Many companies sell names of reporters. Like everything else on the Internet, they vary by quality, features and services.

Before you buy a media list, be sure to ask questions like the ones below.

10 Questions You Must Ask When Buying a Media List So You Get the Most Bang (Publicity) for Your Buck

1. When was the list updated? Reporters change jobs quite frequently. And many newspapers and magazines are laying off people. So you want to make sure the list is updated on a daily or weekly basis. Otherwise, you'll waste time, money and energy sending messages to people who don't work there!

2. What contact information is included in the list? You'll want a list that has name, title, email, phone and snail mail address. Yes, snail mail. This way you can send books or product samples. You'll want email for sending pitches, press releases and press kits. You'll want the phone number to pitch by phone. Of course, you will have much of this information on your website, but you'll want to have every means available to contact reporters in the format they most desire. Reporters can be very, very picky!

3. What information is included about the reporter? Most basic lists you'll find on the Internet will have contact info, but not much else. That's not enough to do target marketing. You want to know what topic (referred to as a "beat") the reporter is covering as well. Some of the best companies offer additional insights into the beat. For example, some lists will tell you if reporter A only covers politics with a conservative slant. That will help you when you fine-tune your pitch to her.

4. Do you get a list that is sorted by the topic the reporter covers? Some list companies will sell you the entire database of each publication. That's way too broad for most people and will lead to a lot of waste. In other words, it's not enough to know that Jill writes for Business Week. You want to find the person who covers your topic. Because if Jill doesn't, she'll just throw away your message.

5. Does the list contain a reporter's personal information? Most lists don't have information such as "like to bowl," or "wrote a screenplay" or "recovered from cancer." But if the list has this information, you might gain extra insights into the reporter and you might be able to build rapport faster.

6. Does the list have the publication's URL? Let's face it, not everyone knows everything about every publication. Nor is every publication available at your local newsstand or library. However, if you have their URL, you can easily read about the publication, get its view on the world and read articles by that reporter. It's a great time saver.

7. Does the list have web-only publications, like websites and blogs? These outlets are beginning to play a much bigger role in telling stories to you audience. Don't overlook the online-only opportunities.

8. Does the list show circulation figures? Since you don't have all the money in the world to send out books or product samples, or even to call everyone on a good list, you must decide who is important. That's where the circulation figures come in to play. Start with the biggest and work your way down. If you don't have the circulation figures, you don't know who the big boys and girls are.

9. Is the list searchable and sortable? Look for a list that is delivered in a digital form, like a spreadsheet or a word document. That way you can use sorting and searching tools to find the best reporters.

10. What rights do you have to the list? Some companies give you one-time use of the list. They even "seed" the list with fake names so they can tell if you use the list more than once! Look for a company that gives you unlimited use of the list so you can get the most value for your investment.

If you follow these tips, you'll find a list of media contacts than can serve you well at a price you can afford.

]]> http://www.populate.net/Marketing/Tools_and_Resources/the-tools-you-need-to-build-a-successful-online-business.html http://www.populate.net/Marketing/Tools_and_Resources/the-tools-you-need-to-build-a-successful-online-business.html Tue, 20 May 2008 11:15:42 -0700
"One only needs two tools in life: WD-40 to make things go, and duct tape to make them stop." While these words, written by the timeless G. Weilacher, may apply to the rest of your life, you're going to need a little more than WD-40 and duct tape to build a successful online business! Yet many of the promoters on television and out on the web would have you believe precisely that-all you have to do is grease the wheels of your creativity and use a little duct tape to tape their business model in place and you'll be an instant millionaire.

What are the real tools you need to make an online business a success?(And can it really be done without duct tape?!?!) Keep on reading to see what you need to take your website from ordinary to extraordinary and build a real successful online business that will generate real revenue rather than false promises:

1) A good domain name. The last time you went to a party, did you remember the names of all the people you met the next morning? Not likely. Visitors to your website aren't going to remember the address to your site either, unless you choose an easy to remember domain name that will let them find you with a minimum of hassle. For example, if you're running an online business called, "Gotta love cats!" your domain name should be as close to www.gottalovecats.com as possible... www.glc12.rr.kitty.com is going to be a little too much for most people to remember!

2) A dependable website hosting service. You can't run any kind of successful online business if people can't get to your site, so a good, dependable web hosting service is essential. Period.

3) A squeeze page. Do you know what I would give for people to stop preaching about the wonders of squeeze pages? Squeeze pages are an outdated method of building your mailing list that has finally started to make its way to where it belongs-history. Customers who find themselves at a squeeze page aren't going to give you their contact information, they're going to go see what your competition has to offer. Just say no. Really.

4) A good mailing list. Of course, squeeze pages were created for a reason. A good mailing list is an essential component of any business, helping you to grow your customer base and encourage repeat visitors. Put your link to sign up for your mailing list someplace it is easily noticeable, but AFTER people have had a chance to see what you have to offer. You'll generate more positive leads this way (you know, people that might actually buy something) and keep your customers right where they belong-with you!

5) An autoresponder service for your mailing list. Today's e-consumers want results yesterday, and that applies to your mailing list as well. Put together a four to seven day autoresponder series of e-mails that everyone who signs up for your mailing list will receive, full of useful hints, tips and interesting information. Not only will this show the value of your mailings, it will keep your business in the front of their mind until they get the next one.

6) Ad trackers. If you wanted to throw your marketing money away you would have a better time spending it in the Bahamas than on ads that don't generate any leads. An Ad tracker will show you which of your ads are generating positive leads and which are just taking up cyber space so you can put your money where it's going to do you the most good.

7) A split tester. Split testing works hand in hand with your Ad tracker to automatically divert all incoming traffic and help you figure out what works and what doesn't. You can save yourself hundreds of dollars and tons of your time by using these two tools hand in hand to build a successful marketing campaign.

8) Great dashboard services. Are you still there? Great! You've obviously got staying power, which is exactly what you're going to need to build a successful online business. Let's talk about the last tool you're going to need to make your website a success-a great dashboard. Your dashboard is going to be your aviation control center, giving you real time reports of conversions, opt-ins and sales and providing you with an up to the minute view of your company's activities every second of the day.

You might be able to build a successful online business without any of these tools, but I wouldn't count on it. Leave the WD-40 and the duct tape in the closet where they belong and put the right tools in your hands. You'll be amazed at the results. ]]>